Category: News articles

FDA Issues the Final Rule for Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

Better Hearing, News, Resources

On August 16, the FDA issued a final rule for over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids and how they will be sold to consumers. This is a big day for those with mild to moderate hearing loss as many more affordable hearing aid options will become available within the control of the consumer themselves.

This is a long-awaited FDA rule and couldn’t come soon enough for millions of Americans who have put off buying or even considering a hearing aid due to costs.

To get all your answers to your questions and to learn more, please visit the HLAA OTC site.

Google Maps Adds Hearing Loops Information

Better Hearing, Hearing Loop, News, Resources

Google Maps has recently begun including hearing loops in the accessibility information on its website. This has received little notice from the national media or hearing loss–related entities but, for the hard of hearing, this is important news. A national database of looped venues has been a goal of hearing loop advocates for years and it’s finally becoming a reality. This action, a joint undertaking of the Get in the Hearing Loop Committee (GITHL) of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and Google Maps, is the latest example of the growing awareness and availability of hearing loops in public places.

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Partnering with Your Hearing Professional

Accessible Entertainment, Better Hearing, Resources

Animated guide partnering with hearing care professional

Everyone who needs assistance and help with their hearing needs will benefit greatly by having a supportive and strong relationship with their hearing care professional.

IDA Institute has put together an informative and fun guide called Partnering for Great Hearing Care. This brand-new animated guide shows a great partnership in action and provides practical tips for both clinicians and clients for how to build a successful partnership, based on four building blocks: build trust, connect as people, be active partners, and invite family and friends.

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March Presentation Lip Reading Summary

Accessible Entertainment, Meetings, Research, Resources

Those who attended our March chapter meeting enjoyed a great presentation about what is lip reading, how it can help us in noisy situations and training opportunities. And a special thank you to Ed Auer, Ph. D. and Nicole Jordan, Au.D. to take time out of their Saturday morning to present to us.

Some meeting notes to share:

There is a wonderful opportunity to participate in the speech recognition study. To learn more go to https://seehear.us/study/.

You may also reach out Ed Auer, Ph.D., with any questions at eauer@gwu.edu.

Clear masks options to review and purchase:

Watch the presentation below.

Discover Your Voice with a Professional Vocal Artist!

Accessible Entertainment, News, Research

USC Here, My Voice Woman singing

Here, My Voice 2: Supporting the Power of Voice of Hard of Hearing People

Are you a cochlear implant or hearing aid user and interested in receiving personalized voice lessons with a professional vocal artist?

USC’s “Here, My Voice” program is looking for adults with hearing loss for the study focusing on improving vocal confidence and joy of self-expression. Participants can choose to work on vocal expressions such as singing and spoken words. The lessons will be held over Zoom or in-person for one hour per week over a 12 week period. No prior music or singing experience is required. Individual voice lessons are provided to participants at no cost to them. If you agree to participate, you will be asked to fill out surveys and be part of individual interviews. Data will be anonymously collected. You will receive a $100 gift card as a token of gratitude for participating. Your participation is voluntary and you can withdraw from the study at any time.

Please contact Juri Hwang by clicking the Learn More! button below or email at jurihwan@usc.edu for more information.

Join our March Chapter Meeting!

Better Hearing, Events, Members

The masks are coming off and we can read lips again!

Topic: Lip Reading Training in Noisy Environments
Date: Saturday, March 26, 2022
Where: Online Zoom Meeting
Time: 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. PT (may extend beyond 11 a.m.)
Audience: Open to all for this free event. Please pass along this invite to others!
Understanding speech in a noisy setting is a problem common to most, if not all, of us with hearing loss. The Communication Neuroscience Laboratory of George Washington University has undertaken a study to determine whether, and the extent to which, lip reading training can address this difficulty. The study is sponsored by the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (National Institutes of Health). Edward T. Auer, Ph.D., and Nicole Jordan, Au.D., will describe the training and its anticipated benefits and will respond to your questions.
Presenters:

Edward Auer

Ed Auer, Ph.D., is an Associate Research Professor in Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at The George Washington University. His research areas include multisensory speech perception and spoken word recognition with a specific focus on examining the perceptual, cognitive, and neural consequences of experience and training.

Nicole Jordan

Nicole Jordan, Ph.D., obtained her Doctorate of Audiology in 2016 from the University of Texas at Dallas. Prior to graduating, she completed several rotations in advanced diagnostic hospitals including Baylor Scott and White, Dallas Parkland Hospital, and the Central Texas VA. She was involved with several research projects during her time as a doctoral student and designed her own research on the effects of speech in noise processing on late auditory evoked potentials. She developed a passion for amplification fitting and programming, advanced diagnostics in hearing loss, (re)habilitation and counseling, and project management.

Join the Fascinating Open Mind Program “Of Sound Mind” Event!

Accessible Entertainment, Better Hearing, Events
Sound of Mind BannerMonday, February 7
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM PSTRegistration is required for this
free live private Zoom event.

Please join The Friends of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA and the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital Board of Advisors for a fascinating Open Mind program with Nina Kraus, PhD, author of the groundbreaking new book, OF SOUND MIND: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World.

 

Dr. Nina Kraus, Northwestern University professor, neuroscientist, and director of the renowned Brainvolts Lab, uses her thirty years’ experience studying the interplay of the brain and sound to show for the first time that the processing of sound drives many of the brain’s core functions. She leads us through a fascinating exploration of sound’s surprisingly unrecognized role in both the healthy and hurting brain and brilliantly makes the case that the sounds of the world around us—and what sounds we’re exposed to throughout our lives—impact the development of our brains, the abilities and weaknesses we develop, and who we are as human beings.

Dr. Kraus is a scientist, inventor, and amateur musician who studies the biology of auditory learning and investigates the neural encoding of speech and music and its plasticity. She holds the Hugh S. Knowles Chair in Audiology at Northwestern University.

Mark Jude Tramo, MD, PhD, will join Dr. Kraus in discussion. Dr. Tramo is the Director of the Institute for Music & Brain Science, Co-Director of the University of California Multi-Campus Music Research Initiative, and both an Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and an Adjunct Professor in Ethnomusicology at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

To watch videos of our past Open Mind programs, please visit www.friendsofnpi.org/open-mind-videos or our YouTube Channel.

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