Does your audiologist know how to adjust telecoils for you?
As has been discussed in this forum off and on, not every patient knows about telecoils and how to connect to assistive listening systems (hearing loops, FM, and infrared) for amazing clarity. Auracast broadcast used as an assistive listening doesn't exist, and for many reasons will take several years before everyone can use this option. Encourage your audiologist or hearing instrument specialist to consider taking this course.
This one-hour AudiologyOnline course, with already 500 registrants, will give you the tools and details you need to educate your patients about available assistive listening technology today and into the future.
• Title: “Telecoils, Hearing Loops and Auracast: A Hybrid Solution to Client Satisfaction”
• Length: 1 hour course
• Date: Fri, Nov 15, 2024 at 3:00 pm EST
• Registration: AudiologyOnline, CEUs offered
• Presenters: Juliëtte Sterkens, AuD and Karen MacLennan, AuD
• Description: The performance of hearing aids in meeting rooms, theaters, and houses of worship is greatly enhanced by assistive technology: hearing loops, FM/Infrared assistive listening devices with neckloops as mandated under Americans with Disabilities law, and, hopefully soon, future public Auracast systems, but only if users have hearing devices that can connect to these systems. This course will cover the basics of telecoils (T-coil programming, verification, and validation), how Auracast figures into this, and a brief overview of how you/your clients can foster future proof hearing access in the community.
https://www.audiologyonline.com/audiology-ceus/course/telecoils-hearing-loops-and-auracast-39392
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Hearing Loss Support Group.
Do telecoils help conductive hearing loss or only nerve deafness?
If a hearing aid works, I believe a telecoil should work. I have a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the other and telecoil works. Before this I had different hearing aids and used a streamer very successfully for this.
Telecoils bring sound direct to your personal hearing devices from the desired sound source, thus eliminating ambient (background) noise. Telecoils are basic technology that has been around for years. To use the assistive listening systems that connect, your personal device must have activated telecoils within. Because they take up a wee bit of space in a hearing aid, manufacturers have eliminated them in many products to make the devices a tiny bit smaller. I first tried telecoils in 1983. I was astounded at how well I heard a speaker in a large gallery room. They were 'miracles' then, and they still are. It is a disservice to people with hearing loss to have providers who don't understand this. They should all be promoting it.
Yes, Auracast is a new technology that is coming. However, it isn't here yet. We want to hear NOW, not 8 years from now. Insist that your hearing devices have activated telecoils. Hear NOW and look forward to the next generation of assisted listening. It will eventually come, but telecoils are still going to be functional. Know that some hearing aids have already included Auracast in them. Those aids can also have telecoils. Cost is not an issue because telecoils cost very little to include. ($15 or less).
We who have hearing loss absolutely must learn and advocate. We can hear. We can enjoy performances, meetings, worship services, etc. But we have to know that's possible and know how to use it.
The key is to have the telecoil in your device. If it's not there, obviously you cannot use it.
Are you willing to tell your providers what you want and need?
Here's more info on telecoils https://www.hearingloop.org/telecoils/
Here's info on how to use telecoils https://www.hearingloop.org/how-use-borrowed-equipment-site
I have put loops in my house for my televisions and stereo/radio/streaming so that I can hear through my hearing aids telecoils. It’s fabulous and not too expensive or complicated to install.
Thanks much for sharing your positive experiences.
Here's a video, instructions, and vendors if others are interested.
https://www.hearingloop.org/home-tv-rooms/
Thanks for the information. I will bring it up when I go to my first HLAA meeting in Southeast Denver. Maybe someone has a vendor they can recommend.
Unfortunately I have been disappointed in the lack of participation in local theatre's and other venues around the Denver area. I would imagine cost has something to do with it.
I would think the disability’s act would force participation just like it does making restaurants and other public places handicap accessible.
Once again I just don’t believe decision makers view hearing loss as a disability. We need to make our voices heard.
I welcome any comments.
That's great you're going to your first HLAA meeting. (for others: There are chapters across the country, and some/many meet virtually. https://www.hearingloss.org/get-involved/hlaa-chapters/find-a-chapter/)
The vast majority of performing arts venues in Denver and across the country have assistive listening (hearing loop, FM, IR), but people don't always know to ask or seek it out. Here are all the types of places required to have these systems https://www.hearingloop.org/places/
Driving laws have enforcement built in. But the ADA intentionally did not include any enforcement. It's up to the users to be informed, request accommodations, educate, give reviews, and sometimes file complaints. The mobility disability community has done that probably more than PWHL, and it's more visible than hearing loss. Yes we as PWHL need to make our voices heard and there are multiple ways to do so.
I agree with all your points and maybe after I attend my first local meeting I will learn how to access some of these tools.
When I have gone to movie theaters in Denver and ask if they offer telecoil and they look at me like I am talking in a foreign language. I have the telecoil feature as one of the programs on my phone but when I switch it on I get nothing but static.
Maybe I am doing something wrong but I still believe our community does not speak up for ourselves. Many people who should be wear hearing aids don’t because of the stigma. I am very open in telling people I am hard of hearing and wear hearing aids.
I think if we really are honest with ourselves I think we just don’t speak up. If you don’t speak up nothing happens. A sizable portion of our population has hearing problems. Many just don’t want to admit that it exists. It is nothing to be ashamed of but just another disability we have to work harder to overcome. If everyone with hearing loss would speak up I believe great things would happen for our community.
I welcome comments from everyone on this site.
Good for you. I just hope people with hearing loss can make their voices heard. There are certainly enough of us out there that if we all spoke up we could speed along some changes and maybe speed up the technology in coming up with new research to actually cure hearing loss if not in my lifetime for all the people behind me.