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September 30, 2005
Phone and Internet scam hits Interior
According to the Associated Press and the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Interior residents are reporting a scam that poses as a phone service for the hearing-impaired.
Posted @ 5:03 AM
Deaf mute found incompetent to face capital murder charge
A deaf, mute, illiterate Salvadoran on Thursday was found incompetent to stand trial on a capital murder charge in the slaying of a teenage girl.
Posted @ 5:00 AM
Program helps deaf drivers: Card identifies hearing-impaired
A new program aims to aid communication between police officers and the deaf and hard of hearing. It provides a large bright green envelope labeled "Important Papers," instructing drivers about what to do in the event that they are pulled over while also cluing the officer in to the driver's hearing impairment.
Posted @ 4:59 AM
Hospital milestone highlights newborn hearing screening
Blond-haired and blue-eyed, Nathan Valukevich sits at a table at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh in silence, playing with little toy people and multicolored, foam turtles. Then he hears a noise and looks up at the audiologist sitting in front of him.
Posted @ 4:58 AM
Earplugs: Music to a concertgoer's hearing
In the interest of science, Dr. David Opperman offered volunteers free tickets to sold-out concerts. All they had to do was agree to wear earplugs to muffle the sound.
Posted @ 4:57 AM
Devices help people with dual hearing loss
People with different degrees of hearing loss in both ears can achieve good outcomes by using a device called a cochlear implant in their worse-hearing ear.
Posted @ 4:55 AM
Gallaudet selects SmithGroup design Language and Communication Center
SmithGroup, the nation’s eighth-largest architecture, engineering, interiors and planning firm, has been selected to design the new $28 million James Lee Sorenson Language and Communication Center (SLCC) at Washington D.C.’s Gallaudet University, one of the world’s leading institutions for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Posted @ 4:53 AM
House call turns into nightmare for deaf Iqaluit man
A deaf man has launched a formal complaint against two Iqaluit RCMP constables for using "excessive force" during what should have been a routine house call.
Posted @ 4:51 AM
Turn down the volume
Sex and drugs are not the only dangers associated with rock and roll. Hearing loss is a serious health problem linked to regular exposure to loud music and a recent British study has warned of an epidemic of premature deafness.
Posted @ 4:50 AM
September 29, 2005
Gallaudet alumni star in Times Square spot
Gallaudet graduates will be the center of attention in New York City’s Times Square during October, thanks to a public service announcement scheduled to run on the Panasonic Company’s huge Times Square Astro Vision screen. The video will air once every hour every day throughout the month.
Posted @ 2:31 AM
Treatment breakthrough for tinnitus sufferers now available in Montreal
Spectral Visualization and Development (SVD) Inc is excited to announce that Dr. Daniel Sommer, a Montreal psychologist, has joined the growing network of professionals offering tinnitus services using Quiescence. Healthcare professionals have been using Quiescence to provide customized tinnitus solutions worldwide since 2000.
Posted @ 2:18 AM
Bandh Buddha turns deaf ear
Eyes twinkling, Bhattacharjee chose to turn a deaf ear to the flurry of questions on how his government planned to foil Thursday’s strike and keep the city in work mode.
Posted @ 2:16 AM
Cisco technology provides UK’s first IP video call centre for deaf people
SignVideo (part of Significan’t), Britain’s only Video Contact Centre for deaf people has launched a specialist video service offering deaf people immediate access to highly qualified sign language interpreters to communicate with their local authorities and other public sector organisations. The contact centre has been developed using a converged voice and data network, based on Cisco’s CallManager Video Telephony and Internet Protocol (IP) Contact Centre (IPCC) technology.
Posted @ 2:15 AM
Your mum was right - it will send you deaf
Three out of four nightclubbers are at risk of permanent hearing damage, with many reporting symptoms that could lead to incurable tinnitus or premature deafness.
Posted @ 2:14 AM
Just listen to that choreography
Sign language for the hard of hearing at theatre and opera has been a welcome development. But to provide the service for dance is political correctness gone mad, says Lynne Walker.
Posted @ 2:11 AM
Ford's Theater to provide i-Caption handheld captioning system for deaf
Ford’s Theatre today announced that it will provide I-Caption devices during the run of Ken Ludwig’s Leading Ladies (Sept. 23 – Oct. 23) that will enable Deaf and hard of hearing patrons to follow the onstage dialogue. Ford’s first utilized I-Caption technology during last season’s successful run of Big River: The Adventures of Big River, which included Deaf, hard of hearing and hearing cast members.
