Beyond Hearing Aids
Ruth Bernstein, AdvocateWhen I first started wearing hearing aids 45 years ago, I had a moderate sensorineural loss and my two in-the-ear aids worked fairly well in most situations. As my hearing deteriorated, I wore more powerful behind-the-ear aids and discovered, as most hearing aid users do, that even with the aids, there were times when I was having difficulty hearing. That became a real problem when I started working full-time as a convention and meeting planner for a nonprofit organization. I needed to be able to hear well at private and group meetings and in noisy situations.
I was living in suburbia then and my hearing aid needs were taken care of by a sensitive, understanding hearing aid dispenser. When I described my work problems, he said, “I have the solution for you,” and ordered an FM assitive listening system for me. I have always had t-switches in my hearing aids and was able to use the FM system with a neckloop. I gave the transmitter to staff and found I was able to “tune in.” At meetings, I explained what the FM device did and assured everyone I was not taping anything. At conventions and conferences, in addition to using the FM system, I had a vibrating pager to alert me when I needed to answer a phone or walkie-talkie call. This was in the 1980s, long before cell phones became ubiquitous.
Josh Gendel with Mayor BloombergAfter I moved to New York, I came to the League for the Hard of Hearing (LHH), now the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC). In addition to caring for my audiological needs, I participated in CHC support groups and discovered the Assistive Devices Center run by Josh Gendel. Mr. Gendel is a technological genius who has kept me “connected” for 35 years. He introduced me to amplified phones, infrared listening systems for TV and the movies, shake-awake alarm clocks, alerting devices for the door bell and phone, strobe smoke and fire alarms and direct-audio input mics which can be plugged into a hearing aid. To learn more about these devices, visit the CHC Assistive Devices Center on Thursdays from 2 to 3:30 PM for a free group demonstration (walk-ins are welcome at that time). To make an appointment for a personal evaluation, phone (917) 305-7766 or click here to request an appointment online. To find out more about CHC's other services, click here.
I watch captioned TV because understanding dialogue is a real challenge for me. Look for cc or CC, the symbols for captioned shows in TV listings. I go to captioned or subtitled movies a lot and use Captionfish.com to find out what movies are showing in my area. I also enjoy captioned theater offered by Theater Development Fund’s Theater Access Project.
In addition to introducing me to the advantages of using an FM system, my hearing aid dispenser in New Jersey told me about Self Help for the Hard of Hearing (SHHH), now the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), a group founded by Rocky Stone in 1979. It was through the SHHH magazine that I came to realize the communication problems I struggle with every day are not unique to me. There were and still are many people who face these problems 24/7/365. In the early years, SHHH/HLAA focused on support groups, helping people with hearing loss function on a daily basis, which it still does today. In recent years HLAA has become an active national advocacy voice for people with hearing loss.
In 1991, a group of LHH/CHC clients, led by Ruth Green, Executive Director Emerita, and Dr. Paula Brown Glick, felt we wanted our needs to be recognized and attended to in the outside world. We formed the advocates for better communication/a.b.c., a volunteer consumer group whose mission was to make it possible, through education and advocacy, for people with all degrees of hearing loss to participate fully in society. We had much success in many areas including theater captioning and hospital and museum access. Click here to find useful advice about health care access and here to read more about a.b.c.'s work.
Although a.b.c. members no longer meet, some of us have brought our advocacy skills to our local HLAA Chapters. To learn about the work HLAA does and to locate a chapter near you, go to Hearingloss.org.
Hearing aids are useful and necessary for people with hearing loss. Supplementing the aids with assistive devices and captioning, learning more about coping skills by joining support groups and advocating for your hearing needs personally and as part of a group, can maximize your communication skills and lower your frustration level. We would like to hear how you manage your hearing loss. Click here to share your Sound Advice.
Warm regards,
Ruth D. Bernstein
