Hearing News Watch

BLOOMINGTON, IN—More than 30,000 Americans took a free over-the-phone hearing test in May, which was National Better Hearing Month. Because of the enthusiastic response, Communication Disorders Technology, Inc., a non-profit organization that waived the usual $8 charge for using its screening tool, decided to extend the free offer through the end of June. The National Hearing Test was developed by the

STÄFA, SWITZERLAND–Sonova Holding AG announced today (June 16) that it had reached an agreement to purchase 100% of Comfort Audio, a Swedish maker and distributor of assistive listening technology. The transaction, which will require approval by regulatory agencies, is a further step in the diversification of Sonova, parent company of Phonak and the world’s largest hearing aid manufacturer.   In

Canada has long had a progressive record on social issues. For example, for more than 30 years Canadians have had publicly funded universal health care. Yet the country is lagging behind most other prosperous nations, including the United States, in an important aspect of hearing care: newborn hearing screening. Despite growing criticism from the media (including from HearingHealthMatters.org), most Canadian

People who are deaf or hard of hearing make up one of the largest populations that are helped by various provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). One subset of that population that is protected by the ADA consists of people with hearing loss who are in prison. This week, while I am on vacation, I have called upon

  SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA–Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney have come up with an inventive mechanism to deliver gene therapy to deaf animal subjects, thereby stimulating regrowth of auditory nerves. In an article published in the April 23 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, the scientists report how, for the first time, electrical pulses from

CHICAGO—The American Cochlear Implant (ACI) Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving access to cochlear implantation through research, advocacy and awareness. So, it was delighted to send out a media alert about an 18-year-old whose cochlear implant was paid for through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace after her parents’ employee medical plan turned her down. Alexandra Falkiewicz, a freshman

By David H. Kirkwood LONDON–Since this blog first reported that Phonak LLC would start selling Brio, a new premium hearing aid model, through Costco, we have received and published dozens of comments on the issue. Many came from independent practitioners who dispense Phonak hearing aids. They expressed outrage over having to compete with a “big box” store that would charge consumers

Since this post was originally published on April 30, it has drawn a number of thoughtful and provocative comments, which follow the main text.  This revised post also contains a response from Jan Topholm, a prominent EHIMA member,  to a query that I sent him in writing the original post.   By David H. Kirkwood BRUSSELS/KIRKLAND, WA–The European Hearing Instrument

AUSTIN, TX—Richard Einhorn, a prominent American composer whose own sudden sensorineural hearing loss motivated him to advocate for others, will be keynote speaker at next month’s annual convention of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) in Austin. Einhorn, who suffered his hearing loss five years ago at age 57, will address the Opening Session Thursday, June 26, from 5

  WASHINGTON, DC—This has been a big week at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for people with hearing and speech disabilities. Yesterday (May 15), the agency officially launched a pilot program in limited parts of the U.S. allowing people to text in emergency messages to 911 rather having to call them in vocally. Two days earlier, the FCC announced conditional