Hearing Sparks

Another Hearing Aid That Doesn't Look Like a Hearing Aid
Hearing Sparks Take a look at this - the new "Panasonic JZ Power WH-105JZ hearing instrument with binaural audio headset."(Picture via medGadget) Doesn't look much like a hearing aid, does it? According to the press release, this hearing instrument is intended for mild to severe hearing loss. You have your little unit, which looks more like an mp3 player than what it is, and a ...
Mon, Feb 13 2012 · 8 hours ago

Help in the Classroom: From a Game System?
Hearing Sparks (Photo from Flickr user barron)Can you imagine a classroom in which some kids are encouraged to be looking at their game systems?Nintendo and a Japanese company, NTT, are working together to make this a reality. The project they are working on will make it possible for deaf students to keep up with a lecture in the classroom. The project "captures instructor speech, c...
Fri, Feb 10 2012

Laura Muller and Undiagnosed Hearing Loss
Hearing Sparks Reading about people who are successful and driven with a hearing loss is always inspiring to me. The latest such story I've seen was in the Yorkshire Post here and has to do with Laura Muller. She was born with 50% of her hearing and is now a professional skydiver.In the article, Laura discusses how she would often have concerns about how well she could handle things...
Wed, Feb 08 2012

World's Tiniest Ear Created
Hearing Sparks This is completely fascinating and more than a little mind-bending.Scientists in Germany have developed the world's tiniest ear, referred to as a "nano-ear." This ear could be able to listen to the sounds of bacteria and viruses, both of which make noise as they move. Not only are they extremely sensitive, they can even tell where a sound is coming from.According to t...
Thu, Feb 02 2012

I Just Learned Sign Language!
Hearing Sparks I was flipping through channels on the television the other day when I saw a channel showing reruns of Full House. I grew up in the 1990s, and Full House was one of my very favorite shows. (In fact I remember always being frustrated it was rarely captioned... of course, now the reruns are captioned so I can capture that bit of nostalgia and see - or "hear" - what I wa...
Fri, Jan 27 2012

How To Contact Businesses Executives About Your ADA Concerns
Hearing Sparks I think one of the best things people can do to ensure their complaints and comments are heard is to contact the people at the top. This is especially true if there are accessibility or equality requirements that need to be met. Today I want to show you how you can use a library database as a way to contact the people high in the chain of command about your concerns. ...
Mon, Jan 23 2012

The Top 3 Moments When It's Hardest For Me to Hear
Hearing Sparks A recent experience at work prompted me to think about the more difficult situations I have, when it is most difficult to hear other people. I thought of my top 3 "hardest to hear" situations and decided to list them here. I'm curious to know what you would consider the top 3 moments it's hardest to hear. What do you think?1) Trying to talk in a fast food restaurant t...
Thu, Jan 19 2012

Deaf, Hearing Impaired, Hard of Hearing...
Hearing Sparks Warning: overanalysis ahead. I tend to do this, just ask my husband!I was at work yesterday and happened to mention to a patron that I am deaf. His response surprised me - "What?! You can't be deaf. You're talking to me, aren't you?"In my time since writing this blog, I have considered how to explain my hearing loss to people. I grew up with everyone saying I was hear...
Wed, Jan 11 2012

What Do You Do When You Can't Identify a Sound?
Hearing Sparks Although I love my hearing aids, one problem I often encounter is that a lot of sounds sound alike to me. Sometimes even a sound I am familiar with will sound very odd in a different situation than I'm used to.From Flickr user Oberazzi.Sometimes I ignore the sound... sometimes it freaks me out a little bit and I want to know what it is. My family, including my husband...
Mon, Jan 09 2012

Looking Forward to 2012
Hearing Sparks Welcome to the new year! We are now in 2012 and I have to keep reminding myself to write a "12" where I would have written an "11."2011 was a very exciting year for me. My husband and I bought a house this past year and also managed to acquire two cats, a dog, a tortoise, and two birds in addition to the bearded dragon we already own. I hope that 2012 is as good to us...
Mon, Jan 02 2012

