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February 28, 2006
To see, to hear, to learn
Gov. Jennifer Granholm and lawmakers slashed funding for vision and hearing screening for school children last year. They ought to reverse themselves for next school year. They can afford the small amount and certainly it is justified. The question in coming budget negotiations is how much money and from what state pockets the dollars should come.
Posted @ 11:19 PM
New technology in restoring failing hearing
Hearing loss is the number three-health problem among Americans over the age of 50. Linda Doherty slowly developed hearing loss. She says she didn't even realize it until she noticed herself constantly asking people to repeat themselves.
Posted @ 11:16 PM
Hiring disabled workers
IN -- People with disabilities and employers who may potentially hire them are sometimes unaware of what is required through the Americans with Disabilities Act. In order to inform people of the requirements, Robin Jones, director of the Great Lakes ADA Technology Center, will give a presentation at 11:30 a.m. March 9 at the Eagle's Nest Event Center.
Posted @ 11:15 PM
All teachers must learn sign language, braille
Need physically challenged children be treated ‘differently’ and sent to ‘different’ schools? Certainly not if teachers of regular schools learn a little bit of sign language and Braille so that these children can be accommodated in regular classrooms alongside normal kids!
Posted @ 11:12 PM
Untreated ear infections can cause serious problems in children
It can be a nagging problem for both kids and their parents. If your child seems to be suffering from constant ear infections, don't worry, you're not alone. Left untreated ear infections can cause serious problems. NY1's Health & Fitness reporter Kafi Drexel filed the following report on what you can do recognize the signs. He's just a little over a year old, and already little Eli Ramos has had many ear infections. He'll always let you know the first signs of trouble, usually by poking at his ears.
Posted @ 4:30 AM
Don't wait too long to appreciate gifts
Hearing is a God-given gift most people do not appreciate until it is gone. Most hearing loss comes so gradually it is hardly noticeable. People mumble and the family complains about loud television, but other than that, the change is undetectable. I began to wonder why the phone only rang when I was next to it or there were other people present. I finally realized that I could not hear the ring when I was further away.
Posted @ 4:28 AM
Sign language a handy skill for all ages, say teachers
As the coordinator of the parent-infant program at the Scranton School for the Deaf, Linda Hurwitz sees the benefits every day of teaching babies sign language. Except that the people she deals with are deaf or hearing impaired – they are not hearing parents interested in teaching their hearing children sign language. She works with parents who cannot hear, children who cannot hear, and in some cases both parent and child who cannot hear.
Posted @ 4:21 AM
Two deaf mutes cry rape
Two deaf-mute women yesterday complained to Police Precinct 1 that two unidentified teenagers molested and robbed them at the seawall in Purok Bag-ong Dalan, Brgy. 35 in Bacolod City at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday.
Posted @ 4:15 AM
February 27, 2006
Gallaudet Presidential Search
The Board of Trustees and Presidential Search Committee at Gallaudet University invite applications and nominations for the position of president to succeed Dr. I. King Jordan, who is retiring after eighteen years of outstanding leadership. The new president will assume office in January 2007.
Posted @ 11:51 PM
Ideas resound with customers
Carl Sandburg called Chicago "hog butcher for the world, tool maker, stacker of wheat, player with railroads and nation's freight handler." But times have changed, and while it might not make for great poetry, the City of the Big Shoulders has steadily assumed a world-leading role in the field of audiology, hearing research and innovative products. From cutting-edge programs at Rush University Medical Center and Northwestern University, to companies like Sensaphonics in Chicago, Phonak in Warrenville and GN ReSound in Glenview, Chicago is bringing its "A" game when it comes to hearing technology.
Posted @ 4:24 AM
Gallaudet University suffers series of robberies
Gallaudet University is located on Florida Avenue in Northeast. When I first visited D.C. in 1997, an earnest young man described Gallaudet this way: "It's an Oreo! You have the mixed, predominantly black population around the University and a creamy mass of white, deaf people in the middle!"
Posted @ 4:14 AM
Railway staff learn sign language
Rail staff across Scotland have returned to the classroom to learn sign language and help deaf passengers. Pupils attending the voluntary scheme include train drivers, ticket collectors and administrative staff.
Posted @ 4:09 AM
Homing in on hearing problems
Mimosa Acoustics has received FDA approval to market a device that can identify hearing problems related to the middle ear. But ironically, one of its greatest benefits may be ruling out severe hearing problems in newborn babies. Champaign-based Mimosa got word from the Food and Drug Administration on Feb. 10 that its wideband Middle Ear Power Analyzer had been approved for commercial use.
Posted @ 1:51 AM
'Deaf Geoff'
WWHT-FM (Hot 107.9) morning producer Geoff Herbert has trouble taking calls from listeners. Sometimes, he misunderstands what hosts Marty and Shannon are saying to him. "Recently, Marty said something about Duke University and I thought he said something about Jewish people," Herbert says. "Sometimes, it's so off-base, it's funny."
Posted @ 1:47 AM
Facilitator works to better communication for deaf
Morton Warnow is "a good man whose heart is in the right place." With these words, Dianne Wixted, director of counseling services for the state Commission on Deaf & Hearing Impaired, described a Danbury man who has devoted the last 30 years of his life to helping the deaf.
Posted @ 1:43 AM
February 26, 2006
Trio robs deaf man using sign language
D.C. police are seeking three men who used sign language to rob a deaf man of his wallet in Northeast Washington, and investigators say the crime could be connected to two other recent thefts at nearby Gallaudet University.
Posted @ 2:41 PM
New test offers hope in effective hearing aid design for babies
A new technique to test and identify 'dead regions' in the brain that could be responsible for hearing loss in children is being developed by Karolina Kluk, a Cambridge University student. The finding could eventually pave way for development of individualized hearing aids for children.
Posted @ 2:40 PM
February 25, 2006
Akron flier breaks ground for deaf pilots
Akron - Stephen Hopson passed a three-hour oral and flight exam Friday to become the first deaf pilot to earn an instrument rating from the Federal Aviation Administration. Hopson, 45, moved from Michigan to Akron last October to take lessons at American Winds Flight Academy at the Akron-Fulton International Air port.
Posted @ 2:44 PM
Hope for better baby hearing test
A brain test to detect which frequencies babies cannot hear could help design individualised hearing aids for them, a researcher suggests. Karolina Kluk, a PhD student at Cambridge University, is developing the test to identify "dead regions" in babies' hearing.
Posted @ 2:39 PM
The new baby talk
Dancer Julia Aplin has been home from rehearsal with her baby, Jenny, for less than an hour when a visitor appears at the door. Jenny squishes her hand together and brushes her chin, then nuzzles her head into Ms. Aplin's neck.
Posted @ 2:38 PM
February 24, 2006
Portable players and permanent damage
Jamming to iPod tunes may have helped prime Olympic snowboarder Hannah Teter to her gold medal performance at Torino last week, but many doctors caution users of the popular personal music players that their eardrums are not immune to damage and permanent hearing loss. Audiologists are shelling out an alarming earful to people like Teter if they crank up the volume on the MP3 players.
Posted @ 5:24 PM
Judge says defendant is faking deafness
A judge ruled that a man awaiting trial in the fatal stabbing of a fellow inmate is faking his deafness. Robert Barnett, 53, has asked Madison County to pay for a $60,000 operation that may restore his hearing so he can understand the proceedings.
Posted @ 5:18 PM
Melatonin pills may help ease tinnitus
Melatonin supplements might curb tinnitus, possibly by improving sleep, a new study shows. Melatonin is a hormone made in the brain's pineal gland. Natural melatonin helps regulate cycles of sleep and wakefulness. Levels of natural melatonin tend to fade with age. Melatonin is also sold as a supplement.
Posted @ 5:16 PM
Research shows iPods could damage hearing
It seems typical college students aren't complete without the sleek white iPod and those telltale white wires hanging from their ears. And while for years they may have dismissed their parents' warnings that they'd go deaf from turning their music too loud, it seems now might be the time to listen up.
Posted @ 5:14 PM
I am EARresistable
Sometimes, I can’t hear you. Sometimes, I ask people to repeat themselves. Not hearing my surroundings is merely part of the territory of being hard of hearing. When I was younger, people called me “hearing impaired.” The term made me feel like an outsider. One dictionary defines “impaired” as “to make worse, less, weaker, damaged.”
