Ear wax can terrify...

Relative to the UK's RNID charity current campaign about inadequacy in helping deaf/HI people remove ear wax, which can render you deaf, and as covered here, triggering trauma and fear too. .Loose Women's Kaye Adams has shared with fans how she took a trip to A&E after losing her hearing on the show. The presenter, 61, has given details of the health scare after the incident as she appeared on the ITV panel show.

Dame Kelly Holmes, Judi Love, and Nadia Sawalha all joined her to discuss the day's topics on Friday, January 26, when Kaye revealed she lost all hearing in her right year just minutes before she was due to be on air, reports the Mirror. During Friday's show, Kaye opened up on the scary moment as she told viewers: "We showed you a clip of what happened to me last Friday just before we went on air.

"I just completely lost my hearing in my right ear." A clip was then shown of Kaye struggling to hear the producers in her ear piece last week, where she said she could "hear nothing".

Note:  'Loose women' is a woman's program on UK ITV network.

The battle against Rogue genes that deafen.

His father's voice, the sounds of passing cars and scissors clipping his hair: An 11-year-old boy is hearing for the first time in his life after receiving a breakthrough *gene therapy.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) which carried out the treatment -- a first in the United States -- said in a statement Tuesday the milestone represents hope for patients around the world with hearing loss caused by genetic mutations. Aissam Dam was born "profoundly deaf" because of a highly rare abnormality in a single gene. "Gene therapy for hearing loss is something that we physicians and scientists in the world of hearing loss have been working toward for over 20 years, and it is finally here," said surgeon John Germiller, director of clinical research for CHOP's otolaryngology division.

"While the gene therapy we performed in our patient was to correct an abnormality in one, very rare gene, these studies may open the door for future use for some of the over 150 other genes that cause childhood hearing loss."

In patients like Aissam, a defective gene prevents the production of otoferlin, a protein necessary for the "hair cells" of the inner ear to be able to convert sound vibrations into chemical signals that are sent to the brain. Otoferlin gene defects are highly rare, accounting for 1 - 8 percent of hearing loss present from birth.

On October 4, 2023, he underwent a surgical procedure that involved partly lifting his eardrum and then injecting a harmless virus, which had been modified to transport working copies of the otoferlin gene, into the internal fluid of his cochlea. As a result, the hair cells began making the missing protein and functioning properly. Almost four months since receiving the treatment in one ear, Aissam's hearing has improved to the point he only has mild-to-moderate hearing loss and he is "literally hearing sound for the first time in his life,"  said the statement.

The New York Times reported that despite being able to hear, Aissam, who was born in Morocco and later moved to Spain, may never learn to talk, as the brain's window for acquiring speech closes around the age of five. The US Food and Drug Administration, which greenlighted the study, wanted to start the research on older children first, for safety reasons. The trial, sponsored by Akouos, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company,  is one of several underway or about to start in the United States, Europe and China, where a handful of other children have already been reportedly cured.

"As more patients at different ages are treated with this gene therapy, researchers will learn more about the degree to which hearing is improved and whether that level of hearing can be sustained over many years," Germiller said.

*There is no specific number of genes that cause deafness as the condition can be caused by mutations in various genes. According to scientific research, over 100 different genes have been identified to be associated with genetic hearing loss. These genes can be responsible for different types of hearing loss, including syndromic (associated with other medical conditions) and non-syndromic (isolated hearing loss). However, the exact number of genes involved in causing deafness is still being studied, and new genes continue to be discovered.

STOP PRESS: CHINA 6 deaf children cured by 1 injection.

How non-signing deaf people adapt..

 Coping strategies

Several different coping strategies are linked to difficult listening situations. Strategies are sometimes described specifically as addressing fatigue and effort,  Many of us mentally or physically avoid or withdraw from difficult listening or communication situations, or need to plan and prepare for listening tasks. Most commonly around our work and social situations.