Just Like You: A New Book Promoting Acceptance, Not Bullying
Hearing Sparks Just Like You is a book by Robert Kroupa, exploring the issues of bullying and accepting people for who they are. The book follows Henry, a field mouse who is deaf, and Boris, a spider who has a bad leg. Together they learn to stick together through thick and thin.The book is being published by the Just Like You Foundation and 100% of the profits are going to charitie...
Sat, Dec 31 2011

Play It Down: A Free App for Teens To Educate About Hearing...
Hearing Sparks From Flickr user Miss Sydney MarieWhen it comes to teenagers, it often seems like the more dire the warnings against something, the more likely they are to embrace it. Loud music is no exception. While there's no doubt many teenagers are aware of the dangers of hearing loss from noise exposure, the question is, does it actually make them turn down the music?There's a ...
Thu, Dec 29 2011

A Couple of Funnies
Hearing Sparks I apologize for my recent lack of updates - although, looking at my last post, I didn't realize it had been that long!A couple of funny moments to share today. They are both from my workplace. A patron came in and told me he wanted to "renew his password." I was a bit confused, but I explained our password system (for computer access) and that they don't need renewal....
Sat, Dec 03 2011

Eventually, No More Moisture Problems?
Hearing Sparks Image from John 'K' on Flickr.One of the most annoying things about owning a pair of hearing aids is dealing with the problems that can arise from excess moisture getting in the workings. I try to remember to take my hearing aids to my audiologist every few months to have them dried out, and I use a Dry and Store every night, but the problem still persists.I was excit...
Mon, Nov 21 2011

Guest Post: Accessibility at College
Hearing Sparks The below guest post is from Anthony Garcia. For more information about guest posts on Hearing Sparks (I love them!), see here. --- Anthony recently completed his graduate education in English Literature. A New Mexico native, he currently resides and writes in Seattle, Washington. He writes primarily about education, travel, literature, and American culture...
Tue, Nov 15 2011

Help FEMA Reach the Deaf Community, November 9th
Hearing Sparks On November 9th at 2PM Eastern, there will be a national test of the Emergency Broadcast System by FEMA. If you live in the US and have a Twitter account, you can help FEMA establish how well the alert reaches the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community. There is more information at the Xpressive Handz blog here.
Mon, Nov 07 2011

On PBS November 3rd: A Documentary About ASL Poetry
Hearing Sparks On November 6th on many PBS stations, Independent Lens will be showing a documentary about American Sign Language poetry called "Deaf Jam."The documentary will follow Aneta Brodski, who is a high school student attending the Lexington School for the Deaf. She is involved with promoting ASL poetry and slam poetry and takes a look at Aneta's life and her schoolmates.In ...
Tue, Nov 01 2011

Guest Post: The Beauty of Signing
Hearing Sparks The following guest post is from Isabella Woods. For more information about guest posts on Hearing Sparks (I love them!), see here. --- There are literally hundreds of different types of sign language around the world and these languages aren’t just used by the deaf/hard of hearing: there are military sign languages, sign languages for people with learning diff...
Wed, Oct 26 2011

Hearing Aid Battery Safety
Hearing Sparks My brand of hearing aid batteries.Wearing hearing aids goes beyond just having something stuffed in your ear all the time and feeling like you are part cyborg. It can also bring a lot of clutter with it, from hearing aid batteries to Dry n Store units on your nightstand and special alarm clocks that vibrate the bed.I have come up with a nice tidy way to keep my hearin...
Mon, Oct 17 2011

The iPhone Sound Amplifier
Hearing Sparks I wanted to share with you a blog post I saw today from David Lee King. He was sent an iPhone Sound Amplifier from WirelessGround and did a short review of it. The blog post is here and he posted a video which is below; no captions but I added a transcript underneath which I hope is mostly accurate.I think this is a neat device with a nice retro look to it. I don't ha...
Fri, Oct 14 2011

