News

Welcome to our news page. Here we try to keep an up-to-date list of the hearing- and deafness-related news across Australia and around the world.

You can now make an internet relay call on Hiptops!
12 November 2008 - Telstra's Hiptop range of mobile phones are popular in the Deaf community because they offer access to email, instant messaging and internet at an affordable price. But until this week, technical problems have meant that Hiptops haven't always worked for internet relay calls. >>More

Hearing impairment - a personal story
10 November 2008 - First published on 24 August 2008, this article is a transcript of an interview with nineteen-year-old Sarahjane Thompson. She is a double degree student at the University of New South Wales and has had a hearing impairment for as long as she can remember. She talks about her experiences living with a hearing disability. >> More

Tip of the Week: Limiting the Volume on Your iPod
29 October 2008 - Most recent iPods have a volume-limit control on the settings menu that can be used to lower the maximum volume to a more ear-friendly level. >>More

Let Us Hear calls on supporting organisations to contact Minister
20 October 2008 - If you want to make a difference to the affordability of hearing aids, cochlear implants and hearing services, we urge you to visit the Let Us Hear webpage. There is a letter provided which you can download, sign and send to the Minister for Health and Ageing, Justine Elliot. It is now most important that deaf people - and others interested in their welfare - support this campaign by writing to Minister Elliot, or their own member, telling of their own difficulties to find functional and affordable hearing aids and cochlear implants over the age of 21. Click here to read Let Us Hear's submission, and find out how you can support the cause. >>More

Technology: Study Warns of Hearing Loss From Music Players
12 October 2008 - A scientific study for the European Union found that listening to personal music players at high volume can threaten permanent hearing loss.

Assistive Listening Devices
12 October 2008 - Finding the right Assistive Listening Device can be a minefield. It is regularly seen as ‘too hard’. As a result so many people don’t even ask for help and this is a shame because they really can enhance their hearing. Sometimes just knowing there are devices which can help is a giant leap in finding solutions.

Workplace strategies for the deaf
11 October 2008 - Statistics show that people with a hearing loss on average are more likely to be unemployed, under employed or paid less than their hearing counterparts. However with just a little thought and consideration people with a hearing loss are productive employees.

Indigenous Hearing Health
11 October 2008 - Hearing loss for Australian Indigenous peoples is a major health issue. It is a disease of poverty, frequently left untreated, with at least 40% of their children affected. Yet, sadly it’s a treatable condition and if treated would give these children a much greater chance in life.

Noise is Beautiful
8 October 2008 - Hearing people take noise granted and often tell us they find sound annoying. But deafened people, particularly those deafened after they have had hearing, miss noise – even the noise hearing people choose to ignore. For those who have regained hearing - Noise is Beautiful.

Baha to combat deafness - What is it?
1 September 2008 - Baha, or implanted bone conducted hearing aid, was the first implanted hearing device. It helps those who have a working cochlear but sound cannot reach it. This article discusses what Baha is and who it is most likely to help.

What is a Cochlear Implant?
1 September 2008 - A Cochlear Implant is not an alternative to a hearing aid and is only an option for people who cannot be helped with conventional hearing aids. It does not amplify sound but rather changes sound into an electrical impulse sending this to the hearing nerve which the brain interprets as sound.

Hearing Aids
1 September 2008 - Why are hearing aids often not worn, when seemingly they would provide benefit to a deaf person? A hearing aid works best for someone with a mild to moderate hearing loss. A hearing aid is an amplifier and for many amplifying the sound will help them understand speech but there are others it will not help.

Losing hearing aids
1 September 2008 - What do you do if you lose your hearing aid?

Hear the World Photography Exhibition
28 August 2008 - Rockstar and photographer Bryan Adams captures images of musicians and actors that communicate hearing loss.

Hearing Simulation
17 August 2008 - Experience what it sounds like for a person with a hearing loss! Part of an initiative by Phonak.

Online hearing test
17 August 2008 - Test your hearing online. A screening test offered by Phonak.

Mentoring program for deaf adolescents
29 July 2008 - Hear For You (HFY) is a mentoring program, established in 2007, for deaf adolescents. The founder of Hear For You is 28-year-old Olivia Gemmell who has hearing impairment. Her own real-life experience gives her the ability to understand the issues associated with deafness. It adds an extra dimension that makes Hear For You accessible to deaf adolescents. More >>

Join us for the 2008 launch of Hearing Awareness Week in Sydney
28 July 2008 - Would you like to join us at this year's Hearing Awareness Week in Sydney? Highlights of the night include a presentation by Mr. Alex Varley, CEO of Media Access Australia. More >>

Hearing Loss Statistics
28 July 2008 - There are 3.5 million people in Australia with a hearing loss - this works out to be about 16.67% of the population. Hearing loss in Australia is prevelant. Felicity Bleckly takes a look at some Australian research, which reveals some surprising figures. More >>

The stigma of hearing aids
28 July 2008 - Why is there a stigma attached to wearing hearing aids. If you wear glasses there is no stigma - you put them on and say “Wow now I can see!” but hearing aids can’t be that effective and in many cases you still hear poorly even with the aid. More>>

Deafness impact of iPod or MP3 players
27 July 2008 - Sensorineural loss is the most common type of hearing loss. It is age related and caused by excessive noise – often called industrial deafness. However, many younger people are presenting with hearing loss because they are listening to music devices such as iPod or MP3 players for prolonged periods. More >>

The Evolution of Auslan
27 July 2008 - A discussion on the influence of education, schools families and Communities in the evolution of Auslan. More >>

New hearing aid technology passes the restaurant noise test
11 July 2008 - The sound of a noisy Chicago restaurant during the breakfast rush the clang of plates and silverware and the clamor of many voices was the crucial test of new hearing aid technology in a study conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Nokia turns hearing aids into headsets
4 July 2008 - It seems massive profits and fast-increasing markets are not enough for some mobile phone makers as reports out of the US show that another handset maker, in this case Nokia, opening up a new and unusual niche market.