Posted @ 2:10 AM
September 28, 2005
Hey baby, what's your sign?
Babies can now say things like "milk," "more" and "all done" — and that's before they've even learned to talk. Baby sign language (search), a trend popularized by the baby in "Meet the Fockers" (search) and "Will & Grace" star Debra Messing (search), is becoming increasingly common in homes, child care centers and preschools as a way to teach toddlers how to communicate before they have the motor skills to form words.
Posted @ 1:38 AM
Hearing loss led Wass to life of helping others
Growing up in Decatur in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a severe hearing problem, Duane L. Wass encountered many obstacles on his way to attaining his diploma from Bellmont High School.
Posted @ 1:37 AM
Canadian charity bails out blind, deaf children
Charity begins at home is an age-old saying. Three summers ago in 2002, after returning from a trip to Kenya and Uganda, I casually told two fellow educators of the great needs for more educational resources for deaf and blind children in Africa.
Posted @ 1:35 AM
Deaf at the dragon
Having stood at many a coffee shop counter, tapping my Cornell card irritably while watching baristas flail around for my caffeine fix, I have always known that Cornell food facilities were primarily intended to supply ready reinforcements to stressed, exhausted students.
Posted @ 1:34 AM
Fight, fight, fight for Iowa till the ears are done
As Iowa City resident Amy Luttinger putters around her home, she often finds herself tapping her foot to the beat of the "Iowa Fight Song."
Posted @ 1:32 AM
September 27, 2005
New cochlear implant surgery safer, less invasive
Cochlear implants have restored or improved hearing for thousands. And now researchers say they've developed a minimally invasive cochlear implantation (MICI) procedure that reduces risks of complications compared with the traditional technique.
Posted @ 12:48 AM
What amplified music is the loudest? All of It
If you are heading out for a concert, you should consider taking a pair of earplugs. That is the advice of a new study that found that people who attend indoor concerts where the music is amplified show measurable hearing loss afterward.
Posted @ 12:42 AM
Loud music generations experiencing hearing loss
Dave Carrubba likes hard rock and metal music, and he says "you are not a true fan unless you listen to it loud, until you get a headache."
Posted @ 12:39 AM
Saying it through SMS
Silence is their only companion. For the hearing impaired, expressing their emotions instantly through Short Messaging Service (SMS) has opened up a world of possibilities.
Posted @ 12:35 AM
September 26, 2005
Scammers using Internet phone service for the deaf
Have you ever wondered how deaf people make a phone call? How they chat with a friend, order a pizza--or get hold of 911? At one time they had to find a hearing friend who could make the call for them, translating their sign language or written notes into speech for the person on the other end. Then came teletype (TTY) terminals, which allowed them to type their half of a conversation, while an operator served as the intermediary.
Posted @ 8:40 AM
Drug helps alcoholism and tinnitus
Acamprosate (Campral), a drug approved by the FDA to treat alcohol dependence, is a good substitute to therapeutic arsenal for treating tinnitus, according to a recent study.
Posted @ 8:37 AM
Less invasive cochlear implantation
A cochlear implant provides useful hearing and improved communication ability for people who have profound to total hearing loss. However, a less invasive implant could reduce complications caused by the traditional procedure, according to a new study.
Posted @ 8:35 AM
Programme to prevent hearing disorders
The national programme for deafness to prevent hearing disorders will be implemented in Malappuram district before next year, said Dr. Jayaram, director of the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore.
Posted @ 8:32 AM
Association for Deaf People holds information stand
The Mid West office of the National Association for Deaf People are bringing their Mobile Resource Unit (MRU) to a number of locations in Limerick City and county.
Posted @ 8:31 AM
CL600 emergency connect telephone at Harris Communications
Harris Communications, a leading distributor of assistive devices for deaf and hard of hearing people, is pleased to announce that they will be the exclusive U.S. distributor of the ClearSounds CL600 Emergency Connect Telephone.
Posted @ 8:30 AM
September 25, 2005
Students are immersed in lessons to use sign language
A new class at Cypress Bay High School requires students to use their hands. Stephanie Sirois, 27, of Boca Raton is teaching sign-language classes at the Weston school, which draws students from Pembroke Pines, Southwest Ranches and Davie. About 250 students are taking the class.
