Hearing HQ Aug-Nov 12

HQ

AUG-NOV 2012

Magazine

Previously CICADA Magazine

CHRIS MARTIN

The world's biggest rock star faces the reality of hearing damage

TECHNOLOGY Delivering audiologists to your doorstep

WISH YOU

COULD USE THE

PHONE? You can! Find out how

HERE TO HELP

Comprehensive information & services directory

SMOKE ALARM

SUBSIDIES

What your state offers

ASK THE EXPERTS

~ Adult Auditory-Verbal Therapy ~ Ear Candling exposed

Meet the first

SUPERHERO

with a HEARING AID

HQ Magazine

editorial advisory board

Editor Helen Lowy editor@hearinghq.com.au Sub Editor Katrina Iffland Contributors Daniela Andrews Roberta Marino Yvonne Keane Experts Assoc Prof Melville da Cruz Emma Scanlan, Audiologist Roberta Marino, Audiologist Maree Rennie, MEd Advertising Sales Executive Julia Turner jturner@hearinghq.com.au 0414 525 516 Publisher Lucinda Mitchell lmitchell@tangello.com.au Printed by Offset Alpine

Assoc Prof Robert Cowan CEO, HEARing Cooperative Research Centre

Sharan Westcott Clinical Manager Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre

Adjunct Prof Harvey Dillon Director of Research National Acoustic Laboratories

A/Prof Cowan is a Principal Research Fellow of the University of Melbourne. He has researched and published extensively in the fields of audiology, cochlear implants, sensory devices and biomedical management. He is a past president of Audiology Australia and remains a Federal Councillor. He has been awarded Audiology Australia’s President’s Distinguished Service Award (2003) and the Denis Byrne Memorial Orator Award (2006).

Past president of Audiology Australia and past board member of Deafness Forum Australia, Sharan Westcott has provided audiology services to children and adults for more than 40 years. She is on the professional advisory committee for Parents of Deaf Children. Formerly principal audiologist for Australian Hearing, she now coordinates a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, audiologists, speech pathologists and social workers at SCIC.

Throughout his career Dr Dillon has researched many aspects of hearing aids, effectiveness of rehabilitation, auditory processing disorders and methods for preventing hearing loss. He has been responsible for the design of hearing aids, the coordination of clinical-service provision to hearing impaired people and has authored over 160 articles and publications. His comprehensive text on hearing aids is used widely throughout the world.

Alex Varley Chief Executive Media Access Australia

Dr Neville Lockhart Energy Technology Scientist

Olivia Andersen Founder/Director Hear for You

Alex Varley leads an organisation that focuses on identifying practical, real-world solutions for people with disabilities to access audiovisual content. MAA believe access to media through technology empowers people to be independent, gain knowledge and make their own choices. MAA provides expert knowledge and advice on existing and emerging mainstream technologies to government, industry, educators and individuals.

Until his retirement in 2002, Dr Lockhart led the CSIRO Energy Transformed Program working on energy and greenhouse projects seeking major economic and environmental benefits for a sustainable energy future. In 2005, after being totally deaf for 45 years, he received a cochlear implant.

He is a CICADA Australia Inc committee member and was editor of CICADA Magazine, now HQ Magazine.

Profoundly deaf from birth, Olivia Andersen started Hear For You in 2007, a not-for-profit mentoring organisation that helps young deaf people achieve their life dreams. She sees deafness as a learning opportunity, not a disability. She has travelled the world, worked on magazines, studied business and is now a mother of two – the birth of her first child – prompting the decision to have a cochlear implant.

© Copyright 2012 The Tangello Group Pty Ltd PO Box 649 Edgecliff NSW 2027 HQ Magazine is published by The Tangello Group Pty Limited (ABN 38 155 438 574) and subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole or part, without written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved in material accepted for publication unless specified otherwise. All letters and other material forwarded to the magazine will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labelled “not for publication”. Text, photographs and illustrations received in hard copy must be accompanied by a self-addressed envelope stamped to the appropriate value (including registered or certified mail if required) if return requested. The Tangello Group Pty Limited does not accept responsibility for damage to, or loss of, submitted material.

Opinions expressed in HQ Magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of The Tangello Group Pty Limited.

No responsibility is accepted for unsolicited material. No liability is accepted by the publisher, nor the authors or members of the editorial advisory board for any information contained herein. All endeavours are made to ensure accuracy and veracity of all content and advice herein but neither HQ Magazine nor its publisher, contributors or editorial advisory board is responsible for damage or harm, of whatever description, resulting from persons undertaking any advice or purchasing any products mentioned or advertised in HQ Magazine or its website. Any person with health issues or medical concerns should first take advice from a health professional. If you have any questions about which products are suitable for your specific needs, HQ Magazine recommends you consult your doctor, specialist or audiologist.

HQ Magazine, read by over 60,000* hearing-impaired Australians and industry professionals, aims to deliver independent and accurate information. To help us do this, our Editorial Advisory Board provides their guidance and expertise on a voluntary basis.

They may not review every article and make no warranty as to the scientific accuracy of the magazine. They are not responsible for any errors published and do not endorse advertised products. If you have questions about which products are suitable for your specific needs, we recommend you consult your doctor or audiologist. If you have any questions about editorial content, please direct them to editor@hearinghq.com.au. * Conservative estimate is based on a minimum 3 readers per copy.

HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

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ed's letter All good things must, at some point, come to an end. So it is with a tinge of sadness (and quite a bit of excitement over the impending freedom to travel) that I wish readers a fond farewell as I depart as editor. I’ve enjoyed working with Lucinda Mitchell and the CICADA Australia Inc committee to bring this magazine into being and to watch it grow into a valuable resource; a source of inspiration for anyone dealing with hearing loss.

Because the magazine has become so popular, the capability to keep up with its growth is now beyond a small, charitable organisation like CICADA. Thankfully, Lucinda and Helen Lowy have agreed to take on publishing the magazine, under its new title HQ Magazine, to make sure it continues to flourish and help as many people as possible.

So on behalf of a very proud CICADA Australia Inc committee and myself, I say farewell as your editor but assure you I will continue to provide Helen with guidance as an Editorial Advisory Board member.

Neville Lockhart Outgoing Editor

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HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

I have big shoes to fill in my new role as editor of HQ Magazine and thank Neville for guiding the publication through its early days into the informationpacked resource it is today. CICADA had tremendous vision taking on the task of creating a publication dedicated to bringing independent information about the different options and solutions available to the hearing impaired.

