Transcript Hearing Assistive Technology for People with Hearing Loss

Demystifying Hearing
Assistive Technology
Tina Thompson
Beth Wilson
CHHA Conference
July 2008
[email protected]
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

DON’T BE SCARED: Be encouraged to
feel anxiety-free about acquiring and using
technology
2
Why Use Assistive Listening
Devices?

Hearing aids alone
don’t work well in
these situations:



Listening to someone
at a distance
Listening in a noisy
environment
Listening in a room
with reverberation
(echoing)
Assistive Listening Devices
Can Help!
3
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
4
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
5
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)
6
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
7
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.
headphones

Receiver
Transmitter

Transmitter
Receiver
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.
8
Magnetic Connection to Hearing Aid
Using Neckloops with T-coils



Slide courtesy Dana Mulvany, SHHH HAT Training
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.
There’s no need to wear
headphones! Just wear your
neckloop and hearing aids
switched to telecoil!
9
What is a Telecoil?
T-coil
The telecoil (also called a Tcoil 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.
Slide courtesy Dana Mulvany, SHHH HAT Training
10
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 don’t have a hearing aid or a
T-coil, use


Headphones
Earbuds
Slide courtesy Dana Mulvany, SHHH HAT Training
11
Signaling Devices
Why Use Signaling Devices?
13
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)
14
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
15
Doorbell

Doorbell Signalers Connected to Lamp



Knock Sensor



Wireless – lamp plugs into receiver
Simple wiring
Self-contained
Mounted on door with flashing light
Flashing Light/Chime Pager


Use transmitter and receiver
Flashing light and/or chime
16
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
17
Alerting Systems

Transmitters for activities in the house





Doorbell
Phone
Alarm
General noises (baby cry)
Common receivers


Lamps
Bed shaker
18
Television
Hearing
HoH
Ear bud or loop
FM
Infrared
Telecom


FM
Transmitter
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.
19
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)
20
The Telephone
Telephones and
Accessories






Phone Flasher
Amplifier
TTY
Speaker Phone
Caller ID
Neckloops
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
Information Websites

Websites:



Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)
www.hearingloss.org
Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA)
www.chha.ca
Catalogs





Harris:
Hitec:
Hartling:
Hearing Loss:
Hear More:
www.harriscomm.com
www.hitec.com
www.hartling.com
www.hearing-loss-help-co.com
www.hearmore.com
22
Summary

Technology offers many options for solutions




Make conversations easier
Notification of sounds and alarms
Accessible entertainment
New products emerging



Websites
Catalogs
Conferences
Email [email protected]
for a copy of this presentation.
23