Posted @ 5:36 PM
No limits, blind and deaf man enjoys life to fullest
The visitor from Scotland, complete with a tartan plaid tam, sat down at the piano and played. David Bess Jr. was just a few feet away, carrying on a conversation at almost lightning speed, undaunted by the music.
Posted @ 5:34 PM
Ears at risk as iPod ‘addiction’ spreads
Cusick says he spends more time listening to his iPod than he spends awake. That’s because he goes to sleep listening to music.
Posted @ 5:26 PM
September 24, 2005
Laurent: World's first city by the deaf, for the deaf
The world's first city for deaf people will be a lot like other American cities. There will be a fire department, a post office and garbage services. But there will be one major difference: all the employees, including city administrators running right up to the mayor will have to be able to communicate using sign language.
Posted @ 5:28 PM
Ear surgery study: Smaller cut is better
For years, surgeons installed cochlear implants — a device that restores a degree of hearing to some deaf people — by cutting a large triangular incision into the skin covering the skull, a technique that caused considerable pain and swelling.
Posted @ 5:24 PM
September 23, 2005
Minimally invasive cochlear implantation offers benefits over traditional procedure
Researchers in Texas propose minimally invasive cochlear implantation as a technique in which creation of a large scalp flap is avoided, thereby reducing complications. The most common complications with cochlear implantation involve flap breakdown and electrode misplacement.
Posted @ 5:36 PM
Ringing in the ear may respond to alcoholism drug
A drug used to treat alcoholism can help people with tinnitus, the "ringing in the ears" that can make life miserable, Brazilian researchers report.
Posted @ 5:34 PM
Hearing loss and safety
You provide training to your employees on occupational safety and health, but are you sure they hear you? In a presentation at the National Safety Council's Congress & Expo, Sharon Campbell of S.L.C. Communications in Colorado said that hearing loss is a growing problem that may be affecting your safety training.
Posted @ 5:33 PM
Turning on to the causes of hearing loss
Damaging noise is quickly becoming a major bugbear for inner city dwellers and people with hearing impairments. Whether it is the boom-boom stereos in passing cars, the racket as boy racers go through the gears, or the everyday background noise and music in pubs and restaurants - life is becoming too noisy for many.
Posted @ 5:31 PM
Helping hands
Sign-language interpreters Alan Champion and Candace Broecker-Penn make theatre-going an enriching experience for deaf audiences. Can you name two performers who have each appeared in more than 50 Broadway shows in the last 25 years?
Posted @ 5:29 PM
Hearing loss, tinnitus focus of conference
An international symposium focusing on major developments in research, treatment and prevention of acquired hearing loss and tinnitus cohosted by the Center for Hearing and Deafness at UB and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command will be held in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on Oct. 9-12.
Posted @ 5:28 PM
Students feel beat, despite disability
When Chelsea Broxterman learned that two hearing-impaired students made the Southeast High School marching band this year, she reacted with surprise.
Posted @ 5:27 PM
CSD to host gala in recognition of 30th anniversary
CSD has launched a month-long celebration of its 30 years of deaf and hard of hearing services. Commemoration of the company’s milestone includes articles, signed videos, a web site, the launch of a new book and a gala at the Sioux Falls Convention Center on Oct. 28.
Posted @ 5:23 PM
Gallaudet family weekend set for October
Come join us at Gallaudet University Family Weekend 2005, taking place October 14 – 16, 2005.
Posted @ 5:21 PM
September 22, 2005
Kids receive gift of better hearing
Fifteen hearing aids were recently donated to underprivileged children at the Carel du Toit Centre, opposite the Tygerberg Hospital in Bellville, by Widex, the leaders in hearing aid technology.
Posted @ 5:14 PM
Play it loud, and you may pay for it
Somebody grooving to the new Coldplay album on their new iPod or other personal listening device may not be thinking about hearing safety, but some medical experts are beginning to worry that the shiny little devices that have taken the music world by storm could pose some risks for hearing loss down the road, if they aren't used properly.
Posted @ 5:12 PM
Newborns in Kochi get screened for hearing loss
Kochi: Kochi has become the first city in the country to have screened all high-risk newborns for identifying and remediating hearing loss by fixing aid as practised in the developed countries.
Posted @ 5:09 PM
Turn it down
Teenagers like their music fast, and they like it loud, but parents are not the only victims of this cacophony, this chaos with a chorus.
Posted @ 5:08 PM
Hearing loss no handicap for Luke
Dubbo teen Luke Butcher has worn two hearing aids since he was born and relies almost totally on the use of a portable FM system to communicate.
