Hello
A great deal has been done to help us in the world of ordinary hearing, but often it is not backed up by knowledge. I went into my bank the other day and asked if the hearing loop was switched on. A frisson of fear crossed the young man’s face and I felt guilty for asking him. Still, persevere. A Supervisor drifted over and I took my hearing aid off ‘loop position’ and looked hopeful.
It turned out that the hearing loop was a portable one and no-one had thought to charge it. Maybe it could be added to someone’s job description. Give the young man responsibility for technology and you will reap the rewards.
So, I was stumped in the bank, until I realised that 3 beeps on my aid, I think it is. It focuses on the directional microphone on top of the aid. I could hear most of what he said, but the background noise was thunderous, hence the need for a loop. The problem with that is that it could only be around one person’s desk. Although I know no-one who wants to hear someone else’s problems, the bank has stamped on this on security grounds. Oh-la-la, if we could just hear the one person without background noise, wouldn’t that be great? Charge your loops, please.
Some pubs have started putting loops in tables , with throwaway hearing-aids, so that their customers do not have to shout at each other. I found this at a Hearing Exhibition at the V & A Museum in 2009. Other ingenious ideas included a badge to be worn by all cyclists, so that the hearing-aid wearer could have a conversation with someone else. It would mean they would have the same warnings as everyone else. I have put the exhibition into Google, but with no luck so far. Have you heard of a new way of communicating? Please share.
Have a great weekend.
Hearing Wellbeing 