Posted @ 5:13 PM
Illegal to toss batteries, cell phones in trash
It is illegal to toss those old batteries or fluorescent lights out with the trash. As of Feb. 9, new state laws prohibit households and businesses within the state from dumping potentially hazardous waste. That waste includes light bulbs and batteries to computers, products that can either leak or leach harmful chemicals and substances into landfills, storm drains, streams, creeks, groundwater and eventually San Francisco Bay.
Posted @ 5:09 PM
Funding to NTID tops $7M for international project
The Nippon Foundation of Japan has awarded another $1.1 million to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf-sponsored Postsecondary Education Network–International to continue its work in expanding career and education opportunities for deaf people around the world.
Posted @ 5:08 PM
DeafHope aims to give women a voice
DeafHope executive director Julie Rems-Smario looks for every possible opportunity to reach out to deaf women and children who may be victims of abuse. The dynamic Castro Valley woman sends brochures, visits shelters and hosts events, and later this month, she'll try an even broader approach: acting in a play.
Posted @ 5:06 PM
Nonverbal baby talk a sign of the times
While other infants and young toddlers let out a howl when they are hungry, 14-month-old Emmet Weisz simply brings his hands together at the heel and rotates the right hand over the left, making the hand-sign for his favorite food: cheese.
Posted @ 5:04 PM
February 23, 2006
Wrestler succeeds despite severe hearing deficit
Diagnosed with profound hearing loss when he was 2, MacArthur senior Jon Khan has made perseverance a personal habit. He struggled to learn to read lips. He strained to cement friendships among classmates, many of whom seemed more interested in ridiculing him. One challenge gave way to the next, until the eighth grade, when Khan finally met a hurdle he couldn't overcome — wrestling.
Posted @ 6:01 PM
When is it an ear infection?
Your 9 month old child is grabbing his ear over and over. You’re concerned he has an ear infection. Does he? Maybe, maybe not! Ear infections, or a parent’s concern over them, undoubtably represents one of the most common presenting reasons to a pediatrician’s office. More frequently than not, there is no bacterial infection present, and hence, antibiotics are not dispensed.
Posted @ 5:58 PM
NAD launches 'Read Captions Across America' partnership project with the NEA's 'Read Across America'
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is launching its first-ever "Read Captions Across America" as a part of "Read Across America" (on March 2). "Read Across America" is the nation's largest reading celebration, sponsored by the 2.7 million-member National Education Association (NEA), and focuses the country's attention on motivating children to read in addition to helping them master basic skills.
Posted @ 5:53 PM
125 Florida lawmakers to receive new hearing aids when legislature convenes
Florida Citizens For Term Limits has announced a breakthrough in its campaign to improve the hearing of our legislators. On Monday, the group offered a powerful hearing amplifier to each legislator who voted to extend term limits. Only two lawmakers, Florida House Speaker Pro-Tempore, Leslie Waters and Senator Walter "Skip" Campbell, Jr. have declined delivery.
Posted @ 5:52 PM | Comments (1)
UC Santa Cruz psychology prof develops language aids for hearing-impaired and autistic children
Twenty years ago, psychology professor Dominic Massaro never dreamed his investigation of how humans comprehend language and speech would benefit hearing-impaired and autistic children. But his research into how auditory and visual cues work together to aid our comprehension of the spoken word attracted the attention of parents of children with language challenges.
Posted @ 5:50 PM
Carnegie Mellon scientists show brain uses optimal code for sound
Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have discovered that our ears use the most efficient way to process the sounds we hear, from babbling brooks to wailing babies. These results represent a significant advance in our understanding of how sound is encoded for transmission to the brain, according to the authors, whose work is published with an accompanying "News and Views" editorial in the Feb. 23 issue of Nature.
Posted @ 5:48 PM
Deaf student and sign language interpreter make formidable team
At South Rowan High School in China Grove, sign language interpreter Millen Mabe mouths the teacher's words silently to her deaf student. With both hands and arms, Mabe swiftly moves her fingers to translate English instructor Bryan Graff's lecture into sign language for 11-grader David Wolford.
Posted @ 5:45 PM
Captain Kirk nearly killed by tinnitus
Tinnitus is a disease that effects many people, including William Shatner. There are new treatment options available make it easier for sufferers to eliminate this condition. According to an All Headline News report, William Shatner once considered suicide as a desperate attempt to free himself from the pain of tinnitus. Tinnitus is a disorder characterized by hearing constant noises such as beeping, buzzing, or ringing.
Posted @ 5:43 PM
That persistent sound you hear
Trivia time. What do Barbra Streisand, Charles Darwin, Rosalyn Carter and Beethoven have in common? Well, in addition to Babs and the former first lady sharing a fondness for Democratic politicians, and that Chuck’s and Ludwig’s lifetimes overlapped by 18 years, they all suffer(ed) from tinnitus. Well, in addition to Babs and the former first lady sharing a fondness for Democratic politicians, and that Chuck’s and Ludwig’s lifetimes overlapped by 18 years, they all suffer(ed) from tinnitus.
Posted @ 5:41 PM
Melatonin associated with alleviating tinnitus symptoms
Approximately 15 million Americans have a severe form of tinnitus, the perceived sensation of a ringing, roaring, or humming sound without actual acoustic stimulation. Although several theories have been proposed to explain the mechanism of tinnitus, the exact cause for this condition remains unknown; suggested treatments for the condition have not worked well in alleviating the symptoms.
Posted @ 5:40 PM
Disabled students find help at FC
Equal access laws provide that all community colleges must provide accommodations for disabled students to receive an equal education and the opportunity to succeed. Studies have shown that 10 percent of community college students are disabled; at FC, that means approximately 2,000 of our 20,000 students.
Posted @ 5:38 PM
Classes in American Sign Language put hearing students in touch with the deaf
Twenty-eight people fidget at the beginning of the immersion course. Although the teacher won't speak English to them, they understand the first direction immediately, "Come forward," to the front two rows of the auditorium. After that it gets harder, and because the room is silent, the sound of discovery whispers audibly through the room: "oohh ... She means 'paper.' "
Posted @ 5:37 PM
Family tries sign language
Parents teach songs like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "The Wheels on the Bus" with hand motions to help their young children remember the songs before they can sing along. The same idea can be applied to language skills using sign language at very young ages, Athol resident Kirsten Spencer said Wednesday.
Posted @ 5:35 PM
New music program offers sign language
MA -- The Music Village in Cullowhee will offer a new Kindermusik music and sign language program called “Sign and Sing” beginning Tuesday, Feb. 28. 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 @ 5:32 PM
Deaf Catholics welcomed with outreach services
St. Francis of Assisi Deaf Catholic Church is both alike and distinct from any other Catholic church in Prince George’s County. The Landover Hills facility has a sanctuary and an active community that attends Mass and participates in volunteer activities. But the sanctuary is sparsely decorated, and when the Rev. Jerry Trancone celebrates the Mass, attendees follow his every move.
Posted @ 2:01 PM
Lawmakers tackle gangs, drunk driving and need for sign language interpreters
A Senate committee took on stricter laws related to driving under the influence. Under a bill introduced by Meridian Sen. Hal Bunderson, judges could impose longer sentences for repeat DUI offenders, and those who refuse blood alcohol tests would also face tougher penalties.
Posted @ 1:55 PM
New Zealand sign language bill
He ao kapua te rangi ka uhia, ma te huruhuru ka rere ai te manu - As clouds bedeck the heavens, so do birds need feathers to fly. Madam Speaker, today we bear witness to the wonderful event of New Zealand Sign Language being wrapped around our deaf community, providing the warmth and protection of one's language as a primary means of being in the world.
Posted @ 1:54 PM
February 22, 2006
Parents of five children sue Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind
Keiara Seiller kept telling her parents she didn't want to go to school. When the van pulled up to Darrell Oleson Jr.'s home to take him to the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, he would hide. Ashton Porter cried when it was time to go to class. Their parents say they were concerned but because their children are deaf and had limited sign language skills, didn't know why they resisted going to the Ogden school - until caseworkers for the state called to interview the first-graders about complaints against their teacher.
Posted @ 5:57 PM
Soundtrack to life is nice, not worth deafness
Walking down Fifth Avenue, the average Pitt student is likely to hear a multitude of sounds: the roar of traffic, the quick footsteps of hundreds of students late to classes or seeking solace from the weather, the blended noises of chatter and gossip, even the occasional “Oh God, Oh God, I just failed that test!” Unless, of course, this student is one of the 22 million — and growing — iPod-adorned individuals who, by some freakish twist of social selection, have become permanently fused to those oh-so-cool white earbuds. In that case, all they hear is Eminem screaming about how he hates himself, his wife, the media, the world, etc.
