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Hearing loss -- I can't understand conversations
Hearing Loss | Last Active: 14 hours ago | Replies (56)Comment receiving replies
@jdalylew So pleased that you mention telecoils (t-coils). I will continue to say that a hearing aid without a telecoil is like a car without air conditioning. You don't need it all the time but when you do it's a true game changer!
New Bluetooth technology called Auracast is coming, but isn't available in many places just yet. Even when it is, the best advice and decision is to have hearing instruments that are equipped to connect to hearing loops via telecoils AND Auracast. Be prepared to be able to use whatever is available to you. This is especially true in venues like theaters, worship centers, meeting rooms, etc. The Americans with Disabilities Act includes communication access. These technologies provide that access.
Wherever you buy your hearing instruments, insist on the options that connect you to everything you want to hear. These options can also be helpful in noisy social settings when used with add on equipment like hand held microphones. Unfortunately, many providers don't fully explain these options, so people continue to be unaware of them. Often people learn their expensive hearing instruments don't have these options and it's too late to return them.
Replies to "@jdalylew So pleased that you mention telecoils (t-coils). I will continue to say that a hearing..."
@julieo4 I'm glad you mentioned the importance of getting hearing aids with telecoils AND that are Auracast ready. It will still be quite a few years before Auracast gets installed in enough places to "take over" the assisted listening that so many places ned to have. It will likely start showing up in other places for the masses like sports bars with numerous TVs, or even the exercise industry making treadmills and other systems with built in TV's that one has to connect with a cord to ear buds or headphones. Yes, there are theaters and even some churches that have installed it but they have to provide receivers and headphones, or a neckloop if one has telecoils, for basically everyone wanting to use it since so few have Auracast in their hearing aids. Another excellent website to find tons of very useful information is http://www.CenterForHearingAccess.org. I encourage everyone to visit this site.
@julieo4 What some of the readers may not know is that Hearing Tracker has recently added (at the Center for Hearing Access's request) the ability for consumers to research hearing devices by features such as "water resistance", "rechargeability", "telecoil", and "Auracast." And to make it really simple, you can now search their database of over 100 different hearing aid models by
"Best for Public Hearing Access" devices: see https://www.hearingtracker.com/hearing-aids/compare
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from: @julieo4
Information from HLAA: Hundreds of people tuned in to watch a Dec. 3 webinar Better Together: Auracast and Hearing Loops—Understanding the Future of Assistive Listening. Moderated by HLAA Board member Andrea Kaneb, the event was very informative. Now, the captioned recording is available on the national HLAA website http://www.hearingloss.org