Demystifying Hearing Assistive Technology Tina Thompson Beth Wilson CHHA Conference July 2008

2 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

3 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!

4 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

5 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

6 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)

7 Using an FM System: Making Conversation Easier  Conversations  Restaurant  Car  Bus  Group Activities  Church  Tours Use FM radio signals Microphone near speaker Wireless receiver (earpiece or loop)

8 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. headphones Transmitter Receiver Transmitter Receiver

9 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.  There’s no need to wear headphones! Just wear your neckloop and hearing aids switched to telecoil! Slide courtesy Dana Mulvany, SHHH HAT Training

10 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

11 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

Signaling Devices

13 Why Use Signaling Devices?

14 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)

15 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

16 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

17 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

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

19 Television  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. Hearing HoH Telecom Ear bud or loop FM Transmitter Infrared FM

20 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)

The Telephone  Phone Flasher  Amplifier  TTY  Speaker Phone  Caller ID  Neckloops Telephones and Accessories  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 Issues that Impact Telephone Use for People with Hearing Loss

22 Information Websites  Websites: Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA)  Catalogs Harris: Hitec: Hartling: Hearing Loss: Hear More:

23 Summary  Technology offers many options for solutions Make conversations easier Notification of sounds and alarms Accessible entertainment  New products emerging Websites Catalogs Conferences for a copy of this presentation.