We intend to continue providing readers with the same quality content they have come to expect. We have added some new things too. On page 26, you'll find an at-a-glance listing of free services for those with hearing loss. And, last issue’s cover girl and NSW Woman of the Year award winner Yvonne Keane is our new columnist sharing her challenges, joys and inspirations as the mother of a hearing-impaired child on page 22.

We love hearing about the topics you recommend we investigate and gratefully receive questions for our experts. So please email me on editor@hearinghq.com.au.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Helen Lowy Editor

HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

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newsbites A proud Deaf Sports Australia team returned from the 7th Asia Pacific Deaf Games held in Seoul, Korea in May with a medal tally of three Gold, three Silver and a Bronze medal, finishing sixth out of 25 competing nations. The team comprised Men’s Basketball, Men’s Cycling, Men’s Table Tennis and Men’s Tennis.

Glen Flindell and John Lui won Gold in the Men’s Tennis Doubles defeating Japan and individually Glen won Gold L to R: Glen Flindell, John Lui. and John won Silver in the all-Australian Singles final. Cyclist Reece Emerson Van Beek won Gold in the 35km time trial, Silver in the 100km road race and Silver in the 50km points race.

After a lengthy absence from international competition, the young Goannas basketball team came home with a Bronze medal. In table tennis Michael Louey, Jacob Dyball and Simon Conroy achieved the best-ever teams competition result for Australia placing fifth. All valuable experience for the next international competitions – the 2013 Deaflympics taking place in Sofia, Bulgaria and the 8th Asia Pacific Deaf Games in Taiwan in 2015.

Could drops prevent hearing damage??

According to the World Health Organisation 50% of all cases of deafness and hearing impairment are avoidable through primary prevention. A large percentage can be treated through early diagnosis and suitable management.

Today's teens are not only assaulted by tremendous volumes at live concerts but seemingly 24/7 by long periods of high volume sound from earbud headphones. The challenge is getting teens to turn down their iPods – short term gratification is the name of the game.

For future generations of teens, rather than needing hearing aids they may simply be able to put drops in their ears or pop a pill to prevent hearing damage.

Funded by the US Department of Defence, scientists Robert Floyd of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and Dr Richard Kopke, Hough Ear Institute CEO and retired Army ear surgeon, have found compounds 4-OHPBN nitrone and n-acetylcysteine appear to stop hearing loss caused by loud noise. Although the drugs are safe for human use individually, the US Food and Drug Administration requires the researchers to prove the combination drug is safe and effective. It is estimated it will take about five years to trial and secure FDA approval.

Source: http://omrf.org/

Melbourne’s Professor Peter Blamey was awarded Australia’s highest technology honour, the Clunes Ross Science and Technology Medal for his broad career in research and business development including work on the bionic ear and a new hearing aid system (IHearYou) that uses smart amplification and web delivery to help users take control of their hearing in the home. He used his acceptance speech to encourage people with hearing loss to take action early before their brain ‘forgets’ how to hear well and to warn young people to avoid cumulative exposure to noise.

HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

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newsbites A GLOVE that translates sign language into text and voice A Ukrainian university team won the 10th Microsoft Imagine Cup held in Sydney in July with their innovative EnableTalk smartphone application and sensory gloves. The “super” gloves are fitted with a complex network of sensors and recognise hand movements and translate signs, which are then converted into spoken word by the app. The hi-tech gloves come complete with flex sensors, touch sensors, gyroscopes and accelerometers, as well as solar cells that help keep them powered. They also allow users to create and program their own signs.

The inventors hope their work will improve the quality of life of millions of people around the world with speech and hearing impairments. Still in prototype stage, they claim that the finished product when available will not "break the bank".

Design Breakthrough:

Portable Audio Booth Expected to be released in 2013, the OtoCube® is the first and only fully equipped desktop audio booth for testing and calibrating cochlear implants. It will set a new standard in precision, usability and sound insulation for ambient noise.

Weighing less than 15kg, this device will help reach patients when access to a testing room is impractical or impossible. To perform the testing, the box is connected to a computer via a USB port; the cochlear implant external processor is placed inside the box and then connected to the patient. The required level of sound-proofing is achieved without added weight or bulk through Acoustiblok®, a NASA-created proprietary viscoelastic polymer material used in buildings.

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Respected authority on cochlear implants, Professor Bill Gibson, Director of the Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre (SCIC) became the first surgeon worldwide to reach the milestone of 2,000 cochlear implant surgeries when Betty Lam received her second implant at Sydney’s Mater Hospital.

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IF YOU'RE STILL LOOKING FOR A REASON TO STOP SMOKING...

New research has revealed low-level exposure to cadmium and lead may be important risk factors for hearing loss 1. Tobacco smoking is the most important single source of cadmium exposure in the general population. It has been estimated that about 10% of the cadmium content of a cigarette is inhaled through smoking. The absorption of cadmium from the lungs is much more effective than from the gut – as much as 50% of the cadmium inhaled via cigarette smoke may be absorbed 2.

Source: 1. Environmental Cadmium and Lead Exposures and Hearing Loss in US Adults: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999 to 2004 EHP AOP http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1104863 2. Cadmium. Friberg, L Annual Review of Public Health 4: 367–367

Kettle too loud?

Or not loud enough?

A new 10-minute treatment could fix perforated ear drums. If Fred Hollows was able to simply and economically restore sight in the field in third world countries, then surely hearing can be restored to the thousands of children in remote communities around Australia?

After 35 years of treating ear disease in Aboriginal children, and with some communities having over 90 per cent of early primary school children with some form of hearing loss, Professor Harvey Coates is appalled that Australia has the worst middle ear disease of any first world country. Generally resolved with antibiotics, chronic untreated bacterial or viral infections often result in some form of hearing loss. The knock-on effect is if kids can’t hear, they can’t learn and this sets them up for a life on welfare. Currently surgery to fix the problem can take an hour or more, but a new technique being trialled later this year at Perth’s Princess Margaret Hospital may change that. Using a growth factor to prompt the body to heal itself and close the perforated ear drum, the treatment takes 10 minutes and can be performed from mobile vans. Ideally $10 million would be needed to set up and maintain the vans and Professor Coates is currently seeking government and private industry support.

The new Kambrook Mini Urn may be the answer.

