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January 31, 2006
Mommy, my ears hurt
Jennifer Shanda 's daughter Lauren wasn't eating or sleeping. Every time Jennifer lay her down, she cried. A visit to the doctor confirmed the 6-month-old child's problem: an ear infection. "She was up a lot during the night because of the pressure of lying down," recalled Shanda, of West Des Moines. Lauren is now 2 1/2, but it's been a tough road. She suffered several subsequent infections — one so severe it led to her having tubes surgically placed in her ears.
Posted @ 5:29 PM
Educators come to grips with iPod-addicted kids
His iPod strapped to his arm as he lifts in the CCBA weight room, Jeff White said he listens to loud rap music because it distracts him and gets him "pumped up." White, a West Lebanon resident attending Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., uses his iPod mainly when he exercises, but many people who own the slim devices, which play digital audio files, use them throughout the day.
Posted @ 5:26 PM
Ski holiday ride 'cures' deaf man
A former soldier who lost his hearing 15 years ago has suddenly regained it on a ski lift in the Italian Dolomites. Derek Glover, 72, from Bourne, Lincolnshire, was 7,000ft up on holiday with his daughter when he heard a loud pop and his hearing returned. Mr Glover's hearing was first damaged while on National Service 50 years ago and gradually worsened until he had to have a hearing aid fitted 15 years ago.
Posted @ 5:23 PM
Helping him hear
Every day holds a discovery for Austin Top. A world of sound has emerged for the 4-year-old since he received a second hearing implant in December. Now the Valley Springs boy can be seen leaning into his glass of soda, transfixed by the fizzing noise. He laughs with his sister. And, best of all, he can hear his mom say "I love you" without turning his head to read her lips.
Posted @ 5:18 PM
Signing before speaking
Like many new parents, John Donnelly and Denise Gale-Donnelly had trouble figuring out what was wrong when their 8-month-old daughter, Sabbia, woke up wailing in the middle of the night. "You're going, 'Is it it her teeth? Is she hungry?' " says Gale-Donnelly, who lives in White Plains. So when she spied a DVD at Borders that claimed parents could teach babies to use sign language, she grabbed it.
Posted @ 5:17 PM
Kids use hands, voices to learn languages
Denali Wilkinson may be only 10 months old, but she recognizes KidzPlex when her mother carries her through the door. She perks up right away, said mom Sarah Wilkinson, because she knows she’s on her way to a Kindermusik class. Last week, Denali and eight other toddlers crawled, stood, played and sang (in their own special way) during a Kindermusik Sign & Sing class on the second floor of KidzPlex, 609 Road 25.
Posted @ 5:14 PM
Keen Company announces Children of a Lesser God
Keen Company is proud to announce that the second production of their 2005/06 season is the first professional New York City revival of Mark Medoff’s Tony Award-winning play Children of a Lesser God, directed by Keen Company Associate Artistic Director Blake Lawrence. Children of a Lesser God begins previews on Tuesday, March 14 for a limited engagement through Sunday, April 9.
Posted @ 5:12 PM
Parents turning to sign language for toddlers
Nora Dexter isn’t even 2 years old, yet she already knows two languages: English and American Sign Language. Nora’s mom, Katie, has taught sign language to both of her daughters. Emma, now 5 years old, started when she was just 7 months old. Katie explained, "With Emma, when I taught her colors she learned them in one sitting. She learned the colors of the rainbow just like that!"
Posted @ 5:09 PM
KSD sign language classes growing in popularity
Many people take their ability to communicate verbally for granted. Unfortunately, many Danville residents do not have that luxury. Because Danville is home to Kentucky School for the Deaf, the city has a large deaf community that relies on their hands for communication. Unfortunately, it is often hard for these two groups to effectively communicate because of the general public's lack of basic sign language skills.
Posted @ 5:05 PM
January 30, 2006
Congregating hearing impaired people from all over the world
Announcing a Forum board in which hearing impaired persons discuss together, and where other members learn more about the deaf culture and the sign language. AllDeaf.com is a Forum Board dedicated to hearing impaired people, helping them to meet one another and discuss about everyday problems, and creating a community attitude that is of great support with everyday life for those who are looking to seek advice and help.
Posted @ 3:46 PM
Starkey Laboratories introduces high-powered hybrid hearing device
Starkey Laboratories, one of the world's leading hearing technology companies, today introduced the DaVinci PsP(TM) (Precision Super Power), the only two-in-one hybrid hearing instrument available today. With its standard or open-fitting capability, it is the only super-power behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing device that meets the needs of those suffering from mild to moderate hearing loss as well as those with a much more significant high-frequency hearing loss.
Posted @ 3:39 PM
Gallaudet University American Sign Language Proficiency Interview
ATTN: Students and Staff: Welcome to the Spring 2006 Gallaudet University American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (GU-ASLPI) session. The GU-ASLPI is a videotaped interactive process between a trained interviewer and the candidate which may last up to thirty (30) minutes. It is a holistic evaluation of an individual's overall proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL).
Posted @ 3:36 PM
Are personal music players harming our hearing?
Twenty-year-old Adam Taylor likes his music loud, and he doesn't worry about the consequences. The Panama City Beach resident, a student at Gulf Coast Community College, said he has had an iPod for about two years. He uses the personal music player to listen to his favorite songs whenever and wherever -- cruising the mall or passing time between classes, to name a couple of examples.
Posted @ 5:18 AM
Latest technology contributing to hearing loss
When David Scroggins attends a summer festival concert, he sees talented musicians and families having fun — and an environment rife with auditory danger. "I see a mom and dad sitting in front of the speakers with their children and they don't realize all of that up-close noise can be damaging," he said.
Posted @ 5:11 AM
Devices that enhance living
The Gordon Flesch Charitable Foundation presented a $5,000 donation to the Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living on Jan. 27. The money will be used to purchase assistive devices for people with vision and hearing disabilities to try. Foundation board member Barb Godish, Joliet branch manager Brian May and sales representative Lee Ann Travnicek delivered the much-needed funds to the center's executive director, Pam Heavens.
Posted @ 5:08 AM
January 29, 2006
Physical therapy helps hearing
About 30 million people suffer from hearing loss. Many of them still have trouble hearing even with hearing aids. But now, audiologists have come up with a new kind of therapy that really makes a difference. Gerald Blackwill thought a hearing aid would be the answer to his hearing loss, but it wasn't. "It's frustrating because you really want to understand what somebody's telling you."
Posted @ 8:53 PM
Watsonville High wrestling turning around the life of a once-troubled deaf student
Edgar Martinez is in trouble at a recent wrestling match. Inches from being pinned, he writhes to break free, his face pinched with strain, but not a peep of encouragement or advice from his Watsonville High brethren or coaches. Well, not entirely. One teammate jumps up and screams, "Let's go Edgar!" but receives "What are you doing?" glances from the teammates seated around him.
Posted @ 8:50 PM
Hospital translators help non-English speaking patients get the care they need
Irma Melendez's daughter, Selena, was born May 16. Within a few weeks, the joy of having a new baby was replaced by fear. Selena wasn't gaining weight. She wasn't eating. Melendez speaks little English and her fear for her daughter was intensified as she tried to explain the problem to her doctor and understand his responses. She panicked when she couldn't figure out what exactly he wanted and worried that she wasn't understanding his instructions.
Posted @ 8:47 PM
Mission keeps CSD secure as nonprofit
With more than 3,000 employees, Communication Service for the Deaf is far removed from the penny-pinching nonprofit it once was. Highly unusual in the nonprofit world, most of the more than $80 million that CSD made last year is raised through fees tacked on to phone bills from the nation's telephone companies. It's a program that allows the deaf to use the nation's telecommunications systems. CSD, which contracts with Sprint, is one of a handful of providers.
Posted @ 8:44 PM
Kids lend helping ears to Vietnamese students
Forty hearing aids, collected by Takamatsu middle school students with hearing disabilities, were shipped to Vietnam last week through the Kagawa Supporting Organization of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers. Thirteen students attending the prefectural middle school for children with hearing impairments launched a drive in November to collect hearing aids after learning how expensive the devices were in Vietnam.