Around the Web Wednesday
Hearing Sparks Sarah at Speak Up Librarian talks about her experience with her new Oticon hearing aids. I really enjoy reading this kind of personal testimonial. Good luck with your aids, Sarah!This is an interesting, heartfelt article from Suzie Jones titled "Why do deaf people 'sound funny'?"Here's an article with some interesting statistics about minority students with disabiliti...
Wed, Oct 12 2011

Around the Web Wednesday
Hearing Sparks I like this list of 8 Simple Tips to Improve Accessibility for websites.This is an interesting tool meant to help companies see the actual cost (and potential savings/value) of hiring a person with a disability.Here's an interesting post about why the dragon (and seahorse) symbolizes the Deaf for the Japanese.Here is a great post from Audiotoniq about the lack of TV c...
Wed, Oct 05 2011

UnitedHealth to Offer Discounted Hearing Aids
Hearing Sparks Image from quosquos on Flickr.Soon, UnitedHealth Group, an insurance company, will be offering discounted hearing aids, even to people who do not have the insurance. The hearing aids will cost between $749 - $949 per aid, and will be available online, without a visit to the audiologist.Cutting out the audiologist means UnitedHealth needs a way to program the aids, and...
Tue, Oct 04 2011

Kay Blogs About the Esteem Hearing Implant
Hearing Sparks Back in 2010 I posted about the Esteem hearing implant receiving FDA approval. It is still one of my most popular blog posts and it's a topic a lot of people are interested in.I wanted to share Kay's blog with you today. Kay has been posting comments on my blog post about her own experience with the Esteem and decided to create her own blog: Esteem Hearing Implant, my...
Sat, Oct 01 2011

The Variables of Hearing
Hearing Sparks Hearing loss can be a really tricky thing. One of the trickiest things I have found to grasp about hearing loss is how it's not always consistent.For example, just because I heard someone speaking at a certain tone of voice once and was able to understand them doesn't mean I will be able to understand them the next time they speak. Or because I was able to tell where ...
Fri, Sep 30 2011

It's Okay To Feel Worn Out
Hearing Sparks Lately I've been trying to give myself more permission to just be worn out. Tired of listening and trying to hear and figure out what's being said or what I'm missing.It's only recently that I've begun to recognize that I work harder than other people in conversation. You would think it would be a given, but I really didn't think much about my deafness until I began w...
Fri, Sep 23 2011

My Local "Accessible" Movie Theaters
Hearing Sparks I received a comment on my post Different Perspectives from Mickey, who lives in the UK. I replied to it on the post but wanted to write a post about this topic. Here is the comment:Hello MeganGreat blog and interesting stuff here - just found your site. I was surprised by you saying "I'd really like to go see David Tennant in Fright Night, but am I going to be a...
Mon, Sep 19 2011

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
Hearing Sparks My Most Excellent Year is a young adult novel by Steve Kluger. It follows teenagers T.C., his brother Augie, and Alejandra, and is written in the form of diary entries, instant messages, and emails from them and other supporting characters.My Most Excellent Year also features a very well-written and -rounded Deaf character named Hucky. Hucky is a six-year-old boy livi...
Fri, Sep 16 2011

Around the Web Wednesday: Accessible Beaches, Bob Williams,...
Hearing Sparks Yahoo! Accessibility has an interesting real-world post about an actual situation faced at a beach in or near Vancouver. The beach has a marked handicapped-accessible spot but the only way to access the beach itself is by stairs. The author suggests adding a sign to the parking spot so that people will not be confused.I really enjoyed this post on Disability Blog by B...
Wed, Sep 14 2011

Congratulations to the 2011 Oticon Focus on People Award...
Hearing Sparks I was very excited to see the winners of the 2011 Oticon Focus on People Awards! This award is given annually to people who "defy the stigma of hearing loss."I was especially excited to see one winner, Sarah Wegley, the Advocacy winner. Sarah runs the great blog Speak Up Librarian which I love reading. I was so happy to see she won!Congratulations to all of the winner...
Tue, Sep 13 2011