Posted @ 5:04 PM
The CSD journey
In 1975, people thought Ben Soukup was crazy when he left his job at John Morrell & Co. — a meat packing plant — to start a nonprofit organization that would help deaf people. His first office was in a closet provided by the South Dakota School for the Deaf.
Posted @ 5:00 PM
September 21, 2005
The wave of the future is really the hear and now
Beg your pardon? What did you say? Could you repeat that? A little louder please. Huh? These phrases may very well become the cool mule talk of the future — a future in which many of us will likely be wearing hearing aids.
Posted @ 1:57 AM
Headphones linked to hearing loss
Every Monday and Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., Emily Aldridge walks into her step aerobics class ready to work out. She is pumped up even before class starts, because her iPod is turned up high, playing her favorite songs.
Posted @ 1:55 AM
Old ears on young people
"Turn it down or you’ll ruin your ears!" That has been a familiar refrain from parents dating back to the 1950s. However, kids have usually turned up the volume whenever they had a chance. Today, some of those former kids, many now in their 60s, don’t hear so well.
Posted @ 1:53 AM
T-Mobile USA gains extension for offering hearing-aid-compatible phone
The Federal Communications Commission granted T-Mobile USA Inc. a short extension of time to comply with last Friday's deadline for national mobile-phone carriers to begin making hearing-aid-compatible handsets available to consumers.
Posted @ 1:50 AM
Hearing loss comes early for iPod generation
Doctors now say your kids could be at risk of losing their hearing at a surprisingly early age. They're blaming it on how many kids and teens are listening to iPod's and using cell phones.
Posted @ 1:49 AM
Sounding out success
Hearing loss can affect anyone, regardless of age. That's why the Sertoma Speech and Hearing Foundation of Florida Inc. is out and about, getting youngsters such as 6-year-old Lillian Clements and 5-year-old Annaliese Orsini to raise their hands when they hear the beep.
Posted @ 1:48 AM
The EarPopper, for popping ears
Everyone has experienced the uncomfortable sensation of middle ear pressure changes. And if you pay attention on a flight in descent, you can see how passengers try coping: chewing gum, half-sneezes, and the occasional finger jab. But when that sensation persists, it could lead to chronic infection and hearing loss. That's where the EarPopper fits:
Posted @ 1:45 AM
September 16, 2005
New ear guards keep hunters on game
The only good thing about bad hearing is that you never know what they're saying behind your back. Ask someone who has hunted much of their life a question, and you'll probably have to repeat yourself. Our hearing has suffered over the years and when we get together, people often ask why we talk so loudly.
Posted @ 2:57 PM
If you have an iPod or an MP3 player, listen up!
Next to a cell phone and a stylish book bag, many college students are decked out in another must-have accessory--an iPod or mp3 player, and the tiny little earphones that come with them.
Posted @ 12:46 AM
More hands learning to speak
None of Joyce Wilder's students spoke during her language class last week. The only sounds in the classroom were from the occasional movement of chairs and a phone ringing from the hallway.
Posted @ 12:45 AM
Access program for the hearing impaired reaches 10-year milestone
Imagine living in a world where those around you are speaking, but you are unable to hear or partake in the conversation. Or imagine lying in a hospital bed, signingthe consent papers for a leg amputation without having any idea what you are signing because the medical linguistics were never explained to you.
Posted @ 12:44 AM
New program will help identify hearing impaired drivers
The Connecticut Police Chiefs Association along with the state DMV and the State Commission on the Deaf and Hearing Impaired have launched a new program aimed to better alert police officers to hearing impaired drivers.
Posted @ 12:43 AM
Hospital fails to meet demand for hearing aids
Patients are waiting a whopping 69 weeks for a hearing aid at Chase Farm Hospital, according to a recent report.
Posted @ 12:42 AM
September 15, 2005
Cover hearing aids
The Disability Law Center writes in response to Lesley Mitchell's Aug. 30 article, "Private insurers, Medicare rarely cover hearing aids."
Posted @ 4:43 PM
Breaking the sound barrier
With the chaos of a football practice surrounding him, Anthony Black is calm. The Downey High junior stares toward the sidelines before each play, receives the formation and call, and runs to his position.
Posted @ 4:34 PM
Cochlear implant to repair hearing loss for teenager
Jacob Waring is as ready as anybody can be. So is Dana Waring, who with the help of so many in the community has made repeated trips to Boston, trying to help her deaf son. The big day is at hand.
