Author Archives: Monique Hammond

Minnesota Hearing Loops are Happening!

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

Hearing Loops Help Everybody

And Loop Minnesota rejoices and celebrates the Equitable Access to Communication that these loops represent for those with hearing loss.

  • Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)

 

Hearing Loops have arrived at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. The airport redesign, construction and refurbishment projects have lasted for some years now and a lot more work must still be done.

One of the major goals is to make our airport the most accessible in the World for people with disabilities. This includes people with hearing loss. And so, it is great news to see the mention of hearing loops pop up in the website Accessibility Page.

(Note: Loop Minnesota Vice President Monique Hammond continues to serve on the Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee where she advocates for people with hearing loss.)

From the Airport’s Website:

Hearing Loop Technology

…At Terminal 1, travelers will find hearing loop technology throughout the departures hall and arrivals level including both the baggage claim and the international arrivals areas. For those looking to relax, this technology is also readily available in the See18 short film space. Several gate areas on Concourse G have also been equipped with this technology as we continue to expand the footprint of this program through new construction projects. 

At Terminal 2, travelers will currently experience hearing loop technology between gates H11 – H14 with construction currently underway to make it available in gates H1 – H10…

More good news: Access for Township residents!

  • On October 17, 2022, Loop Minnesota was present when the Board of Becker Township (Sherburne County) “commissioned” the brand-new hearing loop that was installed in its meeting room. And so, all township residents can now participate in the happenings of their communities. It’s a matter of Access.
  • Work will soon begin on the installation of a loop in the Board meeting room of a neighboring Township.

 

Get involved! There are so many ways to make a difference

Tell your audiologists/hearing device specialists to teach clients about Telecoils and hearing loops. Ask your hearing care providers to activate the telecoils in your hearing aids.

Join us! Become a Loop Minnesota member! Help us make a lot more loops happen throughout the State. Check the Home Page of our website for a partial list of hearing loops in and around Minnesota. If you know about other loops, please contact us so that we can add them to the list.

Click this link to contact us. Tell us where you want to understand speech in noise a lot better. Grocery store? Bank? Place of worship? Does your library offer any accommodation? How about getting hearing loop access in your City Council Chambers or in your Township Board Room?

Although there is a lot of buzz about access technology changes, this is still quite a way in the future.  We must remember that we need to hear right here and Now.

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Also, visit my website where I write blogs on all sorts of topics related to hearing and hearing loss  https://hearing-loss-talk.com/

Assistive Listening Technologies – Present and Future – to Coexist

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

 

COVID-19? Need for Hearing Loops & T-coils

We still need it ALL!  This conclusion came out of the discussions at the World Congress of the International Federation of Hard of Hearing People (IFHOH). The World Congress was held in September 2022 in Budapest, Hungary.

Worldwide, the ongoing challenge is to help those with hearing loss understand and communicate better in background sound, especially in larger venues. This is when hearing aids and cochlear implants (CIs) are typically not enough. So far, hearing loops & telecoils are the universal, wireless way of providing clearer sound signals and of connecting many people to one sound source, such as a speaker.

As the search for new technology is on, all eyes and ears turn towards Bluetooth®. The new buzzword of the World of Hearing Loss is Auracast™.

A different kind of Bluetooth

Auracast ™ is based on a totally different Bluetooth version from what we have in our hearing instruments right now. This has led to many misunderstandings. In the future, people with hearing loss need re-designed and re-engineered hearing aids and CIs that are Auracast-compatible.

Auracast™ is a wireless, universal broadcast audio using Low Energy Bluetooth as a means of transmission. Besides other helpful and innovative features, it will allow for broadcasting from one Auracast-capable sound source to many Auracast-compatible receivers. Such receivers will include hearing aids, CIs, earphones etc.

On a smaller scale, our “Auracast-capable” phones, TVs, pads and computers will act like mini radio stations. And so, many people can listen at the same time to the same phone call, music or podcast with their “Auracast-compatible” hearing aids and CIs.

But how about large venues, such as conference halls and places of worship? Must they be fitted with Auracast-broadcast technology? At what cost?  Obviously, it is a gigantic project to make the world Auracast-accessible and there are many unanswered questions.

One thing is for sure: It will take time, patience and money. Also, we might expect a lengthy transition period. Not everybody will be on board at the same time. This is one of the reasons why present technology will continue to serve us well. We still need it all.

Hearing Now! 

Meanwhile, we all need to hear and understand better now. IFHOH recognizes this by stating that “it is important that the globally used and proven systems of Hearing Loops, FM, IR + Telecoils not be dismissed.”

