Hearing News Watch

ROCKVILLE, MD—Kids will be featured nationwide in a video on YouTube if they are among the winners in a contest aimed at getting young people involved in preventing hearing loss. Sponsored by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the contest invites youngsters from 8 to 18 years of age to produce a 30- or 60-second audio or video PSA (public service

By David H. Kirkwood For a decade or so, a growing band of advocates has been moving, slowly but steadily, toward its goal of “looping America.” Their vision is to have induction loops installed in public venues all over the country, so that people who use telecoil-equipped hearing aids and cochlear implants will be able to hear and communicate effectively

“I can hear my wife speaking, but I can’t understand the words.” “All it does is make the background noise louder.” “It’s too big.” “It uses too many batteries.” “It makes me look old.” All these are common complaints by consumers about their hearing aids. But a 100-year-old Swedish man came up with a new one over the weekend: He

WOODSTOCK, NY–Edgar Villchur, a renowned inventor whose wide-ranging work included breakthroughs in hearing aid technology, died at his home here on Monday, October 17, at the age of 94. Villchur, who was also a prominent educator, writer, and philanthropist, revolutionized the field of high-fidelity equipment with his 1954 invention of the acoustic suspension loudspeaker. This loudspeaker provided better bass response

For the second quarter in a row, the number of hearing aids sold by manufacturers in the U.S. from July through September increased by less than 1% compared to the same period of 2010. Given the weak economy and some economists’ fears that it may slide back into recession, the overall 2.3% growth in sales for the year to date

MINNEAPOLIS—A dramatic YouTube video showing a young woman’s emotional response to hearing with her newly activated middle ear implant has now been viewed 8 million times. So it’s no surprise that the video has generated a tsunami of inquiries to Envoy Medical, the Twin Cities company that manufactures the Esteem system that made 29-year-old Sarah Churman so happy. According to

SYRACUSE, NY—Current and former National Football League players and their families will be eligible for education about hearing care, hearing evaluation, and discounted prices on hearing aids under a program offered by EarQ. The program, unveiled October 17, is the result of an agreement between the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and EarQ, a national network of hearing healthcare professionals based

WASHINGTON, DC–The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) issued a warning to consumers on October 14 about “the inherent risks associated with purchasing over-the-counter, one-size-fits-all hearing aids instead of consulting a hearing healthcare professional.” The advisory from the not-for-profit corporation follows recent announcements by two companies—hi HealthInnovations and Audiotoniq—that they will begin selling hearing aids for less than $1000 directly to users

By David H. Kirkwood The International Hearing Society (IHS) and at least two major hearing aid manufacturers have taken strong stands against the sale of hearing aids directly to consumers. As Hearing News Watch reported in posts on September 20 and October 5, two companies—hi HealthInnovations (a UnitedHealthcare company) and Audiotoniq—have announced that they will begin selling hearing aids to

WASHINGTON, DC—A forum for those concerned with how best to prevent occupational hearing loss will be held here on Thursday, November 3 starting at 9 am. Hosted by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the informal public meeting is intended to provide a forum for stakeholders and gather information from them on best practices for hearing conservation programs,