Services // Hard of Hearing

Hard of HearingThere are more than 700,000 Hard of Hearing Arizonans. Hard of Hearing people have difficulty hearing sound and understanding speech. Phone conversations can be a challenge. Personal conversations can be fraught with misunderstanding. Vital information from health professionals and emergency services personnel can be “lost in translation” or missing completely. Fortunately, the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing is here to help.

Our Hard of Hearing Specialist, Michele Michaels, is hard of hearing and has been working in the hearing loss field since 1993. She travels throughout the State of Arizona providing outreach and education to consumers and professionals. From cradle to grave, Michele assists the hard of hearing community and their families, educators, co-workers, and other professionals. Michele shares information and resources with and about the hard of hearing person. She often provides guidance and information to other government agencies, corporations, non-profits, and the religious community. Contact Michele today for information and to schedule a presentation to your group: M.Michaels@acdhh.az.gov or 602-364-0007 v/tty.

Dementia and Hearing Loss Correlation Established
    

Personal Health:  Lifelines for People with Hearing Loss

 Hearing Loss and Dementia Linked in Study

Hearing Loss and Incident Dementia:  Archives of Neurology 

Hearing Health and Alzheimers Disease

Mild Hearing Loss Linked to Brain Atrophy in Older Adults

Hearing Aids Can Help Dementia Patients

Hearing and Alzheimers

Hearing Loss a Hidden - and Correctable - Problem for Seniors
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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   Tuesday, May 21st, 10a-2p

             ACDHH Hearing Health Fair 
100 N. 15th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007


 May is Better Hearing and Speech Month
Have you had your ears checked?
Come to our free Hearing Health Fair and speak to an audiologist.
Have your hearing screened for free!


    And while you're here, pick up your pair of free ear plugs to protect your hearing!

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Wednesday, May 22nd, 2p-4p
Alzheimer's Association, Desert Southwest Chapter, presents:
"Know the 10 Signs"
workshop at ACDHH
CART & ASL Interpreters provided
Registration required:  email JMuraca@alz.org or call 602-528-0545
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Wednesday, June 19th, 10a-11a
Town of Queen Creek Recreation Annex - Senior Program
21802 S. Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek, AZ
"Coping With Your Hearing Loss"
Free and Open to the Public
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 Monday & Tuesday, July 8-9
       15th Annual Assistive Technology Summer Institute
Phoenix, AZ
Registration for this conference is required:  www.aztap.org
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Really Interesting Timeline of Hearing Devices:

http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/did/timeline/



Hearing Loops are All The Rage!

 Meet Janice, Hearing Loop Advocate:

http://www.nancywilliamspiano.com/2012/07/30/you-dont-look-like-you-have-hearing-loss/ 

So What's A Loop?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/science/24loops.html?_r=0
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/how-hearing-loops-can-help/2012/04/09/gIQAvhEb6S_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/2012/04/09/gIQAZQda6S_graphic.html 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/baby-boomers-who-need-hearing-aids-have-many-choices-in-a-bluetoothipod-world/2012/04/09/gIQACNCb6S_print.html 


Dr. David Myers discusses telecoils and loop systems:

 Harnessing the Human Factor in Hearing Assistance

The Hearing Loop Movement is Accelerating

http://www.listentech.com/blog/approaching-tipping-point-for-hearing/

 

Listen here for a talk on NPR (transcript is also on this site)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128268480

 

How is a Loop Different from an FM or Infrared System?

http://www.listentech.com/blog/als-loop-technology/#.TsayP_AKAYA.twitter



Where Can I Buy a Loop?  Who Can Install it for Me?  

http://hearingloss.org/sites/default/files/docs/Hearing_Loop_Directory.pdf

 

We Want to Loop our Church/Temple...

Watch this video to see what a church in Chicago has done: 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQwVEeqBOHk

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ASU Psychoacoustics Lab is currently conducting several studies.

The experiments generally involve sitting in a sound booth, listening to sounds
over headphones, and making judgments about what you hear. ASU is currently
looking for research participants in Arizona who are either bimodal (one hearing aid
and one cochlear implant) or bilateral (two cochlear implants). Teens and
adults are encouraged to participate. For information on how you can participate, please
contact Helen Cartwright at hcartwri@asu.edu.