Posted @ 4:33 PM
Study finds hearing loss in youth
A new study being conducted at Purdue University shows that people who listen to loud music on headphones might be damaging their hearing.
Posted @ 4:29 PM
Vietnam gets first sign language dictionary
Vietnam’s first-ever sign language dictionary was launched Wednesday by the Ho Chi Minh City Education University with assistance from Samsung Electronics.
Posted @ 4:15 PM
Sprint Nextel launches CapTel(SM) for hard of hearing community in New Hampshire
Sprint Nextel now offers CapTel(SM) Relay Service (captioned telephone) in New Hampshire. CapTel is an assistive technology aimed at easing communications for the more than 24 million Americans who are hard of hearing, have experienced hearing loss later in life or are deaf individuals with good vocalization skills.
Posted @ 4:00 PM
September 14, 2005
AOL and Sorenson Communications team to offer text-to-speech relay calls
America Online Inc. and Sorenson Communications(TM), the nation's leading provider of video relay services (VRS) and equipment for the deaf community, today announced a partnership to allow deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to access the newly launched Sorenson IP Relay(TM) directly from their AOL or AIM Buddy List feature using the AIM Relay Service.
Posted @ 1:14 PM
Hearing loss from new portable devices
Music technology has come a long way since a "45 rpm" was the universal choice for hit songs. Now, the digital age allows anyone to carry their entire music collection on a tiny device with fantastic sound. But there is danger here. The Eye on Health team spoke with a local hearing specialist about the so-called MP3 generation.
Posted @ 2:42 AM
Hearing loss in younger and younger generations
Masonry worker Scott Lovitt works long hours on a regular basis with heavy machinery. "They saw probably about, hmmm, using it three or four hours today, I know I used the jack hammer for about five hours today," said Scott Lovitt, a worker for Krall's Masonry.
Posted @ 2:40 AM
Will iPod's popularity lead to hearing loss in young?
You can't get on a bus or walk a few steps on campus without spotting the thin, white cords of an iPod strung around someone's neck. "I listen to mine in the car, on the bus, on campus, and sometimes in class when I'm waiting for it to start," said Adam Silverstein, a University of Florida senior majoring in public relations.
Posted @ 2:35 AM
Patient wait 3 years for an NHS hearing aid
The average wait has increased by seven weeks in the past year, despite efforts by the Government to shorten queues. On average, hard-of-hearing patients have to wait 47 weeks for an aid. Longest queue is three years at City Hospital, Birmingham then two-and-a-half years in Leeds and Brighton.
Posted @ 2:30 AM
September 13, 2005
Hearing no big loss for Ticats' Hack
Dave Hack has been a full-time CFLer for more than seven seasons, but no one aside from his teammates knew he was deaf in one ear until recently.
Posted @ 2:37 AM
Tinnitus sufferers 'feel let down' by NHS treatment
Thousands of tinnitus sufferers in Scotland are being badly let down by the NHS, according to new research.
Posted @ 2:35 AM
Arthur Schmidt gets his groove back with hearing aids
One night while they lay in bed facing one another, Evelyn Schmidt spoke to her husband, Arthur, for a good 10 minutes about her day before he interrupted her.
Posted @ 2:33 AM
Docs ring warning bells on earbuds
Earbuds are causing hearing loss and damaged eardrums among the people who use them frequently, doctors warned yesterday.
Posted @ 2:30 AM
September 12, 2005
New technologies are making hearing aids more effective
Retired firefighter and emergency medical services director Charles Lancasterof Hendersonville said it's difficult for people to notice he wears a hearing aid.
Posted @ 2:28 AM
Headphone use may worsen hearing loss
Everywhere she turns, Angella Day sees people carrying portable music players, often with the ear buds stuffed firmly in place. "They're very widespread," says Day, a senior at Chicago's DePaul University who regularly listens to music on her own iPod while studying or working out. "So addicting."
Posted @ 2:27 AM
Hearing research gets big boost
Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System say they're launching three federally funded studies into the causes of age-related hearing loss and ways to reduce or prevent that loss.
Posted @ 2:25 AM
Test could help treat hearing loss
Some hearing loss occurs after the body's own immune system attacks the delicate inner ear. Now, new research may help in the development of a test that could show which patients suffering from this type of hearing impairment will benefit from immediate treatment with steroid drugs.
