I was just reading about the introduction of “Auracast” on a larger basis. It is an improvement on “ telecoil” which has been around forever but many hearing aid manufacturers don’t offer it because it makes the hearing aids too bulky. Heaven forbid someone would actually be able to see your hearing aids. I don’t really care if they see my hearing aids as long as they work. I will take all the help I can get.
Now the real point of my reply is what if we have “ telecoil” and “ Auracast” technology and no venues install it because it is too expensive. Then what good does it do.
Hearing loss is a disability just like any other disability covered under the ADA and yet we are being totally ignored. The reason we are being totally ignored is because we don’t demand better from our government.
Restaurants are only getting noisier and no one seems to care. Even friends of mine who don’t have hearing loss have noticed this.
The monster trucks that are for some reason so popular today are so loud I have to adjust my hearing aid settings to noisy environment just to go for my daily walk. One of my all time favorites is the person next to you at a stoplight with his radio turned up so loud his car is shaking.
Why doesn’t our HLAA organization do its job and get the government to treat hearing loss as a disability and make it easier for us to hear.
If a restaurant is not handicapped accessible they get fined. If a venue doesn’t install “ Telecoil “ or “Auracast” nothing happens.
I welcome your comments. If I am not mistaken the HLAA had a big convention recently. Should I expect any big changes? Probably not because they are not doing their job and making the ADA act work for us as well.
I don’t hold them entirely responsible because those of us with hearing loss don’t speak up and push them to do their job.
I recently returned from Europe and did not find one restroom on the first floor of a restaurant. They were all down a flight of stairs with no elevators. Imagine restaurants in this country trying to get away with that.
In closing let’s make out voices heard and get the accommodations we need. There are certainly plenty of us. We just have to demand the ADA do their job.