Don't endure long periods of unbearable noise from a boiling kettle – this urn with rapid boil technology takes less than 60 seconds to boil and then automatically dispenses the perfect volume of water for your favourite cup (choose from 180ml to 350ml). Or if your source of frustration is having to stand over the kettle because you can't hear it cut off (or whistle) then you'll love the visibility of the bright fluorescent light that illuminates the entire water chamber – you'll know when it is on and when it has finished from the other side of the largest room! The urn features a secure locking lid and an emergency stop button in case you've set the cup capacity too high. Light and easy to fill and clean it has a concealed element and safety boil dry protection.

First deaf lawyer to represent a client in an Australian court Last year Brisbane lawyer Kathryn O’Brien, a Deaf Sports Australia Board Member, made history by becoming the first deaf lawyer in Australia to appear for a client in court.

A family law specialist Kathryn, who was featured in The Australian Women's Weekly (below), attributes her success to the government-funded National Relay Service that provides assistance to communicate via telephone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “It’s an everyday necessity for me,” she says and is grateful for the way it supports her to communicate clearly and professionally with clients and others in the legal system. She also uses Skype to sign to signing clients, as well as email. “It is certainly an honour to be recognised for a ground breaking achievement that may inspire deaf people to be professionals in their chosen field.”

The popular late 1990's television show, 'Reasonable Doubts' had Academy Awardwinning Deaf actress Marlee Matlin playing a deaf lawyer.

"I wanted to be a lawyer before I saw that show. But I thought why would people want to make believe that a deaf person can be a lawyer, why not in real life? It made me more determined to be a lawyer." Kathryn is currently studying for her Master of Laws at the University of Queensland.

Do you have hearing aids you no longer use?

You could help others with the gift of hearing by donating your old aids to Better Hearing Australia’s Hearing Aid Bank. For information call 1300 242 842 or visit betterhearingaustralia.org.au

Australian Women's Weekly "Women we admire" series June 2012

HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

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FACING THE Ear plugs now or hearing aids later?

What do ‘80s Aussie pop star John Farnham, Chris Martin lead singer of Coldplay and UK rap sensation Plan B have in common? They are all warning fans that loud music can cause permanent hearing loss. Daniela Andrews investigates what the music industry is saying to young audiences and how earplugs at rock concerts could become the next ’must-have music accessory’.

I finish reading yet another rave review of John Farnham’s recent ‘Whispering Jack… 25 Years On’ Tour. His voice is described as ‘amazing’, ‘fantastic’ and ‘incredible’. “He’s still ‘The Voice’,” say the concert goers. Late last year, John toured the nation to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his much-celebrated ‘Whispering Jack’ album. The 61 year old performed the first half of the show unplugged; easing the audience in with his sense of humour before roaring to life in the second half singing favourites and concluding with ‘You’re The Voice’.

It seems not much has changed in 25 years - still singing just as powerfully.

But John has admitted there is one major difference this time around – he is wearing hearing aids.

He had, for many years, been assisted by expensive in-ear monitors that he’d reportedly purchased in the US for about $4,000. These custom-fitted devices are often used in the entertainment industry

and provide high-level reduction of background noise in order to help people localise sounds, as well as protect their hearing. In fact, Farnham often joked about his ear monitors being mistaken for hearing aids.

So how does he feel now that he has had to replace the in-ear monitors with actual hearing aids? The good-natured musician doesn’t seem fazed. “The repertoire is getting wider, as am I,” he has been reported saying about his latest tour. “The hair is the only thing that got thinner. And now I can do hard-ofhearing jokes!”

It’s not surprising that his hearing has been affected by all those years on stage. Long exposure to sounds above 85 decibels can cause a noise-induced hearing loss. (Incidentally, this type of hearing loss can also be caused by one-off exposures to extremely loud sound.) Exposure to loud sound damages irreplaceable hair cells in the inner ear

and often causes tinnitus. The noise level of city traffic is said to be about 85 decibels. A rock concert is about 125 decibels. So is it any wonder that John is not the only musician with a hearing loss?

Lars Ulrich, the drummer for rock band Metallica, admits that after performing for over 35 years, he has indeed lost some hearing, as well as developed tinnitus. “I never used to play with any protection,” he said. He started wearing ear plugs when he first developed tinnitus, but by then the damage had been done. “I would fall asleep often with the television on,” he explains, “and I would wake up in the middle of the night to go turn the TV off. Except it wasn’t actually on. When I realised I was doing that frequently, I realised that maybe I had some issues.”

The 46 year old voices his concern about the current ‘iPod generation’ who listen to loud music, claiming he frequently

Performers are not the only ones whose hearing is affected. Have we reached a point where concert tickets need to come with a warning regarding excessive noise levels? Or perhaps they need to come with ear plugs? Teen idol Justin Bieber is being sued by a fan for hearing damage caused at one of his concerts. Stacey Wilson Betts (who is also suing Bieber’s record label, the promoters of the concert and the concert venue) is seeking $9.23 million to cover permanent damage to her hearing. She claims the sound of his fans’ screaming was deafening, especially when Bieber enticed them to scream louder by “pointing into various sections of the arena” to evoke more noise.

Most people believe the lawsuit is ludicrous, with the woman in question scoffed at and ridiculed on social media sites. Why? Because what she has described is fairly standard concert fare. She claims the sound of the fans screaming “exceeded safe decibel levels” but the simple fact is that this type of concert, screaming fans or not, is never going to achieve safe decibel levels.

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HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

MUSIC

Chris Martin (L) lead singer of Coldplay – undeniably the world's biggest band – and Aussie music legend John Farnham (R) perform ‘You’re The Voice’ together at the Sydney ‘Sound Relief’ fundraising concert in March 2009 in support of the Victorian bushfires and Queensland floods.

Picture by JANIE BARRETT

Chris Martin (front) with Coldplay band members

Gwyneth Paltrow (with earplugs) at a Coldplay concert with hearing-protected daughter Apple

points out to young kids that hearing damage is irreversible and there is “no real remedy”.

