Using a hand held microphone, streamer, etc. is visible. How do we feel about that? Personally, I've found that when it appears I'm helping myself, other people are more willing to help me. Frequently when using a hand held mike in a restaurant, young wait staff will ask what it is. That gives me the opportunity to say that it helps me hear them, etc. Most times the response is "That's really cool! I'm going to tell my mom, dad or grandparents about that." Our hearing loss may be invisible, but some of the best help to keep us in the hearing mainstream means letting it show!