John Woodgate
Well, in about an hour's time, I will be
taking part in the IEC committee on this subject, although
Auracast won't be discussed until tomorrow. I'm not 100% expert,
because I can't join the 'inner circle' of Bluetooth since I am
not a limited company! There is no doubt that Bluetooth are
working as fast as they can to actually release Auracast; the
delay must be quite embarrassing.
After Auracast is released, we will see a
growth of installations, and a reduction in the installation of
hearing loops, because, as you say, the installation costs can
be very different. But there are tens of thousands of hearing
loops out there, even if there should be ten times more, and
millions of hearing aids that don't have Auracast but do have
telecoils, even though there should be ten times more. We expect
hearing loops to last for at least another ten years, and quite
possibly more. There may be a celebration of the decommissioning
of the last hearing loop in 2052.
However, I have yet to hear of a building that
can't have a hearing loop installed. Hearing loops have been
installed in metal elevator cages, and I mean solid metal sheet,
not mesh.
======================================================================================
Best wishes
John Woodgate OOO-Own Opinions Only
www.woodjohn.uk
Rayleigh, Essex UK
I hear, and I forget.
I see, and I remember.
I do, and I understand.
Xunzi (340 - 245 BC)
On 2022-10-31 19:29, Carol in Boston
wrote:
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
I am puzzled about AuraCast. I recently bought Phonak Lumity aids.
Of course they have telecoils, but I’m wondering how soon AuraCast
will be replacing looping. Looping is such a tough sell be
installation is expensive, and can’t be installed in many
buildings. I understand the latency problem has been eliminated to
the extent that it is negligible. It this true, or is it just
their PR? I don’t know whether to return these aids and stick with
my old ones if me new ones will be outdated within a couple of
years.
Is anyone knowledgeable about this issue?
Carol Agate
On Oct 31, 2022, at 3:19 PM, Julie Olson HLAA in
Wisconsin/Appleton <julieo@...> wrote:
Steve, 2nd paragraph,
last sentence. Did HLAA call for telecoils in their
comments to FDA or didn’t they? The wording is
confusing. Thanks for clarification of this sentence:
“You'll recall HLAA did even call
for telecoils in the devices in their comments to
the FDA re the proposed rules for OTC hearing aids
last summer.”
Thank you,
Julie Olson
Ron - You
have been very effective in presenting your
thoughts re the lack of aggressive advocacy
for telecoils on the part of the national
office in regard to hearing care providers and
hearing aid manufacturers but you've been
preaching to the choir. You say you are not
the one to lead an effort on marketing HLAA
and possibly of developing a plan to reach out
to the hearing care and hearing aid
manufacturing industries on the need for
telecoils but you could, I believe, very
effectively share your thoughts on these
matters not with us choristers but with the
board of directors.
Email
addresses for the board members don't seem to
be made public but an open letter to all board
members via Barbara Kelley detailing your
thinking would certainly do no harm. She
would obviously share it with the board. Others
on this list could do likewise and
such letters might result in the board's
consideration of a policy that would be more
aggressive in the pursuit of recognition of
the endorsement and promotion of telecoil
technology on the part of those industries.
This would be particularly helpful for the OTC
hearing aid manufacturers who have been
oblivious to the support of and need for
telecoils on the part of educated hearing care
consumers. You'll recall HLAA did even call
for telecoils in the devices in their comments
to the FDA re the proposed rules for OTC
hearing aids last summer.
As for
practitioners, in their "statement of
strategic intent" in 2012, the HLAA board said
the association should encourage providers to
follow best practices and that clinicians
should offer a wide spectrum of devices and
treatments, know how they work, and base care
on an assessment of each person’s hearing and
lifestyle needs. I don't recall ever seeing a
report to the membership on if, when and how
such encouragement was and/or is being
provided. I'm sure such a report would be
eagerly read by many of us.
In
advocating for telecoils, every voice counts -
don't quite yours...
Stephen
O. Frazier, Hearing Loss Support Specialist
Hearing Loss Association of
America
---------- Original Message ----------
From: "Ron Moe" < ron@...>
To: HLAAGITHL@...
Subject: Re: [HLAAGITHL] Strong support of
telecoils by IFHOH, Budapest Declaration
#Advocacy #Telecoil
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2022 07:11:32 -0700
Thank you Michelle and Linda for your
encouraging words. It appears that I have
struck a nerve. For the most part, I believe
that HLAA has relied on the hearing health
professionals to promote HLAA as well as
telecoils and hearing loops. But as we have
discovered. that effort is mostly useless.
Word of mouth often works but for some reason,
word of mouth fails mostly because of stigmas,
plus when people do finally accept that they
need hearing aids, they rely on the
"professionals" instead of end users. I am
speaking general of course. As I have
mentioned in past posts, for whatever reasons,
HLAA has not put Hearing Loops and Telecoils
as a top priority. I don't know if it has to
do with charters or whatever but unless we as
a group begin to speak loudly and often to
HLAA leadership, not just Barbara Kelly, but
the board perhaps. HLAA is a great
organization and has a good start but after 4o
or more years of existence, the masses still
haven't heard of HLAA or Hearing Loops and
Telecoils. The masses have heard of AARP, AG
Bell perhaps but a new way of doing things
needs to happen. I wish I had the talent and
skills to lead this effort but that is not my
gift. I have been able to point out the real
problem, but someone or some group of gifted
and talented people need to take the effort
forward. So many individuals have worked so
hard to do their part, and they continue to
believe that what they are doing is the way
forward. I am 78 and I don't have another 40
years to take this on even if I had the gifts,
talents and skills. But it will take another
40 years if we continue as we have been
doing.
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