Mental or emotional withdrawal

A strategy of mental withdrawal is often utilised in order to deal with experienced fatigue and effort. In conversational situations, particularly group conversations, we would stop engaging in listening. This was usually described as a response to the situation being “not worth it” or 'pointless'. Sometimes this is accompanied by nodding along so as to appear engaged in the proceedings. We are NOT being deliberately rude.

Physical withdrawal

Occasionally we just remove ourselves from challenging situations, rather than just 'switching off'.  This tends to be due to a decision that the conversation was not really viable, particularly in noisy group environments. We can make toilet requests, need to make a phone call, really anything that allows us to retire from what is going on. We have been known to just run!

Avoiding events or situations

As well as withdrawing from some situations, we can also pre-emptively avoid events due to expected problems resulting from hearing issues/stress's. Avoidance is a strategy that we tend to introduce ahead of time. A dilemma between our dislike for challenging situations and a wish to maintain a social life or not offend people.

Avoiding interaction with others

Some decisions are taken to deliberately not engage with others when they were already in a social situation. Usually this is at group events such as restaurant meals or weddings where there are multiple potential conversational options with a decision already having been made to attend. It would then be decided that to avoid negative effects such as increased fatigue or embarrassment, certain people would not be engaged with.

Evaluating situational demand

We can use many detailed and different ways in which to plan ahead of time to mitigate challenging listening situations. we don't do 'spontaneous' unless we feel very brave!  This means identifying what location to go to, who was going to be there, and whether or not the effort is worth it.. Planning, in general, can then be interpreted as additional effort rather than as a coping strategy, however, planning is an essential  way to avoid negative outcomes rather than being a negative outcome in itself. 

Planning where to sit

A specific but common example of planning deemed necessary, was deciding where to sit. Where to position ourselves so we can see faces and improve audibility. There’s a lot of thought that goes into it before; i.e. before I meet the person and attend the venue, I scan the tables, surroundings for the best place to sit, least stressful person to sit next to! I'd arrive early to ensure I maximised the potential to engage.

 Preparing for work/responsibilities

I’d prepare well in advance and build on names, who is there, what their position was etc. If you can only sit far away from the main participation, don't go, or at least ensure people are aware why you don't want a back seat.  I would do a lot of preparation that other people wouldn’t do in order to help myself, and minimise any potential stress points.  I always assume inclusion  is not a given, or an issue could prevent it, so I  make sure first.

Are you REALLY Deaf?

 PROVE IT!

BSL Activism to be banned online...

By  ATR - MEDIA.  Due to consistent attacks on non-signing deaf people and the HoH population by British Sign Language activism both on, and offline, ATR-MEDIA has sadly had to extend a ban on:

The British Deaf Association

Sign Zone/BSLBT

Deaf - EU Facebook site

Limping Chicken website.

And 11 other dedicated British sign language sites and activists online who have openly practiced discrimination, name-calling, blocking, manipulation of posts,  censorship, sectarianism and made multiple and unfounded slurs on other deaf people who  have questioned the inclusion policies of the above named sites and groups, a number of deaf people have contacted ATR - Media alleging they have also been give 'life bans' from deaf interactions online because they didn't support some aspects of BSL inclusion.

ATR has also contacted Facebook, Twitter and blog companies with an official  complaint  If you know a Deaf site that has unfairly treated YOU, let ATR know.

AI and the future of hearing aids 2024.

 Technology and Hearing Aids

One of the most common misconceptions about hearing aids is that they are these outdated, big, and bulky devices that are highly visible. But in reality, hearing aids have evolved and changed drastically over the past few decades. They are complex devices that are smaller and more advanced than they have ever been. Hearing aids maximize technology to absorb, and process sound that is collected from a variety of sources, increasing connectivity; enhancing overall user experience. Hearing aids can: 

• Be paired to your electronic devices such as your smartphone, TV, and speaker which allows them to stream audio directly to your hearing aids allowing you to better hear music, phone calls, watch TV etc. 
• Use noise cancellation technology to reduce background noise which allows you to focus on what you are listening to
• Connect to your smartphone and access your GPS. If you have saved locations and specific settings, hearing aids can save that information and once you arrive at a particular place, they can switch to the settings you have already set. 

