Have we reached the "tipping point" on audio loops?

by David Myers

February 2010

Editor: Sergei Kochhkin is asking the question and Dave Myers is providing lots of evidence that we may be getting there. Here's a note from Dave with his evidence. This note was sent to some of the hearing loss email lists and is reproduced with Dave's kind permission.

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"Perhaps we are reaching that tipping point where we indeed make the world accessible to people with hearing loss through increasing the functionality of hearing aids." So said Better Hearing Institute director Sergei Kochkin (quoted with permission) last Friday, mindful of the avalanche of good news that is being released to the nation's major media over the next couple weeks.

Here `tis . . . news you can use:

"The American Academy of Audiology, on behalf of hearing professionals, and the Hearing Loss Association of America on behalf of people with hearing loss announce a collaborative public education campaign 'Get in the Hearing Loop.'" For the full press release on this unprecedented HLAA/AAA joint initiative, see http://hearingloop.org/PressRelease-HLAA-Academy.doc

Simultaneously, the national service organization, Sertoma (Service to Mankind), and its associated Hearing Charities of America, are announcing plans to promote hearing loops in communities served by its 540 clubs. For their announcement, see http://hearingloop.org/Sertoma.pdf.

The Hearing Review has just released its new issue, with a cover headlining "Looping the World: How we can double hearing aid functionality with induction loop technology." See http://hearingloop.org/HearingReview-2010.pdf  for the cover and article, which perhaps can assist local education and outreach.

Moreover, new and existing hearing loop companies are expanding their production and marketing of products to audio firms, hearing professionals, and the lay public. (See http://www.hearingloop.org/vendors.htm.)

Feel free to draw on any of this good news in support of your own efforts.

Finally, a word of appreciation: None of this would be happening without the support and encouragement of so many people of good will, including Brenda Battat (HLAA executive director) and Patricia Kricos (AAA president-elect), and many others, including many of you, from New York to California.