Posted @ 11:59 AM
Turn down the music, save your ears
We all have heard it before: Turn down the music! Whether it was our parents trying to yell at us over blasting rock during our younger years, or if it is a landlord, a neighbor or even worse, police, loud music gives some people a lot of pleasure and others a large annoyance. Although turning down the music makes sense to listeners when it affects people around them, it seldom is a concern when listening to personal music devices.
Posted @ 11:58 AM
Classes on hearing loss scheduled
PA -- Blow dryers, iPods, booming car stereos. Traffic noise, blaring TVs, sirens. We're assaulted by more and more high decibel noise every day, noise that can insidiously damage our hearing. And once the damage is done, there's no reversing it.
Posted @ 11:55 AM
Signs of major growth
Sacramento State would become the second California State University campus – and third campus in the nation – to have a deaf studies major beginning fall 2007 if the CSU Board of Trustees and chancellor's office approves the university’s plan. There has been talk of a deaf studies major proposal for many years, but it was only recently that American Sign Language Professor Donald A. Grushkin decided it was the right time to introduce the idea.
Posted @ 11:53 AM
Baby boomer hearing loss is costing millions
While hearing loss has historically been associated with age, increasingly people in their 40s and 50s are bewildered and devastated by this condition. According to Randy Wohlers, President of HearPod Inc., specializing in the correction of baby boomer hearing loss, “Baby boomers are the first generation to be exposed to electronically amplified sound. Today, we know that prolonged exposure to loudly amplified music over 85 db can cause permanent hearing loss. Many cases of hearing loss among baby boomers can be traced to their youth when they listened to rock bands or played in them. Additionally, baby boomers are the first generation to experience prolonged exposure to loud sounds from electric blenders, lawn care equipment, power tools, recreational vehicles, jet airplanes and even electric tooth brushes.
Posted @ 11:52 AM
Deaf boy succeeds in school case
The program for students with disabilities in government schools has come under attack, with a tribunal criticising funding levels and questioning the expertise of staff across the system. Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal deputy president Cate McKenzie said the program had "a number of shortcomings", and urged the State Government to review the system.
Posted @ 11:49 AM
February 21, 2006
Five Gallaudet students will give their opinions on how to make their community safe.
The presentation, “Helping Many By Helping Few: Using Universal Design to Remedy the Transportation Issues for the Residents of Gallaudet University and the Surrounding Community,” will explore possible remedies to safety concerns in the Northeast Washington neighborhood Gallaudet calls home. The program will take place Wednesday, Feb. 22, 12:30 pm at Gallaudet University, Student Union Building 1010.
Posted @ 4:14 PM
Hearing becomes casualty in Iraq
Thousands of U.S. soldiers sent to Iraq have suffered serious hearing damage from bombs, rocket explosions and other combat noise, a new Army study suggests. Many of these injuries might have been prevented. But earplugs have been in short supply. And the Army has not told soldiers enough about the noise risks of battle or monitored them adequately for hearing damage, according to the report published Tuesday in the American Journal of Audiology.
Posted @ 4:07 PM
Addison Mizner Elementary students sign and sing at Boca rehab center
Unlike the average fifth grader, Dylan Mersereau didn't say a word. Instead he moved his fingers, using sign language to covey a heartfelt message to residents at the Boca Raton Rehabilitation Center. Mersereau and his fifth-grade classmates from Addison Mizner Elementary School spent Valentine's Day singing and signing Martina McBride's "My Valentine" song to those residents.
Posted @ 4:05 PM
Hearing loss is no handicap to Anthony
Anthony Shing has never heard the crowd’s roar as he swims to first place, nor will he hear Dawn Fraser call out his name at tonight’s Young Australian Sports Award ceremony in Sydney. All of Anthony’s remarkable swimming victories have been won in silence as the 18-year-old from Bli Bli was born with a profound hearing disability and has a 95% hearing loss.
Posted @ 4:04 PM
Cochlear's China push
"China has huge potential," Cochlear chief executive Chris Roberts told The Daily Telegraph. Cochlear's assault on the Chinese market is spearheaded by a low-priced implant, the SP33. At $19,000, it is 40 per cent cheaper than other Cochlear implants.
Posted @ 4:04 PM
February 20, 2006
Savoring sound
Some days, the world is just too loud for Susie Schlatter. But even when the noise threatens to overwhelm her, she treasures the sounds of crickets chirping, birds singing and her husband muttering, now that she can hear -- for the second time in her life. Schlatter was born without the bones -- the stirrup, anvil and hammer -- in her middle ears. Without them, the vibrations of the eardrum weren't amplified to the inner ear.
Posted @ 6:22 PM
B-N audiologist, colleagues treat hearing loss
“I almost wish there was some pain involved in noise levels,” says audiologist Deborah Pitcher. “Instead, it’s insidious.” People who are exposed to dangerous noise levels often suffer hearing loss and don’t even know it is happening. “By the time the nerves are damaged, that’s it,” Pitcher says. “No medicine can cure it.”
Posted @ 6:20 PM
Lives 'devastated' by tinnitus
Research into the effects of tinnitus - a buzzing or ringing in the ears - shows that it has a profound impact on all aspects of people's lives. The findings come from work carried out by two leading charities in the field of hearing loss.
Posted @ 6:18 PM
Sorenson Communications to allow users to call interpreters of other VRS providers
Sorenson Communications, the industry-leading provider of services and technology for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, today announced plans to allow the users of its videophones to call not only Sorenson VRS interpreters but also the interpreters of other Video Relay Service (VRS) providers.
Posted @ 6:17 PM
Pupils discover sounds of silence
Not everyone can get the attention of a little boy or girl without saying a word. But for Carrie Pierce, doing so on Sunday afternoon was child's play. There was lots of play going on Sunday at the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor, with many children squealing, crawling, squirming, climbing and giggling throughout the three floors of exhibits at the downtown building.
Posted @ 6:15 PM
Spanish-speaking family helps deaf son be heard
The 7-year-old started first grade at Cameron Elementary as a bright, inquisitive boy. He was popular, had a lot of friends and was outgoing. Then spinal meningitis hit. The disease can be deadly, and Jorge was misdiagnosed for two weeks before a school nurse told the family to take him to the hospital. He fought the disease and walked away with his life but without his hearing
Posted @ 6:14 PM
Sign language interpreting a rare profession in N.D.
After eight years, Lindsey Solberg still comes across people who don’t understand that she gets paid to do her job. It’s just one of the many misconceptions she deals with in her unique – and mostly silent – career. Solberg is a sign language interpreter at Fargo’s Ben Franklin Junior High. It’s a rare profession in North Dakota and one that lacks qualified candidates nationwide.
Posted @ 6:13 PM
Teen expresses hymns through hands
Tiffany Ramsey has brought a new worship medium to First Christian Church: sign language. Tiffany, 17, a member of the FCC worship team, accompanies the group’s traditional singing with sign language. During worship team presentations, Tiffany, while singing, will step forward and sign the words to a song.
Posted @ 6:11 PM
Study scrutinizes schools for deaf, blind
A new study commissioned by the Legislature weighs the pros and cons of closing the Washington State School for the Blind and the Washington School for the Deaf in Vancouver. The study by the nonpartisan Washington State Institute for Public Policy was triggered in part by the need for major capital investments on both campuses.
Posted @ 6:10 PM
Postman recovers valuable hearing aid
A Westmount resident recently discovered that Canada Post sometimes does more than deliver mail—they can also provide lost and found service. Robert Stevenson of Mount Pleasant Avenue carries his hearing aids and a special wristwatch device for controlling them in a small black satchel. The total value is about $15,000.
Posted @ 6:09 PM
February 19, 2006
Deep River woman ministers to Jamaican deaf
Debbie Seagroves' eyes light up when she talks about “her” children in Jamaica. All are deaf and many were rescued from abject poverty, many with lives on the streets as children abandoned by families who could neither communicate with nor provide for them. Those she works with are fortunate to be served by the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf, headquartered in Lewisburg, W.Va.
