Cell Phones for All: Accessibility for Those with Hearing Impairment

Cell Phones for All: Accessibility for Those with Hearing Impairment
By Christine Peppler

Cell phones are an integrated part of the lives of most Americans. They are used for both personal and business purposes. Even more importantly however, cell phones play a role in safety based on their portability. In many situations, cell phones are the only immediate access to emergency services such as 911. For this reason, the accessibility of cell phones is critical for all citizens, including those with hearing impairment. There are over 6 million individuals in the United States who wear hearing aids and thousands of individuals with cochlear implants. Newer digital phones can create interference in the form of unwanted noise such as a high pitch whistling, buzzing, or static for those with hearing aids and cochlear implants.

In 2003, the FCC set forth regulations for the telecommunications industry in an attempt to assure access to the products and services offered for individuals with hearing impairment. The aim of the regulations is to assure that those with hearing impairment are able to learn about and operate products and services effectively. The regulations are being phased in over a period of a few years and will reach an important milestone on September 26, 2006. The regulations require manufacturers to provide cell phones to service providers that reduce radio frequency interference by meeting certain ANSI standards (American National Standards Institute).

By the September deadline, Tier 1 cellular service providers such as Cingular, Sprint-Nextel, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless must provide at least 5 cell phones, or 25% of their models, which meet ANSI U3T or M3T ratings. This would assure the availability of cell phones that emit lower radio frequency and could provide telecoil coupling capability; both of which would reduce or eliminate unwanted noise. In addition, these cell phone models will need to be present in retail stores so that they can be tested by consumers. By February 18, 2008 fifty percent of all phones are expected to meet the required ANSI standards for hearing aid compatibility.

For those seeking additional information about the FCC regulations, more information can be obtained at: www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/section255.html

Christine Peppler shares information on home entertainment and home electronics products, including cell phones, on her website at: http://www.homemedias.info

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Your Dogs Sense of Hearing More Sensitive Than You Might Think

Your Dogs Sense of Hearing - More Sensitive Than You Might Think
By Randy Jones

Dogs have far greater hearing than we humans. In addition to what the human ear can hear, he can detect fainter sounds from greater distances and on much higher frequencies. The human ear has a frequency upper limit of about 20,000 cycles, while the dogs range can be as high as 50,000 cycles. Dogs are able to determine the direction a sound is coming from much more accurately than we can, and can differentiate between similar sounds better also. Breeds with erect ears have better hearing than those with floppy ears due to their sound capturing ability.

Because dogs clearly distinguish different pitches, the tone of your voice and commands is as significant to him as the words that you pronounce. Since he responds most quickly to sharp sounds, you will find it easier to get a puppy to come when called if you reinforce your voice command with a whistling or hand-clapping at first. Instructions such as STOP should always be sharper in tone than ordinary communications. Any unexpected or unusual voice will alert a dog. His immediate reaction is to face the direction of the sound and then approach the spot warily.

Dogs perceive sound by feeling as well as through their auditive equipment. They react to vibrations of airplanes and earthquakes long before we are aware of them. Continued sharp or percussive noises can cause real suffering for a dogs sensitive hearing. A dog may seem to have a pathological fear of thunderstorms or explosives, when the real reason for his cringing behavior is simply physical pain. Oddly enough, given their sensitive hearing, dogs seldom suffer from vertigo, which begins in the inner ear.

Randy Jones and his partner Brent Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed the website http://joncopets.com/ on the site, customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest trendy items for their best friend. Feel free to check out the site at http://joncopets.com/

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Benefits of Thought Field Therapy in Adapting to Loss of Hearing

Benefits of Thought Field Therapy in Adapting to Loss of Hearing
By Maggie Currie

Thought Field Therapy can help a considerable number of people who have suffered the trauma of losing their hearing. Often the sudden loss of hearing can result in tremendous stress related to having to make dramatic lifestyle changes and coping with all the new, and often strange, methods of communicating. This can involve not only new technology, but the basic means of chatting with friends and family, shopping, travelling, watching television and the myriad of other activities associated with everyday living. This can be very scary indeed and can create even more stress and anxiety, which may compound the original problem. Whatever the trauma, whether it is associated with hearing loss or any other problem, the TFT Practitioner does not need to know what it is specifically, only the level of anxiety related to it.