Posted @ 8:43 PM
The sound of success
“I’ll never forget that moment”— that’s how Soudnya Gondekar, describes the time when she heard her three-year-old daughter Addya say ‘ma’ for the first time. While this is an occasion that all mothers cherish, for Gondekar it holds an extremely special place, as Addya was suffering from a hearing impairment since birth, and was only able to respond to sound after undergoing a Cochlear Implant at the age of two.
Posted @ 8:42 PM
January 28, 2006
HEAR reaches out to others
Ashley Smoljo doesn’t like to think of hearing loss as a disability, because it certainly hasn’t stopped her from doing anything she wants to do. Even though doctors told her that, without warning, she could wake up completely deaf one day, Smoljo has continued to live her life to the fullest.
Posted @ 8:57 PM
Police find getaway vehicle in deaf man's murder
The mother and deaf girlfriend of a deaf man gunned down in Canoga Park by suspected gang members asked for the public’s help in finding the man’s murderers. Lee Carter, 23, was walking home from a store Tuesday night when four men confronted him. Police believe the suspects may have mistaken Carter’s sign language for gang signs, prompting the shooting in the 21000 block of Parthenia Street.
Posted @ 8:42 PM
Man can't prove who he is
Luis Cuevas Jr. cannot speak, and he cannot prove his identity to anyone. The deaf man, who recently grew too old to live with the foster family who had raised him since he was 14, faces an unusual dilemma. He can't get a state identification card, such as a driver's license, without a birth certificate. The state of New Jersey won't release that to him without his mother's name. But Cuevas doesn't know her.
Posted @ 8:39 PM
Yoga teacher caters to deaf
Yoga is recognized for its relaxing and healing properties. It is an art that anyone can practice regardless of their age and disability. A former Chicago-area sign language interpreter is teaching yoga to people who are deaf. After years of doing yoga, Lila Lolling realized how difficult it is for deaf people to feel the benefits of yoga. So she started a program called deaf yoga.
Posted @ 8:36 PM
Good vibrations
Most people with hearing aids want them tiny and unobtrusive, tucked inside the ear where they can't be seen. But when conventional aids failed to give John Pepperell the level of sound sense he wanted, he decided to use his head -- literally -- and think outside the box. Far from unobtrusive, Pepperell's hearing aid is actually housed in a box attached to the side of his head -- and it uses his noggin to boost his hearing.
Posted @ 8:35 PM
January 27, 2006
Congressman concerned about hearing loss from MP3 players
Can you still hear me now? That's the question Rep. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, wants answered when it comes to people listening to popular portable music players like Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod. The U.S. lawmaker on Thursday asked the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to review research to determine if the devices are contributing to premature hearing loss as well as recommend what people can do to prevent it from happening.
Posted @ 5:58 AM
Bob Turk speaks to kids about cochlear implants
Last summer WJZ'S Bob Turk went to doctors to get a life-changing cochlear implant. This week he spoke with a younger group who shares his story. Bob shares something in common with each of the kids at the Hearing and Speech Agency in Baltimore--cochlear implants. Before his procedure Bob was almost clinically deaf. He explained to the kids how far he's come.
Posted @ 5:56 AM
2 Lions honored for service
Two members of the Bettendorf Lions Club recently were honored for their service to the club and to the community. Tom Stelk and Bob Rainey received the Iowa Lions Foundation’s Warren Coleman Honorary Award in recognition of their commitment to the club’s mission. The award is named for former Executive Secretary-Treasurer Warren Coleman of Oskaloosa, Iowa, who gave freely of his time and dedication to the Iowa Lions Foundation.
Posted @ 5:52 AM
Hearing aid payment is music to the ears
I cannot get WellCare to reimburse me the $500 I am supposed to get back for my hearing aids. When the first hearing center I went to was too expensive, I called WellCare and asked if I could go to Micbro Audiology Hearing Aid Center. The answer was yes. I got a prescription from my primary care doctor first, as WellCare instructed, went to Micbro Audiology and ordered my hearing aids.
Posted @ 5:46 AM
Toddlers learn to communicate through signing
Instead of trying to decipher the various cries of an infant, some local parents are teaching their babies to communicate through sign language. Speech pathologist Shannon Thorn said signing with a baby reduces parental helplessness and frustration. "Every parent has been there -- 'What? What do you want?'" Thorn said. "When your child is able to tell you they're hurting, they need medicine, they want to play with this toy and not that one, it's empowering for the parent."
Posted @ 5:43 AM
College provides help to hearing impaired
The resource lab in Room 005 of Nail Technical Center is a quiet zone. Voices are not allowed. “Listening” must be done with the eyes. This is a new interactive environment for deaf students and interpreter training students to practice signing. Sara Filippone, lab technician said, “We welcome deaf students to come so the hearing students can interact (and) converse. It helps them learn.”
Posted @ 5:41 AM
Augie adds interpreting program
Augustana College is expanding. The college announced Thursday it will partner with Communication Service for the Deaf to offer a four-year degree for sign language interpreters. The Bachelor of Arts program will be the first of its kind in Sioux Falls. Augie President Bruce Halverson says it will give students some valuable training.
Posted @ 5:39 AM
January 26, 2006
Toss that battery in the trash and you'll be breaking the law
For every Californian who throws household batteries into the family trash, here's some bad news: You'll soon be breaking state law. Beginning Feb. 9, consumers won't be able to dispose of household batteries in the comfort of their own homes. You'll need to take them somewhere — to a household hazardous waste facility, a universal waste handler or an authorized recycling center.
Posted @ 3:17 PM
Yearly hearing exam should be a health priority
Many people start the new year with resolutions of health improvement, usually starting with a physical checkup and eye exam. A hearing test is rarely a priority, but it should be, experts say. Hearing difficulties, like waning vision, need early detection and care. No company understands that more than Beltone Hearing Care Centers.
Posted @ 3:10 PM
Pair emphasizes benefits of deaf culture
Understanding the history of deaf culture can help it move forward, says a deaf performance artist. Mindy Moore was in Plainfield with her husband, Theron Parker, on Friday to perform in "Women From Venus, Men From Mars" at Northview High School. Jeannette Johnson attended Moore's workshop and performance and said she wants more people to accept deaf culture.
Posted @ 3:03 PM
Students experience challenges of being disabled
Many of the students at Del Mar Heights Elementary performed their lessons blindfolded yesterday. From sorting clothes by color and getting dressed to traversing an obstacle course with objects found in any living room, students gained a sense of what it might be like to do the most basic tasks in life without sight. The children also discovered the wide range of visual impairments, from a loss of peripheral vision to total blindness.
Posted @ 2:59 PM
Grandma learns the new ways to raise children
When I received an e-mail from Tammy at the Clermont County Public Library announcing upcoming story time sessions for toddlers and preschoolers (Call your local branch for details.), I felt a little proud -- maybe I should say, "Grandma smug." My 6-month-old granddaughter, Gia (short for Giovanna), and her mama, Shari, have been attending Babes in Storyland at their Northern Kentucky library since Gia was 3 months old. In fact, Gia has her own library card, and her daddy, Bryan, built her a bookcase that covers one wall of her nursery and is crammed with enough books to fill a library shelf.
Posted @ 2:57 PM
Bridging the gap
It’s 2 a.m. and you, a new parent, have been blessed with the high-pitched screams of your baby for 30 straight minutes. You’ve checked your baby’s diaper but it didn’t need to be changed. You put the baby down to sleep but the baby won’t sleep and you fed the baby but the baby won’t eat. So why on earth is the baby still crying? Most parents empathize with the frustration of playing the guessing game when it comes to baby’s crying.
Posted @ 2:54 PM
Program teaches kids about disabilities
The days of children with disabilities being separated from other classmates are for the most part gone. But kids still have questions, and curiosities and they can sometimes be insensitive. One local elementary school is spending a week dealing head-on with disabilities. Two little girls navigate an obstacle course. One is blindfolded and at the mercy of her sighted friend. Two boys try a similar task. This time, the "blind" child has to figure out how to get water cup from a drinking fountain.
Posted @ 2:53 PM
Deaf collie hopes for thumbs up
A Devon animal centre has taught a rescue dog to recognise sign language in a bid to find him a new owner. Blue, an eight-month old blue merle collie, is deaf and is being cared for at the RSPCA's Little Valley Animal Shelter in Blackhat Lane, Exeter. Blue now knows seven signed signals and commands - his favourite being the thumbs-up sign, meaning "good boy".
