Internet Resources for People with Hearing Loss
My wife often says that if you have to be deaf, this is
a good time to do it. What she means is that we have an abundance of
technology, support groups, information, etc. that were unheard of just
a few years ago. One of the great new resources is the Internet; what a
great way for people to connect.
This page contains categorized links to some of the
Internet resources we think may be helpful to people with hearing loss.
Please click on the appropriate category below.
And if you'd like to exchange links, please contact
us.
General Hearing Loss Information
Hearing Aid
Purchase Assistance
Kids and Hearing Loss
Musicians with Hearing Loss
Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss
Non-Hearing Loss Links
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Suite101
offers general hearing loss information, chats, and even courses on
hearing loss.
The About.com
Deafness/Hard of Hearing site, hosted by Jamie Berke, is a wonderful
source of all kinds of hearing loss information.
Hearing
Haven does hearing aid repairs, and their site also contains lots of
good hearing loss information.
hear-it
is an international non-profit organization whose site contains lots of
information on all aspects of hearing loss.
How loud is too loud? Well, it depends on lots of
things, like frequency, duration, and an individual's response to loud
sounds. Here's a set of guidelines
from OSHA that relates sound level to maximum safe exposure time.
(Scroll down about a page to Table G-16 to see exposure times.) And here's
a page from the CDC that provides estimates of the noise level of
various common devices. Here's an example to help you make
sense of this. The CDC page says that a chain saw produces noise of
intensity 110 db. The OSHA page says that the maximum exposure time for
110 db is half an hour. So the conclusion is that if you operate a chain
saw without hearing protection for longer than a half an hour, you are
putting your hearing at risk.
You are probably aware that the Rotary Club has programs
that benefit people with hearing loss. But did you know that there's a
group of Rotarians with hearing loss who are very active in the
community. Here's the scoop on the International
Fellowship of Rotarians Affected by Hearing Loss.
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BHI maintains a great list of organizations that provide assistance
acquiring hearing aids.
Hear Now is part of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Here
is a description of their services along with income guidelines for
hearing aid purchase assistance
Another source of assistance for hearing aid purchase is Listen
Up.
You should also check your local service clubs - Sertoma, Lions,
Elks, etc.
For those of modest means, Audient
Alliance may be the answer!
If you're working, check with your local Vocational
Rehabilitation office.
Also see
The Starkey Hearing Foundation
Finally, if your insurance claim has been denied, check with Let
Them Hear to see if they can help you.
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Listen
Up has been around forever and does a great job of working with
families that include kids with hearing loss.
Another longstanding resource for families that include
kids with hearing loss is Parents
Place. They also host a very informative weekly chat.
RaisingDeafKids.org
is a new website that's affiliated with The Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia.
Another new site that looks really interesting is www.helpkidshear.org
One more : www.hearmefoundation.org
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Hearing loss can be especially tough on those with an
interest in music. Here are some resources for them:
PowerPoint
presentation entitled "Musicians and Hearing Aids"
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Association of Medical
Professionals with Hearing Loss (AMPHL)
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MAC
Pharma Network - A unique online health resource with information on
hundreds of diseases and drugs along with a popular offshore based
internet pharmacy.
Health6.com
- A comprehensive health directory.