Posted @ 1:33 PM
Train horn louder than in past
A recent letter writer calls complaints about train horns laughable because the railroad was here before much of current Flagstaff. Residents should have known better than to put themselves near the tracks if the horns bother them, the writer says. But the intrusiveness and frequency of the train horns is not always obvious to a new resident.
Posted @ 1:26 PM
Sound advise
Kim Tackett was a toddler 13 years ago when her mom, Suzanne, brought her to a free hearing clinic hosted by the Flagstaff Medical Center audiology office of Karon Lynn. Suzanne recalls that doctors had been saying her little girl was ignoring her, although she suspected they were wrong. Lynn remembers it a little differently.
Posted @ 1:24 PM
Ferrigno gives back
Lou Ferrigno has morphed identities more often than a George Lucas Cyber Hero. Junior body builder, a two time Mr. Universe title holder, television and film cult legend, itinerant stage actor, author, business mogul, fitness advisor to the stars, advocate for the hearing challenged and now… L.A County Sheriff’s Deputy! Along with forty five other graduates of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Academy, Ferrigno received a law enforcement officer’s badge and a warm congratulations from Sheriff Lee Baca in Monday evening’s ceremonies at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration this week.
Posted @ 1:21 PM
New deaf school director criticized for lack of experience
The new director of the Georgia School for the Deaf has been criticized by some members of the deaf community for a lack of experience working with the deaf and because he does not yet know sign language. Lee Shiver, former superintendent of Pickens County schools, was appointed by the state Board of Education and will replace interim director Cynthia Ashby on March 1. Former director Winfield McChord resigned in July after serving in the position for 19 months.
Posted @ 1:19 PM
Deaf find implants help break silence
For Jodie Rodrigues, deafness was akin to being under water. Actually, it felt more like being a bug in a jar. "You know when you take a cup and put it over a bug?" she asked Saturday. "When you're seeing things but you don't get what's going on? I felt like that bug." Rodrigues, 31, of Denver, was born deaf. Today, she can hear, thanks to a cochlear implant. The device, surgically placed under the skin behind the ear, carries sound to the inner ear and directly stimulates the auditory nerve.
Posted @ 1:16 PM
How sweet the sound
Founded in the struggle for black civil rights, Sweet Honey in the Rock has flourished for more than three decades, through shifting political currents, evolving musical styles and numerous personnel changes. But in the past two years, the celebrated all-women African American a cappella ensemble has faced perhaps its biggest test, finding its way after the retirement of the group's charismatic founder Bernice Johnson Reagon.
Posted @ 1:14 PM
February 18, 2006
Henderson receives Hearing Conservation Award
Donald Henderson, Ph.D. professor in the Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences in the University at Buffalo's College of Arts and Sciences, received the 2006 Outstanding Hearing Conservation Award from the National Hearing Conservation Association at its annual conference in Tampa, Fla.
Posted @ 8:50 AM
Foxy Brown undergoes ear surgery
Rap star Foxy Brown's hearing is slowly returning after she underwent emergency surgery for a rare condition which threatened to leave her permanently deaf. The MC, 26, was diagnosed with sudden hearing loss - known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss - last May while recording her album 'Black Roses.'
Posted @ 8:46 AM
Seminar offers insights to cochlear implants, speech
Tina Sleyster, owner of North Idaho Speech & Language Associates in Sandpoint, recently attended a two-day seminar in Boise on the topic of cochlear implants. The seminar, which was sponsored by the state of Idaho Infant & Toddler program and School for the Deaf and Blind, focused on the importance of early intervention for children with hearing impairment and deafness as well as techniques for stimulating auditory perception for speech in infants and toddlers.
Posted @ 8:42 AM
PK the dog saves the day for hearing-impaired child
Without her hearing aid, the world closes in around 7-year-old Stephanie Bryant. “If she doesn’t have those she can’t hear her teacher or anyone more than four feet away,” her father, Forrest Bryant, explained on Friday. “It was very critical to her education,” Bryant said. “She really couldn’t participate in anything before.”
Posted @ 8:37 AM
Texting spells freedom for deaf students
Dropping by a friend's house after school was once out of the question for Samantha Streczek. Deaf from birth, she knew that not coming straight home would worry her mother. "My mother also thought it was too dangerous for me to go to parties," says Streczek, now 17. "We had no way to contact each other in an emergency."
Posted @ 8:36 AM
Club sponsors signing courses
One of the primary beneficiaries of the money that Quota International of Cambridge raises each year at its Derby Day event is the Educational Assistance Committee and those that it helps. In 2005-06, the Committee assisted a non-traditional student returning to college to gain career skills needed to help support a family. The student is pursuing a Business Management degree and is caught in the situation where, because he has a job, he is unable to quality for government assistance programs.
Posted @ 8:34 AM
Teen teaches sign language to help others speak, hear
New Matamoras -- When Sam Kidd selected the first hearing aids for his daughter he carefully chose flesh-colored aids, worried that Whitney wouldn’t want to call attention to her deafness, or that she would be mocked by her classmates. But when Whitney got her chance to choose the colors, she chose bright red, purple and blue.
Posted @ 8:33 AM
iPods and hearing loss
Doctors are warning that devices like iPods can cause hearing loss. A Survey St. Louis poll showed that seven per cent of those we surveyed already noticed a hearing loss. But that may be part of the problem. Doctors believe it may be years down the road before young people notice a problem.
Posted @ 8:32 AM
Newport family prepares for son’s potential hearing loss
If 8-year-old Zachary Farnsworth loses his hearing, as doctors have said could happen, he would join only a handful of Washington County children with severe hearing loss. While hearing loss can occur at any age, there typically aren’t many youth in the area who are deaf or severely impaired, said Jim McCauley, president and longtime member of Friends and Parents of the Hearing Impaired, a group that has helped raise funds for the needs of the hearing impaired in the Mid-Ohio Valley since the mid-1970s.
Posted @ 8:31 AM
Signing amounts to less chaos in infant room at YMCA Childcare Center
When meals are served in the infant room of the YMCA Childcare Center, something is missing — eardrum-breaking noise. The typical crying, squawking, grunting and clatter of bowls being thrown overboard that one would expect in a room with half a dozen pre-toddlers had been a daily occurrence until a couple years ago. That’s when the teachers in the infant room began teaching the children simple sign language to communicate their needs.
Posted @ 8:18 AM
February 17, 2006
Loud noise exposure increases tumor risk
Research suggests that prolonged exposure to loud noise increases the risk of acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor that grows in the nerve connecting the ear to the brain that is associated with hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and disequilibrium. The only published study regarding noise and acoustic neuroma risk was limited by small size and its restriction to men only, Dr. Colin G. Edwards and colleagues note in their report, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology for February 15.
Posted @ 11:20 AM
MP3 players can pose
IPods and other portable music devices have changed the way many people listen to music. As the popularity of these devices continues to rise, hearing experts worry that the number of people with hearing loss will become as commonplace as the devices themselves. Hearing experts are concerned that hearing loss will take place because exposure to music through these devices can be both loud and long.
Posted @ 11:17 AM
Detecting hearing loss in children
New numbers show how many children have been diagnosed with hearing problems since the state of Ohio started testing infants in 2004. Jack is a typically, bubbly 20-month-old, but developmentally, he doesn't say as many words as experts think he should, so his pediatrician recommended a hearing test. The earlier a problem is detected, the better the chance to work on developing language skills.
Posted @ 11:15 AM
New program designed to assist autistic pre-kindergarteners
Fixated on the blades of a plastic helicopter, Dillon Corcoran didn't seem to notice as Jeanne Jones took one of his hands and pressed it against a board that changes color with heat. Again and again, Jones pointed to the magical appearance of five fingers on the board, counting them as she compared the image to the identical features on Dillon's hand.
Posted @ 11:13 AM
Manhattan priest is 'ordained to the world, not just to the deaf'
Communicating is not a problem for Christine Selfe. She communicates with everyone she can in many ways-vocally, using American Sign Language (ASL), email-it doesn't matter to Selfe. She has a message, and she communicates it. The Rev. Christine Selfe is the vicar for St. Ann's Church for the Deaf in Manhattan, a calling she has enjoyed "one year exactly on January 5," she smiled. "It's been a wonderful year."
Posted @ 11:12 AM
Local outreach to deaf makes some effect
When a recent Saturday evening Mass began at St. Martha Catholic Parish in Murrieta, a woman turned her back on the Very Rev. Jack Barker as he reached the altar. It would have been downright disrespectful had it not served a purpose. The woman, Mary Ellen King, represents a small group of residents determined to help the hearing-impaired observe Sabbath by translating services into American Sign Language.