These features highlight the various ways that hearing aids have been utilizing technology to enhance the quality of sound and possibilities for connectivity in an increasingly digital world. What is Artificial Intelligence?

We interact with artificial intelligence daily. Also known as machine learning, artificial intelligence is the ability of computers and “smart” devices to use highly developed intelligence to solve complex problems. Artificial intelligence uses various technologies to respond to the user’s actions, make predictions, and guide user experience. Technologies such as algorithms and history of behaviour are applied to achieve particular goals. This may sound like high-tech speak and be complicated to understand but we actually rely on artificial intelligence. Common ways we interact with AI include: 

• Email: AI technology is used to filter through emails and determine what is junk and send those emails to your spam folder. Using algorithms, AI identifies certain words in the email, the sender, location it was sent from etc. and establishes it as spam. 

• Search Engines: Search engines apply algorithms to respond to a specific search with the most relevant results. Did you know that there are 3.8 million searchers per minute on Google? AI makes that possible!

• Social Media: all social media platforms use AI to provide a variety of features including: friend recommendations, personalized feed, trending topics etc. 

• Online Ads: people are discussing this feature more and more as it seems to be everywhere! There are ads that seem to pop up or follow us around on our devices. Well this actually happens because of AI which companies use to identify an audience for their product which is based on previous online searches that you’ve made and your interests. 

• Other: Netflix recommendations, voice to text features on smartphones and laptops, Siri/Alexa/Cortana etc. 

These examples highlight that we use AI constantly and, in many ways, this technology has increased convenience!

Artificial Intelligence and Hearing Aids

AI is relatively new to hearing aids so much is still being explored and developed. But what AI has been able to do for hearing aids thus far is quite significant! Hearing aids can use AI to:

• adjust automatically: AI allows hearing aids to learn, remember, and automatically apply the user’s settings in specific environments. This prevents the user from having to make any manual adjustments as the hearing aid is able to assess the environment you are in and automatically switch to the already programmed setting. 
• voice recognition: AI learns the user’s voice and can isolate it from other types of sounds so that it isn’t distorted. 
• Track health: hearing aids that use AI can monitor physical activity by using integrated sensors. 

These features allow hearing aids to be fully integrated in one’s life, creating dynamic listening experiences.

6 of the best

When it comes to choosing a phone for people with hearing loss, there are many options and considerations to keep in mind. Making a list of the features and functions that matter to you can help you successfully narrow down your choices. Here are just a few features you can expect to find in the best phones for hearing loss on the market:

1. Call captioning
2. Captioned answering machine
3. Built-in amplification
4. Display customization
5. Hearing aid compatibility
6. Tone control and audio customization

Take a look at each of these features in more detail below.

Call captioning

One feature to expect in the best phones for hearing loss is captioning services. These captioned hearing loss telephones work just like a traditional telephone, with the added benefit of displaying written captions of your conversation on a large, easy-to-read screen. You may find that it’s a lot easier to follow along to every word of the conversation with this captioning technology included in your device.

Captioned answering machine

Hearing loss telephones that offer captioning services may also provide captioning for your answering machine messages. If you happen to miss a caller, you can then play back the recorded voice message and read along using the captions that display on your screen.

Built-in amplification

Amplifier phones allow you to turn up the volume to amplify incoming sounds louder than a typical phone. Amplification is a helpful feature for people with hearing loss who would feel more comfortable with the added volume control. The level of amplification available typically ranges from 50-90dB, depending on the model and type of phone you choose.