Please note: ASU encourages all cochlear implant users to participate regardless of length of time you have been implanted or your performance with your implant.

Participants will be compensated by ASU for their time and mileage.

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Matt Lauer discusses hearing loss amongst adults on the Today Show: 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44087745#44087745

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Free Resource:  Ever wondered what is a hearing aid and what is a personal sound amplifier? 

Hearing Aids and Personal Sound Amplifiers: Know the Difference

“Hearing Aids and Personal Sound Amplifiers: Know the Difference” is a two-page fact sheet from the Food and Drug Administration’s consumer health information series. 

Download it free at http://www.fda.gov/downloads/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/UCM187224.pdf

I'm Hard of Hearing...Now What?



 

New:  Lipreading Resources
 

The ACDHH Library has the following titles in our inventory:
 

I Can't Hear You in the Dark: How to Learn and Teach Lipreading

Cued Speech and the Reception of Spoken Language

Speechreading: A Way to Improve Understanding

I See What You Say - Lip Reading Program (Video Book Program)
 

Online Lipreading Resources Include:

 

http://www.lipreading.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Yourself-Lip-Reading-Olive-Wyatt/dp/0398021287

http://www.lipreadingacademy.com/

http://www.lipreading.net/lipreading.htm

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Interesting Blogs
 

Eh? What? Huh?: http://www.ehwhathuh.com/

Hearing Health Matters: http://hearinghealthmatters.org/

Hearing Link:  http://www.hearinglink.org/page.aspx?pid=655 

Hearing Sparks:  http://hearingsparks.blogspot.com/

Speak Up Librarian:  http://speakuplibrarian.blogspot.com/

Sudden Silence:  http://suddensilence.wordpress.com/

 

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Hearing Aids for Low-Income Arizonans:
 

http://www.lions-sight-and-hearing-foundation.org/index.html  Lion's Sight & Hearing Foundation application

In Southern Arizona?  Contact the Community Outreach Program for the Deaf for information about the Hearing Aid Bank for Pima County.  520-792-1906.


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Arizona Access in Government:

Go to our Resource Directory and search Arizona State Government for a full list of results.

  

Airline Access:

Go to our Resource Directory and search Travel for a full list of results.

 

 

Alzheimers/Dementia & Hearing Loss:

Go to our Resource Directory and search Alzheimers/Dementia & Hearing Loss for a full list of results.

 

 

Assistance Animals General and Legal Resources:

Go to our Resource Directory and search Assistive Animals for a full list of results.

 

 

Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) Explained (see also Rental/Sales of ALDs)

http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/articles/alds.htm
 

 

Assistive Technology (see also Rental/Sales of ALDs):

Go to our Resource Directory and search Assistive Technology for a full list of results.

 

 

Aural Rehabilitation:

Go to our Resource Directory and search Hearing Health for a full list of results.

 

 

Baby Boomers and Hearing Loss:

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/aging/04/19/hearing.loss.wmd/index.html
http://www.montereyhearing.com/PDF_files/baby_boomer_survey.pdf

 

 

Balance and Dizziness:

Explanation
Find a Professional

 

 

BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo):

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vertigo/DS00534
http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/bppv.html

 

 

Businesses, Here’s Help For You!:

ADA
Inclusion Solutions
Job Accommodation Network

 

 

CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) & Captioning on Televisions:

 

http://cart-info.org/ncra.html

 

Also, go to our Resource Directory and search Captioning and Real TIme Captioning for a full list of results.


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Cell Phones:

www.phonescoop.com/phones/finder.php

www.accesswireless.org

tap.gallaudet.edu/Voice/WirelessIntroduction.asp

www.hearingloss.org/sites/default/files/docs/HACBrochure.pdf 

 

Churches (How to Create Access for the Hard of Hearing):

http://www.christianitytoday.com/yc/2007/mayjun/6.50.html
http://www.hearingloop.org/places_churches.htm
http://www.davidmyers.org/Brix?pageID=6

 

 

Children and Families:

Family Center on Technology and Disability
Music for Kids
Ear Infections in Kids
Early Intervention, State of Arizona
Children’s Rehab Services, State of Arizona
Listening Ears

Arizona Hands & Voices

 

 

Cochlear Implants:

Go to our Resource Directory and search Cochlear implants for a full list of results.