Posted @ 11:11 AM
Witness testifies using signals
Words don't come easily for Connie Macaulay. Her advanced Parkinson's disease makes speech difficult. She relies on her husband to interpret for her, even on good days. Mrs. Macaulay, 59, traveled to Texas from Canada to testify Thursday in the capital murder trial of her daughter, Dena Schlosser. Ms. Schlosser pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of her 10-month-old daughter, Maggie Schlosser.
Posted @ 11:08 AM
Girl learning to speak after cochlear implant
A Western Maryland toddler is learning how to hear after getting a cochlear implant. Ashley Ober's family said the technology is helping change the 2-year-old's life. "I never thought I'd be so excited that my kid would say 'Poo' or 'Ba,'" said Lynn Ober, Ashley's mother. Until now, Ashley communicated with her family only through sign language. Ashley is just learning to speak because she's just learning to hear.
Posted @ 11:04 AM
February 16, 2006
Deaf pole vaulter soars above jeers to feel cheers
He didn’t have to hear the taunts to know they existed. Patrick Southern reads lips. “Some people have called me ‘Double D,’” he said. “Deaf and dumb.” Such small-minded taunts only could come from people who live close to the ground. And those who live close to the ground are of little use to Southern.
Posted @ 8:23 AM
Listen up
Hearing loss usually occurs slowly, over decades, without pain or visible symptoms. As a result, you may not be aware you have a problem until someone else brings it to your attention. Take this simple test from experts at Self Help for Hard of Hearing People...
Posted @ 8:21 AM
Essential tremor appears to affect hearing
Essential tremor, the most commonly observed movement disorder and most common type of tremor, most often affects the hands, but it can affect the head, arms or voice. It is usually seen as "shakiness" when trying to drink a glass of water, tie a shoe or write. The rhythmic tremor is present only when effort is exerted, and is not present during rest or sleep.
Posted @ 8:20 AM
State seeking customers of hearing-aid company
New York -- A state assistant attorney general said Tuesday his office in Binghamton is looking for customers of a closed Oneonta hearing-aid business. Michael Danaher said he is following up on a court order from Nov. 2 that shuttered Expert Ear Inc., which was located at 360 Main St.
Posted @ 8:17 AM
Show me a sign
Debbie Pampalone learned sign language before she could talk. Her deaf parents taught her the basics, like "milk" and "hungry" from the start. Pampalone, an interpreter from Merrillville-based Deaf Services, returned the favor Wednesday to a slightly older group of children during a talk at Hayes Leonard Elementary School. Her presentation was part of a districtwide initiative to raise diversity awareness.
Posted @ 8:15 AM
Study of sign language drastically increasing
For UNCG sophomore Beth Zimmerman, the spark was getting to know a friend in high school who was deaf. David Payne, another sophomore, wasn't sure what he wanted to major in, but after taking a sign language class, he was hooked. And by making the decision to study American Sign Language, both Payne and Zimmerman have joined a growing trend.
Posted @ 8:13 AM
Lending their voices to Easter Seals
As a parent it's difficult to know what a crying infant wants. Is he hungry? Is she tired? Does he want a toy? By age 2, most children are babbling two- or three-word sequences and eating by themselves. Traci Snyder and husband Timothy, from Pen Argyl, can only hope that one day their 2-year-old twins, Grace and Gabriel, can do the same.
Posted @ 8:09 AM
Kids thrive in golf camp for deaf
When Rob Strano gives golf lessons, what you see is what you get. His students are deaf. "With these kids, they are so focused on you because they're taking in your body language, your expressions, the sign," Strano said. "They have to take in the whole message so they are just focused on you and they don't miss anything."
Posted @ 8:07 AM
Sounds, not silence
Dr Sandra De Sa Souza, 62, is not only one of the best-known ENT (ear, nose, throat) surgeons in India, she is also the first woman surgeon in the world to have performed a cochlear implant surgery, way back in 1987. Estimates say that for every 10,000 births, there is at least one hearing impaired newborn child. It has been Souza's life's work and ambition to reach out to as many hearing impaired persons as she can.
Posted @ 8:05 AM
February 15, 2006
Retired teacher contributes $1,000 to HHPD program
Anne Hemenway taught music to the hearing impaired for nearly 30 years. Now retired, she is still contributing to education. Last Thursday, Feb. 9, Hemenway traveled to Frankford Elementary School to make a $1,000 donation to the Indian River School District's Hard of Hearing Partially Deaf program. The donation came from the proceeds of her recently published book, "Jan Baer and the Mystery of the Silent Circus."
Posted @ 8:10 PM
Legislators seek lower costs for hearing aids
I received my first hearing aid as a young child. It was a small box tucked into a harness in the middle of my chest with wires running to the ear molds. I eventually graduated to behind-the-ear hearing aids that I preferred because they were smaller and had fewer wires. There are four types of aids from behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, in-the-canal to being completely in the canal.
Posted @ 8:09 PM
Hearing aids on the way to Tallahassee
Florida Citizens For Term Limits has announced a new campaign to improve the hearing of our legislators. The group has ordered more than 160 new hearing aids to help lawmakers get the voters' message. "The problem is Florida voters keep saying eight years, but the legislature is hearing 12 and 24 years," said the group's president, Max Linn.
Posted @ 8:07 PM | Comments (1)
Losing your hearing? A new computer program offers intriguing solutions
When the Grateful Dead called him to consult, Robert Sweetow, director of audiology for the UCSF Medical Center, wasn't prepared for the level of technical expertise he'd encounter in the world of rock 'n' roll. "It blows away my equipment," Sweetow says of his first visit to Ultrasound, the band's sound company.
Posted @ 8:02 PM
Giant ear stolen from shop sign
Crystal River -- Ear today, gone tomorrow? Apparently so. Employees at Advanced Family Hearing say they're missing their business mascot, one of two gigantic, flesh-colored ears. "We have two huge ears, and one of them's gone," said Amy Wylde, a self-described "hearing specialist and reporter of stolen ears."
Posted @ 8:00 PM
Diva device can help with hearing problems
There is breakthrough technology to help those have hearing problems, WXII 12's Kimberly Van Scoy has learned. Carl Johnson is among those hearing clearly thanks to a small device called the Diva. It's a high definition product that can be programmed to each patient's own hearing.
Posted @ 7:58 PM
DTS subtitling system offers 'Signs' of new access
Subtitles are an essential part of the story in the independent film "Universal Signs." Rather than merely translate what the actors are saying, they give viewers an intimate window into a unique subculture by using the latest captioning technology.
Posted @ 7:54 PM
Hearing loss is the number one disability in the world
Hearing loss is prevalent in modern societies as a result of the combined effects of noise, aging, disease, and heredity. Hearing loss is the number one disability in the world; approximately 28 million Americans suffer some type of hearing loss. In addition, 15 of every 1000 people under the age of 18 have a hearing loss, and nearly 90% of people over age 80 have a hearing impairment.
Posted @ 7:53 PM
Deaf student beats government ruling
A hearing impaired teenager has won a landmark anti-discrimination case against the Department of Education and Training (DET) after he was denied a classroom interpreter. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) last week found in favour of former Pearcedale Primary School student Dylan Beasley who had claimed he was left out of classroom activities because the school failed to provide him with suitable tuition.
Posted @ 7:52 PM
City ready to lend more helping hands to deaf-mutes
As the capital of the world's most populous country, Beijing never seems to have a problem with its workforce. It enjoys an abundance of people in almost every industry, be it artistic geniuses or construction workers. The one profession, which is short-handed and also demands delicate hands, is to provide sign language service.
Posted @ 7:51 PM
February 14, 2006
Lou Ferrigno becomes reserve LA County sheriff's deputy
Would-be criminals beware: you don't want to run afoul of Deputy Lou "The Incredible Hulk" Ferrigno. The former bodybuilder and star of the 1970s TV show no longer turns into a raging green monster when he sees people breaking the law. But since being sworn in Monday night as a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reserve deputy, he has the power to arrest them.
Posted @ 8:14 AM
Madison High in tourney for hearing-disabled
They may not be able to blurt out answers in rapid-fire succession at academic competitions, but Abiel Georgeo, his brother, Samuel, and their schoolmates Thy Pham and Adrian Rivera – all deaf or hard of hearing – have the smarts. These four Madison High School students will show them off in a regional competition of the Gallaudet University Academic Bowl for the hearing-impaired this week in Jackson, Miss.