In its “Budapest Declaration,” IFHOH recommends that hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturers continue to integrate telecoils in their products. “Telecoils need to come with clear user instructions and with clear information and training to the hearing health professionals.“  Also, it will be important for future hearing aids and CIs to include both Telecoil and Auracast™ technologies for some time.

In the end…

Yes, change is coming but it will be a while. For clearer sound in loud places, telecoils and hearing loops are still very much needed. And therefore, assistive listening technologies – present and future – will indeed coexist for quite some time.

Reference: Budapest Declaration.pdf (dropbox.com)

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For information on Hearing Loops and Assistive Technologies, contact us on this website.

Also, visit my website where I post blogs on all sorts of issues concerning hearing loss. https://hearing-loss-talk.com/

 

After a Hearing Loop is Installed, Train Staff and Volunteers

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

 

Hearing loops make businesses and venues accessible to customers and visitors with hearing loss who have teleoils in their hearing aids or cochlear implants.

After the successful installation of a hearing loop, the next important step is to train staff and volunteers in the use of the loop. Such training is usually done by the loop installer at the completion of the project but before the loop is put into service. Ask the installer to provide a list of trouble-shooting questions-and-answers, just in case that there might be an issue.

By the way, who will be your on-site company or venue loop expert or guru?

Staff and volunteer training should cover the following items:

  • recognize the loop sign and be able to answer basic questions
  • know the purpose of the loop and how it helps the business & clients
  • have a simple explanation for how the loop works
  • know when the loop is in service – around the clock or only at times? If it is activated on request or as needed, know how to turn it on
  • know how the loop interacts with the PA system and with other audio-visual equipment
  • know about other accessories, such as loop listeners for those who do not have telecoils in their hearing aids. These are used with light headsets. Those items require some maintenance such as battery and ear pad replacements and wiping the units after use.
  • know where these accessories are kept
  • know whom to call if there is a problem with the loop or with the accessories

 

Note: A new loop monitoring sign is now available that indicates whether the loop is on, off or has signal issues. Older loops may not have these. Check with your installer if a retrofit is possible.

In the end…

Loops are only effective if they are correctly designed and installed, if the customers know that they are available and if the staff and volunteers are trained in their use.

For more information, please contact us.

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Note: Any links to websites or mention of products or technology are for information and illustration only. Loop Minnesota does not favor or endorse one brand, manufacturer or distributor over others.

 

Grocery Store Hearing Loops!

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

Contactainc.com: Grocery Outlet, Springfield, OR

Is my dream of Loops for Daily Living becoming a reality? Things are looking up!

Grocery store hearing loops are becoming increasingly popular across the United States. Even a single hearing-loop-enabled check-out counter is a valuable business investment. To customers with hearing loss, it means “Access.” It tells them that they too are recognized and appreciated.

Announce the presence of active, certified loops on your website! Tell Google Maps. Edit your organization/business “Accessibility” attributes to include Assistive Hearing Loop. How to edit or add: https://t.co/cxtvhWqh1E

In Springfield, Oregon, all checkout counters of the Grocery Outlet store now have hearing loops! Thanks to owners Tracy and Tom Hogan, customers can use the telecoils in their hearing aids and cochlear implants to help them understand speech so much better in the background noise of the store.

Checkout counters can be daunting. So many questions! Found everything OK? Do you want your receipt? Cash or credit? Got any coupons? All I usually hear is something like WhoaWhoa.  While trying to guess at body language, I run my credit card through the reader. Did they ask for my email to send me stuff? Very frustrating!

Tracy Hogan shares that she has bilateral hearing loss and so she can relate to the struggle of trying to hear in a sound-confused environment. Listen to her as she explains how the loop works in her store. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI0vhf9HjqA

Then, along the East Coast Wegmans Food Markets, a company with over 100 stores across 7 States also has installed hearing loops  in their stores.

And of course, there are more grocery stores that have also been in the news for making the shopping experience for the hard-of-hearing easier with hearing loops. Check your local store. Encourage the owner/franchisee to consider a checkout loop.

The important thing for us to remember is that hearing loops are not dead, retro or antiquated. On the contrary, their popularity is on the rise. The travel industry is no longer the only major industry that recognizes the importance of communication access with loops.

As hearing loops spread in the communities, are you ready to use them? Do you recognize the blue-and-white sign with the T in the right-hand corner?  Do you have telecoils in your hearing aids? If so, are they activated? Do you know how to use them? There is no time like the present to ask your audiologist/hearing specialist for details.

In the end, hearing loops do not appear miraculously. For loops to happen we have to learn about them, ask for them and advocate for them. That’s what we do at Loop Minnesota. Join us!

