Hearing loops spread across US

November 25, 2011

Listen here. Aired on NPR's All Things Considered.

I was interviewing psychology professor David Myers for a print piece back in September when he pitched me on his passion: hearing loops. Hearing or induction loops let hearing-aid wearers hear much clearer sound than usual, particularly in cacophonous settings like airports, stations, churches and synaogues. They're quite common in the UK and Scandinavia, but have been installed only in pockets of the US. Myers and other advocates are pushing to bring them to many more locations around the country. I finished this piece in mid-October, and days later this story was published in the New York Times. It's a great piece by science writer John Tierney, much commented on by those with hearing loss and their loved ones.

Photo: New York City subway booth with hearing loop visible around the inside of the glass (it's behind that white tape).

This story doesn't mention the cost of hearing aids, which is considerable. They can easily cost several thousand dollars each and are not covered by health insurance. One more thing: when people lose their hearing they lose their ability to communicate. The better they can hear, the more those with hearing loss can take part in daily life. A topic like this isn't 'sexy', as one audiologist put it, but it is important. 10% of Americans have some form of hearing loss. As baby boomers age, that number will only increase.

Comments

[Juliette Sterkens]

For one out of three adults over 65 it is not a matter if they will lose some of their hearing, it is a matter of when. Hearing aids, though small computerized ear-worn instruments that now link via Bluetooth to cellphones, iPods and laptops, help to mitigate the hearing deficit to a great extent. But, in places of worship, community theaters, and noisy meeting halls these devices cannot (be expected to) overcome poor acoustics – a big complaint of most users besides high cost.

The hearing industry can serve those with hearing loss by focusing on improving telecoil technology and hearing aid users’ education of loop benefits, rather than putting all of their energy on high tech options and costly accessories that are often priced out of the range of the average retired consumer.

There is currently much talk http://www.aarpinternational.org/resourcelibrary/resourcelibrary_show.htm?doc_id=1302205 on what needs to be done to make cities and communities more accessible and age-friendly. These discussions have to include what needs to be done one of the most common, and yes, unsexy and often talked about disability that is hearing loss. Infrastructure has to be created now to improving hearing accessibility through the use of hearing loop technology.

Studies http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110214162933.htm support that loss of hearing loss impacts the health and functioning of older adults and has a detrimental effect on socialization. How can it not? What feeds the soul but to be able to attend and hear well at a Worship service? Or to listen to learning in retirement lecture on travel or art or participate in a book review in library or being able to fully hear a movie in a communal room in retirement community? Helen Keller said it well: blindness cuts you off from things; deafness cuts you off from people.

Frank Lin, MD from John Hopkins Medical School http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/otolaryngology/our_team/faculty/lin_frank.html wrote "Hearing loss in older adults may be preventable and can be practically addressed with current technology (e.g., digital hearing aids and cochlear implants) and with other rehabilitative interventions focusing on optimizing social and environmental conditions for hearing." For the latter we need cities, and a world that offers hearing loop technology ubiquitously.

Thanks Ashley for bringing attention to this important topic.

[hearing solutions]

When the hearing problems start showing is an important issue. It's sad that the age bracket of hearing problem patiens is getting younger.

[Ashley Milne-Tyte]

Yes, it is. I know there are differing opinions as to why this is, but given the amount of time many of us spend with earbuds plugged firmly in, it seems loud music may have something to do with it.

[Naz]

What a load of crap. Very un-imformative information about hinreag aids. The people that sell hinreag aids for a living are better versed to properly fit a hinreag aid over a doctor. Doctors spend more time treating ear illnesses then learning the process to fit a hinreag aid properly. Doctors are a business also. they see hundreds of people a week treating people because it takes up to six+ months to get paid from the insurance. Its not like that automatically makes them more qualified.