letsloopseattle

In a short time, one local Puget Sound community is moving forward in their efforts to connect people with hearing loss to their world: Bainbridge Island Public Library is now looped!

Rick Faunt (left), owner of Now Hear This!, prepared for the copper wire with help from his assistant, Rick Diaz (center), and Bob Bosserman, chair of facilities for BPL. The loop slipped easily under the carpet.

The Community Room at the Bainbridge Island Public Library received its loop installation on June 15. Rick Faunt of Now Hear This! installed the loop, which was funded by the Rotary Club of Bainbridge. 

Bob Bosserman and Rick Diaz test the loop in the BPL Community Room.

Good signage will point you toward this large, popular community space—a space that can now be enjoyed by more people.

The sign at BPL’s Community Room reminds patrons to make the T-coil switch.

Nearly half of Bainbridge Island residents are over 50, the age group most likely to experience hearing loss. That means as many as 3,000 Bainbridge residents can better engage with their communities, thanks to these loops.

What a great example of responding to the real needs of a community.

Libraries matter to communities everywhere–maybe especially so in places like Burlington, Washington, where libraries are the heart of many public meetings and events for everyone of all ages. Unfortunately, these rewarding activities are often lost to people with hearing loss, many of whom stay home because they simply cannot understand the PA system or the librarian well enough to participate fully.

Local HLA members and the library recognized this need for accommodation. The diligence of HLA advocates Jerry and Joanna Olmstead teamed with the enthusiasm of Maggie Buckholz at the Burlington Public Library to create a fantastically looped venue.

Maggie Buckholz, Burlington Library Director,
and Jerry and Joanna Olmstead excitedly unpack the loop and signs.

Library visitors now benefit from a counter loop and a loop in the Rotary/Skagit Community Room. Prominent blue signs—an often-forgotten but important part of access—let people know the loop is up and running.

Maggie installs the sign letting people know about the counter loop.

How well does the new looping work?

So well that everyone at a recent CI meeting deemed it “perfection.” So perfect, in fact, an attendee could hear the meeting goings-on through her T-coil while she was in the ladies room! (This wouldn’t be noticed by anyone without a T-coil, so no worries for non-hearing-aid users.)

Check BPL’s website for upcoming looped events, and be sure to thank the staff for the looped accommodation. And as always, we welcome feedback on how it works for you.

Maggie tests the counter loop. A-OK!

A grateful nod to Jerry and Joanna Olmstead along with Maggie Buckholz and the crew at BPL for making the loop happen. Maggie is so committed to the accessibility of looped spaces that she’s become an advocate for more looping throughout Burlington, including the city council chambers. Go, Maggie!

Derrick Coleman gives Let’s Loop Seattle founder Cheri Perazzoli a hug.

Let’s Loop Seattle was thrilled to attend the Celebration of Hearing at CenturyLink Field on Friday May 23, 2014, hosted by local hearing loss nonprofits.

The guest of honor: Seattle Seahawk Derrick Coleman, the first deaf offensive player in the NFL. Derrick became deaf at the age of three. He overcame a lifetime of bullying and ignorance to be signed by the Seahawks in December 2012. And of course, Derrick also became a Superbowl champion this year.

Derrick is also a tremendous advocate for people–especially children–with hearing loss. He inspires people of all ages to adopt a “no excuses” approach to achieving their dreams, regardless of their ability to hear.

Spencer Norby (above) installed the temporary hearing loop
in the ROOT Lounge at CenturyLink Field for the Celebration of Hearing.

The special event took place in the ROOT Sports Lounge in CenturyLink Stadium.  Several hearing accommodations were available. A temporary hearing loop was installed in the lounge for the event by Spencer Norby, who donated his time. We were pleased to introduce the loop to many hearing loss advocates for the first time.

Thank you to the hosts of this memorable day: the Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss, Listen and Talk, Viriginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, and Seattle Children’s Childhood Communications Center.

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If you’re buying hearing aids for the first time, or looking to purchase a new pair, be sure to read this excellent article/blog post, “Ready to buy new hearing aids? Be sure it has bluetooth as well as telecoil wireless technology!” from Loop Wisconsin. The article explains the uses of bluetooth and telecoil technology, describing how each complements the other, and how the combination of the two can truly improve the users quality of life. The article also explores the importance of finding an audiologist who will show you all of your options when it comes to hearing aids–be sure to find an audiologist who is committed to helping you find what technologies will work best for you! I’ve quoted some of the article below, but you’ll want to read the whole thing.

What every hearing aid user should be told by their audiologist or hearing aid provider

There is some confusion among hearing professionals regarding Blue Tooth and Hearing Induction Loops. The misunderstanding that is that Bluetooth and hearing loop technology are mutually exclusive when in fact they complement each other and have tremendous capability to improve quality of life for the user.

Hearing aid users can take advantage of both: many of my clients benefit from Bluetooth wireless technology watching TV at home, while using their cellphone or on Sunday morning when they happily switch to their telecoil in church. Hearing aid users cannot benefit from telecoils if they are not educated about them and so equipped. One unhappy – because her audiologist failed to mention telecoils even once in 30+ hearing aid adjustment appointments – hearing aid user from Minnesota wrote me: “One has to have one to take advantage of the loop. I would have chosen a different instrument”.

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Audiologists and hearing aid dispensers who are recommending Bluetooth wireless or FM technology for their hearing aid and CI clients and counsel their clients on the use of telecoils in large venues equipped with hearing loops are meeting standard of care guidelines as specified by the American Academy of Audiology guidelines and endorsed by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association.

Visit Loop Wisconsin to read the rest of the article.