Posted @ 2:52 PM
Ear specialists launch society
A society dedicated to supporting people with hearing impairment has been launched in Bahrain. The newly-established Bahrain Society for Cochlear Implantation and Hearing Impairment aims to support children and adults to obtain hearing aids, cochlear (inner ear) implants and other new advances in the field.
Posted @ 2:51 PM
January 25, 2006
Online ear and hearing diagnosis to break sound barrier
In an Australian first, an online 'decision support system' is being developed to enable general practitioners to speed up the diagnosis of ear and hearing conditions. The unique software – which is expected to be available for doctors in 12 months' time – will be a collection of ear and hearing diagnoses and associated symptoms collated from reports published by medical experts in international scientific and medical articles, reports and journals.
Posted @ 1:44 PM
MP3s can lead to hearing loss
A University of North Texas professor says people who listen to MP3 and other portable music players could be playing with danger. He warns people who listen to their tunes too long or too loud could face permanent hearing loss. The UNT professor says some MP3 players can play music at 113 decibels. That's louder than standing next to a jet engine.
Posted @ 1:39 PM
Finding the right headphones
As a decade-long sufferer of tinnitus and the father of a deaf child, I take ear health very seriously. It's something most people don't think about, but they should, especially the millions of people listening to Apple iPods and other headphone-based electronic devices at increasingly loud volume levels. You're damaging your hearing, and that's the kind of damage you can't reverse later.
Posted @ 1:37 PM
All about hearing aids
There can be many different reasons why a person experiences hearing loss. A young baby may be born with hearing impairment. It's never too early to test an infant's hearing and begin appropriate kind of hearing intervention. A sudden onset of hearing loss after infancy can be temporary or permanent. An accident or an infection can result in a conductive hearing loss. The loss may correct itself or may need to be treated by surgery.
Posted @ 1:34 PM
Popularity of wireless ear pieces lessening the stigma of hearing aids
Teenagers and other tech-lovers with their ever-present earpieces for iPods, cell phones and other electronic devices may unwittingly be helping to battle a stigma attached to hearing loss. Wearing a visible earpiece used to be a sure sign that a person was hard of hearing. "You put on a hearing aid and suddenly you lose 30 IQ points and age 20 years," said Dr. Robert Jackler, chair of otolaryngology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Posted @ 1:31 PM
Police have difficulty communicating with rape victim
An accused rapist is behind bars. When a hearing-impaired woman tells police the man forced her into sex, they ran into another problem at the scene. It's a problem that some say $100,000 in federal money should have solved. News 4 WOAI's Leila Walsh broke the story Tuesday. The San Antonio Police Department made history last year when it became the first police agency in the country to provide new services for the deaf. The department has one officer trained in American sign language.
Posted @ 1:27 PM
Group advocates for deaf women
Marilyn J. Smith is determined to make sure that no other deaf woman suffers like she did. Twenty-five years after she was raped, Smith’s passion stirred a nationwide movement to change the rights of deaf crime victims. Smith, the executive director of Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services, said she was victimized over and over again by the system. She said that when she was raped in 1970, police didn’t understand sign language and treat her case as a crime.
Posted @ 1:24 PM
Quinolone antibiotic eardrops best for treating middle ear infections
Topical quinolone antibiotics can clear aural discharge better than systemic antibiotics. This was the finding of a systematic review of literature published in the latest update of The Cochrane Library. Chronically discharging ears associated with underlying persistent eardrum perforations (chronic suppurative otits media (CSOM)) are a common cause of preventable hearing impairment, particularly in low and middle income countries.
Posted @ 1:23 PM
January 24, 2006
Flowers may have to wait several months to learn if son can hear
Olympic bobsled gold medalist Vonetta Flowers may have to wait several months before learning if a surgical procedure performed on her 3-year-old son will allow him to hear for the first time. A device implanted on Jorden Flowers' brain stem last month was activated Monday, and doctors have told the family that they're optimistic it will allow the boy who was born deaf to eventually hear.
Posted @ 1:43 PM
Sound off
Hey, is that some cool new kind of Bluetooth technology for your cell phone?" a classmate asked Bryce Wilkins recently while the two students were conducting lab research. "I wish," he said, "but they're my hearing aids." Wilkins, 27, a USC student currently working toward a Ph.D. in astronautics and engineering, was born deaf. Growing up only 20 km. from Melbourne, Australia, Wilkins said the majority of his childhood wasn't hindered by his hearing loss.
Posted @ 1:34 PM
Tuba's low notes are music to ears of deaf children
The first time Michael Sanders and his tuba performed at the Central Institute for the Deaf, the students "listened" to the music by placing their hands on the bell of his instrument to feel the vibrations. That was years ago, before medical technology forever altered the way the deaf learn and live.
Posted @ 1:32 PM
Granddaughter enjoys new world of hearing
“I can hear my pants swishing when I walk,” said the female voice on the phone. She never identifies herself on the phone, but it didn’t take but a second to figure out it was Kristy, calling from Bryan. “Are you wearing corduroy pants?” I asked, to which she replied in the negative, with a laugh.
Posted @ 1:26 PM
When cranked up, iPods, other players not music to your ears
If Ray Hull’s “artificial ear” is telling the truth, it’s time to invest in hearing-aid companies. Our iPods and other personal music players are destroying our hearing, he says. But it’s our fault, because we turn the volume up and leave it up, and we insist on ear buds that concentrate the sound. Our home theater systems are a problem, too.
Posted @ 1:22 PM
A joyful noise from Shores Deaf Church
The Rev. Ronald Dettloff helped found the Shores Deaf Church in 1987 to spread the word of God in a language that hearing-impaired people could understand. What he didn't foresee was how that language would change in the next 20 years. What sets the St. Clair Shores church apart from the 10 or so other deaf churches in metro Detroit is the extent to which it uses SignWriting, a series of printed symbols that represent signed languages, in this case American Sign Language.
Posted @ 1:17 PM
Sign of the times
San Diego State University now has something in common with movies like "King Kong" and "Lord of the Rings" — the university is using similar 3-D computer motion tracking technology that brought characters like Gollum and Kong to life to study how the human mind processes signed languages.
Posted @ 1:13 PM
Men on trial for rape of deaf and mute woman
A profoundly deaf woman who was allegedly raped by two men in her southern Brisbane home was unable to call out for help because she was also a mute, a court has been told. The woman's vulnerability was compounded by the fact that three of her friends who were in the house at the time and who may have been able to help her were also impaired and did not realise she was in trouble.
Posted @ 1:12 PM
Urging our readers to listen up
For two decades young radio producer Kate Wright struggled through life with the hearing of an 80-year-old. Then one routine visit to a doctor changed her life. As a charity reveals nearly four million of us could be suffering with poor hearing, reporter Glenn Ebrey investigates a problem we should all be keeping an ear out for...
Posted @ 1:11 PM
January 23, 2006
Organization aids people with hearing difficulties
Deaf Action Center is trying to reach the East Texas community to inform residents with disabilities about special telephones and other services that foster independence. The nonprofit organization hired Edith Hirth, a full-time outreach program director, in November to make residents aware of services. "Since I came to this office, I'm finding more and more people in need of services," said Hirth, whose outreach covers 23 counties.
Posted @ 12:13 PM
Getting kids to listen about hearing loss
Julie Olson doesn't miss a "teachable moment" when it comes to educating young people about the dangers of noise-induced hearing loss. Like rocker Pete Townshend, 60, who suffered irreversible hearing loss from decades wearing studio headphones, this former physical education teacher has lived through what can happen when you play music too loud and too long.
Posted @ 12:04 PM
Widex opens hearing aid centre in Pune
Widex India, the world’s leading digital hearing aids manufacturers, opened its second exclusive hearing and speech therapy centre- Senso Hearing Centre, in Pune. The centre is equipped with Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA), an electrophysiological test, to examine the hearing problems of special cases such as mentally retarded, clebal pulsy, autism and infants.
Posted @ 12:03 PM
Teacher knows sign language can save lives
She's a sign language teacher. While Molinari illustrates the significance of sign language in our everyday lives, she also stresses its link to public safety. A sign language teacher at the Conant Community Center in Bridgewater, her class is geared mostly toward EMTs and paramedics, with a focus on communication during emergency situations being her biggest concern at hand.