Thought Field Therapy removes the anxiety associated with the trauma, also removes the anxiety associated with the uncertainty of coping with new things and thus makes it easier to cope with. Each problem is dealt with individually, i.e. treating the original anxiety first and then working on other associated levels of anxiety associated with problems until all the anxiety is removed. Each particular process usually takes only minutes and is not only totally non-invasive and effective, but permanent. The TFT Practitioner asks the individual to assess their level of stress and from that diagnoses the relevant treatment.

The treatment involves the client tapping on the meridian lines of their body under the instruction of the Practitioner who taps with them, in particular sequences, depending on the problem, and has a 98% success rate. The Practitioner will not only instruct you, but also tap along with you to make sure that, not only you get the sequences right, but that you dont feel stupid.

The benefits of removing the anxiety associated with losing your hearing are that you can concentrate on building up your self confidence so that you can ask people to repeat any unheard dialogue without either you, or them, feeling embarrassed. Having the confidence to tell others that you are deaf relieves some the pressure of trying to strain to hear, as other people will make the effort to allow you to understand what they are saying more readily than if they are unaware that you cant hear them. Socialising will become easier and more enjoyable for the person with hearing loss and for their friends and relatives.

You may not have the particular problems mentioned above yet, but you may know someone who does. No anxiety, more confidence, more fun get rid of your anxieties now.

Maggie Currie is a qualified Thought Field Therapy Practitioner, having trained with the Association for Thought Field Therapy in London, and would be happy to help people remove the anxiety associated with hearing loss, permanently. To find out more contact Maggie on 01983 759213, TypeTalk calls welcome, or visit the website http://www.creedencetraining.co.uk/webtft.htm and contact her via email by following the links.

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BTE Hearing Aids

BTE Hearing Aids
By Martin Smith

Behind the ear, also known as BTE, hearing aids are far and away the most commonly used type of hearing aid. These hearing aids are also what most people picture when hearing aids are mentioned. The electronics which make a BTE hearing aid function are housed in a plastic case which fits behind the ear and has a tube that connects it to an ear mold which fits in the ear canal.

They are designed to accommodate the entire spectrum of hearing losses, from the mild to the severe. Although they are more conspicuous then hearing aids that fit entirely in the ear canal, they have a number of benefits that appeal to a wide variety of hearing impaired individuals. In addition, BTE hearing aids come in a number of sizes, shapes and colors. So some behind the ear models are much less conspicuous then others.

Since behind the ear hearing aids are larger then their completely in the canal, or CIC, counterparts, they can more easily house a bigger amplifier and much stronger battery and therefore may be especially beneficial to individuals with a more severe hearing loss. BTE hearing aids are also rather versatile in that they come in the most traditional analog style as well as in the recently popularized digitally powered style of hearing aids.

When budgetary constraints are an issue, behind the ear devices definitely win out over hearing aids which fit completely in the ear canal. Due to their larger size, other groups of people to whom BTE hearing aids have more appeal then CIC models include the elderly, arthritis sufferers and others with fine motor control disabilities and related issues.

Finally since CIC models necessitate the wearing of a heavier device in the canal then just the lightweight ear mold attached to BTE hearing aids, there tends to be less ear canal irritation with the former.

In the late 1800s the first commercially manufactured hearing aids were patented and became available to the public. The first behind the ear hearing aids came on the scene over fifty years ago.

Prior to this, hearing aids were basically amplifiers worn somewhere on the body and these were heavy and expensive, due in part to rapid battery consumption. With the advent of the smaller junction transistor in 1952, widespread BTE hearing aid use became more of a reality.

Due to improvements in the technology of circuitry,1964 saw another boom in use of BTE devices and the use of body worn hearing aids dropped to less then twenty percent. By 1972 prototypes for hearing aids which could be programmed to a variety of listening situations, were being created. The following twenty years showed continued improvements and advances in hearing aid technology.

Volume controls were added to most behind the ear devices in the 1990s and digital hearing aids started appearing in the mid nineties. There has been continued new arrivals in the hearing aid world since then such as remanufactured hearing aids, disposable hearing aids and over the counter hearing aids. Who knows what the future of behind the ear hearing aid technology holds, the possibilities are endless

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Hearing Aids, Hearing Aids Manufacturers,and more! his numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

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Audio Textbooks: Learning Enhanced by Combining Hearing with Seeing

Audio Textbooks: Learning Enhanced by Combining Hearing with Seeing
By Helen Wall

Being able to read is an essential skill in our world, yet most people, especially with the fast-paced lifestyles of today, only read what they have to in order to accommodate their most immediate needs. This is especially true of children whose attentiveness is already distracted on many fronts by audio-visual pursuits provided by the technological society of today. Audio textbooks are revolutionizing the learning process for both teachers and students.

