Demystifying Hearing Assistive Technology

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Demystifying Hearing Assistive Technology

• Tina Thompson
• Beth Wilson

CHHA Conference July 2008
CThom27062_at_aol.com
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Objectives

• WHAT Identify different types of technology
  available for people with hearing loss
• WHY Understand advantages and disadvantages of
  each option
• HOW Gain an understanding of how hearing access
  technologies work
• DONT BE SCARED Be encouraged to feel
  anxiety-free about acquiring and using technology

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Why Use Assistive Listening Devices?

• Hearing aids alone dont work well in these
  situations
• Listening to someone at a distance
• Listening in a noisy environment
• Listening in a room with reverberation (echoing)

No Technology
With ALDs
Assistive Listening Devices Can Help!
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How Do Assistive Listening Devices Work?

• All assistive listening devices work in the
  same way
• CATCH the signal (microphone or direct
  connection)
• CARRY the signal (bypassing effects of distance)
• COUPLE the signal to the ears (via air, the
  telecoil, or direct audio input)

Slide concepts courtesy Dana Mulvany, SHHH HAT
Training
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Two Major Types of Assistive Listening Devices

• 1. Hard-Wired Devices or Systems
• carry the sound signal through an electrical
  wire

• Most common hard-wired device is hand-held
  amplification device.
• These devices contain a microphone,
  amplifier, and wire.
• PockeTalker
• Sound Wizard
• Personal Listener

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Two Major Types of Assistive Listening Devices
(continued)

• 2. Wireless Devices or Systems
• carry the sound signal without an electrical
  wire
• use a transmitter and receiver
• (similar to baby crib monitors)

• Wireless devices contain a transmitter and
  receiver and carry the signal in different ways
• FM systems (radio waves)
• Infrared (light waves)
• Induction Loop (magnetic energy)

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Using an FM System Making Conversation Easier
Use FM radio signals Microphone near
speaker Wireless receiver (earpiece or loop)

• Conversations
• Restaurant
• Car
• Bus
• Group Activities
• Church
• Tours

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Using an Infrared System Watching TV or
Attending a Play

• TV Use infrared light to transmit the TV signal.
  The transmitter connects to TV. Use the receiver
  to hear the TV sound directly in your ears.
• Theater Use infrared light to transmit house
  sound to patrons with special receivers using
  headset or neckloop. The theater must have an
  infrared transmitter set up.

Receiver
Transmitter
headphones
Transmitter
Receiver
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Magnetic Connection to Hearing Aid Using
Neckloops with T-coils

• A neckloop converts a sound signal from an audio
  device (like an ALD) into a magnetic signal.
• The telecoil picks up this magnetic signal and
  converts it into sound the hearing aid amplifies
  and custom shapes the signal.
• Theres no need to wear headphones! Just wear
  your neckloop and hearing aids switched to
  telecoil!

Slide courtesy Dana Mulvany, SHHH HAT Training
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What is a Telecoil?

• The telecoil (also called a T-coil or
  T-switch) is a circuit in your hearing aid
  designed to pick up a magnetic signal.
• The magnetic signal is created by an
  induction field from hearing aid compatible
  telephones, neckloops, silhouettes, and loop
  systems.

T-coil
Slide courtesy Dana Mulvany, SHHH HAT Training
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Coupling the Sound to the Ears Ear Accessories

• If you have a hearing aid with a T-coil, you
  can use
• Neckloop
• Silhouette
• If you have a hearing aid with Direct Audio Input
  (DAI), you can use a DAI patch cord
• If you dont have a hearing aid or a T-coil, use
• Headphones
• Earbuds

Slide courtesy Dana Mulvany, SHHH HAT Training
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Signaling Devices
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Why Use Signaling Devices?
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How Do Signaling Devices Work?

• All assistive listening devices work in the
  same way
• CATCH the signal (alarm, doorbell, phone)
• CARRY the signal (connect to receiver)
• SIGNAL the alert instead of using sound
  (vibration or light)

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Alarm Clock

• Portable Clock
• Looks like a travel alarm
• Vibrates and/or sounds alarm
• Clock System
• Adjust loudness and frequency
• Connect to lamp
• Connect to bed shaker

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Doorbell

• Doorbell Signalers Connected to Lamp
• Wireless lamp plugs into receiver
• Simple wiring
• Knock Sensor
• Self-contained
• Mounted on door with flashing light
• Flashing Light/Chime Pager
• Use transmitter and receiver
• Flashing light and/or chime

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Smoke Detectors/Fire Alarms

• Strobe Lights
• Connected to hard-wired system
• Light on portable smoke detector
• Alerting System
• Wireless
• Receiver
• Light
• Bed Vibrator
• Vibrating Pager

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Alerting Systems

• Transmitters for activities in the house
• Doorbell
• Phone
• Alarm
• General noises (baby cry)
• Common receivers
• Lamps
• Bed shaker

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Television
No Technology
Hearing
HoH
Infrared
FM
Telecom
Ear bud or loop

• Use FM or IR to transmit the TV signal.
• The transmitter connects to TV. Use the receiver
  (IR receiver, FM receiver, or FM boot) to hear
  the TV sound directly in your ears.

FM Transmitter
Using Assistive Technology
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Captioning

• TV Captioning Embedded in most TVs switch on
  to see words
• Movie Captioning
• Open captioned everyone can see (like foreign
  subtitles)
• Closed captioned need a special screen to see
  the words
• (Rear Window)
• Real-Time Captioning
• Computer Aided Real Time (CART) words displayed
  at event (screen or laptop)
• CART Writer stenographer with special training
  in providing hearing access
• CPrint summary is typed (note taking used for
  classes)

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The Telephone
Telephones and Accessories
Issues that Impact Telephone Use for People with
Hearing Loss

• Quality of telephone (both ends)
• Cell phones
• Speaker phones
• Cheap phones
• Digital vs. analog for amplification and
  signalers
• Adjusting to a new voice
• Knowing whose phone is ringing
• Interactive Voice Response systems

• Phone Flasher
• Amplifier
• TTY
• Speaker Phone
• Caller ID
• Neckloops

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Information Websites

• Websites
• Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)
  www.hearingloss.org
• Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA)
• www.chha.ca
• Catalogs
• Harris www.harriscomm.com
• Hitec www.hitec.com
• Hartling www.hartling.com
• Hearing Loss www.hearing-loss-help-co.com
• Hear More www.hearmore.com

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Summary

• Technology offers many options for solutions
• Make conversations easier
• Notification of sounds and alarms
• Accessible entertainment
• New products emerging
• Websites
• Catalogs
• Conferences

Email CThom27062_at_aol.com for a copy of this
presentation.