Posted @ 2:25 AM
September 11, 2005
CSD offers support to deaf Hurricane Katrina victims
To ensure that deaf and hard of hearing victims of Hurricane Katrina are not overlooked in recovery efforts, CSD has made resources available to support emergency responders and volunteers of the Red Cross and other organizations working with the evacuees.
Posted @ 2:22 AM
What about VoIP users with hearing difficulties?
With the growth of VoIP it stands to reason that there's a growing number of users who will be accessing these services by means of traditional phone instruments, headsets, and portable VoIP phones.
Posted @ 2:20 AM
Trips don't always do a body good, especially ears and eyes
Wait for a ride on a New York subway, and as your train approaches your ears are blasted with 90 decibels of noise, loud enough to do permanent damage after a few minutes. A jet plane engine gives off 120 decibels at takeoff, about the same as a rock concert. Car racing fan? The din is likely to reach 130 decibels.
Posted @ 12:58 AM
September 10, 2005
Cochlear Americas donates batteries and funding to Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort
Cochlear Americas is reaching out to victims of Hurricane Katrina by donating batteries for cochlear implant sound processors. The company also is showing support during this terrible tragedy by matching donations made by Cochlear employees and customers to organizations assisting with providing basic life necessities to these victims.
Posted @ 1:03 AM
Teacher denies molest charges
A secondary school teacher has been charged with five counts of outraging the modesty of three hearing-impaired schoolgirls here.
Posted @ 1:00 AM
Cochlear implants' performance not affected by amount of hearing loss in the implanted ear
There is growing evidence that the amount of hearing in an ear prior to surgery is unrelated to a patient's ability to interpret speech using an implant, says Howard W. Francis, M.D., lead author of the study and an associate professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.
Posted @ 12:56 AM
Motorcycle noise regulation now more dogmatic
With the implementation of the motorcycle noise regulation, it is expected that more violators will be arrested. Said regulation directs the State Patrol to teach the local officers on how they will be able to identify illegal exhaust system.
Posted @ 12:54 AM
September 9, 2005
Bridging the gap
Jeff Kelly used to tell his girlfriend, Terri Vincent, that before calling him at work, she should "be prepared with what you want to say."
Posted @ 3:28 AM
Runner doesn't let impairment stop the race
Stephanie Connelly is a spark plug of engery, standing just over 5 feet tall. Teammate Lisa Pan says, she's like average height and yet her strides are so long and I'm amazed at what she can do.
Posted @ 3:25 AM
Help for the hearing impaired
Hearing the birds chirp or the wind blow is something many of us take for granted. But for one man, those simple sounds mean everything.
Posted @ 3:22 AM
Samantha's hearing problem was surprise
The letter sent to Steve and Roxanne Petron of the Princeton area five months ago by Princeton’s South Elementary School about their daughter Samantha was an eye opener.
Posted @ 3:18 AM
Former local woman aids the hearing impaired in Texas
Rose Minette has the job of her dreams. A former Gladstone resident, she is making a name for herself in the State of Texas and a profound influence on the hearing impaired residents of the state.
Posted @ 3:15 AM
September 8, 2005
How's your hearing?
Some baby boomers aren't hearing as much as they used to. One in every 10 Americans, or 28 million, has suffered some degree of hearing loss, according to Self Help for Hard of Hearing People.
Posted @ 4:54 PM
Hearing loss and memory
Older adults with mild to moderate hearing loss may use up so much cognitive effort trying to hear and understand speech that it undermines their ability to remember what they've heard, a study suggests.
Posted @ 4:50 PM
Deaf bowler rolls perfect game
Don Nation’s world was silent. And, for one of the first times in his life, that worked to his advantage. When Nation stepped up to bowl the 10th frame at Eastern Lanes, all the spectactors and his fellow bowlers did their best to be quiet. It didn’t matter. Nation couldn’t hear them anyway.
Posted @ 12:32 AM
Sign & Sing: new sign language program for infants
This month, Indian Hill Music School in Littleton will offer a new music and sign language program for infants called Sign & Sing. This research-proven program is based on methods shown to speed language development in hearing children, ease frustration, and enhance long-term learning abilities.
Posted @ 12:29 AM
Deaf compile own sign dictionary
The Fiji Association of the Deaf has received a grant of $61,000 from the Australian Government in its effort to produce Fiji first sign language dictionary.