For example, many youths already see and hear on new video phones, or at least complete one activity whilst listening to a phone call on the older more prevalent mobile phones; play video games (marketed toward youth) available on arcade-style video games, portable hand-held devices (Gameboy etc.), console stations for TV (e.g: Playstation & Xboy), even mobile phones. And that is not to mention films and other audio-visual projects available on video, CDROM, VCD/DVD, or at the cinema.

In fact, aside from technological pursuits, everything you do contains an audio-visual element, and doing constitutes a direct pathway to learning, for what else is doing than gaining experience? And what else is experience other than the stuff of learning?

Contrast then, the bulk of daily activity (the stuff of learning), and its audio-visual element, with the main technique for learning at school: reading from books. Reading is a none audible activity insofar as it is usually done is relative silence; whatever is audible while reading is either ignored or is a distraction from reading. Subsequently, reading requires more concentration because it relies on the faculty of sight alone; it is not assisted by audio stimulation.

It may then come as no surprise that most people, especially kids, shy away from reading: with all the alternative activities available, that provide a more thorough stimulation (audio and visual), reading, is noticeably harder and much less fun. MP3 players and audio textbook downloads are however not associated with the tiresome task of reading.

But now audio textbooks make it possible for children (and adults) to get greater stimulation, and thus offer an easier pathway to learning from materials that they would not otherwise gain from reading alone. Of course, one must still read, but by hearing the material at the same time as seeing, it makes reading much more interesting, and enables the material to arrive in the brain audibly and visually, ensuring easier processing, thus easier learning. Audio textbook downloads make material easy for students to access anytime from anyplace at reasonable costs.

Educational professionals have realized the great potential for enhancing the learning process offered by providing audio-visual channels, and subsequently, many schools have now brought audio textbooks into the classrooms, and they have past the test with flying colors.

Helen Wall is the author of this article. Visit http://www.AudioBooksBonanza.com to download audio books from an extensive range of titles from top publishers. Join the free newsletter now and get to know about the latest hot off the press titles, receive time limited special offers and discounts, before anyone else.

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Creative Compliments and Creative Criticism: How Attuned is Your Hearing?

Creative Compliments and Creative Criticism: How Attuned is Your Hearing?
By Dan Goodwin

The average human ear can hear sounds in the frequency range of 20 Hz - 20 kHz, from deep low bass to sharp high end treble and all frequencies in between.

Anyone whos been involved in music production, or simply experimented with the tone and equalizer controls on their stereo, will know how the bass and treble controls, and low- and high- pass filters, can emphasise one end of the sound spectrum and/ or reduce or completely cut out the other.

Imagine for a moment that bass sounds, the lowest end of the sound spectrum, represent positive, enthusiastic comments that people make. When someone encourages our creativity, praises our efforts and supports us in every way they can, consider these as bass level sounds.

At the other end of the scale, high treble sounds come in the form of negative and critical comments. When anyone makes a disparaging, sarcastic or otherwise unhelpful remark about our creativity and creative work, consider this as treble level sounds.

So how good would you say your hearing is at either end of the sound spectrum? Do you tend to tune in more to positive and complimentary comments, or those that are disparaging and critical? What would you say the ratio or percentage is for each? In other words, for every time you hear a positive comment, how many negative ones do you hear?

If you find, as many of us do, that it tends to be easier to be more attuned to the negative, then consider how this impacts your life and your creativity. Is this an ideal environment for someone to be richly creative, experimental and productive?

So if we do find ourselves in this situation, what can we do about changing it?

All we need to do is adjust our tone controls in a way that enhances the positive energy (bass) and decreases the negative energy (treble). To hear more bass, the positive comments, there are essentially two things we can do turn up our bass levels or turn down our treble. Or both.

Here are some practical approaches that can help -

Think about the company you keep If those around you are constantly negative or cynical then it will inevitably have an effect on your own outlook. By surrounding yourself with other creative and positive people it will energise and inspire everyone involved.

Practice taking responsibility for your reactions Whenever anyone says anything to us, we ultimately have a choice in how we react. Practice taking control of your responses, rather than slipping into a mentality of being someone whos easily and often upset or discouraged.

