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Hearing loss: What do event planners need to know?
Hearing Loss | Last Active: Nov 7, 2021 | Replies (38)Comment receiving replies
@coleenyoung
I think everyone has covered the options available with or without a looped room. My favorite is CART for group discussions and can be done remotely...the CART person does not have to be physically there. Hearing people will appreciate the screened captions also. You will make everyone aware when you announce at the beginning that accommodations are being made for HOH individuals. You might want to know in advance how many will need accommodations and what technology they use, if any. Not all hearing aid users have T Coils in their aids or use any type of assisted device. I would be guided by the preference of the HOH individuals and the number attending.
Individual small discussions may not be as difficult as imagined since you are considering the elimination of as much background noise as possible, people are aware and the venue is well lit. This is where the onus is partly on the HOH individuals who should identify themselves and briefly advise the best way to keep them in the loop. I found that by repeating what you did hear from someone rather than having them repeat the entire conversation is so less frustrating. It’s up to the HOH individual to decide if they should excuse themselves.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone was as considerate and aware as you are.
Regards from FL Mary
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Programs that include a PowerPoint in addition to the spoken program are really helpful. I had an additional big downturn in hearing recently; up until then I could puzzle out much of what was happening, esp. when there were visual clues. Now, my hearing ear is often almost as useless as the one that's been useless for over 30 years. I'm the curriculum director for a learning group (weekly lectures) and am now finding dealing with future speakers (can't use phones) is particularly difficult. It's embarrassing when I don't really know what the lecture covered. <g> Asking HOH to simply leave the group isn't a good solution at all. It's bad enough to miss a fair amount, but to be told to leave would really smart. I have Meniere's, which means my hearing fluctuates; some days I can hear fairly well with one aid, while other days are virtually hopeless. Sometimes my hearing is okay, but shuts down right in the middle of a sentence--or it can turn on suddenly. Meniere's also offers distortion, more on bad days, so it's not even possible to wear an aid some days as the combination of recruitment and distortion bring in painful sound without allowing understanding.