The 71-year-old jazz musician, Al Jarreau, has also recently admitted he suffers from hearing loss. “If you have never been on stage with a contemporary pop band, and their amplified instruments …then you cannot imagine the enormous high decibels of sound being pumped out onto the stage,” he writes on his website. “All this because of the need for the players to hear each other.” Like Farnham, Jarreau also used in-ear monitors for a while to help protect his hearing. Perhaps the damage was already done though, as Jarreau is also using hearing aids. “I have serious hearing loss,” he recently said to a journalist after explaining that he needed to reschedule their interview so he could go and get his hearing aids adjusted. “I’m challenged if I don’t have my hearing aids in.” The Grammy-award-winning artist still receives glowing concert reviews that state his voice is as strong and clear as ever.

Yes, it’s possible to continue performing despite hearing loss, though it is certainly quite a challenge.

One who is not new to this challenge is

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Paul Stanley, the lead singer and guitarist for rock band KISS. He was born deaf in one ear due to no ear canal and no direct path to the inner ear. He now has a boneanchored hearing aid (BAHA) implant and can hear on both sides, but his years of performing with only one functioning ear were extremely difficult. Though his hearing loss wasn’t caused by noise, he has aligned himself with organisations that aim to teach younger generations about the risk of hearing loss from loud noise. He claims his own hearing problem has made him “acutely aware of what some people are doing when they go to concerts or listen to music with headphones”.

Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, also admits that he is plagued by tinnitus. “I’ve had tinnitus for about ten years,” he said in a recent interview. “I wish I’d thought about [protecting my ears] sooner. Looking after your ears is unfortunately something you don’t think about until there’s a problem.” The band members of Coldplay now all use in-ear monitors or moulded filter plugs to protect their hearing. Martin has been fortunate that the tinnitus hasn’t become any worse over time. But he has wasted no time educating his own children, and those around the world, about the importance of hearing protection. He makes sure the ears of his wife Gwyneth Paltrow, and two children, Apple and Moses, are protected from loud music at concerts. Martin is now supporting a new charity campaign called ‘Action on Hearing Loss’. The purpose of the

Rapper Plan B

campaign is to encourage people to wear ear protection at night clubs and concerts.

Also backing the campaign is former ‘80s singer Gary Numan and rap artist Plan B, both of whom suffer from tinnitus. Numan has admitted that his tinnitus is having a direct effect on his career, as he is no longer able to mix music properly. Plan B has described the horrible screeching sound he heard at the onset of his tinnitus. “At first I thought it was trains rushing by as I live near a railway line.” He now makes sure he wears ear plugs when he’s working. The charity would like to make ear plugs available to all concert goers upon entering the venue, an idea fully supported by Plan B. “There should be a bucket of ear plugs there and it’s their choice then,” he said, urging people to protect their hearing. “You’re not Superman!”

Go much further back in time and we can’t overlook Beethoven, who started playing the piano when he was four years of age and gained his reputation as a virtuoso in his early twenties. He started to lose his hearing around his mid-twenties and was almost totally deaf by the age of 44. The cause of his hearing loss is unknown, though some experts have attributed it to Meniere’s disease or an autoimmune condition. His hearing is believed to have fluctuated, making some days easier for him to compose and perform than others. However, the difficulties his deafness posed for him have been well documented. One can imagine his distress on stage when he

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had to be turned around in order to acknowledge the loud applause from the audience after his performance of ‘Symphony No. 9’.

And then there are modern artists who have never had hearing in the first place, but are still able to forge a career path.

Rap artist Sean Forbes has been deaf since he was one, but never doubted that he wanted to pursue a career in music.

With both his parents playing in bands, Sean grew up hearing the constant vibration of music through speakers.

He began playing the drums when he was five and then started learning guitar at ten. His love for rap music came later and, when he produced a video of himself using American Sign Language to sign the lyrics of Eminem’s song ‘Lose Yourself’, he attracted the attention of Eminem’s production studio. They helped him produce his debut album, ‘I’m Deaf’, which lead to a record deal with BMI. Forbes has now

started an organisation called D-PAN (Deaf Performing Arts Network) to help support and promote other deaf artists.

A recent US study conducted by the House Research Institute tested the hearing of 29 teenagers who attended a three-hour rock concert without using any protection for their ears. The results showed 72% of the group suffered a temporary hearing loss. When the teens were given the results, the risk of loud noise exposure was explained.

A physician from the institute confirmed that while their loss was temporary, repeated exposure to loud noise could cause permanent loss. Only three of the 29 teenagers opted for ear plugs for future concerts.

Like Sean, there are other performers who have always been deaf. The rock band Beethoven’s Nightmare claims to

be the first all-deaf band in the world, and is made up of three men who met at a school for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Scotland’s Grammy award winning artist Dame Evelyn Glennie is a well-known professional solo percussionist. She has been deaf since the age of 12 and though she doesn’t hide it, she also doesn’t promote it.

Certainly, the road ahead for these performers is going to pose quite a few challenges. Which is worse, I wonder, as I think of how John Farnham must be struggling? To have had hearing initially?

That would provide advantages for pitch recognition, certainly as memory is a powerful thing. But it could also plunge a musician into depression and mourning.

Or would it be better not to have had hearing at all? That is not a road I have the power or experience to imagine. But speculation aside, one thing remains clear… natural hearing is precious and must be protected.

HQ

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technology

THE TYRANNY The phrase “the tyranny of distance” – so much part of the Australian vernacular – is borrowed from the title of Geoffrey Blainey’s 1966 book The Tyranny of Distance: How Distance Shaped Australia’s History. The book aptly describes how our geographical remoteness has shaped our identity and history and possibly our future.

However, that was before the internet.

As Colleen Psarros* explains, the internet now delivers otherwise unattainable technology and audiologists to the doorstep of the hearing-impaired in isolated locations.

Over the past few decades, technology has been responsible for incredible advances in audiology. Children with hearing impairments are diagnosed much younger, cochlear implant surgery is increasing by 10– to 15 percent every year and audiologists are developing skills to meet increased clinical demands. But, for those who don’t live in a major city, accessing help is likely to involve time off work or school, disruption to family life, and difficulties meeting travel and accommodation costs for appointments.

This is where teleaudiology can help.

Teleaudiology, also known as telemedicine and remote audiology/ remote mapping, uses the internet and specialised computer programs to provide services to remote areas through videoconferencing and instant messaging. The catalyst for teleaudiology development in Australia has been the improvements in telecommunication networks with the National Broadband Network roll out expected to offer even greater benefits for remote mapping, tuning and check-ups. Remote professionals will also feel the benefit with greater access to training and diagnostic advice.