How To Search Google & YouTube For Only Closed Captioned...
Hearing Sparks Today I wanted to share something cool that my friend told me about: how to search Google for videos with closed-captioning. I've already used it a few times and it is very useful. 1. Go to Google Videos here.2. Click on Advanced Video Search (direct link).3. Enter your search into the text field and make sure Subtitles - Search only closed captioned videos is checked...
Fri, Sep 02 2011

Around the Web Wednesday: CAPTCHAs, Whales, and Charging...
Hearing Sparks If you have ever filled out a form on the Web, chances are you have seen the annoying-but-useful CAPTCHAs. The CAPTCHAs, which look like distorted, squiggly words or letter/number combinations, have to be entered at the end of many forms to ensure you are a human and not an automated bot filling out a form. The challenge comes when people with vision problems need to ...
Wed, Aug 31 2011

Different Perspectives
Hearing Sparks I was thinking the other day about my thought processes and the way your thoughts change when you have to deal with the loss of a sense (hearing, sight, etc) or mobility. I think it is so interesting how your perspective can change so completely when you suddenly have to deal with it for whatever reason.I was mainly thinking about movies and having a conversation with...
Fri, Aug 26 2011

Around the Web Wednesday
Hearing Sparks A clever use of closed-captioning encoding: a man has come up with a system that searches closed captions for certain words, like "Kardashian" or "Lohan," and automatically mutes the television when those subjects are covered. I think this is hilarious. More info here.Have you heard of DeafMD.org? It's health education in American Sign Language. According to a post at...
Wed, Aug 24 2011

Around the Web Wednesday
Hearing Sparks MSNBC shares 9 signs that your hearing loss is a problem. Definitely useful for anyone trying to convince a relative or friend to get a hearing test. Mine - if you find yourself complaining that everyone else is mumbling, it might not be them.In my last Around the Web Wednesday I wrote about the "Caution Hearing Impaired Children" sign that was stolen from the family ...
Wed, Aug 17 2011

New Blog: Accessible Reads
Hearing Sparks As I've been writing this blog, I've realized there are some things I enjoy writing about more than others. Anything geeky, for one - new hearing aid tech and smartphone apps and everything else just makes me happy. Another of my favorite subjects is deafness in books, or, rather, treatment of any kind of disability in books, particularly novels.With that in mind I de...
Fri, Aug 12 2011

New Book Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick Features Deaf...
Hearing Sparks Image is of the cover of Wonderstruck.Wonderstruck is a new novel by Brian Selznick which features deaf characters. The novel is set to be released September 13, 2011.Having loved books all my life, I often wish for more characters with differing abilities/disabilities, especially in children's fiction. I've seen a lot of characters with autism and Asperger's syndrome...
Fri, Aug 05 2011

Around the Web Wednesday
Hearing Sparks A group of mandrill monkeys at the Colchester Zoo in England have developed a sign of their own - the first report of monkeys creating their own gesture that means something in their culture. The gesture involves the monkey covering their eyes, and the article at Scientific American says the gesture communicates "do not disturb."Over at Cochlear Kids, the mom of Gage ...
Wed, Aug 03 2011

Bluetooth Hearing Aid Accessories: As Mainstream as iPods?
Hearing Sparks Yesterday at work I met a man I really liked. He tried to take my Dr Pepper*, but I liked him anyway. He just needed a little direction to the nonfiction section. All in all, it was perfectly ordinary. Except for one thing - he had an Oticon Streamer around his neck.If it weren't for the Streamer, I wouldn't have noticed he had a hearing loss. His hearing aids were pr...
Tue, Aug 02 2011

Why I Read, and How It Helps Me Deal with Deafness
Hearing Sparks Image from Flickr user paulbenceImage is of a young woman reading outside in an urban area.For as long as I can remember, I have read books. Before that, my mother says she was reading to me constantly. In fact, our reading together helped her identify my hearing loss at an early age while it was still mild - she noticed that I wanted to sit on one side of her while s...
Fri, Jul 29 2011

