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Hearing loss: What do event planners need to know?
I'm planning an event soon. It's a relatively small affair with 20 people, but at least one potential participant has hearing loss. I want her to be and feel included and to be able to participate fully. I bet many event organizers - from professional event planners to amateurs like myself - would like to know what they can do to make sure their event is successful for people with hearing loss (and everyone). For example, when families plan weddings, birthday celebrations, family reunions, do they think about family members who may have hearing loss?
Here are some of my initial questions:
1. Many such events are held in hotel conference rooms or church halls. What should I ask the venue about?
2. What technology do I need to supply?
3. What adaptations or technology might the person with hearing loss have? What should I ask them?
4. What non-tech things can I and the other participants do to include the person with hearing loss? For example, how do I ensure they can participate in group discussions comfortably?
5. What do I need to know and haven't thought to ask?
6. Are there any resources or websites out there that can help me?
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@tonyinmi
Thanks for all the tech info. I understand it all but I’m sure many people don’t.
A member of our HLAA chapter saved the day for us by using their hotspot to connect to the web / CART. How do you get it for iPhone and is it expensive? Will it work in areas that are remote like the mountains?
Thanks Judy
@joyces
I’ve found that the Phonak Roger Select works for restaurants and meetings. If you don’t have Phonak hearing aids you can use a MyLink with your aids in the Tcoil program. The new Phonak Marvel aids link up to the mics via Bluetooth so you don’t need a neckloop.
Judysmayo, let me know if I'm not answering your question properly. If you are referring to the Live Transcribe app, then it is not available for the iPhone. The app is still in beta test so maybe when it is officially released, then the iPhone may be an option. If you do not have an Android, then the Otter app works best, in my opinion. Otter works on both Android and iPhone plus it does not require Wi-Fi. Both apps are free but Otter will only give 600 minutes free per month, which is sufficient. The app shows the amount of free time left. One downsize to Otter is that it does not let you change the font size within the app. The workaround is to go into the phone Settings and change the font size. It affects ALL the apps though. Hopefully, a future release of Otter will include changing the font so other apps are not affected. I've never tried using either app in a highly remote area but I'm guessing Otter will still work.
There are other apps that can do speech-to-text so don't limit yourself to just these two. Experiment when you hear of an app that helps people with hearing loss. Also, if you have good experiences, please share on this forum.
Tony Ferack, Hearing Technology Resource Specialist
Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)
President, HLAA-MI Board of Trustees
SE Michigan Walk4Hearing Treasurer
President, Western Wayne County Chapter
tony.ferack@hearingloss-mi.org
Gallaudet University Certified Peer Mentor for Hearing Loss
For the iPhone hotspot, arrange to get it from your provider, such as a ATT or Verizon, then go into iPhone settings to turn it on. It has a cost associated with it.
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1 ReactionThis discussion thread is AMAZING. I truly appreciate the tech, low tech and non tech solutions. Frankly, many of these considerations, especially the low tech and non tech ones, will make the conference better for all attendees.
@alice44, I wonder if you might write a review about the text to speech apps your testing and post it as a discussion to the group. You could include pros, cons and a rating out of 5.
@tonyinmi, wow did you ever cover it. Thank you.
@imallears, I agree that knowing who the hard of hearing folks are in the room helps. I do in my case, but sometimes one doesn't. It's a good idea to check beforehand. I will certainly take advice directly from the HOH attendees.
@judysmayo You can use your phone’s mobile data to connect another phone, tablet, or computer to the internet. Sharing a connection this way is called tethering or using a hotspot. Some mobile carriers limit or charge extra for tethering. Mine just charges my data usage. You should check with your carrier. Here's more info:
For Android: https://support.google.com/android/answer/9059108?hl=en
For iPhone: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204023
@joyces, how are you adapting to be able to continue to participate in the meetings?
I am so frustrated. I had written a long response to this that I was just about to post, got interrupted, and when I came back the response was gone, so I will try again. I tried a number of tabs but it was nowhere to be found!
First, I am amazed that this topic slipped by me because it is of great interest to me.
I have been wearing hearing aids since around 2004. I currently have Oticon Opn1 aids with the Connect Clip, and an iPhone. I have never heard about most of the technology mentioned here, perhaps because I am retired and my needs are very primarily social, and also because there is no HLAA chapter close to where I live so I have not been able to take advantage of that.
The suggestions mentioned are all great. I think making sure that the speaker repeats a question from the audience is imperative.
For a person like me, the needs are more social group settings. I think the ideas for the speaker at a conference would really help, but when groups break away for round-table discussions the most important thing is that one person speaks at a time. Often in settings like that people speak simultaneously either with concurrent discussions, or people enthusiastically chiming in while another person is speaking. For me, even with just four or six people in my own family room it becomes indistinguishable babble. I was sitting at a table with my husband, sister and her husband recently and with the three of them talking plus some mild background noise, I politely excused myself from the conversation and turned to my iPad, so it’s easy to see how when smaller groups break away from the main speaker for discussions it can become impossible for a HOH person.
@colleenyoung I applaud you for taking a pro-active approach to this and thank you for all of us who can benefit from group organizers having the foresight to try to accommodate those of us with hearing disabilities. I know too well the frustrations of coming out of a situation not knowing most of what was said.
Thank you.
JK
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2 Reactions@tonyinmi No I wasn’t asking about the voice to text apps. I was asking if the hot spot lets you connect to the web in remote areas. I’m thinking you need cellular towers to connect. We were recently in a mountainous area without cell connection so Im thinking a hotspot wouldn’t work there.
I have zero cell phone connectivity where I live. Although there's a cell tower less than a mile away, the Oregon coast is all up and down and a very tall hill rises on our place with the tower on the far side. We're only a couple of blocks east of the Pacific, but not close enough to use that giant cell receptor, the ocean. Of course, our cable, via a modem, allows us to have a landline, internet, and (most of the time) TV. My phone can connect to our WiFi (modem), but it still can't make or receive calls here. The idea that anyone doesn't have cell reception is just too much for techs in the city to understand! I also have an Android tablet w/Live Transcribe, but many of the meeting places in the small towns here don't have WiFi available--motels/hotels, indeed, just not meeting rooms in other places. I hope to unravel some of these mysteries next week during my visit to the audiologist in the city two hours away.
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2 Reactionsif You have an iPhone, have you tried turning on WiFi Calling to use your WiFi to make phone calls?
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1 ReactionSorry, you do need cell phone connection. The hot spot app on a cell phone creates the WiFi hot spot using the celllular carrier. So without cell coverage - doesn’t work. Have you thought about getting a satellite phone?