You are absolutely right on with everything you say here. There is so little knowledge about assistive listening technology, and it's really sad that the people who sell hearing aids don't take time to explain it and DEMONATRATE it. We spend thousands of dollars to get hearing help. WE WANT TO HEAR everything we can possibly hear. Assistive tech can go a long way in enhancing our hearing aids and cochlear processors.

HLAA chapters need to be loudly vocal about this. There should be assistive technology demo centers out there. A place where we can go to try out products before we purchase them. Some definitely work better than others. But when we don't advocate for ourselves no one pays much attention. Yes, we can do it!

We have been successful in this area in Wisconsin. There are a couple demo centers in the state. We have succeeded in getting some of the Independent Living Centers to loan assistive devices. The tough part is that they need updating fairly regularly. The tech gets old.

The one that is very old but is not outdated is the hearing loop. It can be used in so many ways. Again, it's a matter of being educated by someone whom you trust before you buy into it.

Do you have a demo center in your area?

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