Be more positive about yourself Maybe you find many of the negative comments you hear actually originate from within yourself. Negative thinking, like positive thinking, is just a habit that we can choose to adopt or reject. There are many practical ways to change the way you react to the thoughts you have, from daily affirmations to more in depth exercises that question and deconstruct the limiting beliefs you hold about yourself.

Adjust your physiology Theres a direct correlation between how we sit, stand and hold ourselves and the attitude or mood we feel. Sit slumped in a chair with your head bowed and the corners of your mouth turned down, sigh a few times and see how positive and optimistic you feel! Now sit up straight, breathe clearly and deeply a few times, hold your head high and smile. Notice how it effects your outlook.

Change your focus If we are determined to always focus on the negative, we will always find negativity. Likewise, if we consciously focus on the positive, we will find more to be positive about. A simple technique is to take a few moments at the end of each day to recall the three best things that happened that day, however tiny they may seem.

With a little practice of these techniques and others you come across, youll soon begin to become master of your own tone controls, learn to hear the positive bass sounds more clearly, and notice the difference it makes to your outlook and levels of creativity

Copyright 2006 Dan Goodwin.

Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin is the author of Create Create!, a FREE twice monthly ezine for people who want simple and powerful articles, tips and exercises to help them unleash their creative talents. Sign up right now and get your FREE Explode Your Creativity! Action Workbook, at http://www.CoachCreative.com

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Common Hearing Aid Myths

Common Hearing Aid Myths
By Martin Smith

MYTH: Hearing aids will cure hearing loss or restore a hearing impaired individuals hearing to normal.

TRUTH: No hearing aid will ever allow a hearing impaired individual to have normal hearing. A hearing aid just cannot provide what the ear and its intricate working of nerves can. What it can do is amplify sounds so that those wearing them can benefit from and enjoy a wide variety of listening situations. Hearing better helps one to respond appropriately thus improving communication skills.

MYTH: Hearing aids will resolve all of a hearing impaired individuals communication difficulties.

TRUTH: This is impossible, although hearing aids go a long way in helping a hearing impaired individual with their communication skills. Hearing aid wearers often still have problems following conversations when background noise is present or in noisy public settings, thus inhibiting their ability to communicate effectively in those situations.

MYTH: Hearing aids will destroy residual hearing.

TRUTH: Since hearing aids are prescribed according to an individual wearers specific hearing loss, it would be a rare occurrence for a hearing aid to cause further damage to a persons hearing. There are several things a hearing impaired individual can do to further reduce the possibility of damage caused by hearing aids. They must be well maintained, worn correctly and well fitted.

MYTH: Smaller hearing aids have better technology.

TRUTH: Both larger hearing aids and smaller ones are equipped with cutting edge technology. The two most common types of hearing aids are behind the ear (BTE) and completely in the canal (CIC) hearing aids. Whether or not an individual will be able to wear a hearing aid that is nearly invisible to a casual observer, depends on the type of hearing impairment they have. The hearing aid that is most appropriate for one persons degree of impairment or listening needs, may not necessarily be best suited to another person.

MYTH: Hearing aids are not absolutely necessary for relatively minor hearing losses.

TRUTH: It is not advisable to put off obtaining hearing aids until hearing loss becomes a bigger problem. Over time the risk of permanent sound distortion increases. In this case, even when hearing aids amplify the volume of the spoken word it can still sound garbled.

MYTH: Hearing aids will not be effective for some types of hearing losses.

TRUTH: Generations ago people with certain types of hearing losses, such as high frequency, were told there was little or no help out there for them. With advances in hearing aid technology this is no longer true. Hearing aids are now effective for at least 95 % of hearing impaired individuals.

MYTH: Babies cant be fitted with hearing aids.

TRUTH: Actually infants as young as a month old can be fitted with hearing aids. With the increase in hearing tests for at risk newborns, hearing impairments are being detected earlier then ever and the world of hearing aid research and technology is doing its best to keep pace.

MYTH: It doesnt matter where hearing aids are purchased.

TRUTH: While buying hearing aids through mail order or off the internet may be less expensive, it is not necessarily advisable. By purchasing through these venues, a hearing aid consumer may be giving up the quality of care they will get by working with an audiologist. This includes things such as a qualified hearing evaluation, professional recommendations as to the most appropriate type of hearing aid, expert instruction regarding proper hearing aid usage, follow up care, etc.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Hearing Aids, Hearing Aids Manufacturers, and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

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