Hearing News Watch

BOSTON—After several years of lobbying by the Massachusetts Hearing Aids for Children Coalition and other advocates, a bill was signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday (August 7) that will make hearing aids more affordable for parents of hard-of-hearing children in Massachusetts. The new law, “An Act to Provide Access to Hearing Aids for Children,” requires that private insurers

TACOMA, WA—A deaf crime victim who called 911 to report being attacked in her home ended up being shot by police with a Taser, arrested, and left in jail for more than two days without an interpreter, according to an August 5 report by Chris Halsne, an investigative reporter with KIRO-TV in Tacoma. She was finally released, without an apology,

   ST.PAUL–Actors, athletes, astronauts, musicians, and a former President of the United States were among the scores of celebrities who took part August 4 at the 12th annual So the World May Hear Gala, which raised a record-breaking $7.6 million for the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Founded by Bill Austin, principal owner of Starkey Hearing Technology, the foundation donates more than 100,000

SAN FRANCISCO–Injection of a gene into the inner ear of mice born with genetic hearing loss was found to restore the laboratory animals’ hearing within two weeks of the treatment, according to a preclinical research study published in the July 26 issue of the journal Neuron. The experiment was conducted by Lawrence Lustig, PhD, and colleagues at the University of

This Hearing News Watch post was updated on August 6. BETHESDA, MD–Brenda Battat, who has been executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) since March 2008, announced last week that she will retire effective August 31, 2013. She has been with the organization since 1989, when it was known as Self Help for Hard of Hearing People

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA–Dalhousie University in Halifax has signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Ototronix, an American manufacturer of advanced hearing implant technologies, for a new hearing aid implant developed by three Dalhousie faculty members. For several years, Manohar Bance, professor and acting head of otolaryngology, and two assistant professors in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Jeremy Brown and Rob

This Hearing News Watch item was updated on August 6. TORONTO–Marshall Chasin, AuD, editor of the Hear the Music blog at Hearinghealthmatters.org, has been awarded the Canadian Governor General’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for Volunteer Services. This high honor recognizes the Toronto-based audiologist for his outstanding voluntary contributions to the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. The Jubilee Award was presented to

PHOENIX–Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne announced last week that his office reached a settlement with a national chain of movie theaters that will improve access for hard-of-hearing patrons in six theaters in that state. The agreement resolves a lawsuit that the state brought against Cinemark Holdings Inc., in June 2011. Cinemark, which is based in Plano, TX, will equip six

BETHESDA, MD–The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) has named Juliëtte Sterkens, AuD, as its new hearing loop advocate. Sterkens, an audiologist in private practice in Oshkosh, WI, has led a successful looping initiative in her community and the Greater Fox Valley area of Wisconsin, which has resulted in nearly 200 hearing loop installations. In her role as advocate, she

Joined by a dozen other Oticon employees, Rasmus Borsting, executive director, handed a giant check to Lisa Marie Arieno, regional director of the American Heart Association of Central New Jersey and Greater Union County.   SOMERSET, NJ–Oticon, Inc., presented a check for $10,000 to the American Heart Association (AHA) at a recent ceremony at its new U.S. headquarters. The donation