Posted @ 11:57 AM
District says all signs indicate new language a hit with pupils
Robin Iaione's class cheered wildly but not a sound could be heard. That's because the fourth-grade students were using American Sign Language, a skill they're learning for the state's world language requirement. After many frustrations finding Spanish teachers, the Mansfield Township School District switched this year to American Sign Language, which officials say has proven successful.
Posted @ 11:54 AM
Deaf design sign dictionaries for banking, AIDS education
When Godisa's deaf hearing-aid technicians became economically empowered through employment, they faced a new challenge — keeping track of their money. While most people dislike having to deal with financial institutions, banks can be a far greater challenge for the deaf. Never shy of a challenge, Godisa's staff created Botswana's first banking sign-language dictionary — with signs for account, credit, finance and other terminology — and taught the language to customer service representatives at the First National Bank.
Posted @ 11:53 AM
January 22, 2006
Hi-tech help for babies with hearing problems
Hearing problems in more than 1,500 babies a year may now be detected within their first few months, thanks to a charity campaign. The Rotary Club of Adliya Bahrain Golf Invitational (BGI) committee is raising money to purchase high-tech equipment that detects hearing impairment in newborns.
Posted @ 12:11 PM
Hearing aids help pave the way
Shhhh! Speak softly. Be careful what you say. I can hear you. All the way across the room. Even if you are whispering. I'm wearing hearing aids! They work so precisely that I am privy to the conversations of folks several rows over. A while back, a hearing test confirmed what I already knew. I had a hearing loss; it wouldn't improve. Mostly I lose soft voices and even large ones speaking from a podium -- mic or not.
Posted @ 12:09 PM
Deaf technicians share SolarAid success
Inside the large and lively Motse Wa Badiri Camphill compound of special-needs workers, the small Godisa Technologies shop may be the quietest workplace in southern Africa. At a desk littered with wires, circuit boards and equipment, technician Akanyang Kelaotswe checks the soldering joints on a tiny PC board.
Posted @ 11:51 AM
January 21, 2006
Hi-tech aids that can make life much better
From their headquarters in Wilton House, Belfast, the RNID and its 45 staff reach out to all areas of Northern Ireland, organising campaigns and providing services such as sign language interpreters for hospitals and other medical needs. Director Brian Symington called the other day with a copy of the new 2005 Impact Report on how they are helping to change the world for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Posted @ 12:02 PM
Silent praise
Brandon Primm, 24, blends dance and the divine to bring Scriptures to life. Primm, also known as Minister Mime, uses his gifts of interpretative dance and mime to minister to others. "People are just floored by the mime interpretation and later tell me that they understood what I shared, although I haven't said a word," said the Nashville native, a student at National College of Business on Nolensville Pike.
Posted @ 11:45 AM
Cinema set to reel out sign language films
A season of films made by deaf or hard-of-hearing actors and filmmakers is to be held in the Capital next month. Sign Language Cinema at the Filmhouse on Lothian Road will showcase a different film every Saturday afternoon in February, focusing on the relationship between sign language and the big screen.
Posted @ 11:44 AM
January 20, 2006
Olympian braces for son's hearing fate
Most bobsledders headed to the Turin Olympics have Feb. 21 circled on their calendars, the day when the women's gold medal will be decided. Vonetta Flowers' big day is coming sooner. Flowers, who won Olympic gold in Salt Lake City four years ago, will learn Monday whether Jorden, one of her 3-year-old twin sons, can hear for the first time.
Posted @ 11:03 AM
Deaf children involved in highway crash
A school bus driver was in serious condition and one student remained hospitalized yesterday after a bus carrying 27 children from a New Jersey school for the hearing-impaired collided with two tractor-trailers and a car on a Maryland highway Wednesday night, authorities said.
Posted @ 10:59 AM
VA doctors help wife lift spirits of her husband
In a wife's job description, there is an item called spirit-lifting. This is what is required when the husband is becoming discouraged and needs positive reinforcement. It was a nice day in The Villages, and the Colonel decided to see the latest Harry Potter movie - he has enjoyed this series every bit as much as his son and grandson. On his return, his wife asked, “And, how did you enjoy the movie?”
Posted @ 10:56 AM
What a cochlear implant is and statistics on hearing disorders
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders (NIDCD), a cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. The implant is surgically placed under the skin behind the ear.
Posted @ 10:53 AM
Request for hearing aid refund came too late
I was having problems with my hearing. After I visited my ear doctor for a physical exam, he sent me to Southgate Hearing Clinic for an evaluation. It resulted in a recommendation for a hearing aid. I accepted the audiologist's verdict, but I do not feel I really need one that much. I tested it, but I didn't like the way my voice sounded; there also was a buzzing noise.
Posted @ 10:51 AM
Clarke School takes listening to a new level
The children who attend Clarke School East off Rte. 138 in Canton act and sound like a normal bunch of pre-school children. So it is startling to discover that the children are a bit different. For example, they wear single earphone like devices, called cochlear implants, because they are hearing impaired.
Posted @ 10:45 AM
Baby talk, with tiny fingers
"Babies are so smart," said Mt. Lebanon mom Heidi Covey, who attended a free Sign Language for Tots class last week at the public library in Brentwood. "The classes stimulate their brains," she said of the half- hour sessions each Wednesday featuring stories, songs and signs.
Posted @ 10:42 AM
Shock as 180 jobs go at hearing aid firm
A Danish company which runs the country’s only hearing-aid manufacturing firm is to close its Cork-based operation within weeks with the loss of 180 jobs. The news came as a complete shock after a good year for the company, staff said last night.
Posted @ 10:41 AM
Police hunt for missing deaf teenager
Police in the West Midlands are searching for a teenage boy with hearing and sight difficulties who has gone missing from home. Leon Smith, 15, from Shard End, Birmingham, has not been seen since leaving the family home in Lea Ford Road on Wednesday afternoon.
Posted @ 10:40 AM
January 19, 2006
Technology helps deaf postal employees communicate
The U.S. Postal Service, one of the country’s largest employers of people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, is offering new technology to allow its employees to better communicate with each other. Two types of video interpreting technologies are being installed at postal facilities across the country, allowing nearly 4,000 postal employees who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to communicate with supervisors, co-workers and others in real-time without having to bring in on-site interpreters or rely on text-based telephone systems.
Posted @ 12:19 PM
Waxing decibels harm ears
Developers of the Apple iPod are hoping that consumers turn a deaf ear to recent criticism of the best-selling product. A recent Reuters article warns that iPod earbuds, which are placed directly in the ear, pose a threat to long-term hearing. While some audiologists maintain that the device's distinctive earbuds contribute to hearing damage, what concerns most is the high sound level portable music players can reach.
Posted @ 12:17 PM
Limit iPod use to avoid potential hearing damage
Are portable MP3 players like iPods too hot for ears to handle? "They're fine to use. Just be sensible about the volume and amount of time you listen," said Christine Albertus, audiologist at Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wisconsin. "If the person next to you can hear your music, it's too loud." Albertus recommends using an iPod for a maximum of two hours a day.
Posted @ 12:11 PM
Remote control makes adjusting hearing aid easy
The wireless revolution has changed the way we access the rest of the world. Wireless remotes unlock cars and houses, and now wireless remotes operate hearing aids. For technologically savvy people, an extra gadget to play with can be an alluring option. But even those who are not computer-savvy will find remote controls easy to understand and operate. If you can manage a TV remote control, you can manage a hearing aid remote control.
Posted @ 12:09 PM
Sign language lab
Researchers at San Diego State University will be using technology that helped create movie magic in Hollywood blockbusters like "King Kong" and "Lord of the Rings" to gain insights into how the human mind processes signed languages. The new Laboratory for Language and Cognitive Neuroscience will be using a host of high tech methods -- including 3-D computer imaging -- to help answer questions about the universal nature of human languages.
Posted @ 12:03 PM
He talked with his hands
When William J. Huston was growing up in the 1950s on his family's farm in Yoder, Ind., never a word was spoken. Hand gestures and taps on shoulders were the way Huston and his five siblings communicated with their mother and grandparents, who shared the 69-acre farm. Due partly to a quirk in genetics and partly to illnesses, Huston's mother and grandparents, as well as almost 50 other members of his extended family, were deaf.