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Also visit my website https://hearing-loss-talk.com/ where I post blogs on all sorts of issues concerning hearing loss.

 

 

 

Telecoils and Hearing Loops Education PSA

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

With heartfelt gratitude! 

On behalf of Minnesotans with hearing loss, Loop Minnesota thanks the Minnesota Commission for the Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH), the Minnesota Broadcasters Association as well as all of the stations who donate valuable airtime for making this Telecoils and Hearing Loops PSA possible.

Thank you for helping raise awareness on this important technology, which can greatly ease the understanding of speech in loud places. The following 30 seconds might change lives – for better hearing and maybe for embarking on a mission of telecoils and hearing loops advocacy.

So, what does listening through telecoils and hearing loops sound like? Try this sound demonstration taken in a New York Subway station, which is a very difficult sound environment.  For now, the only way to understand speech-in-noise more clearly is by means of telecoils and hearing loops.

Pretty amazing! I remember the first time that I listened through a loop by means of my hearing aid telecoil. No more straining to understand. The Loop Minnesota website has a list if loops in and around Minnesota. Would it not be wonderful to grow that list?

In the end, it is up to those with hearing loss to determine what they want and what helps them.  Again, thank you to all who make it possible for people to learn about this technology with a much-needed Telecoils and Hearing Loops PSA.

Hearing Loop Advocacy Talking Points

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

Spread the word

Advocates speak in favor of a particular cause with the purpose to inform and to change behavior. In this case, the “cause” is equitable access to communication for the hard-of-hearing in loud, echoey places by means of hearing or induction loops.

Although nobody needs to be a “loop specialist”, it is important to be reasonably familiar with some basic facts of the technology. Also, a polite, non-confrontational approach makes people more willing to listen.

And so, how can people make an impact and convince decision makers that a hearing loop would be indeed a good investment for their places of worship, convention venues or business areas, such as information or customer service windows? Following are some tips that can be considered while making a case for loops.

  1. Personal Experience.

 

Describe in a few words how connecting hearing aids to loops by means of telecoils improves clarity of speech, fosters inclusion and improves quality of life. Make it your story. By now, just about every family has at least one relative who struggles with hearing loss. An emotional appeal can be quite effective.

2. Sound Demonstration

From your smartphone or laptop, share a YouTube to illustrate the difference between the un-looped and looped sound environments. Although there are others, here are two examples:

New York Subway station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahbz0VvlZF0

Church readings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOKuf_Eu1J4

3. Basic explanation of how a loop & telecoil system works – if asked.

Note: The actual hearing loop is an electrical wire. Telecoils are wireless antennas in hearing instruments.

Sound from a speaker’s microphone activates the hearing loop wire. Telecoils in hearing instruments tap into the magnetic energy of the loop. The magnetic signals transfer wirelessly to the hearing instrument, which changes them back into audible sound. The audible signal is now clearer and stronger without any or minimal background noise.

Detailed explanations can be found at loopminnesota.org. People can also contact us for more information.

5. Know some of the advantages that loops provide

  • Once installed, they are long-lasting and virtually maintenance-free
  • Loops are invisible and discreet, which eliminates the risk of stigma attached to hearing loss
  • Loops are user-friendly and easy to use
  • Loops make businesses accessible to the hard-of-hearing. Advertise your loop!
  • Hearing loops for service windows, check-out counters and information desks are becoming quite popular. 2-way communication systems tied in with a loop are available as kits. All-in-one portable devices are also popular. There are plenty of choices out there. These are some examples for starters.

 

6. What about disadvantages?  

  • The physical installation is often seen as an invasive drawback. Loops for larger areas – places of worship, libraries, convention halls or meeting rooms – are best installed during new construction or during venue refurbishments.
  • Cost. This depends on the size of the loop and on the complexity of the design. It is best to have a certified loop contractor do an on-site inspection.

 

7. Gratitude and follow-up

  • Thank people for their time and their willingness to listen.
  • Ask if and when you can check back with them. Usually, other members or committees have to be consulted on the feasibility of the project. However, it is important to keep the channels open and the discussion going.

 

In the end,

It is up to those who are hard-of-hearing to advocate on their own behalf for equitable communication access by means of hearing loops. For now, loops and telecoil systems are the only and best bet for helping hard-of-hearing people understand speech clearly in large, loud and echoey places. So, spread the word on the communication advantages of hearing loops in the interest of inclusion and quality of life.

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Note: Any links to websites or mention of products or technology are for information and illustration only. Loop Minnesota does not favor or endorse one brand, manufacturer or distributor over others.

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Also visit my website hearing-loss-talk.com where I post blogs on all sorts of issues concerning hearing loss.