Posted @ 12:27 AM
Hearing-impaired victims of Hurricane Katrina to receive free hearing aids
Starkey, America's leading hearing aid company, has pledged $25 million for its Help America Hear Project, a business recovery program designed to help with employment, new business plans and
office relocation for hurricane victims.
Posted @ 12:22 AM
September 7, 2005
Ear infections: Why they occur, how to prevent them
I have seen numerous children and adults who suffer from ear infections. Some of these infections are located within the ear canal and are termed otitis externa. They are also known as "swimmer's ear."
Posted @ 5:43 PM
Deaf couple save neighbours from blaze
A profoundly deaf couple helped save the home of a family of three after spotting a blaze in the back garden.
Posted @ 4:07 PM
Theatre Access Project announces upcoming captioned and sign language interpreted performances
Theatre Access Project (TAP), Theatre Development Fund's invitation to the performing arts for people with physical disabilities announces its upcoming schedule of open captioning and sign language interpreted performances for theatregoers with hearing loss. The following is a list of upcoming open captioned and sign language interpreted performances.
Posted @ 8:02 AM
September 6, 2005
Cochlear implants: Any ear will do
Ever wonder whether the good ear or the bad ear should get the cochlear implant? It turns out that it doesn't matter, which is good news for the hard of hearing, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins.
Posted @ 11:15 PM
Ear Infection
As millions of parents can testify, young children are prone to ear infections. Children are more susceptible to getting these infections because of the shape of the head and the position of the Eustachian tube, which drains fluid from the middle ear and connects the middle ear space behind the eardrum to the outside world.
Posted @ 11:13 PM
MP3 players can cause hearing loss
Need a reason to tear yourself from that sleek new MP3 player you can't put down? While most people covet the hours of nonstop music and the snug earpieces, those features, and others, are also the reasons the players may hurt your hearing.
Posted @ 11:12 PM
Hearing Loss? Earbud headphones will do it
Those snug fitting earbud style headphones, although sound great, may be damaging your hearing. According to a study published last year in the journal Ear and Hearing reported results from Dr. Brian Fligor of Harvard Medical School.
Posted @ 11:11 PM
Gallaudet University provides relief to deaf and hard of hearing victims of Hurricane Katrina
Gallaudet University has opened its doors to deaf, hard of hearing and hearing undergraduate and graduate students who were attending a college or university now closed due to Hurricane Katrina.
Posted @ 11:05 PM
Sonomax announces new generation of hi-tech products, launch of consumer division
Sonomax Hearing Healthcare Inc. announces that its Research & Development department has developed and perfected a proprietary technology which permits the integration of modular circuitry into the company's patented instant-fit custom earpieces. Named the SonoPlatformTM, it will enable the company to offer a vastly expanded suite of hi-tech, instantly deliverable, affordable, hearing and communications devices to both the consumer and industrial markets.
Posted @ 11:00 PM
September 5, 2005
Before baby talk
When her daughter was 18 months old, Jackie Kirschnik noticed Faith wasn’t talking much. Kirschnik expressed her concern to Faith’s pediatrician, who suggested reassessing her at 2 years.
Posted @ 1:06 PM
Nearly blind, deaf and mentally challenged -- but he's the Drum King
Sixteen-year-old Huang Huiqi is mentally challenged, severely hearing-impaired and very nearsighted, but of late he's become something of a musician. Six years ago, Huang joined the Taichong City Rongzhong Congregation's children's percussion group, where his classmates became his ears and eyes.
Posted @ 1:00 PM
Internet fraud lands deaf man in jail
A young man with an apparent fixation on obtaining police-issued equipment found out the hard way that compromising the integrity of Internet security systems will result in a harsh penalty.
Posted @ 12:08 PM
September 4, 2005
$500,000 to fight deaf boy in the courts
The Education Department will spend up to $500,000 on legal fees fighting a discrimination case brought by a deaf boy denied a classroom interpreter.
Posted @ 1:04 PM
Deaf victim blossoms into powerful advocate
She was asleep in her college dormitory room when the intruder entered through an unlocked door and raped her. Despite the trauma of the assault, Marilyn Smith says the worst ordeal came when she reported the assault.
Posted @ 12:58 PM
Hearing is no big loss for Hack
Dave Hack stands in the huddle of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and listens to quarterback Danny McManus call out a play. To the unassuming eye it is nothing important, unless you're aware the big offensive lineman is cocking his left ear inward to hear what is being said because he is mostly deaf in his right ear.