Posted @ 12:01 PM
Love is a sign of the times
Sarah Hateley and partner Bryn Davies use sign language to communicate with each other -- and with their deaf pets. Safi and Zuri, purebred Australian shepherds, know more than 25 Auslan signs.
Ms Hateley and Mr Davies, both deaf, adopted the dogs when they found they were to be put down.
Posted @ 11:55 AM
Julian drafts disabilities bill
When NDP MP Peter Julian knocks on doors in his Burnaby–New Westminster riding, he can communicate to constituents fluently in English and French. If the residents also happen to be deaf or hearing-impaired, Julian uses what limited American Sign Language he knows. Few running for office on January 23 could overcome a similar communication barrier, but Julian said he is simply opening up dialogue and access to government for all Canadians.
Posted @ 11:54 AM
January 18, 2006
State offers smoke detectors
A few months after a summer fire killed two children, members of the Harrington Fire Department went door to door making sure residents had working smoke detectors throughout their homes. From that survey, said Chief James Green, firefighters found a few residents who qualified for more advanced detectors, available through the state fire marshal’s office.
Posted @ 10:29 AM
Hearing, vision tests can reduce hurdles to learning
Many veteran elementary teachers can recall at least one student who was struggling in class without much success, until it was discovered that he or she could not see the blackboard from their desk, or couldn't hear clearly when instructions were given. With the hearing or vision problem corrected, the student began to thrive in school. That is why proper vision and hearing screening is essential for kids to learn, and why Michigan law requires such screening - sort of.
Posted @ 10:27 AM
Bagel shop helps deaf community
"Sesame" is hard to interpret. It can look like ses-a-min to someone who is reading lips. And don't say "no mayo" when the person behind the sandwich counter has her head down. If you are at Bruegger's bagel shop at Friendly Center, the person behind the counter may be deaf or hard of hearing and needs to see your face.
Posted @ 10:24 AM
The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf enhances its 'Literacy Rich Classrooms'
The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD) in Germantown has received a grant of $15,000 from the Verizon Foundation to purchase classroom technology in the form of six Tandberg Document Cameras. Use of these cameras greatly benefits deaf and hard of hearing students who are primarily visual learners because the cameras allow teachers to take any document -- textbooks, graph, diagram, photograph, or map -- and display it directly on a SMART Board or TV monitor on the wall.
Posted @ 10:21 AM
The sounds around us
One of my greatest pleasures, and one of the most soothing in these days of relentless stress, is listening to the sound of the sea. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the pounding of waves during a winter storm or the soft susurrations of more gentle surf, the sound can smooth away all my anxieties. It’s one of the reasons we continue to live on these Islands.
Posted @ 10:20 AM
January 17, 2006
A hearing pre-test
There's nothing wrong with your hearing, you say. You just weren't paying attention. Relax. You may be right. But if there's doubt, you can get a pretty good idea whether you've got treatable hearing loss before you sit in an audiologist's chair. Just take a self-test provided by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, at...
Posted @ 11:24 AM
The iPod and the Fury
If recent reports are to be believed, those sleek iPod earbuds may carry risks beyond marking wearers as mugger-bait. As if to rain on Apple's holiday parade -- the company reported sales of 14 million iPods in the last quarter of 2005, bringing total sales for the product to more than 42 million -- audiologists and other hearing experts have been issuing warnings in recent weeks that improper use of iPods and other personal stereo systems can dramatically heighten risk of hearing loss, particularly in young people.
Posted @ 11:21 AM
MRI best for cochlear implant diagnosis
For determining the correct type and method of cochlear implant surgery, MRI examination of the inner ear works better than the more widely used high resolution CT scanning, researchers conclude. Cochlear implants enable people with congenital hearing loss to perceive sound. Before surgery to install the implants, doctors view either MRI or CT images to check for abnormalities in the inner ear, the condition of related nerves, and obstructions in the ear ducts.
Posted @ 11:16 AM
Pillow's secret speakers promise to surround you in sounds
A pillow that has two built-in secret speakers that you can connect to an MP3 player or portable Discman has been launched by the RNID in the UK. The pillow, which promises to "surround you in sound" is available from the organisations Solutions catalogue and is recommend by the RNID for listening to audio books or even Podcasts.
Posted @ 11:14 AM
What is the smallest bone in the body?
At about 3.3 millimeters in length, the stapes – or "stirrup" bone – is the smallest bone in the body. In the middle ear, the stapes, malleus (hammer) and incus (anvil) increase and transfer sound vibrations from the eardrum to the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear. About 1 percent of the population develops a symptomatic form of a condition called otosclerosis.
Posted @ 11:12 AM
Things we would all like to hear
My family has complained for a couple of years now about my deteriorating sense of hearing. I guess that happens when you get old. Something always goes ... in my case, there are things I value above my hearing -- although I sure would miss listening to James Taylor and Brian Wilson through my headset.
Posted @ 11:08 AM
Good news for people with hearing loss
I recently sat surrounded by several hundred others in London's Gatwick Airport departure lounge, straining to hear announcements about my delayed flight. Alas, the loudspeaker sound was too distant and foggy for my hard-of-hearing ears. But hold it. This was the United Kingdom, a country whose cathedrals, churches, and auditoriums now broadcast sound wirelessly to hearing aids.
Posted @ 11:06 AM
Language of love
Advocates say that teaching babies sign language also boosts their verbal skills later. Just because babies are unable to speak doesn't mean they have nothing to say. They are always trying to express their needs, and unfortunately, the most accessible form of language is to babble incoherently or to wail, loudly.
Posted @ 11:02 AM
A little sign language can go a long way
There are TTY telephones and closed captioning on T.V...both designed to make life easier for the hearing impaired. But, sometimes it can difficult for a deaf person to read a letter. They may know American sign language, but not English and there is a difference.
Posted @ 11:01 AM
Banking on sign language for cheques and balances in MP
Twenty-year-old Sharad Pande, who can neither speak nor hear, doesn’t have to struggle to operate his account at the Vijaynagar branch of Bank of India. The staff here have learnt the basics of sign language and are all out to help these special customers.
Posted @ 10:57 AM
Deafness no barrier to determined Louise
Being profoundly deaf has proved no obstacle for Louise Rea, who recently completed training as a exercise and fitness instructor. The Belfast girl finished her training after receiving funding from Belfast City Council's Support for Sport Scheme, Disability Sport NI and the Ulster Deaf Sports Council.
Posted @ 10:55 AM
January 16, 2006
Fort Worth firm goes to national show to pitch products for hearing-impaired
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, tucked amid booths from technological heavyweights like Sony, HP and Toshiba, Sidney Ander was determined to be heard. Ander had attended the huge gadget show for more than a decade, but this was his first time as an exhibitor. Amid the hubbub caused by Google's announcement of a video-download service and the dozens of new iPod accessories being pitched by various startups, Ander sensed that the right people were seeing the potential in his products.
Posted @ 9:18 AM
Cranked up, iPods are not music to your ears
If Ray Hull's "artificial ear" is telling the truth, it's time to invest in hearing-aid companies. Our iPods and other personal music players are destroying our hearing, he says. But it's our fault, because we turn the volume up and leave it up, and we insist on ear buds that concentrate the sound. Our home theater systems are a problem, too.
Posted @ 9:16 AM
Auditory Achilles' heel
Most hearing loss is due to damaged inner-ear hair cells, so scientists are exploring ways to boost their growth. Success could help fight deafness. Over the years, our ears take a beating. They're assaulted with thunderous music, shrill sirens, blaring TV shows and the incessant background thrum of modern life. Little wonder that by middle age, millions of Americans suffer some degree of hearing loss, mostly due to the cumulative destruction of the delicate sound-sensing cells inside our ear from all this noise.
Posted @ 9:14 AM
2 deaf and mute people arrested over sign-language intimidation
Japan - Two deaf and mute people who intimidated another disabled woman using sign language, forcing her to pay them 3 million yen, have been arrested, Kagawa Prefectural Police said. Arrested were Harumi Otani, 59, and Hirofumi Takaya, 65. Takaya's 40-year-old daughter Masami was also arrested in connection with the crime, police said.