Posted @ 8:08 AM
Gallaudet's National Academic Bowl celebrates 10 years
For a decade, deaf and hard of hearing high school students from around the nation have faced off in what can be considered a paramount showcase of academic excellence. This year, the Gallaudet University Academic Bowl for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students celebrates 10 years of existence. The Southeast Regional kicks off this year’s festivities. It will take place Feb. 16-19, hosted by the Mississippi School for the Deaf in Jackson, Miss.
Posted @ 8:06 AM
Sound activity eters improve hearing aid quality
The sound of a dental drill, sirens blaring, an office meeting, and a busy restaurant. These -- and more -- are all of the noises we can hear everyday. Think then of the challenge of creating a hearing aid that works with your lifestyle. 28 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, with each case as unique as a fingerprint. Until now, to get a hearing aid that fit their needs, patients had to accurately describe their listening environments, a challenge in today's busy, noisy world.
Posted @ 7:56 AM
Trend in hearing protection technology moving towards "sound management"
Smithfield, RI - According to industrial audiologist Brad Witt, the days of striving to develop Hearing Protection Devices (HPDs) that could simply block the most sound are over. "Today, said Witt, who is Audiology and Regulatory Affairs Manager for the Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group, "the focus is definitely more on sound management: on attenuating the hazardous noise to a level that still allows communication and warning signal detection."
Posted @ 7:55 AM
Campus handicap accessible despite hills
Aside from the occasional tricky sidewalk and parking space thief, some disabled students said campus is fairly “friendly” toward students with disabilities. Melanie Woodward, a junior from Fayetteville with muscular dystrophy, said she is satisfied with the campus’ accessibility and resources for students with disabilities.
Posted @ 7:53 AM
Venture gets help to hearing-impaired
As president and CEO of Deaf Link, Kay Chiodo spends her time making sure San Antonio's hearing impaired residents get the help they need in emergency situations. By providing interpreters 24 hours a day through an Internet connection or television, Deaf Link has helped thousands of hearing impaired people get the help they need at many different places such as hospitals and police departments.
Posted @ 7:50 AM
Sign language for babies 'gives you a glimpse into their world'
Imagine being dropped into a foreign land where no one spoke your language. You couldn't get food or something to drink and it was often so frustrating, all you could do is scream. Now imagine what it's like for a baby who hasn't learned to talk yet. For Stephanie Hadley, those thoughts were going through her head when she was pregnant with her second child last year with husband Layvon.
Posted @ 7:47 AM
AIIMS doctors claim cochlear breakthrough
New Delhi: Doctors at the Capital's premier All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) claimed to have successfully carried out and rehabilitated the country's first bilateral cochlear implantation patient who underwent the complicated surgery to have cochlear implants fitted in both ears.
Posted @ 7:46 AM
Cochlear posts record bionic ear sales
Cochlear today reported a half-yearly net profit of $43.76 million, up 33 per cent. During the half, Cochlear achieved record revenue from all-time high sales of its implants. Cochlear expects $80 million earnings in 2005-06. Cochlear sold 6518 bionic ear units over the six months to December 31, 2005, up 30 per cent, with revenue jumping 34 per cent to $221.1 million.
Posted @ 7:45 AM
February 13, 2006
A chill at the specter of Blackberry winter
The route of most technology is from "Why would anyone need that?" to "How did I ever live without it?" When Tom Cruise used a cordless phone in "Risky Business," I remember thinking the device was a gimmick. When the first fax machine was installed near my desk in the newsroom (one machine, back then, for hundreds of reporters), I thought, "Don't messenger services deliver clearer copies?" And I was more than a little skeptical (not to mention spooked) when I first heard a car talk and give the driver directions.
Posted @ 9:03 AM
Jeep strikes deaf man, police say
A 57-year-old man remained hospitalized with serious injuries Sunday -- a day after he was struck by a Jeep on Ridgewood Avenue, police said. Johnny D. Fields was walking or running across Ridgewood Avenue, north of Madison Avenue, when he stepped into the path of a Jeep driven by Timothy Draughton Sr., 29, of Daytona Beach at 9:15 p.m. Saturday, police said in a statement Sunday.
Posted @ 9:02 AM
Do iPod earbuds cause problems?
A federal lawsuit filed against Apple Computer, paired with worries aired by Who guitarist Pete Townshend and others, is once again raising questions about permanent hearing damage from iPods and other portable music devices. The same hearing loss questions sprouted after the Sony Walkman got big in the 1980s and before that, portable boom boxes.
Posted @ 8:58 AM
Tinnitus victim not responding to implant
Despair is replacing optimism for an Aurora nurse who had hoped a new procedure would stem the ringing in her ears that has made her life a cacophonous misery. Lynn Steinman, 56, has described the ringing as akin to "a kid's tin whistle blowing in your ear 24 hours a day."
Posted @ 8:54 AM
Totally implantable cochlear implant is the future of cochlear implant
A cochlear implant surgery at grand old age of 71 made dramatic changes in the life of renowned artist Satish Gujral. Hearing sounds after 62 long years of silence, Gujral now adds more vibrant colours to his paintings, discarding the usual dreary dark and light. Such is the impact of sounds! And hence the significance of cochlear implant surgeons like Dr Sandra DeSa Souza.
Posted @ 8:52 AM
Take sound advice, check your hearing
Nobody likes to admit to being a bit deaf as they see it as a sign of aging, but hearing can be damaged at any age and should be checked as often as your eyesight. If you haven't had a hearing check in the last two years, here is some advice from Specsavers Hearcare's Cardiff director Gareth Morris.
Posted @ 8:46 AM
When baby talk equals flying fingers
Two Port Macquarie mothers hope to break into the publishing world with their educational kit on baby sign language. Gina Mansfield, a casual teacher, and Jodi Scantlebury, a massage therapist met at an ante-natal class three years ago. The 32-year-olds became interested in the art of communication with their babies a year ago but thought the books available were too difficult.
Posted @ 8:42 AM
Review of phone relay service for the deaf
Submissions sought on review of phone relay service for the deaf. People with an interest in Deaf issues can have their say about the review of the Telecommunications Relay Service, say Communications Minister David Cunliffe and Disability Issues Minister Ruth Dyson.
Posted @ 8:41 AM
February 12, 2006
Hearing loss doesn't deter Beverly skater's hockey dreams
Most people who watch Mike Wonoski play hockey — parents, coaches, even opposing players — have no idea he is deaf. And really, why would they? With his navy blue St. Mary's of Lynn helmet on during games and practices, the smooth-skating high school sophomore from Beverly looks and acts like any other skater on the ice. But Wonoski, 17, is playing — and excelling — in a sport where he never hears a referee's whistle, his teammates on the ice, his coaches yelling for a line change from the bench or the fans cheering from the stands.
Posted @ 5:40 AM
I said, ‘How was Crue?’
Marty Fort saw the ’80s metal band Motley Crue perform last summer at the outdoor Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte. It was carnage on his ears. Insanely loud,” Fort said. “It was so loud that you couldn’t recognize what songs they were playing. I could tell by the vibrations of the guitar.” The Crue, stopping tonight at the Colonial Center for the third leg of its reunion tour, isn’t the only noisemaker in our world.
Posted @ 5:38 AM
Enhancing parent-deaf child link
When Lorna Davidson-Connelly hears a student object to a day off from school, she doesn't take it lightly. As a counselor for deaf and other hearing-impaired students, Davidson-Connelly said the unusual complaint could be a signal that the student's family has difficulty communicating with the child at home. ''I can't tell you how many times my students will say, ''We don't want vacation to happen, we don't like weekends," she said. ''They don't like it because they don't have anybody to communicate with."
Posted @ 5:27 AM
Baby steps in communication
While instructor Brenda Rowland made a sign for a cat by stroking imaginary whiskers under her nose, 15-month-old Kayley Cooke toddled around the library room. Kayley, attending a "sign language for babies" class at the West County branch of the Anne Arundel Public Library, didn't seem to be paying much attention, but her grandmother, Jane Cooke, said the lessons are sinking in.
Posted @ 5:26 AM
Deaf person seeks peers
When my 44-year-old daughter was growing up in the '60s, '70s and '80s, "they" -- the government, schools, the deaf-in-denial and the ignorant bureaucrats -- decided deaf children should not ever learn American sign language but should be mainstreamed into regular schools and learn to speak. So, my daughter is now able to speak, but she can't hear. She fits nowhere.