Display customization

A customizable display allows you to adjust font sizes, colors, and captions to suit your preferences and specific needs. The best phone for hearing loss for you will enable you to modify the settings to ensure the phone display and functionality meets your visual needs and preferences.

Hearing aid compatibility

If you use hearing aids, the best phone for hearing loss will be hearing aid compatible (HAC). These hearing aid telephones will have an induction loop in the handset that can connect directly to your hearing aids when you turn on the T-coil (telecoil) setting. Once connected, the sound output is transmitted directly into your device.

Tone control and audio customization

Tone control and audio settings are important features that can help you maximize your hearing experience over the phone. In addition to amplification, the best phones for hearing loss provide additional volume and audio controls. These settings can include adjusting the tone and frequency settings to suit your unique hearing needs. Depending on the level that’s easiest to hear, you can choose between a low, high, or mid-range tone setting. Some phone models even allow you to customize based on your personal audiogram.

Deafie V CI's (NO CONTEST).

 

Titter ye not....

 

Aftermath.

ATR's recent brief coverage of the BSLBT 'survey' of Deaf/BSL needs on TV looked like an act of desperation and confusion more than a real survey.  Opening with 'We don't know how many deaf there are in the UK', 'Nobody has a clue about Northern Ireland', they proceeded to declare the census was a 'fix' (like the BDA did), and multiplied the amount of BSL-using deaf by the power of 10.  (From 15,000 in England and Wales Census), to the BDA's 150,000 declaration, then added another 30,000 to 188,000 users for good measure. what was obvious the survey was an attempt to suggest a demand where there wasn't, and  selective need, using whatever statistics looked like fitting their BSL agenda, and even ones that didn't, hoping readers have no real idea who, or what a deaf person actually is, or how they are identified. Simply because no survey is ever able to.. Deaf people have a culture and language and have clubs and own schools, but just 1.8% of deaf use them.

Clearly the need to justify BSL access on television is essential to the BSLBT and the Deaf activist. Despite areas like the BBC stating they struggled to justify 3-5% overall BSL access and only then, on 'dedicated' signed TV like SEE HEAR and the Sign Zone,, one dumped in the graveyard shift of viewing, or to times and areas out of sight, the other online, so NOT on TV as such.  Had it been simply a numbers game as stated by the BDA/BSLBT, then neither TV program would be on air, they exist because of cultural right, not cultural viewing demand, as the numbers of viewers are too low to be recorded or would justify either program. Sign Zone toured areas in Wales and found 85% of deaf had never heard of it.  No demand in Wales then.

Staggering facts emerged from the survey, including, that most deaf were not only literate but had useful speech as well, then in the next paragraph, the BSLBT claimed they weren't, and this was because BSL is denied in the classrooms, so ditched their own survey and put their own opinion as fact instead.   If it is true, it hasn't affected many deaf has it?  Probably when they released this proved the point captioning and subtilling was equally, if not a better option for them to follow, than BSL was, the survey back-pedalled and rambled off to a staggering list of people who were clinically deaf and those who weren't, along with unproven inferences of deaf illiteracy.

This made more rods for their own back when they also declared 68% were hearing adults who had acquired deafness in later life, and didn't sign and had no participation in Deaf BSL or Culture, and were equally able to follow Televised output with subtitling with no interest in signed output.  Far from desperate to use BSL online, many Deaf preferred e-mails and text, which enabled them to interact equally with hearing that way.  Attempts by the BSLBT to suggest Deaf were disadvantaged by these options came back to haunt them. 

ATR had a view, the BSL Deaf drive to  protect their space from 'hearing' meant they will use any and every asset that works for them, but maintain their distance, this had the effect of undermining integrations and access of deaf people, they create their own barrier as some sort of 'protection'.  While it is correct the dependant BSL user will always feel this way because of the need for  a 'middle-man' to interact, it is not accurate for the overwhelming majority of deaf people.  We end up in the activists position aka 'There is a bridge I can easily walk across to get to the other side, but I insist on being carried across instead, the fact I can choose means I choose to be carried.'  