Posted @ 9:04 AM
Robotic hand translates speech into sign language
An 80-centimeter robotic hand that can covert spoken words and simple phrases into sign language has been developed in a town in Fukuoka Prefecture. The robotic hand was shown at a two-legged robot tournament held at the Fukuoka Prefecture Education Center in Sasagurimachi, where it won applause from appreciative spectators.
Posted @ 9:03 AM
Deafness no obstacle for badminton duo
Eighteen-year-old badminton players Shin Geyong-deok (left) and Gang Myeong-jung (right) got good news recently: they were both accepted to Donyang University’s sport science department. They also happen to be deaf.
Posted @ 9:00 AM
January 15, 2006
Skype as a hearing aid?
I am hard of hearing and made a discovery today: I don't need to go out and by a hearing aid, at least not for use around the house. Skype provides the audio quality and solves the problem, at least for some things! Yes, the solution is a bit bulky. But I sometimes go to bed with my Pocket PC anyway, doing a last minute check on Email, or making a call to family in another time zone. Throughout the day I often use the Pocket PC for making Skype calls in comfort away from the PC work station.
Posted @ 9:12 AM
An ear for tech
Many Americans wouldn't be caught dead wearing a hearing aid, even if they've lost enough hearing to need one. So hearing-aid suppliers such as Eden Prairie-based Starkey Laboratories are trying to broaden their appeal with audiological products for all ages. Think custom-molded earpieces for teenage iPod junkies along with Bluetooth cell-phone headsets for their car-commuting moms and dads, to name a few.
Posted @ 9:08 AM
Thousands dial up hearing test
More than 150,000 people have checked their hearing via a telephone test, a charity says. RNID launched its Breaking the Sound Barrier Campaign with an advert on Christmas Day - attracting on average 5,500 calls a day to the phone number.
Posted @ 9:06 AM
Gracefully breaking through the silence
For many people, just hearing music inspires them to dance. For Angela Zervas, it isn't that easy. She's hearing impaired. The 17-year-old junior at Tarpon Springs High School takes ballet classes five days a week at the Florida Ballet School in Palm Harbor and dances at the school's highest level.
Posted @ 8:58 AM
The story of today's game likely to be told in sign language
As with the discovery of oil, the development of the no-huddle offense came almost by accident. The scheme the Indianapolis Colts will use to defuse the Steelers' aggressive defense came to life in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1990. A quarterback from Western Pennsylvania was smack in the middle of it.
Posted @ 8:56 AM
January 14, 2006
Convict asks for hearing-loss surgery
A man charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of a fellow inmate at a state prison 12 years ago wants Madison County to pay for a $60,000 operation that may restore his hearing so he can understand the proceedings.
Posted @ 8:53 AM
Cornell students to learn sign language
Cornell School District middle and high school students will soon have the opportunity to learn sign language through a new club initiated by speech and language pathology teacher Michelle Sanner.
Posted @ 8:51 AM
January 13, 2006
Scientists identify early signs of meningitis
British scientists said on Wednesday they have identified early signs of meningitis and blood poisoning which could improve detection of the disease and save lives. Leg pain, cold hands and feet and abnormal skin color develop within 12 hours after infection —long before the more classic signs of the illness such as a rash, headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light and impaired consciousness.
Posted @ 9:01 AM
Hearing aid bank close to reality in N. Kentlucky
Cardinal Hill of Northern Kentucky has been providing speech, language and hearing services as well as early intervention and adult day care services since 1923. As a member of the Kentucky Easter Seals family, the agency has always tried to meet the needs of the entire community, especially those with limited financial resources.
Posted @ 8:50 AM
Sign language may help parents 'talk' with infants
Babies seem to have a language all their own, but sometimes it would help to know what they're trying to say. KMBC's Kelly Eckerman reported that baby sign language is getting popular. Collin is Joey Ford's first child, and she is anxious for more two-way communication with him, so she is introducing baby signs.
Posted @ 8:48 AM
Amazing technology lets little boy hear the world
A relatively new medical breakthrough changes the life of a south Georgia toddler. Landon Mosley was born deaf. In August, his mother made a tough decision to send Landon, who's now almost three, into surgery to receive a cochlear implant. A cochlear implant is surgically implanted in the inner ear and activated by a device worn outside the ear.
Posted @ 8:44 AM
Mylo hit by loss of hearing
Dance star Mylo has been forced to pull out of an influential Australian music festival after losing his hearing in one ear. The Scottish DJ picked up a virus in South Africa and has cancelled his six gigs on the touring Big Day Out Festival in New Zealand and Australia, which were due to kick off on January 20, as well as two solo concerts. The virus is so severe that he has lost all hearing in one ear and all but partial hearing in the other, but he has been told by doctors that his hearing should return after a few days rest.
Posted @ 8:43 AM
Appeal for return of vital deaf aid
Aa 11-year-old schoolgirl whose lessons have been ruined by the theft of her teaching deaf-aid has appealed for its safe return. The transmitter, a crucial piece of equipment costing more than £3,000, was stolen in a break-in at West Wight Middle School, Freshwater, over the Christmas holiday.
Posted @ 8:43 AM
Style of iPod headphones key to protecting ears
A new market for headphones is developing as concerns emerge over the possibility of hearing loss as a result of the use of portable digital music players. The popularity of the mini-players, such as iPods, has resulted in hearing problems in young people who listen to music at loud levels for long periods of time. "I think you are looking at a generation that will have greater problems than the previous generation," audiologist Marshall Chasin said.
Posted @ 8:42 AM
January 12, 2006
Anger over hearing loss is common emotion
Hearing loss can be more frustrating and annoying than most people imagine. Trying to understand what someone is saying while only hearing half of what is said is exhausting. Add to that the poor communication habits that most people have, such as speaking without facing the person, and daily communication can become a difficult experience. Few people would disagree that there is a lot of anger among people who have hearing loss. That anger is boiling under the surface and comes out over what appears to be a minor annoyance.
Posted @ 9:07 AM
Hear today, gone tomorrow
Reno Peloso loved to listen to the radio during chores; he would pull on the headphones and listen to music while he was mowing the lawn, doing renovations or gardening. "The louder the power tool I was using, the louder I put the volume. I could drown out any noise," he said. Today, at 59, Mr. Peloso is suffering from noise-induced hearing loss, the result of years of relentless assault on his eardrums.
Posted @ 9:05 AM
What? A hearing aid? Let me ponder this
My friend has announced surprising news. In the near future, Bill, as I will call him, intends to get a hearing aid. Family members have been telling him that he often does not hear what they are saying to him, and he has noticed himself missing what others tell him. You would expect me, as a more or less rational person, to welcome Bill's decision to invest in hearing assistance. After all, I'm the guy who years ago in another column approved of Bill Clinton acquiring hearing aids for each ear.
Posted @ 9:02 AM
Experts pan earbud listening
Turn down the music. As iPod and MP3 player users nestle earbuds into their ears, each listen could increase the possibility of permanent hearing damage, audiologists say. The popular earbuds used with iPods and MP3 players could be even more damaging than headphones, they said. "Digital music players like the iPod and MP3 players are causing more damage than old players," said Eileen Bridges, an audiologist with Mid-Michigan Ear, Nose & Throat Professional Hearing Consultants. "There is less distortion so people are turning up the music because the music sound quality is so good."
Posted @ 8:59 AM
Physical therapy helps hearing
About 28 million Americans suffer from hearing loss. As baby boomers reach retirement age starting in 2010, this number is expected to rapidly climb and nearly double by the year 2030. The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age, up to one in three over age 65 suffer from it. Hearing loss typically develops over a period of 25 to 30 years. Among seniors, hearing loss is the third most prevalent, but treatable, disabling condition behind arthritis and hypertension.
Posted @ 8:57 AM
Sign language class helps babies communicate
If you've seen a baby wave bye-bye, it shouldn't surprise you that babies can use their little fingers to communicate before they can speak. Monica Butche of Duluth taught her son American Sign Language and now teaches parents and their hearing babies. Two 10-month-old babies - one with his mom and dad and another with her mom and grandmother - attended a recent Baby Sign Language class at Trinity Lutheran Church in Dulut
Posted @ 8:47 AM
Deaf blogs for deaf people
A group of British deaf people have today launched a major new internet service which aims to bring deaf people from across the globe closer together. Deaf-blogs.com is a new free service which will bring together online journals, known as blogs, by deaf people from all over the internet, promoting self-expression in text, images and video to reflect how diverse the international deaf community is.