Posted @ 5:24 AM | Comments (1)
Sound in silence
Silence fills the the chapel. Faces uplifted, a handful of worshippers pray, sing and recite liturgy — without speaking. Words and phrases come in flourishes of hand, body and facial expression, animated and mesmerizing. This silent service takes place the first Thursday of each month at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mason City.
Posted @ 5:22 AM
Special earmuffs can avert on-the-job hearing loss
Dear Tim: My husband will not listen to me, and I grow tired of raising my voice at him. Over the years, he has ruined his hearing by working around loud machinery. Each month it seems it is getting worse. He wears an inexpensive pair of earmuffs and says they work just fine. I tried them when I used our lawnmower, and the noise level barely dropped. Is there an affordable way to save what hearing is left? -- Sally F., Mountain View, Calif.
Posted @ 5:21 AM
February 11, 2006
Burma's mission, 20 years later
Clint Conley, bassist and vocalist for ’80s underground heroes Mission of Burma, was late for our phone interview. All was forgiven, though, as he was not terribly late and apologized profusely. It’s not often that a musician has to delay an interview because he was at the library researching a script.
Posted @ 5:34 AM
Dancer didn't let handicap limit his career
Dancers typically key their moves on the music they hear. Hopewell native Jason McDole does the same, but he is at a disadvantage: His two hearing aids that help him cope with a profound hearing loss enable him to pick up only about 50 percent of normal sounds. Yet McDole, 31, has managed to succeed in a dance career that has most recently taken him to San Diego.
Posted @ 5:33 AM
Sounding off
Screaming fans stomp and cheer on wooden bleachers. The shrill sounds of the buzzer echo throughout the bandbox gymnasium. The vibrations of a bass drum bounce off the walls after every basket. At one of the loudest high school basketball gyms in Western Pennsylvania, only the home team's players are unaffected by the noise.
Posted @ 5:31 AM
New device helps enhance hearing aids
When Linda Doherty started to develop a hearing problem, she didn't even realize it at first. "(I started) saying 'excuse me' constantly, or, 'Could you repeat that?'" she said. "And I was also trying to look at their lips to see what they were saying." Doherty, who had developed significant hearing loss, needed a hearing aid. Luckily, modern hearing aids are amazing devices.
Posted @ 5:29 AM
Infant hearing tests working, but not all babies screened
Ohio is doing a better job of detecting hearing loss in infants since lawmakers mandated that hospitals screen all newborns, increasing the chance for early treatment. However, the state is not consistently meeting the national standard of diagnosis before age six months because of a lack of experienced audiologists. Hearing loss is the most common disorder present at birth in newborns. But before Ohio passed a law in 2002 mandating that hospitals screen all newborns for hearing, most children did not get a diagnosis until age 2.
Posted @ 5:17 AM
Disabled woman testifies to attack
A deaf and developmentally disabled South Bay woman used forceful gestures in court Friday as she told a jury how she said "no" and fought back against a cabdriver accused of raping her. Through a system of sign language relays with two interpreters, the 28-year-old woman said: "I pushed him. I pushed him. No. No. I pushed him. "I told him, 'No, no, I don't want it,' " the woman said.
Posted @ 5:13 AM
February 10, 2006
Hormone linked to good hearing as we age
Researchers have linked a hormone known to adjust levels of key brain chemicals to the quality of our hearing as we age. The more of the hormone that older people have in their bloodstream, the better their hearing is, and the less of the hormone, the worse their hearing is. The hormone, aldosterone, is known to regulate kidney function and also plays a role in controlling levels of two crucial signaling chemicals in the nervous system, potassium and sodium.
Posted @ 10:56 AM
Signs of hearing loss should not be ignored
More than 30 million Americans are exposed to hazardous sound levels on a regular basis. Individuals of all ages, including children, adolescents, young adults, and older people, can develop hearing loss. Exposure occurs in the workplace, in recreational settings, and at home. Noisy recreational activities include snowmobiling, riding go-carts, woodworking and other noisy hobbies, target shooting and hunting, playing iPods and other portable audio devices, power horns, cap guns, and model airplanes. Harmful noises at home include vacuum cleaners, garbage disposals, gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and shop tools.
Posted @ 10:50 AM | Comments (1)
Signs of understanding
To deal with the inevitable challenges of toddlerhood, many new parents are using American Sign Language with their pre-verbal babies. American Sign Language, or ASL, is the primary language among deaf and hearing-impaired people in the United States and Canada. ASL also has been shown to be an effective communications tool for young children who can hear, and its popularity among new parents is on the rise.
Posted @ 10:43 AM
Hearing tests prove critical for newborns
Kristen Lusnia is sure her son's hearing loss would have gone undetected for years if he had not been screened within days of his birth. That would have been precious time lost. Studies show that children whose hearing losses were identified before age 6 months had significantly better language scores than children whose losses were detected later.
Posted @ 10:41 AM
Jurors are told disabled woman agreed to sex
A cabdriver accused of raping a deaf and developmentally disabled woman in Lawndale will testify that she made sexual overtures to him -- removing her clothes and pulling him toward her before they had consensual sex, his attorney told a jury Thursday. Oscar Dela Cruz, a 37-year-old married man and a father of three, is on trial in Torrance Superior Court for one count of rape during a kidnapping. If convicted, he faces 25 years to life in prison.
Posted @ 10:36 AM
Student asks for support on sign language bill
The state should recognize sign language as an official language, said James Hulstein, the student senator liaison for Faculty Senate. Hulstein took the podium Wednesday at the monthly Faculty Senate meeting, and let the faculty members know about a few issues of concern in UNO's Student Government.
Posted @ 10:35 AM
Community Living's youngest volunteer
Sometimes people get involved with volunteer organizations because they simply want references to pad their resumes. It’s only with time that the experience becomes an end in itself. But for17-year-old volunteer Stacey Bateman, helping others is its own reward — one that hasn’t lost its novelty over time. "Her heart is in this direction," says Judy Endecott, of Community Living Toronto, one of the many places at which Bateman volunteers.
Posted @ 10:33 AM
Sign of victory
One valley athlete didn't let his disability stop him from doing what he loves, playing football. In fact, he's one of the best players at his high school and has a promising future. Kasey Hall can't hear without the help of hearing aides. And because of the contact and sweat, he can't wear those aides on the field. But that hasn't stopped him from sounding off against the competition.
Posted @ 10:28 AM
Deaf and black, but so much more
At 8:40 a.m. today, Percy Hall will watch his son tee it up at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. The prediction here is that he tears up when the crowd roars at the introduction. His son, Kevin Hall, won't hear the crowd, but will feel the warmth and will probably feel his dad's pride. "Some people see the glory. I know the story," Percy Hall said. "It gets very emotional."
Posted @ 10:24 AM
University launches UK's first sign language degree
A three-year degree course in British Sign Language (BSL), which academics claim is the first of its kind in the UK, will take its first students this September. The University of Central Lancashire says the course is unique because it offers undergraduates the opportunity to study sign language in the same way as any other modern language.
Posted @ 10:23 AM
When deaf men find it hard to talk to a doctor
Clark Denmark is a prominent and much loved figure in the British deaf community and, when he appeared on See Hear some time ago to speak emotionally and frankly about his battle with prostate cancer, the programme caused quite a stir. With his masterly signing ability, Clark went into explicit detail about the symptoms of the disease, the pain and embarrassment it had brought him, the sessions with the doctor and the resultant diagnosis and treatment.
Posted @ 10:22 AM
Youth clears every hurdle
A childhood illness left Andrew Sampson profoundly deaf and able to hear only with the aid of a cochlear implant. Despite the hurdles he's had to face since then, the Quirindi teenager is embarking on a career in medicine that will one day see him become a doctor. The 18-year-old will leave his hometown tomorrow for Newcastle where in less than two weeks he will begin studying a Bachelor of Medicine degree at the university.
Posted @ 10:21 AM
February 9, 2006
What's that? Can't hear you, My iPod's too loud!
I like to play my iPod nice and loud. But now I've been reading accounts of audiologists issuing a warning my mother told me years ago - if I listen too loud for too long, I'll lose my hearing. So tell me something that I don't know already. When the Sony Walkman made its debut in 1979, audio researchers said the same thing. When the portable CD player hit the market five years later in 1984, the warnings were issued again.