 

 

 

 

Hearing Loops and Telecoils or Bluetooth? We Need Both!

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

Bluetooth Headset

It is all about access to communication

Recently, the question was asked in a meeting why we keep talking about the need for telecoils in hearing aids and cochlear implants and the installation of hearing loops in venues when Bluetooth is in and telecoils and loops are out.

This is a very timely question as it talks to the confusion about current and future use of Bluetooth for those with hearing loss.

Hearing loops and telecoils work together anywhere in the world. They work in venues of any size, from TV dens in homes to convention halls. No synching needed.

While Bluetooth enables wireless connections between smartphones, hearing aids and other Bluetooth devices, even the latest version of this technology is not ready for public, large-scale signal broadcasting. That type of connectivity is still at least another 10 years out, according to technology specialists.

Loops and telecoils versus Bluetooth? At this time, these are two very helpful but different types of technology that coexist and complement each other.

Telecoils and Bluetooth can be installed together in the same hearing instruments, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants. They have their pros and cons but for the foreseeable future, we need both types of technology.

Because in the end, this is all about quality of life through equitable access to communication for those with hearing loss.

Bluetooth changes by leaps and bounds

In 2014, Bluetooth became a popular feature in hearing aids. People with hearing loss immediately appreciated having a direct, wireless, hands-free connections between their smartphones and their hearing instruments.

Nowadays, cochlear implants, earbuds and devices known as “hearables” are also routinely Bluetooth-enabled. Hearing devices can link up with laptops, TVs and computers and more. Accessories like Bluetooth adapters and streamers help bridge connectivity and compatibility issues.

Overall, Bluetooth is technology that allows wireless, one-on-one, short distance connections between different devices that recognize each other. So far, it is mostly helpful for private, personal use.

Enter Bluetooth LE 5.2

With its new coder-decoder (CODEC) LC3, Bluetooth LE 5.2 is fast becoming the new hype of the town. Within the next year or so, this technology will be found in smartphones, hearing instruments and other devices. While it offers some great advantages, converting to this latest Bluetooth version, or protocol will NOT be a simple software upgrade of existing technology.

And so, people must prepare themselves to invest in new phones and hearing instruments capable of handling this newest Bluetooth edition. In order to get ready for Bluetooth LE (LC3), manufacturers are busy adapting their device hardware and software. Particularly, instrument “chips” must be redesigned and re-licensed.

No overnight magic

Although hearing technology changes very fast, there will be no overnight magic. Getting high-quality, reliable Bluetooth connectivity in large spaces is a worldwide undertaking. Progress is expected within the next 10 years or so.

For the time being, the Bluetooth emphasis is still on short-distance connections. Even the latest Bluetooth LE 5.2 (LC3) version is not ready for public audio broadcast in big venues, such as places of worship, airports, lecture and convention halls etc. There are many kinks to be worked out.

Also, as venues must have hearing loops installed for telecoils to function, so venues must be equipped and readied for Bluetooth LE 5.2 (LC3) transmission and reception.

So far, Hearing loops and telecoils are our best and only bet for understanding speech in large, noisy places. And so, there is a continued need for this technology. It is ready and available to help us hear better NOW as well as throughout the lengthy Bluetooth LE 5.2 (LC3) transition period.

Read more: Bluetooth streaming instead of induction?

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To learn more about all sorts of topics on ears and hearing, visit my website at hearing-loss-talk.com

2022 – The Year for Hearing Loops & Telecoils in Minnesota

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

It is all about “equitable” access

Hearing Loops & Telecoils in Minnesota
Equitable access means that those who need extra accommodation get the help they need. Equal access, or what everybody else gets is often not enough.

For equitable access to communication, those who are hard-of-hearing need boosted sound signals and reduction of background noise in order to hear and understand clearly in noisy venues and businesses. PA (Public Address) systems, 2-way microphone intercoms and even hearing aids are not enough.

Fortunately, the type of technology that facilitates inclusion of the hearing-challenged in lecture rooms, museums, places of worship, convention halls and even at information desks and teller windows exists.

Assistive listening systems made of hearing loops and telecoils can deliver sound clarity beyond one’s wildest dreams. Telecoils, or T-coils are wireless antennas that are installed by the manufacturers in many hearing aids and cochlear implants. They access professionally installed hearing, or induction loops.

Unfortunately, many who could benefit from this technology are not aware of it. Even among hearing specialists there is often bias against it. Do you know if your hearing aids have telecoils? Luckily,  in spite of it all, hearing loops are now in higher demand than ever – in the United States and worldwide.

Back to the old ways? Time for change!