In Wales BDA Cymru declared 3,000 deaf signers, the BSLBT said it was just 700 only, but there was no statistic to prove competence in BSL, that question cannot legally be asked if it means identifying anyone.  Nor, or if the deaf could equally use alternatives, because this challenges their 'choice' again. If we debate the points, they fall back to the 'choice/right' options, ATR was concerned with NEED and adaptions where possible, so deaf can move forward,  essential in Wales, given, no deaf schools even exist, or even a BSL Act, and areas like the BDA Cymru get their directives from London and Manchester, and interfere in Welsh deaf affairs, which is the sole domain of the devolved Government.

For too long BSL activism has taken advantage of two things, (1) the hard core of BSL is in London, and (2)  BSL users nationwide get on with their lives and don't take any interest in what the BDA's and RNID's of this world say, or do.  ATR suggests they don't care for BSL TV either.  To paraphrase a 007 term "The deaf world is not enough..'  Charities run it all, mostly nothing for deaf or with them basically, the funding is the thing.  Raising awareness of a few who make a living raising more awareness nobody cares about because it is too elite in nature and discriminates or divides. You have to ask when are deaf people of all descriptions going to wake up and address what is going on via huge distortions and plain lies emerging from deaf activism to self justify own existences?

STOP PRESS:  Sign Zone has blocked ATR - Media, erm... Why? for stating their own survey?

BSLBT asks where is the BSL demand?

 

Some text is still flying past a bit fast, use the stop button if it is, I will clear it at some point. Now you know how hearing do it.

What the BDA WON'T tell Parents of the deaf..

 MPs debate increasing access to Auditory Verbal therapy in Parliament

MPs in December 2023, discussed the urgent need for investment to improve the outcomes for deaf children and increase the provision of Auditory Verbal therapy - a specialist approach to developing spoken language through listening, for deaf children.

The parliamentary debate was led by Sally-Ann Hart, MP for Hastings and Rye, who highlighted how deaf children who attend an Auditory Verbal therapy programme have the same opportunities as their hearing peers, with the majority attending mainstream school and achieving age-appropriate spoken language.  Sally-Ann said: “Deaf children in the UK currently face a lifetime of disadvantage without access to early and effective support, and less than 10% of deaf children who could benefit from Auditory Verbal therapy can currently access it.”

 She added: “We need to train more specialist practitioners in the Auditory Verbal approach, and, for an investment of just over £2 million per year over the next decade, we can transform the landscape of Auditory Verbal provision. Economic analysis has shown that by training a small proportion of the currently public sector workforce to embed 300 Auditory Verbal Therapists, £150 million of economic benefit can be delivered, rising to £11.7 billion within the next 50 years, through improved quality of life, employment prospects, lower costs of schooling and avoided injuries.”

 Auditory Verbal therapy supports deaf children to learn how to make sense of the sound they receive through their hearing technology, so they can learn to talk like their hearing friends. Research by charity Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK), backed up by international evidence, shows that 80% of deaf children who attend an Auditory Verbal programme for at least two years achieve the same level of spoken language as their hearing peers, rising to 97% of children without additional needs. Most of these children attend mainstream schools and are attaining educational outcomes on par with hearing children.

With little to no provision of Auditory Verbal therapy for deaf babies and children currently via publicly funded services, and only 31 certified Auditory Verbal Therapists in the UK, there is inequality of access to support and a ‘postcode lottery’ of provision.  AVUK’s #HearUsNow campaign is calling for the investment to train a small proportion of the current public sector workforce already working with deaf children to embed 300 specialist Auditory Verbal Therapists in local services, so every deaf child under five in the UK has the opportunity to access an Auditory Verbal therapy programme close to their home.