 

 

Consumer Support Groups and Information:

Adult Loss of Hearing Association (ALOHA) Tucson
American Tinnitus Association (monthly meetings in Scottsdale)
Association of Late-Deafened Adults: www.alda.org and www.aldasonora.org
Arizona Hands and Voices (children and families)
Hearing Loss Association of America (monthly meetings in Phoenix, Fountain Hills, West Valley, Prescott, and Yuma)
Hearing Loss Web
Meniere’s Disease

 

 

Diabetes and Hearing Loss:

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/21/9/1540.abstract
http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/43/6/746.abstract
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/10/2560.2.full
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/9/4/405.abstract

 

 

Educational Resources:

Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Students
Arizona Department of Education, Assistive Technology

 

 

Emergency Preparedness:

 

 

Employment:

Go to our Resource Directory and search Vocational Rehabilitation for a full list of results.

 

 

Hearing Aids:

Go to our Resource Directory and search Hearing Aid Assistance for a full list of results.

 

 

Hearing Healthcare (Audiology) and Speech Professionals:

Go to our Resource Directory and search Hearing Health for a full list of results.

 

 

Legal Resources:

Go to our Resource Directory and search ADA & Legal for a full list of results.

 

 

Lipreading/Speechreading:

Go to our Resource Directory and search Speech and Lip Reading for a full list of results.

 

 

Meniere’s Disease:

http://www.hearingreview.com/insider/2007-08-23_04.asp
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/balance/meniere.asp

 

 

Noise and Kids:

http://www.dangerousdecibels.org
http://www.listentoyourbuds.org/
http://www.loudenough.com/ (Volume limiting earbuds for kids)
http://www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov/

 

 

Rental and/or Sales of Assistive Technology, Listening Devices and/or Systems:

Go to our Resource Directory and search Assistive Technology for a full list of results.

 

Tinnitus Resources:

http://www.betterhearing.org/tinnitus/BHI_Guide_to_Tinnitus.cfm 

Questions:

1. Where can I get a hearing aid?

Answer: Arizona Department of Health Services

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2. How do I know which hearing aid is right for me?

Answer:
http://www.hearingloss.org/learn/helpdetail.asp#purchase
http://www.aarp.org/health/staying_healthy/prevention/aarp_consumer_guide_to_hearing_aids.html

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3. What do I do if I have a complaint about a hearing aid?

Answer:

http://www.azdhs.gov/als/slp/index.htm

https://app.azdhs.gov/ls/online_complaint/SPLComplaintFAQ.aspx

https://app.azdhs.gov/ls/online_complaint/AUDComplaint.aspx

 

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4. What if I don’t want a hearing aid but still want to hear?

Answer: Go to our Resource Directory and search Assistive Technology for a full list of results.

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5. I don’t understand my hearing test (audiogram)!

Answer:
http://www.drf.org/magazine/39/Spring+2010+Issue/article/318
http://www.wou.edu/education/sped/wrocc/HT%20Read%20Audiogram%20web.pdf
http://www.earinfo.com/how-to-read-a-hearing-aid-test/
http://www.healthyhearing.com/articles/7841-audiogram-explanation-and-significance

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6. I can’t hear on the phone!

Answer:
AzTEDP
http://www.hamiltoncaptel.com/
http://www.sprintcaptel.com

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7. I can’t hear my doorbell!

Answer: AzTAP

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8. I can’t hear at the movies or at the play!

Answer: Go to our Resource Directory and search Assistive Technology for a full list of results.

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9. I can’t hear the smoke alarm!

Answer: Go to our Resource Directory and search Assistive Technology for a full list of results.

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10. I can’t hear at church!

Answer: http://audiology.advanceweb.com/Editorial/Content/Editorial.aspx?cc=106093

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The Arizona State Legislature passed Senate Bill 1348 in 2007, requiring state-licensed audiologists and hearing aid dispensers to educate their consumers about telecoil technology and the “free phone” program (AzTEDP).

A list of all facilities looped in the state of Arizona can be found by visiting AT4AZ

A list of some of the facilities looped in the state of Arizona can be found by visiting the website of the Adult Loss of Hearing Association (ALOHA).

An excellent national resource on hearing loops is: http://www.hearingloop.org/