The need to diagnose middle ear diseases in remote indigenous

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populations was pivotal to the early development of teleaudiology. Nearly ten years ago, Professor Rob Eikelboom and his colleagues at West Australia’s Ear Science Institute of Australia (ESIA) pioneered the use of video otoscopes.

Local personnel in rural and remote communities still use video otoscopes to send images via the internet enabling Ear Nose and Throat specialists in urban areas to provide diagnosis’s and recommend intervention.

Using local hearing assistants in remote areas, Australian Hearing, one of the largest hearing service providers in the world and an Australian statutory authority, has been successful with the audiological diagnosis of hearing loss through the use of pure tone testing.

A Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind

RIDBC remote testing

Children (RIDBC) research project, sponsored by a unique hearing and healthcare research program HEARing CRC, aims to allow city-based audiologists to test children’s hearing remotely, relying only on unqualified helpers at the remote site. The project uses a computer-based audiometer and videoconference program, remote

OF DISTANCE access software (which runs on a personal computer or laptop), an internet connection and headphones that cover the ear to reduce environmental noise.

The project recently assessed the hearing of twenty children (10 hearing and 10 with sensory–neural hearing loss), under three different conditions. The results suggest remote assessment technology can be used to assess children's hearing as accurately as face–to–face assessment and under non–sound treated conditions.

The Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre (SCIC) is another group faced with overcoming the challenges of providing services to isolated clients.

About 60% of its recipients live outside metropolitan areas, with some living in the Asia Pacific region, and do not have access to local cochlear implant programs. The recipients have the same need for ongoing management as their metropolitan counterparts. Teleaudiology now means they can access services that were previously financially not possible.

The use of teleaudiology for cochlear implant mapping is not a new concept.

Over the past two years, Queensland's Hear and Say in conjunction with SCIC has been involved in a research project with HEARing CRC. This project has been investigating remote mapping in children to ascertain if age impacted ability to perform accurate programming.

To program a child’s cochlear implant remotely; a portable, computer-based videoconferencing system (developed by the University of Queensland Telerehabilitation Unit eHAB) is used with remote desktop software configured to both the local and remote sites. The testing audiologist controls the desktop

computer in the remote test environment and programs the cochlear implant via the internet. These studies demonstrated the reliability and validity of remote mapping in cochlear implant recipients of all ages. It also showed there was no significant difference between the results

and internationally in late 2012.

Once high-speed internet becomes widely available to Australians, richer telemedicine capabilities will allow applications to be rolled out that deliver quality care to people who could not get it without travelling to the city. It will also give specialist teams greater capacity to treat patients via the use of ‘remote’ operating theatres and diagnostic data.

So, it seems, the assumption in The Tyranny of Distance that Australia's geographical distance will continue to shape its future (and its people) may well need to be reviewed!

HQ

Hear and Say telemapping

obtained in the conventional face-to-face scenario versus a remote one.

Researchers at ESIA, led by Professor Eikelboom, are also working on a cochlear implant remote mapping project to improve the way services can be delivered to isolated people with a cochlear implant. This project uses software that enables a cochlear implant to be plugged into a personal computer to be tested by an audiologist in real time via video, voice and text. The project faces issues related to different network connections and connecting the device to the internet via a control box, but is expected to be completed and available nationally

* Colleen Psarros of SCIC recently conducted research in conjunction with the HEARing CRC into the use of the internet in the management of cochlear implants.

image: www.freeimages.co.uk

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I'm just a phone call away...

Described by those lucky enough to know of its existence as “brilliant” and “life saving”, sadly most users of the National Relay Service (NRS) have stumbled across it by accident, almost at desperation point. They lament not having heard about it earlier through health professionals because of the incredibly positive impact it has had on their lives.

The NRS began as a volunteer program. In 1995, after lobbying action from the Deaf community about their right to have 24/7 national access to telecommunications, the Australian Federal Government created a funding program through a levy on phone companies. The NRS has an amazing, user-friendly, information-packed website and an incredible team of callcentre staff ready to support hearing- and speech-impaired Australians unable to use a telephone.

More people need to know about, and use, the service.

The service offers different call options for different circumstances. Depending on your requirements you may need a TTY (a teletypewriter) – a type of phone with a keyboard and display screen to read what the other person has said to you. For most hearing-impaired users

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The telephone has changed the pace of business and made the world smaller and more accessible. It has changed the way social relationships and interaction take place.

Communication over the phone has broadened the range of people we interact with and forges bonds with family and community. Even long distance relationships are possible.

That is, unless you are deaf.

However, as Helen Lowy discovered, there is a free service which makes it possible for everybody to use the phone – or at least everybody in the know! who have speech, a uniphone is the preferred option, as it combines TTY and a regular phone handset and receiver.

In most cases, NRS users can rent these for about the same cost as an ordinary phone through the disability-equipment programs offered by phone companies.

And, if you wish to be alerted of incoming calls, you might also consider a visual alert that flashes when the phone rings.

If you can speak but not hear, the ‘Speak and Read’ call option allows you to speak directly to the other person and then read their response, typed by the relay officer, on your TTY. If you have difficulty speaking, or use a voice-output device that may be hard to understand over the phone, then ‘Type and Read’ is best for you. You type your side of the conversation into your TTY and the relay officer becomes ’your voice’ and reads out your conversation to the person you are calling.

Internet-relay calls are an alternative to TTY-relay calls and only require an internet connection and computer access. This service can be accessed onthe-go through some internet-enabled mobile phones/devices or laptops – convenient when you’re away from home or the office. Like ‘Type and Read’ you use text to converse via a relay officer. You can make internet-relay calls via the NRS website or through the online instant messaging services; MSN Windows Live Messenger and AOLs AIM. No account is required, you just get online, type in the phone number

you want, a relay officer connects you and you begin to type!

The advantage of internet-relay over TTY calls – aside from greater mobility and not needing a TTY – is you can see more of the conversation on the screen.

Most people also find it faster to type on a computer keyboard.

What the NRS provides is choice.

Email, texting, instant messaging and social media has opened up communication channels for the hearing impaired, but these tools are not always as instantaneous, or appropriate, as a real-time phone call. You can’t send an SMS to the bank or the local takeaway to order dinner. You can’t have a job

interview by email.

Conversations with friends by text message lack the nuances, rhythm and flow of a real-time conversation where you can share emotions.