Deaf Bicyclist Creates Deaf Bike Signs
Hearing Sparks Image from DeafBikeSigns.Image is of a yellow patch saying "DEAF CYCLIST."Lately I've been thinking more about getting a bike and exploring my new neighborhood. I loved biking as a kid and teenager - it seemed like a great way to explore larger distances than a walk, and I liked it. But my neighborhood doesn't have sidewalks and the thought has crossed my mind before ...
Sun, Jul 24 2011

Super Easy, Crafty Storage for Hearing Accessories
Hearing Sparks I saw this project over at the blog Charlotte's Fancy and immediately thought it would be an easy, fun way to create some storage for hearing accessories. It worked out really well! It would definitely be a fun project for kids too.The project uses only the following:An empty, clean Altoids tinFelt with adhesive backingScissorsA pencilAny adhesive decorations you like...
Fri, Jul 22 2011

Around the Web Wednesday
Hearing Sparks At the blog The Echo Chamber, the blog author posted about their experiences with the Disney handheld device, which displays scripts for the attractions. It's worth a look so you know what to expect if you are planning a trip to Disney World/Land. Apache ASL Trails Apartments, which I have been hearing about on and off for years, has now opened in Tempe, AZ. It is a s...
Wed, Jul 20 2011

Being Aware Of Others' Hearing Loss
Hearing Sparks I've had two reminders in the past week that the problems I deal with are not necessarily mine alone... it was nice to be reminded, and I thought I would share the stories.From Flickr user Dennis ColletteImage is of a flock of birds in a "V" formation.The other day I was working and was approached by an older gentleman. He seemed to be having trouble with our automati...
Tue, Jul 12 2011

Seven Products for Protecting Your Hearing Devices from...
Hearing Sparks As summer wears on, around here it starts to get very humid and I sweat a lot more often than usual. It's Arizona's monsoon season right now, which brings humidity, dust, and rain to the Valley where I live - all major problems for hearing aids.This year I am curious about hearing aid covers and protection. These little devices are not only expensive, they're very imp...
Thu, Jul 07 2011

Betty White "Gets It"
Hearing Sparks I'm reading Betty White's new book, If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't), right now. This particular passage made me smile.Okay, so you get your glasses and everyone is extremely supportive. "Oh, those are very pretty." "Those glasses look great on you!" Et cetera, et cetera.Somehow it's a different story when your hearing starts to go. People can even seem a littl...
Sat, Jul 02 2011

Nominate Someone for Oticon's 14th Annual Focus on People...
Hearing Sparks Oticon's 14th annual Focus on People Awards are accepting nominations through July 27th for students, adults, advocates and hearing professionals to receive the award. Oticon is a hearing aid manufacturer with a long line of hearing devices like the Epoqs (my hearing aids), the Agil, and the Dual.Their award is split up into 4 categories according to their website:Stu...
Thu, Jun 30 2011

Around the Web Wednesday
Hearing Sparks I really enjoyed this article about Ann Clare LeZotte, a deaf librarian who works in Gainesville, Florida. She has written a book for deaf and hard of hearing children called Here Comes Julie Jack! and hopes to make it a series. I can tell you, just from reading the description of the book in the article, I would have loved it as a child.Speaking of libraries - it's n...
Wed, Jun 29 2011

Google Improves YouTube's Auto-Captions
Hearing Sparks In November 2009 Google introduced auto-captions for videos on YouTube, but it's not always accurate, leading to frustrating (and sometimes funny) errors. This interesting article from Scientific American takes a look at how Google is working to improve the technology; Google says they've reduced 20% of errors in their latest update.While Google is working hard, I don...
Sat, Jun 25 2011

The Invisible Gorilla Teaches Us About Human Illusions
Hearing Sparks I just finished the book The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons and wanted to recommend it to everyone reading this blog, especially those who blog themselves.The Invisible Gorilla is a psychology book dealing with the way humans often miss or wrongly perceive the world around them. The book takes its title from a famous psychology test created...
Thu, Jun 23 2011