Category Archives: audiologist

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/

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.

 

 

 

SNR Hearing Loss? Hearing Loops Help

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

SNR Hearing Loss? Hearing Loops Help

What is SNR Hearing Loss?

SNR stands for Signal to Noise Ratio. In the case of hearing loss, the “signal” that is all important is the speech signal. And so, SNR Hearing Loss refers to a most frustrating issue, namely “ the inability to understand speech in background noise.” Speech signals are drowned out by competing sounds and the more hearing loss a person has the more garbled speech becomes.

“SNR Hearing Loss,” is an expression that is used more commonly nowadays and therefore it must be introduced into the vocabulary of those with hearing loss. In a way, an old familiar problem gets a name.

SNR Hearing Tests

SNR losses tell by how much the speech signal must be raised over background din for speech to be understood. Audiologists can actually measure SNR losses with tests that go beyond the standard tests that are usually performed in a quiet or even soundproof place. Such a scenario obviously does not reflect the realities of everyday life.

During these tests, the patient repeats short sentences against increasing levels of competing background sound. The resulting scores tell the hearing specialist how much loss there is and what type of help the patient needs. The aim is to bring the SNR into a range that makes it easier to understand speech in noise.

Often, the frustration for patients is that even perfectly tuned hearing aid features are not powerful enough to boost the SNR in noisy places. In those cases, other hearing strategies and/or assistive technology are needed, such as the use of an auxiliary microphone.

Certainly, the background noise can be lowered or even turned off but in most cases that is not possible. One can get close enough to face a conversation partner in order to lip-or speechread, which is not very practical in large venues. And now, COVID safety practices do not allow for that approach.

Hearing loops help

The nature of hearing loops is that they greatly reduce background sound and even eliminate it. Only what goes into a speaker’s microphone goes into the telecoils in hearing aids or implanted devices.

The sound signal of a correctly installed hearing loop is even and a lot clearer and stronger than what hearing aids might deliver. With a loop it does not matter how far away the telecoil user is from the speaker. In a looped area anybody with telecoils – in hearing instruments or in portable devices – can listen without strain or struggle. Even people with severe hearing losses report greatly improved listening experiences in looped venues.

Time to learn and to be included in conversations

As COVID-19 winds down ever so slowly and society opens up, people with hearing loss do not want to be left out and isolated again. This is a good time to learn about Loop technology and to advocate for the installation of hearing loops in places where we need to hear and understand better: Library lecture rooms; places of worship; event halls; courts of law etc.

And so, there is no time like the present to work on getting into the loop and to create our communication future.

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For any questions or suggestions regarding hearing loops, contact us.

Also visit my website: hearing-loss-talk.com where I blog about all sorts of topics related to hearing and hearing loss.

COVID Homebound? Learn About Neckloops

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

Learn About Neckloops

Got telecoils in the hearing aids but no loop at home with which to use them? Learn about the induction neckloop, which could be a very helpful tool for those who do not have Bluetooth hearing aid connectivity for streaming over short distances.

What is a neckloop?

A basic, non-amplified neckloop is a miniature version of a large loop, such as a room loop. It is an electrical wire that is worn unobtrusively around the neck, under a shirt maybe. It has a plug that connects to different sound sources, such as personal FM amplifiers, phones, MP3 players, laptops, TV etc.

The sound source energizes the loop wire. Users activate the telecoils by switching the hearing aids or cochlear implants into T-mode or T/M mode. The telecoils tap into the magnetic field generated around the wire and pick up the refined audio signal for much clearer listening.

Of course, there are all sorts of assistive devices on the market. However, at a cost of less than $50, I find that my neckloop (pictured above) was a good investment. When I do Zoom presentations, the loop is plugged into the laptop headphone jack. It is invisible to the audience and so is the wireless communication between the neckloop and the hearing aid Telecoil. Discussions that all too often take place in low-quality sound environments become a lot easier to follow.

Complexity and compatibility

More advanced neckloop versions incorporate a microphone and amplifier button or wheel. These are often referred to amplified or powered neckloops. They cost more than the basic version and the larger mic/amplifier portion is visible. But they do have their advantages.

People who use such loops regularly for easier communication, especially at work, share that they are great for one-on-one communication, while being socially distanced. An amplified/powered neckloop could be quite helpful at the doctor’s or lawyer’s office or when visiting with a friend. They also facilitate hands-free telephone conversations that will be heard in both ears if the user has two hearing aids with telecoils.

Amplified/power neckloops must be matched to the devices and phones to which they will connect. Compatibility is key and so it is important that the correct connector cables are provided or purchased. Read the fine print!

Making the most of the devices that we have

People with hearing loss know that change is constant, especially when it comes to changes in hearing technology. Yet, it does not always have to terribly expensive and over-the-top complicated. For the price, neckloops can help us make the best of all sorts of hearing gadgets that we have already stashed around the house.

Do some research. Look at the websites of the many companies that deal with this technology, such as these local providers:

harriscomm.com

williamsav.com

Also, talk to the audiologist about neckloop options and assistive listening devices (ALDs).

However, for any loops to work, we must remind audiologists that we need telecoils in our hearing aids and cochlear implants – tuned to our hearing loss and activated.

And so, spend a few moments googling the topic because in the World of Hearing Loss learning never stops. Contact us at loopminnesota.org to learn more.

Disclaimer: Any web addresses or links are provided for information and illustration only. The author and Loop Minnesota do not favor one manufacturer, supplier or company over another