Posted @ 8:45 AM
Experts see more hearing loss
Luella Helton likes to borrow a friend's iPod and crank up the volume as she runs through Appleton West High School's halls after school to stay fit. "The music's so loud I can't hear when people are talking to me," said Helton, a 17-year-old senior. The same is true for fellow iPod user Hannah Kosgard, a freshman at the Renaissance School for the Arts, based at West. "I had it so loud I blew a speaker on the headphone. My mom gets mad at me. She will start talking and I can't hear her. I can see her mouth moving and that's it."
Posted @ 8:44 AM
Deaf people to receive better care as doctors learn to sign
The Xinhua Neighborhood Health Center in Changning District became the nation's first hospital providing doctors with basic sign language skills to serve patients with a hearing disability. Fifteen doctors passed an examination from teachers at a deaf school yesterday. The doctors specialize in different types of medicine at the hospital.
Posted @ 8:43 AM
January 11, 2006
Captioning improves experience at cinema
One activity my husband and I enjoy is going to the movies. It is fun to curl up in the comfortable theater chairs with our favorite candy and enjoy a movie. The only problem is most theaters do not offer captioned movies, making it difficult for hearing-impaired and deaf individuals to follow the plot of the movie. We prefer watching movies at home with captioning on our television.
Posted @ 9:50 AM
Ears under attack
Preparing to start his workout Tuesday afternoon, Bob Gatti showed off the earphones for his MP3 player. The Kansas City man paid about $100 for professional-quality ear buds that effectively cancel out other sounds in the environment. That way he can keep the volume low but still hear his music clearly as he lifts weights at Scott Fitness in Westport. Gatti attends dental school, so he pays attention to health issues, such as hearing loss. But he suspects others don’t care.
Posted @ 9:44 AM
MRIs better at diagnosing needs for "bionic ear" implants
Magnetic resonance imaging is a better diagnostic tool for cochlear ear implants than the more commonly used high-resolution computed tomography, a UT Southwestern study shows. A cochlear implant, sometimes called a "bionic ear," allows patients with congenital hearing loss to bypass the problem and again perceive sound. Surgeons conduct radiologic studies using either an MRI or CT scan prior to implantation to determine abnormalities in the inner ear, conditions of related nerves and any obstructions in the ear ducts.
Posted @ 9:42 AM
Repairs needed at pool used by deaf, hearing impaired
The pool at the Bayou Courtyard Apartments, a community of the deaf and hearing impaired, is closed because of needed repairs. Its owner is not sure if the estimated $20,000 needed to fix it can be found. The pool is the main recreation for the 70 residents whose apartments in the converted motel are equipped with special devices to assist them in living on their own.
Posted @ 9:36 AM
IPods and hearing loss
You've heard of BlackBerry thumb. Now there's iPod ear. As use of portable MP3 music players soars, concerns are emerging that the gadgets may contribute to hearing damage. Some doctors say they are seeing younger and younger patients with signs of noise-induced hearing loss that wouldn't typically emerge before middle age. And they are worried that the constant use of MP3 players, which blare music directly into the ears, may be partly to blame.
Posted @ 9:35 AM
Loud noises have the potential to cause tumors
Exposure to cacophony regularly for a longer period of time makes a person 1.5 times more likely to develop a noncancerous tumor known as acoustic neuroma, which results in hearing loss, according to a study by Ohio State University. Colin Edwards, a doctoral student in the School of Public Health at The Ohio State University said: "It's not surprising that the longer that people are exposed to loud noise, the greater their chances become for developing the tumor."
Posted @ 9:34 AM
Noise level may impact baby's speech development
One environmental hazard for your baby you probably don't think about. Can the noise level inside your house actually make it harder for your baby to learn to talk? Dr. Dean Edell shows us how turning down the TV could help your child find their voice faster. From the T.V. to noises in the next room, a home can be full of distractions. But how much is too much?
Posted @ 9:33 AM
Candidates asked to listen up
Hearing impaired and other disabled face frustration during elections. Elections always bring a raft of complaints to Kelly Duffin's office from constituents who can't communicate with the candidates in their ridings. Campaign offices frequently have neither teletypewriter services nor sign-language interpreters available, leaving her hearing-impaired clients at best frustrated and at worst excluded from the democratic process.
Posted @ 9:31 AM
Tearing down barriers for the deaf in Las Tunas, Cuba
Being born with a hearing impairment or losing that capacity in the course of time can be a serious problem. In the eastern Cuban province of Las Tunas, efforts are being made to educate hundreds of deaf children and teenagers to overcome their problems. The efforts are proving that the disability does not necessarily have to prevent children from communicating, or having access to indispensable rights such as studying, working, and enjoying themselves when there is a social willingness to help them conquer their natural barriers.
Posted @ 9:28 AM
Let's not overlook the deaf and hearing impaired in 2006
My last job as a television subtitler trained me always to prioritise the needs of deaf and hearing impaired viewers. We were taught to 'put ourselves in the position of a deaf viewer.' Nothing was more valuable a lesson in editorial training than trying to watch a programme with the subtitles on and the sound turned off. The written quality of the often heavily edited subtitles was, in the early days of my training in the mid Nineties, essential.
Posted @ 9:27 AM | Comments (1)
January 10, 2006
Platinum cancer drugs tied to hearing loss in kids
Hearing loss appears to be a significant and under-reported side effect of platinum-based drugs used to treat a variety of childhood cancers, according to researchers. As senior investigator Dr. Edward A. Neuwelt told Reuters Health, so-called "mild" hearing loss "has major impact on academic and social development in kids, is very common after platinum chemotherapy, and may be prevented using" drugs called "thiol oto-protectants" that do not compromise the anti-cancer effects of the chemotherapy.
Posted @ 8:09 AM
New earplugs get warm reception from Air Force
The same kind of earplugs sold to Def Leppard, the Moody Blues, Nine Inch Nails and other rock bands are slowly starting to be used by U.S. military pilots to protect hearing, muffle cockpit noise and ease communications. Lt. Gen. John Bradley, chief of the Air Force Reserve, tested the earplugs himself when he flew F-16 jet fighters in December. Bradley was so impressed that he directed his staff to tap into unused funds to speed up purchasing the earplugs.
Posted @ 8:05 AM
Age barriers soften for cochlear implants
At both ends of the age spectrum, the market for cochlear implantation is expanding. For children, the Food and Drug Administration has lowered the age limit to one year -- it was two years in 1980 -- on the strength of studies showing early implantation aids in the development of oral communication. Richard Miyamoto, president-elect of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, has implanted kids as young as 6 months old in clinical studies.
Posted @ 8:02 AM
Hear me out on accepting differences
I recently had an interesting discussion with a dear friend about how poor her hearing is. She's a young 50, and her ever-worsening hearing loss has been noticeable for some time. But, in the past year, she really has started to miss some things. We were discussing an article I read somewhere about how much money is lost each year in the business world due to people's hearing loss and the subsequent errors and misunderstandings that result. Putting aside the expense issue for the moment, it seemed odd to me people would endure diminished hearing instead of getting some help, particularly if their jobs or relationships were suffering because of it.
Posted @ 8:01 AM
Wired for sound
One afternoon in 1999, Denise Portis's son Christopher fell and hurt himself badly. But Portis didn't answer his cries. The reason: She couldn't hear him. Since age 27, she'd been living with a profound and progressive hearing loss, its cause unknown. She thought she'd adapted. Then the incident with Christopher "shook my world," the Frederick woman recalls.
Posted @ 7:57 AM
Hearing loss is a growing problem for veterans
Now that his world is quieter, what Vietnam War veteran Romeo Rasing remembers about Navy life is the noise. "My battle station was right above the turret. We had to keep bombing day and night," said Rasing, 56, who served on the cruiser Oklahoma City early in a 22-year Navy career that included 13 years of sea duty. "When the ship was in the yard, there were all kinds of noises – grinding, chipping, banging, pounding, welding."