Relay officers are the central link in the phone call and act as a personal, invisible go-between. They stay on the line throughout each call to help it go smoothly, but do not change, or interfere, with what each person says. The idea of using the NRS can be challenging for some, especially the elderly. There are tips to ensuring you have a smooth and stress-free conversation and they are quick and easy to learn.

The NRS offers a free support and training service. This includes home/ office visits by a national team of education officers based in most capital cities; to ensure you get the most out of the service.

For people who want to call you via the NRS, no special equipment is required, they just call the NRS number for the cost of a standard call. The NRS education officers are also available to provide information for people you know, or someone you want to contact via the NRS, to ensure the communication process is as smooth as possible.

They provide useful tips on how to best conduct the call (given responses are typed and read), like pausing at the end of a phrase or sentence to allow the relay officer to keep up; repeating or spelling difficult words, names etc; covering one topic at a time and not speaking for longer than a minute before allowing the

Murph's* hearing loss resulted from a bout of meningitis as a toddler. With age it has deteriorated to total deafness.

“Not being able to use the phone at times was very frustrating. I was totally reliant on other people,” says Murph.

His wife Jenny observed: “With Murph being able to talk to the children on the phone, it’s so much more personal for him and he doesn’t miss out, so it’s very emotional for Murph too.”

Reminiscing with tears in his eyes, Murph adds: “Probably the first call I made with the National Relay Service was to one of my daughters. It’s a really moving experience being able to talk to the kids and they can respond and I’m actually knowing what they’re saying.”

“Originally we learned about the relay service from one of our local friends. She had her deaf sister-in-law move in with them.

We were talking, she said, ‘This is great, you should get a TTY for Murph’, ” recalls Jenny.

“Prior to having access to the relay service I would come home from work; Murph having plenty of time on his hands would have a list of phone calls for me [to make]. ‘Could you please ring the Council? I’m not happy with the dust blowing off the road’. ‘Could you ring my friends and tell them that, ‘yes I will be coming to darts’?’. There were times I felt quite exhausted.

“Murph has now got his own voice. He can tell people what he thinks instead of me trying to put across his opinions.

“It gives me comfort to know that if there’s a problem, or if something happens to me, Murph can still communicate. Murph has still got this link with the family, link with the doctors, an ambulance; [he’s no longer] isolated.

“This is a huge change in our lives that could have happened ten, fifteen, twenty years ago if we’d known about it. And I think it’s a shame that more doctors, audiologists, any health professionals have not got this information to give to people,” comments Jenny.

Murph adds: “To learn from somebody outside the hearing [profession], the medical profession, that there are these things available, I thought, ‘Why didn’t my doctor tell me this?’ ‘Why couldn’t the hearing specialist have told me this?’ ‘Why couldn’t the eye and ear doctor have told me this?’ Nobody!

“It’s just something that opens up a whole new world for me. Why not give it a try? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Believe you me, we haven’t looked back since we received the service.”

HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

15

RELY ON THE PHONE FOR WORK? other person to respond.

If you think the NRS is right for you, visit their website and explore the fact sheets and videos. Alternatively you can contact the help line about any questions you might have (although you may need a hearing person to do that initially).

Privacy, confidentiality and security are taken seriously by the NRS. A TTY call is as safe from interception as any fixed-line call and internet-relay calls are specially encrypted (similar to bank transaction websites) to provide greater security. Many businesses, government

agencies and financial institutions use the NRS to allow their customers to have private and confidential dealings with them. The Privacy Act covers information provided to customers via an NRS relay officer. No records are kept of any conversation relayed; except emergency calls. Once a relay call is completed the computer screen is cleared, removing all record of the conversation. NRS relay officers are bound by strict regulations and committed to protecting the privacy of the call and the identity of callers via a confidentiality agreement.

HQ

* last names have been withheld for privacy

Aged in his 80s, Bill* had always enjoyed good hearing – until he went deaf almost overnight. His dramatic hearing loss coincided with his wife’s hospitalisation, resulting in a family crisis. At home alone, he was unable to use the phone to get vital information on his wife’s condition.

“You must remember she was very sick and she found it pretty hard to understand what was going on and every time she asked me a question, of course I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t hear what she was saying,” says Bill.

Bill’s daughter Christine adds: “Dad couldn’t hear what the doctors were saying, what the nurses were saying. And it was really, really upsetting.

“Then mum went to the nursing home. He couldn’t communicate with anybody at all and he was trying to live in a house on his own. We had important information to get through to him and we couldn’t contact him. My husband rang Telstra to find out what services there were available for deaf people and they put us in touch with the National Relay Service. Suddenly we could communicate with him. So then I was able to actually talk to [Dad]. He was able to get the exact message and so then I knew Dad was understanding the message that was being given to him.

“It was just brilliant. Dad could speak to all of these different people and businesses in Australia that would understand him. I just burst into tears it was so emotional to suddenly find he was in touch with people.

“I’ve found the operators to be just so patient, so polite and really anxious to help make sure that the message gets across. But they’ve got a sense of humour as well.”

Bills adds: “Speaking in the phone and your answer comes on the screen and it sort of hits you differently, but once you get used to it I think it’s good. You can do things on your own. You don’t have to bother other people. As soon as this gets around, the better I think. If it’s not popular it should be – everyone should know about it. It’s marvellous.”

16

HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

Lynn* was a successful social worker until she lost her hearing from Large Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome in her 40s. Her world fell apart. The phone played a large part in her professional life. As a single parent, the phone also helped her stay connected with family and friends after the kids went to bed.

“The phone, before I lost my hearing, was central to everything I did. As a social worker it was vital,” reflects Lynn.

“Not being able to use the phone was just so, so frustrating. There are alternatives, but you can’t have a fluid conversation by text. Most businesses don’t operate through text, they operate through a landline. So what I would have to do is text a friend and ask them if they could please ring my dentist, or my specialist, and make an appointment for me. Even if I’m sitting there with a friend and she’s speaking for me, she’s not quite explaining the drift of what I wanted to get across. I hate that dependency and I hate the intrusion that means for other people.” Sometimes Lynn just felt she couldn't ask her friends to make yet another call for her so she would jump in the car to make the appointment herself. "It’s just difficult to organise your life," she explains.

“When I first found out about the relay service, it was entirely by accident. I picked up a brochure and right at the end was this little thing about the National Relay Service. I went online, I typed in the phone number that I wanted and they rang my friend for me. I typed in what I wanted to say, they speak the words for me, my friend speaks back to me – you can have a fluid conversation again. And I’m like, ‘How come no one has ever told me about this?’