During the debate, the Government made a commitment to meet with AVUK, who currently provide Auditory Verbal therapy direct to deaf children and their families and provide international accredited training for professionals in the Auditory Verbal approach. Maria Caulfield MP, Minster at the Department of Health and Social Care, said: “We do know... that language is linked to social, emotional and learning outcomes, and from birth through to childhood, children and young people with hearing loss might need a range of therapies, such as speech, language, and Auditory Verbal therapy, however as we’ve heard today, those children aren’t always receiving the help that they need.”

She added that she recognises “that nationally we have to do more to train those practitioners that teach AVT”, and welcomes “the work of Auditory Verbal UK on their plans to upskill health professionals to deliver AVT”, and is “very keen to hear about the work they’re doing and see what more we can do to get those skills in place to help children and young people.”

AVUK Chief Executive Anita Grover said: “Today, MPs have highlighted the lack of provision of Auditory Verbal therapy and called on the Government to meet and work with us to enable more deaf children to access this specialist support. We need urgent investment now to ensure every family who wants their child to learn to listen and talk is able to access an Auditory Verbal programme through publicly funded services in their local area. Early and effective support is critically important, whether a family wishes to use sign language, spoken language or both. And my call to this Government is clear. A small investment today will deliver lifelong benefits for deaf children and their families. This cost-effective step could help children’s lives for years to come. “

During the debate, Sally-Ann Hart MP said: “I’ve met some amazing deaf children and young people who brim with self-confidence and self-esteem. We have some sitting here with us quite per chance, I have Noli who is doing a day’s work experience with me, who I met at Auditory verbal UK’s event in Parliament. She’s at university at Durham studying. She has huge confidence and self-esteem.” Noli Tebe (19) from London was diagnosed as deaf aged two after contracting meningitis as a baby. She attended an Auditory Verbal therapy programme at the charity AVUK which supported her to learn to listen and speak and have the same opportunities as her hearing peers. Now Noli is in her second year at Durham University studying Archaeology and Ancient Civilisations.

 After attending the debate this morning, she said: “The support my family and I had from AVUK to help me learn to listen and speak has always been central to the determination I have and belief that I can achieve anything I want to and do everything my hearing friends can. But this isn’t the case for all deaf children. “I really hope that this debate serves to make MPs understand how urgent it is that there is support for the provision of Auditory Verbal therapy because for me it has been truly life transforming and with investment the same could be true for many more deaf children.”

Unethical Sponsorship (II)

Why awareness of hearing loss is being sponsored to omit the actual reality of being deaf to promote individual communication preferences instead, is this fair, find below the top 5 culprits who fund BSL to the detriment of others who have hearing loss, and others deaf, 'Deaf Awareness' it isn't! Actually these business are supporting charities that DON'T have grass roots deaf as members, and are attempting to replace state care, so such companies are promoting state withdrawal of support for deaf people, and prioritising divisions of access and support..

THE HIT LIST

1. Barclays Bank: Barclays has sponsored various sign language projects and organizations in the UK, including the Royal Association for Deaf People (RAD) and SignHealth. They have supported initiatives to make financial services more accessible for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

Even Cadbury's Chocolate was at it. Who is able to convince mainstream business every deaf person signs or is deprived of it?

2. BT Group: BT is a telecommunications company that has sponsored sign language awareness campaigns in the UK. They have also supported initiatives to provide communication support services for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

3. Virgin Media: Virgin Media has sponsored sign language projects and organizations in the UK. They have collaborated with the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT) to create sign language video content and promote inclusivity in media.

4. Lloyds Banking Group: Lloyds Banking Group has sponsored sign language initiatives in the UK, including support for deaf-friendly banking services. They have also provided donations to organizations such as SignHealth.

5. Tesco: Tesco, a UK-based supermarket chain, has sponsored sign language programs and organizations. They have supported initiatives to make their stores more accessible for deaf and hard of hearing individuals and have provided funding to charities like SignHealth.