letsloopseattle

Glass shields and facemasks make communication harder for everyone, even more so for people with hearing loss and people who are Deaf. An N95 mask can reduce high-frequency sounds by 12 decibels, and worse, any mask will reduce or even eliminate our ability to interpret facial expressions and speech-read. Hearing loops and other hearing accommodations are needed now more than ever to overcome these new communication barriers brought about by the pandemic.

Longtime hearing loss advocates in Bellingham, Washington, are taking matters into their own…ears. Thanks to advocates with HLAA-Whatcom County, this new counter loop at the Bellingham Public Library is one of many loops planned for the Bellingham area. The team hopes to bring a similar loop setup to City Hall, parks & recreation, the municipal court, police, public works, and more.

For clearer sound and better comprehension, library patrons can turn their hearing aids or CIs to T or Telecoil mode in order to tune into the hearing loop. Patrons who need a little help hearing but who don’t have hearing aids (or hearing aids with telecoils) can borrow a headset to hear better.

Thank you so much to our HLAA-Whatcom County loop advocates extraordinaire: Mike Sweeney, Lou Touchette, Larry Wonnacott, Don Gischer, Jerry and Joanna Olmstead, Jerry Finkbonner, Tanya Griffey, Pam Spencer, and Charlene MacKenzie, Joyce Moseley-Sweeney, and Vicki Hammond, with a special nod of gratitude to Cheri Perazzoli and Ann Thomas.

By Louis Touchette

Last week I upgraded to the new “Kanso 2” processors and relegated my two old Kansos to “Spares/backup” status.

So, what’s different? Well, the Kanso 2 processors are a slight bit smaller in diameter but otherwise pretty much the same as far as wear. Also different, I no longer have to wear my phone clip to listen to music or talk on my phone. I still have the option to use my phone clip if I want to make totally hands free phone calls. Otherwise, I have to hold the phone to my mouth to speak.

What I really enjoy is being able to control my processors with my phone app. I’ve always enjoyed being able to control my mini-mic 2+ to adjust the ratio of processor vs min-mic sound. With the phone app I can easily turn on and off any accessory and adjust ratios. For example, in a restaurant I can place the mini-mic on the table and turn down the processor microphones so I hear none of the restaurant noise. I can turn up the mini-mic sound so I can hear everyone at the table, only. When In a crowd of people I can do the same thing so all I hear is the person who I clip the microphone onto.

Since the processor batteries are rechargeable, I simply put them in the charger each night WITHOUT having to turn them off. In the morning I remove the processors and place them on my head WITHOUT having to turn them on. I usually get up about 5 am and go to bed at 9 pm. On my phone app is a meter that shows my Kanso 2 battery state. I’ve noticed that at night the battery state still shows half full… and that, after16 hours of constant use. That’s comforting. I also have spare auxiliary batteries if for, example there’s a power outage, or I’m out camping where I can’t plug in a charger. Also, I have my spare “Kanso’s” that use batteries so I’m never in a situation where I can’t hear.

Downside:
1. The Kanso 2 does not have a telecoil, so I am obligated to carry my telecoil-equipped Mini-mic 2+ microphone whenever I go to church, HOA lodge, watch TV in my “looped” home, attend our local movie theater or attend our HLAA meetings, all places which have induction loops installed. And of course, I have to remember to keep the mini-mic charged.

2. Another downside is that there is no identification on which is left and which is right. The processors are totally 100% identical. As a result, I’ve had to label them “L or R”… so becoming, sigh! See photo… (in which I need a haircut)

3.The Kanso 2 comes with hair clips which, with me being near bald, I cannot use. I had to devise some clips to hook on my glasses to catch my processors if they fall off (which rarely ever happens). I’ve attempted to sell the eyeglass clip idea to Cochlear for the past five years but as yet they HAVE NOT listened. I’ve ended up making clips from picture hangers.

If you’re hard of hearing or deaf and you use captions while meeting online, you may qualify for a University of Washington study.

The UW is looking for groups of 3-5 people with at least one Deaf or hard of hearing person. The group should meet regularly and use online captions.

The study groups will meet just three times, and the study pays $125 for each participant.

Read more on this flyer, and sign up to join the study.

Abha Sharma’s hearing loss began in childhood, but she was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss only in her early teen years. Meanwhile, she had taught herself to read lips at a very young age and managed to get by. Staunchly supported and encouraged by her parents, especially her father, Abha persevered with her studies and completed her PhD in Biophysics from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India. It was here that she met her husband, Rajendra, also a scientist. Together, the two of them and their two young children traversed some tough times and finalized their immigration process to Texas in 2007. In 2014, they moved to Seattle.

Today, Dr. Sharma is a research scientist at the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Washington. When she is not at her UW lab, she loves to write. Currently, she is working on a memoir of hearing loss experiences that have enriched her life.  Some of her articles have already been published: “Puja with Mother,” “Barter Beads,” “Kitaab” and lately, “Why don’t you repeat what I just said?”. More recently, Abha was selected as a semi-finalist in the She Writes Press and SparkPress Towards Diversity in Publishing contest.

Around 2010, Abha discovered HLAA and soon became a member. Attending her first Chapter meeting was a life-changing event. In 2013, she served as a Board Officer for the Fort Worth Chapter in Texas. Later that year, she attended her first HLAA convention in Portland. She began reading HLAA’s Hearing Life magazine, which was another turning point for her. She now understood why she did not like big gatherings and offered to wash dishes at get-togethers. Listening was exhausting! Washing dishes was easier.

Abha is very grateful to HLAA; it has taught her to take better care of herself and her hearing needs as well as improving upon strategies for communication.

In May 2021, Bill Collison passed away, and the world lost a kind, generous man who was a friend to everyone with hearing loss.

Bill served as HLAA-WA treasurer at the time of his death. To honor Bill’s vision and to ensure everyone could hear he service clearly, Bill’s family worked with us to make sure the celebration of his life was hearing-friendly. A microphone was used by all presenters, live captions were projected for all to read, and an FM assistive listening system was available. You can watch a recording of the beautiful, touching service here.

Bill’s family suggested that donations in his memory be sent to HLAA-WA. If you’d like to donate, you may send donations to HLAA-Washington, PO Box 265, Redmond, Washington, 98073-0265. A form is available here, if you like.

We’re touched by and grateful to Bill’s family, and we’re honored to carry Bill’s work forward by ensuring that people with hearing loss across our state are encouraged, empowered, and supported to live their lives to the fullest.