“They’re impeccable in what they type. You get everything. You get every nuance. You get every uncertainty. You get the laughter that comes through. All of that is conveyed back to you and you connect with the essence of that person again.

“It is supremely simple to use. It is so freeing. It gives you back your independence. It reconnects you with your family. And it’s been my experience that the people on the receiving end of it are just so pleased to hear from you again. It makes their life easier as well as your own.

“If I had known about the relay service 18 months before I discovered it, I may still be in employment now. It would’ve been far easier for me to negotiate with my current employer than it is now to try and re-enter the workforce as a disabled person where they see these extras as being problematic. It would have saved me untold anguish in the isolation I felt.

Untold grief in the loss of relationships I was experiencing because I couldn’t maintain that contact.”

Advertorial

Celebrating

a world

FIRST

Professor WPR (Bill) Gibson, visited Betty Lam the morning after her cochlear implant surgery at the Mater Hospital North Sydney. It was a significant moment for the both of them. Mrs Lam could now look forward to improving her hearing using a second implant, while Prof Gibson was celebrating his 2,000th cochlear implant surgery.

With Mrs Lam's surgery, Prof Gibson becomes the first surgeon world-wide to reach this astonishing milestone, making him the most respected authority on the use of cochlear implants as the best form of intervention for deaf children and adults.

His remarkable achievement began in 1984, when despite the misgivings of leaders in the field of otolaryngology of the time, Prof Gibson believed there was a place for such a device in helping the deaf gain some sense of hearing.

His work had started when two young, recently deafened women became his first recipients of the device. Several weeks after being implanted, the two began to hear words rather than just noise and within a few short months one was again able to use the telephone – until then an impossible task for a deaf person. Prof Gibson presented his results to a stunned audience of leading ENT surgeons and despite their misgivings was determined to establish a program to help deaf adults. This lead to the creation of the Royal Prince Alfred Adult Cochlear Implant Program.

The paediatric program commenced three years later when four year-old Holly, deafened through meningitis, received a cochlear implant in June 1987. So began the children’s program at the Royal Alexandria Hospital for Children. These two programs merged to become the not for profit, charitable organisation SCIC - Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre.

As Director of SCIC, Prof Gibson generously shares his knowledge with the surgeons and clinicians that form the team. With the collective experience of over 3,000 cochlear implant surgeries, SCIC is not only one of the largest programs in the world, but is now regarded as a world leader in the provision of cochlear implants and related services.

In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the advancement of hearing health in Australia, Professor Gibson received the inaugural HEARO Award from Cochlear Limited in August 2008.

From July 2012 Prof Gibson will base his private practice at SCIC Gladesville to refocus his attention on his role as SCIC Director. He will continue to do cochlear implant surgery as part of his private practice however SCIC’s public hospital activities will be assumed by SCIC’s other highly skilled surgeons.

Being based at Gladesville means that Prof Gibson will be more available to provide guidance and counsel using his vast knowledge acquired through his 2,000 implant surgeries. All SCIC present and future cochlear implant recipients will benefit greatly from having Prof Gibson available as a mentor to the SCIC team.

www.scic.org.au

Prof Gibson with Betty Lam his 2000th cochlear implant surgery recipient

Prof Gibson's first patient Sue Walters

Australia’s largest cochlear implant program For more information scicadmin@scic.org.au

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After reading the Pocket Rocket article in the last issue of the magazine I was wondering how the Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT) approach actually works, and whether it could have any application for adults who have been hearing impaired for a long time. Over forty years, I feel I have lost much of what I can only call the skills of listening, which is apparently what the AVT approach is intended to instil in the very young.

A

Maree Rennie: The AVT approach could facilitate the redevelopment of auditory skills in adults with a cochlear implant (CI) given older implant recipients would already have ability to communicate through listening. That is, their auditory cortex has been developed for listening and they have a memory of spoken language.

Although AVT was intended for children, it could be adapted for adults.

Children require a parent or carer to facilitate listening and communication.

Without that support the child would find it very difficult to acquire spoken language.

For an adult CI recipient who wishes to maximise the benefits of their implant and regain confidence to use spoken language and better participate in the ‘hearing world’, it would be an advantage to have a personal mentor, in addition to their audiologist and speech pathologist; someone with whom they have a positive and trusting relationship.

AVT has a hierarchy of listening skills and both the mentor and the CI recipient would need to understand what this means as they are guided through the rehabilitation process of sound awareness, associated meaning, imitation and comprehension. As AVT is based on learning to listen in everyday circumstances using natural-language situations, adapting this methodology for adults could be beneficial.

AVT requires rigorous management of hearing aids and cochlear implants to ensure that they are not compromised.

It is the responsibility of the wearer to learn to manage and care for their device ensuring that any problems are promptly attended to. This means that the mentor would be required to monitor auditory behaviours and report changes in speech or responses to auditory information like not being able to comprehend as well as previously, speaking more loudly etc.

The mentor may also be required to assist in checking their device.

Children on AVT programs are required to perform the Ling 6 sound test on a daily basis with their parents or carers to monitor their ability to hear across the speech range. This would also benefit adults. The test is very simple – an audiologist would be able to demonstrate how to implement the test.

In the early stages of rehabilitation it may take some time for an adult to hear and identify the test sounds. Initially only the sounds are detected and over time the person learns to identify the sound and then learns to imitate each one correctly.

Some CI recipients are fortunate to be able to regain their auditory skills very quickly. For others it requires more time and effort. It is important to have a mentor who can support and celebrate

The Stages of Listening Advanced Listening Skills Auditory Comprehension Imitation and Expansion Associating Meaning to Sound Sound Awareness

Maree Rennie Coordinator RIDBC Matilda Rose Centre

Emma Scanlan Principal Audiologist Australian Hearing

the small gains made at each stage. As an adult it may be all too easy to lose faith, give up and not reap the benefits of learning to listen.

While learning to regain listening skills should be enjoyable, in many cases the person may not have heard speech or environmental sounds for some time and they could be overwhelmed or disappointed that it does not sound like the spoken language they remember.

The brain has to relearn to listen and understand spoken language and environmental sounds – this time through the cochlear implant, not through natural hearing.