Posted @ 7:55 AM
Students learn sign language
Ryan Starner and Christopher Wilson are buddies. During math class at Salisbury Middle School, the pair help each other out. Outside the classroom, the two sixth-graders grin at each other sometimes, sharing an inside joke. And when Ryan needs to explain something to Christopher, he doesn't even need to talk -- he just uses his hands.
Posted @ 7:54 AM
District 150 now using ASL interpreters
Even as Renda Gauwitz communicated the content of the District 150 board meeting to people in attendance and to central Illinois residents who watched the televised meeting Monday night, she never said a word. Gauwitz, a certified American Sign Language interpreter and a member of the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, was seated while she mouthed and signed the words of board and audience members, her hands moving in different directions.
Posted @ 7:52 AM
Silent language can break sound barriers
As a girl Sandi Smigel was intimidated, and even a little scared of her neighbor’s niece. The problem was a lack of communication because the girl was deaf. Smigel’s intimidation turned into interest and compassion over the years, and led her to pursue an education as a primary school teacher for the hearing impaired.
Posted @ 7:51 AM
Vadodara team pockets deaf cricket tournament
The Vadodara team became the champion in the deaf cricket state tournament, after winning the final that was played at the Gujarat Refinery sports ground on Monday. Fast bowler Imran Sheikh got the Man of the Match and Man of the Series trophies. Twenty individuals from all the state teams were also selected on the occasion for participating in the National Championship to be held in Chennai between February 22 and 28.
Posted @ 7:48 AM
January 9, 2006
Transcranial magnetic stimulation inhibits tinnitus
Subjective tinnitus, the perception of ringing or rushing sounds within the ear, is a common phenomenon disturbing millions of individuals worldwide. The causes of these debilitating disorders remain unclear; numerous investigations have revealed that chronic tinnitus is associated with increased activity in primary auditory cortex (PAC).
Posted @ 6:16 AM
Thump, thump, thump
It all begins with a thump. The louder the better. And the deeper the bass, or so it would seem, the more some covet that monster of a car stereo system. It's a nationwide phenomenon and a cultural divide. On one side are those bobbing their heads to the beat. On the other, those shaking their heads in frustration.
Posted @ 6:13 AM
Hearing aids: Digital isn't always better
A decade after digital hearing aids were supposed to revolutionize life for the hearing-impaired, many users are getting little extra benefit from the new features -- even as they pay thousands of dollars more for them.
Posted @ 6:07 AM
ASL in Canada
American Sign Language is starting to receive recognition at the post-secondary level here in Canada, but it hasn't translated to high schools yet, says Campbell McDermid, a professor of ASL English Interpreter programs at George Brown College.
Posted @ 6:05 AM
Gallaudet University Press marks 25 years of publishing
Over the past 25 years the GU Press has published 300 novels, reference books, scholarly works and other publications. Its most recent list of titles includes Richard Medina's Deaf Daughter, Hearing Father, a story about the author's family and his quest over the past 14 years to find the best educational opportunities for his deaf daughter.
Posted @ 6:03 AM
January 8, 2006
Pamper your ears to save your hearing
Turn down the iPod and wear hearing protection for concerts, power tools. Noise and aging are the two primary causes of hearing loss. Here are a few things you can do to prevent damage from noise:
Posted @ 6:15 AM
Sign of the times
Eleven-month-old Paige Saubert of Manitowoc can probably sign more words than she can speak. Paige is not hard of hearing, but she is one of a growing number of toddlers nationwide whose parents are learning the benefits of sign language in a child's early development.
Posted @ 6:00 AM
Sonu Nigam to hearing impaired students
Sonu Nigam might have crooned his way up through commercial singing, but on Thursday afternoon at the Lion’s School for the Hearing Impaired, Nigam matched duets for a cause - and giving him competition were the 30 odd speech and hearing impaired students. Not only did he entertain the students, but he also decided to present them a unique New Year gift - a set of 10 sophisticated hearing aids. An NRI from London also made a donation of 20 pieces of hearing machines.
Posted @ 5:59 AM
January 7, 2006
Dogs provide ears for deaf
Kaysi Smith will be carrying more than a book bag across campus when she returns to college this semester. She also will tote a 2-pound Chihuahua named Jinger. The dog is not an accessory, she's a necessity
Posted @ 8:00 PM
Earbuds are not ears' best buddies
Ryan Barger sat quietly at a table in Richards Restaurant on Friday afternoon. His mother, Doris, and grandmother, Sue Bunch, did most of the talking for the 20-year-old. "And one day the dean of his school told him that (Ryan) needs to get used to kids making fun of him," Bunch said.
Posted @ 7:54 PM
Whistling ears? Just hear it go!
Do your ears whistle, ring and buzz? Don’t bother. Just listen and laugh that it can be cured! Yes, tinnitus can be cured, says Dr Prakash Kumar, India’s only doctor treating this problem.
Posted @ 7:50 PM
Lawmaker pushes to recognize sign language as foreign language
Sign language has seen increased visibility in recent years in movies, on TV and at public events, including political speeches and church services. Now, one state senator wants sign language to be officially recognized as a foreign language in Nebraska's schools.
Posted @ 7:48 PM
Infant sign language course helps babies to communicate
An international early-age education institute launched a sign language course in the city yesterday for babies. Initiated by two US child language experts, the Baby Signs course teaches infants from six months to two years old to communicate with their parents by using unified gestures before they can speak.
Posted @ 7:47 PM
Music to their ears but it has a downside
While the Christmas dreams of receiving an iPod or MP3 from Santa came true for many people on the Sunshine Coast, a new study has thrown a dark cloud over the world’s newest trends in music.
Posted @ 7:45 PM
January 6, 2006
Deaf drummer can 'Touch the Sound'
Germany's Thomas Riedelsheimer is a documentary filmmaker who does not get in a hurry. Fast edits and quick cuts aren't his style. It's best not to be in a rush when watching a Riedelsheimer movie.
Posted @ 6:32 AM
Regular noise exposure hurts hearing
What did you say? It's like your mother always told you. Research indicates that years of repeated exposure to loud noise increases a person's risk of developing a noncancerous tumor that could cause hearing loss.
Posted @ 6:29 AM
Glasses, hearing aids are needed
The Laurel Lions Club is asking the community to help meet the increasing need for eyeglasses and hearing aids worldwide. The used eyeglasses collected by the Lions Club are shipped to the nearest Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center. Collecting eyeglasses was one of the first projects of the Laurel Lions Club when it was chartered in May 1976.
Posted @ 6:27 AM
Symbols speak volumes in Henry's 'Sign Language' exhibit
"Sign Language" is a sweet little show that effortlessly demonstrates the depth of the Henry Art Gallery's photography collection. Organized by assistant curator Sara Krajewski, it explores the sea of signs that enlighten and/or assail us in the built environment.
Posted @ 6:24 AM
Hijackers take car and hearing aid
Two armed hijackers held up a woman (76), in Germiston on Thursday and fled with her car, cash, cellphones and a hearing aid, police said on Friday.
Posted @ 6:23 AM
Effects of too much noise
Auditory fatigue: This happens when we are exposed to noise much higher than normal speech level - at 90 db, especially when frequency is greater than 4000 Hz. There might be whistling or buzzing in the ears.
Posted @ 6:22 AM
January 5, 2006
Tyrannosaurus rex deaf to human screams
If the Tyrannosaurus rex was alive today it would not be able to hear you scream, say scientists. Large dinosaurs had limited hearing and could not pick up high-pitched sounds, a study has found.
Posted @ 8:29 AM
Deaf sailor will share his story at Reliant
When he was just 8, growing up in South Africa, Charl de Villiers suffered burns that hospitalized him for 6 months. Antibiotics administered during that time left the boy deaf but no less determined to excel.
Posted @ 8:23 AM
Generation deaf
With ipods and portable players everywhere these days -- this generation of technology loving music fans may soon be hearing their last note...
Posted @ 8:21 AM
Hey coach watch me play
Janelle Mosley knows the odds, and she doesn't particularly like them. She is one of more than 1,500 youths in Tucson this week for the Copper Bowl Junior Tennis Championships, an event being played at 12 sites in every part of town.
Posted @ 8:16 AM
Surgery opens sounds of the world and an opportunity to help for Sevierville woman
At midnight on New Year's Eve, Imogene Suttles of Sevierville went out onto her front porch to listen for firewo