Posted @ 7:17 AM
Baxter School seeks permission to rent
The Gov. Baxter School for the Deaf may lease its spare classroom space to a private elementary school for hearing students this fall if the Legislature approves the plan. The school would be the first for hearing students on the Baxter campus, a state school for the deaf and hard-of-hearing on Mackworth Island in Falmouth. One possible tenant is a Friends school, a private school that promotes Quaker beliefs such as community, integrity and non-violence. The school would serve students of all beliefs.
Posted @ 7:14 AM
When noise plagues you
Voluntarily pumping sound into one's ears has become commonplace among music lovers in this iPod nation. But imagine walking around with an irritating noise in your ears for 24 hours a day, without being able to shut it off. Such is the plight of people with tinnitus. It's often described as ringing in the ears, but tinnitus also can manifest as hissing, sizzling or cricketlike chirping, said Ingrid Edwards, an audiologist at The Heuser Hearing Institute in Louisville.
Posted @ 7:10 AM
First simultaneous cochlear implant operation for WA
A 25-year-old man will undergo Western Australia's first ever simultaneous bilateral cochlear implant operation on Thursday 9 February at St John of God Hospital in Subiaco. Danny Clarke will have two cochlear hearing devices implanted in both his ears at the same time. Danny, who became a successful search and rescue helicopter air crewman despite losing his hearing in his right ear due to a fall at the age of 11, became permanently deaf last year after being attacked by a stranger after a night out with friends.
Posted @ 7:07 AM
Family hopes auction will raise funds to give deaf boy cochlear implant
A Colorado Springs couple is hoping an auction will help introduce their 20-month-old son to the world of sound. Aidan Davies was born profoundly deaf; the first hint anything was wrong came during a newborn screening test, said his mother, Rebecca Davies. “We’ve gone through a lot of tests and we’ve tried hearing aids, and our doctor recommended a cochlear implant,” said Rebecca Davies.
Posted @ 7:06 AM
Gallaudet launches Dr. I. King Jordan Lecture Series
Gallaudet University established the Dr. I. King Jordan Lecture Series to honor President Jordan’s many years of distinguished service at the University. One of the hallmarks of Dr. Jordan’s presidency has been his commitment to academic excellence. In recognition of his leadership in achieving excellence, speakers who have made outstanding contributions in their fields are being invited to address the Gallaudet community throughout this year. Local, national, and international scholars and leaders—including those from Gallaudet--will be part of this series.
Posted @ 7:01 AM
Southridge teacher inspires silence
Name: Tom Wills Age: 42 Job and school: American Sign Language teacher at Southridge High School Signing as world language: The hum of fluorescent lights echoes throughout the classroom, where students sit in stony silence, eyes fixed on Wills' constant flow of hand gestures. In Wills' class, a "voices off" policy means only occasional giggles punctuate the silence, and even side conversations are signed.
Posted @ 6:59 AM
Deaf golfer focused on goal
Kevin Hall is looking to make a splash at his first AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am this week. He's looking for a performance that will make the crowd scream and beg for his autograph, even though he won't hear a word of it. He's deaf.
Posted @ 6:55 AM
Family entertainer David Parker is glad you’re here
Before his audience ever gives him a hand, family entertainer David Parker gives them one. Then two. Then both — simultaneously — as his lets his fingers do the talking, spelling out his congenial message of brotherhood and friendship in a montage of music and motion and make-believe. The popular performer, who has become broadly known as ‘‘the pied piper of sign,” said touring takes him to 150 stages around the U.S. and Canada each year, playing for everyone from the family crowd to corporate events.
Posted @ 6:46 AM
Words lose meaning for those who can't hear
In a recent Times-News column, Vince Staten wrote about a teacher who shared with her students the 10 most beautiful words in the English language. With his permission, I am looking at these 10 words from a different perspective. I agree they are all beautiful-sounding words. I am sensitive to words that are meaningful to those with normal hearing, and especially sensitive to those who may never experience the true meaning of these words due to hearing loss.
Posted @ 6:42 AM
Sign language needed in constitution
Swaziland’s deaf community wants the new constitution to be interpreted into sign language so that they could also comprehend it. Swaziland National Association of the Deaf (SNAD) Executive Director Makhosini Makhubu said they were also looking forward to extensive civic education from relevant stakeholders in order to be able to know their rights and responsibilities as citizens of the country.
Posted @ 6:41 AM
February 8, 2006
MSSD hosts 24th annual Winter Dance Concert
The Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) will host its 24th annual Winter Dance Concert, Danza Latina, on February 16, 17, 18. The concert will be held in MSSD’s Theatre Malz, on the campus of Gallaudet University. You are cordially invited to see the show! Danza Latina will feature MSSD students and guest artists performing a variety of modern dance genres, including Urban Jazz, Hip Hop, Jazz/Latino, Funk/Hip Hop, Contemporary, Latino Dance, Modern/Latino, and Modern Dance.
Posted @ 7:53 AM
Professor’s lecture will cite guns for hearing loss
A CMU professor will explain at a forum Friday why students who regularly hunt or listen to MP3 players have the highest risk of hearing loss. Michael Stewart, communication disorders professor, is presenting “Hearing and Firearms: Noise Exposure” at noon Friday in Health Professions Building 1255. “Exposure to gunfire is the leading cause of noise-induced hearing loss,” said Stewart.
Posted @ 7:42 AM
Scheckter raises more than $30,000 through raffle
IndyCar Series driver Tomas Scheckter’s raffle to help pay for his cousin’s cochlear implant surgery raised more than $30,000 with Sasenndra Meka from Huntsville, Ala. winning an autographed 2004 Panther Racing helmet. “My progress has been remarkable,” Jaki Scheckter told Panther Racing’s website. “I’m used to (hearing) noise, but still need to understand speech sounds so I can be comfortable to listen. Still a long way to go. It may take up to a year before I’m comfortable listening to speech.”
Posted @ 7:36 AM
SoundBytes opens new store after delay caused by Hurricane Wilma
SoundBytes, a catalog, web and retail-based company that specializes in providing assistive equipment for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and the agencies that serve them, has opened its new location at the League for the Hard of Hearing in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The store, which was originally set to open on November 1st, 2005, is located at 2800 Oakland Park Blvd., Suite 306 in Oakland Park. The League is one of the oldest and foremost not-for-profit services in the world for people with hearing loss.
Posted @ 7:34 AM
Some kind of miracle
When Faye Yarroll got her hearing back last year, nothing could have prepared her for the startling orchestra of domestic noises she would experience. "I went and flushed the toilet," she says, "and I thought, 'What was that?' Deafening!" The 47-year-old service-desk operations manager had prepared herself for hearing traffic noises, birds, music and speech but not the whole world of ordinary, everyday sounds she now discovered within her house.
Posted @ 7:31 AM
Miracle-Ear unveils new revolutionary open fit hearing aids
Miracle-Ear, the most experienced and recognized hearing health care provider in the United States, unveiled its innovative family of Open Fit digital hearing aids available immediately at Miracle-Ear locations nationwide. As hearing aid technology continues to advance, Miracle-Ear is at the forefront of the industry, providing customers greater flexibility and choice through several new Open Fit hearing aid models.
Posted @ 7:27 AM | Comments (1)
Bobsled gold medalist sees improvement in deaf son, new teammate
Vonetta Flowers will have a little extra boost when she takes to the track to defend her bobsled gold medal. Not only is her 3-year-old deaf son beginning to hear for the first time in his life following implant surgery last month, but she's now teamed with one of the best pilots in the world. It's a partnership that got off to an awkward start - and is part of a saga that has taken more twists and turns than an Olympic bobsled run.
Posted @ 7:23 AM
Country's first bilateral cochlear implant
New Delhi: Doctors at AIIMS claimed to have successfully carried out country's first "bilateral cochlear implantation" surgery, in which electronic devices called "cochlear implants" were fitted in both ears of a hearing impaired patient, and said the patient now has "almost normal" hearing capabilities.
Posted @ 7:22 AM
New i711 Wireless enables enhanced, mobile relay access
GoAmerica, Inc. today announced i711 Wireless(TM), a new, wireless relay service available immediately for download for T-Mobile Sidekick users nationwide. i711 Wireless expands access to the company's online i711.com(TM) relay service, and enables deaf and hard of hearing users to place relay calls right from their handheld devices.