Once COVID simmers down, in-person meetings will be back. Where will that leave Minnesotans with hearing loss? Back to the old struggle of deciphering speech in noise? Back to isolation and depression over feeling excluded?

2022  –  the year of inclusion and equitable access

And so, the time for equitable access to communication for those with hearing loss has arrived. Become involved.

Join Loop Minnesota and let 2022 be the year of hearing loops and telecoils. Let it be the year when Minnesotans learn a lot more about this technology and how it can help communication. Be an advocate for equitable access for yourself and for others. It takes all of us to make a difference because, oh my, there is so much to do in 2022!

Happy Holidays and the Best of Hearing ever in the New Year!!

*****

To learn more about all sorts of topics on ears and hearing, visit my website at hearing-loss-talk.com

FDA Taking Public Comments on OTC Hearing Aids

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

FDA Outlines the Proposed Rule for OTC Hearing Aids

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently posted a page in the Federal Register, which outlines the Proposed Rule for Over-the-Counter (OTC) hearing aids. The Public Comment period on these self-fitting, non-prescription devices opened on October 20th 2021 and will end on 18th of January 2022.

The goal of OTC hearing aids is to produce affordable, FDA-regulated devices for those with a perceived mild to moderate hearing loss and who are 18 years of age and older. The buyers are left to diagnose and treat their hearing loss themselves.
Get Ready to Comment

Get ready to comment

The following link leads directly to the Federal Register page. Here, you find instructions for submitting comments. But once those details are reviewed, the easiest way to get to the comment box is to click “Submit a Formal Comment” at the top of the page. To start a comment, always reference Docket No. FDA-2021-N-0555

Federal Register

Those who want to read the “Proposed Rule” as it stands right now only have to page-down in order to find that language. Inconsistent and vague statements prove that public comment is indeed needed. We have one chance to get this right.

Advocacy for telecoils

Among other wishes and questions, this is a prime opportunity for telecoil advocacy. As a matter of equitable access, OTC hearing aids should connect the customer wirelessly to hearing/induction loops for clearer understanding of speech in background sound.

Hearing loop technology meets the “assistive listening system” requirements of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) for those with telecoils in their hearing aids. Loops are quite popular overseas and they are on an upswing in the U.S. Still, many patients are not told about telecoils and hearing loops, even in professional setting.

Asking for telecoils to be installed in OTC hearing aids not only allows for access to communication in looped venues, it will also popularize the loop/telecoil assistive system in a major and permanent way.

And so, for so many reasons now is the time to act.

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For those who want to learn more about ears and hearing loss issues, please see my website hearing-loss-talk.com

Advocate for Telecoils in OTC Hearing Aids

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

People in Conference Room

In early July 2021, President Biden signed a comprehensive Executive Order. Among other issues, the Department of Health and Human Services is directed to consider the release of proposed rules for the Over-the-Counter (OTC) sale of hearing aids within 120 days.

We might remember that back in August 2017 the bipartisan Over-the Counter Hearing Act was signed into law. The FDA had up to three years to create an OTC, FDA-regulated category of hearing aids. The 2020 Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) was missed. COVID-19 was cited as a major reason.

Public comment period: don’t miss it!

120 days would put the time for the rules release into early November 2021. It is expected that after the rules’ release there will be a 60-day public comment period.  This is the opportunity for the public to speak up about likes, dislikes, recommendations and omissions in the proposed rules.

This is our chance! Watch out for the notice in the media! As soon as I know, I will certainly post it on this site and on Facebook/whatdidyousaybook as well as Tweet it @WhatDidYouSay88.

However, before all of this happens, it is worthwhile to do a bit of homework by reading  up on information regarding  FDA Public Comments.

That said, after the public comment period, the FDA has 180 days to review the comments and to formulate a final rules edition.

Advocate for Telecoils in OTC Hearing Aids

The recommendation for telecoils to be included in OTC hearing aids is a must as it speaks to the importance of communication access. Product labeling has to have a Telecoil/hearing loop section to educate the users on this assistive technology system that allows for clearer hearing in loud and sound-confused places and that makes businesses accessible to those with hearing loss.

As the features of OTC hearing aids are discussed in the media, one hopes that telecoils and hearing loops will get much-needed public exposure and that prospective users will see the importance of advocating for this technology.

Best for Hearing Better

And so, It would be tragic to miss the opportunity to speak up on our own behalf. Experts agree that at least for the next 10 to 15 years and maybe longer, hearing loops and telecoils are the best bet for hearing better in background sound – which is where most of life is lived.

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To learn more about topics related to Hearing and Balance, see my website: hearing-loss-talk.com