Posted @ 12:54 PM
September 3, 2005
Communicating in style
Other than the snip of scissors or the running of water, it's pretty quiet in Nancy Tayler's hair salon. But thanks to word of hand, the one-chair, one-sink salon keeps the owner and stylist quite busy.
Posted @ 8:34 AM
Deaf woman sues hospital over no interpreter during childbirth
A deaf woman is suing a hospital for not providing her with a sign language interpreter during childbirth. In her lawsuit filed Wednesday, Lisa Monique Webb alleges that St. Francis Medical Center in suburban Lynwood violated her civil rights under state law, according to a statement from the Western Law Center for Disability Rights, which is representing Webb.
Posted @ 8:29 AM
Solution for hospital language barriers
Doctors and their deaf and hard-of-hearing patients who need to speak using ASL, as well as Spanish-speaking patients, can now easily communicate through a new video interpreting service. The Language Line Video Interpreting Service provides hospitals immediate access to ASL and medically-certified Spanish language interpreters anytime, anyplace, and only pay a per-minute fee. More languages will be offered soon.
Posted @ 8:26 AM
Nunavik schools re-wired to aid hearing impaired
The alarm clocks ring early every morning, and kids are pulling themselves out of bed and running out to the school bus: classes in all schools under the Kativik School Board have started once again.
Posted @ 8:25 AM
Breaking down the barriers
As part of its campaign to achieve acceptance of signing as the preferred form of communication for deaf people, DANI (Deaf Association of Northern Ireland), has launched a unique educational DVD aimed at the 16 to 26-year-old age group and focusing on the key areas of sex education, getting a job, education and training, and starting a business.
Posted @ 8:22 AM
Coping with noise from new airport
When Suvarnabhumi airport finally opens its runways to commercial traffic, few will join the celebrations as enthusiastically as residents of communities scattered around the old airport at Don Muang. After decades of being deafened by aircraft screaming skyward, they will be able to enjoy some relative peace and quiet as take-offs slow to a trickle.
Posted @ 8:16 AM
September 2, 2005
Officers and deaf-awareness
Standing before a classroom of Howard County police officers, Ron Fenicle jerks his right arm back, hand in a loose fist, toward his shoulder, indicating the American Sign Language symbol for "I won't."
Posted @ 8:21 AM
Woman, 101, is 142nd on waiting list for hearing aid
A 101-year-old woman who is waiting for a new digital hearing aid from West Middlesex Hospital, is slipping deeper into depression because she can no longer hear, according to her son.
Posted @ 8:20 AM
Cochlear implants’ performance not affected by amount of hearing loss
Hearing-impaired individuals with severe to profound hearing loss and poor speech understanding who possess some residual hearing in one ear may experience significant communication benefit from a cochlear implant even if it is placed in the worse-hearing ear, a Johns Hopkins study suggests.
Posted @ 8:15 AM
First deaf president of Gallaudet University, Dr. I. King Jordan, announces plans to retire
Gallaudet University President, Dr. I. King Jordan, whose selection as the nation’s first deaf university president in 1988 propelled him into the international spotlight as a role model for what deaf people can achieve, has announced that he would retire on December 31, 2006.
Posted @ 8:09 AM
September 1, 2005
Schools prepare to host Regional Academic Bowl competitions
Regional competitions for the 10th annual National Academic Bowl for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students will begin early next year, with the top two teams from each region squaring off in the finals April 22-25 at Gallaudet University.
Posted @ 12:15 AM
Ear implant changes life for educator
Mild-mannered Sharon Hobbs had become a master of reading human emotions. That's not the trademark skill of a superhero, but it was a somewhat astonishing feat she used to manage in a world where her hearing was failing her.
Posted @ 12:13 AM
Indian performs live cochlear implant surgery
An Indian surgeon did live cochlear implant surgery, for the first time in Pakistan, at the First National Cochlear Implant Symposium held at a local hotel in Lahore, said a press release on Wednesday.
Posted @ 12:12 AM
Teacher in students’ ears
Ever sat at the back of the class to have a nap during maths? That’s no longer an option in one class at Elm Park Primary School after the teacher began wearing a microphone headset.
Posted @ 12:09 AM
Hear, hear, implant trial's a success
If your baby is born with a hearing problem, listen to this. There is a 90 per cent chance that he will be able to attend a normal school and interact with his hearing friends and teachers.
Posted @ 12:07 AM