Hearing

Table of Contents

Virtual Hearing Demonstration

For more information, please contact Bethany Potts, Program Coordinator, at bethany.potts@okstate.edu or 405-334-7159.

Key Takeaways

What is Hearing Assistive Technology (AT)?

  • Many devices have been designed and developed for people with hearing loss.
  • Such technology enhances sound or substitutes sound with visual or tactile signals.
  • Hearing AT can be helpful anywhere that effective communication is needed.
  • Hearing AT can assist with communication when face-to-face, on the telephone, and on other media platforms and includes alerting devices.

Common No-Tech and Low-Tech Hearing AT Solutions:

  • Consider the environment – where is the person sitting relative to the information that needs to be heard? Can the individual see to read your lips? Is the room well-lit? Is there a lot of background noise? Can any of these factors be controlled?
  • Can visual cues be provided? For instance, can captioning be provided if a video is being played? Can written materials of what is being said be provided? Additionally, consider dictating a lecture and provide it in writing.
  • Use good communication skills:
    • Face the person
    • Have a well-lit room
    • Avoid noisy background
    • Speak clearly
    • Get the person’s attention first
    • Ask what works best for that person
    • Give clues when transitioning topics
    • Rephrase rather than repeat
    • Don’t shout (it distorts the words)

When Do I Need to Use Hearing AT?

  • Listening needs vary with the situation and the individual’s level of hearing loss.
  • Challenging environments, such as restaurants, meetings, classes, houses of worship, social gatherings, public presentations, lectures, theaters, and home environments – TV, telephone, doorbell, smoke alarm, etc.

Who Needs Hearing AT?

Anyone who needs help with:

  • Face-to-face communication with others
  • Enjoyment of electronic media (radio, stereo, television, movies, etc.)
  • Telephone
  • Awareness of environmental sounds

Why are Hearing Aids / Cochlear Implants not Enough?

  • Situations may cause the need for additional AT, such as environmental factors including distance from the speaker, background noise, size and acoustics of the room.
  • Hearing aids or cochlear implants may prevent the use of earbuds or other sound source receivers.

Situations for Using Hearing AT:

School Environment

  • Lectures in the general classroom
  • Small group activities
  • Social classmate engagement
  • Listening to computer tasks, audiobooks, or an in-class movie

Socialization

  • Meeting with friends
  • Sports
  • Music, games, TV
  • Groups and club activities

Family / Home Environment

  • Conversations at home
  • Mealtime
  • At the park
  • In a car
  • Talking on the phone
  • Emergency/Safety alerts – smoke alarms, tornado siren, or other emergency alarm

Work Environment

  • In-person meetings
  • Talking on the phone
  • Remote meetings via computer
  • Training
  • Emergency / safety alerts
  • Daily tasks that require listening

Community

  • Church or Sunday School
  • Movie theater
  • Grocery store
  • Doctor’s office
  • Plays or musicals
  • Dining out

Hearing Case Studies

Education

Employment

Community Living

Commonly Asked Questions about Hearing AT:

  • Q – If a student wears hearing aid(s) or cochlear implants, there may still be a need for additional hearing AT such as sound amplification for particular situations or settings. How does the sound amplification system work with hearing aids or cochlear implants?
    • A – Most audiologists will consider the age of the person when determining how the AT is paired with hearing aids or cochlear implants. Ear-level amplification, such as an FM System, is a great solution to assist in amplifying sound and may be necessary even if the person has hearing aids or cochlear implants. It would require transmitter(or microphone) that transmits the sound to the receiver. This can be via telecoil in the hearing aid or a special receiver that connects directly to the transmitter being used. Many receivers can connect universally to any hearing aid or cochlear implant. Eliminating the sound to noise ratio can be beneficial to anyone – whether living with a documented hearing loss or other barriers to receiving sounds such as auditory processing disorders or attention deficit disorders. Coupling hearing AT with hearing aids and choclear implants helps achieve this.
  • Q – Are there any laws to provide an accommodation or prevent discrimination in the workplace based on having a disability?
    • A – Yes. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal laws have provisions covering the workplace. The ADA, Title 1, requires employers to make reasonable accommodations to the known disability of a qualified applicant or employee unless such an accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the employer. Reasonable accommodations include a wide variety of actions – making worksites accessible, modifying existing equipment, providing new devices, modifying work schedules, restructuring jobs, reassigning an employee to a vacant position, and providing readers or interpreters.
  • Q – What is a hearing loop?
    • A – A hearing loop is a wire that circles a room and is connected to a sound system. The loop transmits the sound electromagnetically. The electromagnetic signal is then picked up by the telecoil in the hearing aid or cochlear implant. To use a hearing loop, connect to the t-switch on the hearing aid or cochlear implant to activate the telecoil. Usually, no additional receiver or equipment is needed. Using a telecoil and hearing loop together is seamless, cost-effective, unobtrusive, and requires no additional equipment. Hearing loops are also called audio-induction loops, audio loops, or loops. If a hearing aid does not have a telecoil, a headset plugged into a loop receiver will be needed. Additional technology that has telecoil in it can alsoconnect to ones hearing aids to achieve the same effect.
  • Q – What concerns should someone with a hearing loss consider when looking for or maintaining employment?
    • A – Excerpt from the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Employment Toolkit: “Looking for a job, landing a job, and keeping a job can be difficult under the best of circumstances. Whether you are a graduating student seeking employment for the first time, looking to change jobs, returning to the workplace after an absence, or you are concerned about keeping a job, you might find employment issues more challenging if you have a hearing loss. There are ways to be successful in the workplace with a hearing loss. Landing a good job, fitting into the workplace, and successfully advocating for the kind of accommodations that will make you a productive and valued employee can all be accomplished. But you need the right tools, do your homework, find out what’s right for you and your employer, and find ways to successfully advocate for yourself.”

      * It is always important to consult with the audiologist or manufacturer for more specific details and special circumstances.

  AT Solutions at Oklahoma ABLE Tech:

Visit Oklahoma ABLE Tech’s Hearing Inventory

Visit Oklahoma ABLE Tech’s Hearing AT/DME Reuse/Exchange Inventory

Helpful Links & PDF Resources:

Videos and Webinars:

  • AT Solutions for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

    Oklahoma ABLE Tech discusses AT solutions for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
  • Hearing Assistive Technology (AT)

    Join Oklahoma ABLE Tech’s Program Manager and Hearing AT Specialist Shelley Gladden as she provides more insight and showcases devices from this AT category.
  • AT Assessment Made Easy

    The content of this video comes from AT Consultant, Dr. Penny Reed. She presented at the 2014-2015 Oklahoma AT Team Regional Trainings hosted by Oklahoma ABLE Tech and the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Content covers three major laws that affect AT, service provision, considering AT for all students with disabilities, and the AT Assessment process: who should be involved, what procedures should be followed, and what resources can help!
  • Using the SETT Framework

    Oklahoma ABLE Tech explores Joy Zabala’s Student, Environment, Tasks, and Tools (SETT) Framework: What it is and how to use it when helping students find AT solutions for the classroom.
  • Hearing Loss in the Classroom

    View a demonstration of how hearing AT assists students in the classroom when used appropriately.
  • Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in the Classroom

    This is a short informational video about students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Learn about the challenges students who are deaf and hard of hearing face and some accommodations for teachers to help these students.
  • Hearing Loss Simulation

    Fred Flintstone and friends take a journey on simulating hearing loss.

Check out these videos highlighting hearing devices available to borrow from Oklahoma ABLE Tech.