While learning to listen, children take things slowly and begin by listening to the rhythm, pitch and intonation of the spoken language. This is acquired through listening repeatedly to songs and rhymes. Adults could listen to the lyrics of familiar but simple songs, poems or colloquial phrases that they once enjoyed.

At this early stage of listening discrimination, it is important that the person has success in identifying what they hear. In AVT at this stage the mentor presenting the spoken language provides cues so that it is easier for the person to identify what they hear. Feedback on what they hear helps identify any difficulties they may be having so the auditory tasks can be adjusted. It is also valuable input for their audiologist and speech pathologist.

AVT endeavours to present activities for children through positive interactions, activities and games that suit the stage and age of the child. In a similar fashion adult listening activities could be created that makes for interesting and functional listening such as sentences/ phrases/questions related to the person’s interest in sport, gardening, cooking, films, science, current affairs, art etc. The listening activities need to be meaningful and interesting.

It is also important for the mentor to

Associate Professor Melville da Cruz Cochlear Implant Surgeon

ensure that the physical environment has been adapted to meet the person's listening skills. There is no way that progress can be made in a noisy environment or with constant interruptions through phone calls, text messages or leaving to do household chores. Once the person is able to listen well in a quiet environment it is important to begin training with competing background noise like quiet music or the radio.

The success to developing listening is that it becomes a way of life so in the early days it needs to be practiced throughout the day. AVT requires a child be engaged in listening during all of their waking hours. This should also be the adult's aim with the support of their mentor.

AVT promotes that language is presented in grammatically-correct phrases, sentences and paragraphs.

It is also important not to speak too loudly or slowly, as this makes it difficult for the listener and distorts the message. If anyone is thinking of using AVT techniques for their auditory rehabilitation they would be advised to seek the skills of someone who has experience as an auditory-verbal practitioner. Happy listening.

For Maree's full and detailed answer go to: hearinghq.com.au where you can also share your AVT experiences and outcomes.

Q

“I suffer from continual wax buildup in my ears that leads to ‘whistling’ from my hearing aids. I’ve heard that ear candling is a good way to remove wax from my ears without having to go to the doctor. Is this true?”

A

Roberta Marino: No. Ear candling is not an effective way of removing wax. The procedure involves having the patient lie on the opposite ear while a lit hollow candle is inserted into the external

Roberta Marino Senior Audiologist Specialist Hearing Services

auditory canal of the affected ear. It is reported that the combination of heat and suction is supposed to remove earwax.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that there is no change in the amount of wax present before and after ear candling and there has not been evidence of earwax actually being found in the

candle after the procedure has been conducted. If anything, the process of ear candling can lead to any wax present being pushed further into the ear canal or wax from the candle being added to the ear canal. There is also the risk that the candle could be pushed too far into the ear causing damage to the delicate eardrum and even potentially lead to melted wax adhering to the eardrum requiring surgical intervention.

It is far better to see your general practitioner, Ear, Nose and Throat specialist or an audiologist (with specialist training in wax removal techniques) for ear wax removal.

The ear candling procedure has been reported by many to be relaxing and many of my clients have reported that they have seen wax and a powder inside the candle after the procedure has been done. However, this is just residue from the candle. I would advise against the use of ear candling and am disappointed that they are sold so freely when they obviously do not work and there are so many potential ill-effects.

HQ

HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

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HQ Magazine

Headquarters for the most up to date and accurate information and advice on how to improve your hearing.

Excess ear wax or ear impaction is often experienced in people over 65, especially those with hearing aids. It can be a common problem in young children too. Accumulated ear wax in the ear canal can cause or exacerbate hearing loss, pain, itching, tinnitus, vertigo, painful inflammation of the ear and chronic cough.

CleanEars works by dissolving ear wax (known as 'cerumen') and provides irrigation to flush it from the ear canal. By using CleanEars, ear wax is gradually removed from the ear within several hours or days and is a safer alternative to using cotton ear buds.

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All About...

Smoke Alarm Subsidy Schemes Do you have an alarm that could wake you?

Home fire safety is a vital issue for the whole community, especially as most home-fire fatalities happen at night while we sleep. When you are sleeping you don’t always register the smell of smoke, so without an adequate early-warning system you are twice as likely to die in a house fire.

Every home needs adequate smoke alarms and a fire escape plan. In most states and territories it is compulsory for residential homes to have either hardwired or battery-powered smoke alarms, but for the hearing impaired the cost of a smoke alarm with a strobe light, pillow shaker and beeper can be prohibitive. These specially-designed alarms can cost up to $500 each compared to a standard smoke alarm that costs about $50.

To offset the high cost of this specialised equipment for those who cannot hear a standard smoke alarm, most state governments have a subsidy scheme, administered by the organisations listed below.

NEW SOUTH WALES

The subsidy scheme in NSW is a joint initiative between the Deaf Society of NSW and Fire and Rescue NSW. Government funding of $2 million is offered in eight rounds over three years and started in December 2011. To apply, you need to complete an application form from the society and show that you are either profoundly deaf or severely deaf in the better ear. The scheme will cover the cost of the alarm. However, you must pay a $50 fee with your application (which may be waived if it would cause financial hardship or if you are a Centrelink cardholder).

A few different alarm types are available, depending on what is best for you. The models have been selected because they are easy to install.

Installation assistance can be provided

if you are over 65 and have difficulty climbing a ladder or don’t have family or friends to call on.

VICTORIA

This scheme is coordinated by Vicdeaf.

Like NSW, a $50 application fee applies.

A pilot scheme ran from July 2011 to June 2012. Eligibility criteria are now being evaluated. Applicants were able to apply for more than one smoke alarm per household, where people who are deaf, sleep in separate bedrooms. The pilot scheme also included children who are profoundly deaf between 13 and 18 years old and live at home.

QUEENSLAND

This subsidy scheme is currently under review and is administered by the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service.

It operates on a voucher system where successful applicants can claim up to $400 (or $800 for multi-storey homes) from approved alarm suppliers. Applicants are responsible for installation costs.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Residents who qualify are eligible to receive one specialised smoke-alarm system per household at no cost, including installation. This scheme is coordinated by Guide Dogs SA.NT Hearing Services.

TASMANIA

This program is run through Tasdeaf and the Tasmanian Fire Service. It is administered by Hearing Link and is similar to the Victorian program.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

While not a specific smoke-alarm program, the Independent Living Centre for WA Inc administers a Disability Equipment Grant program. Applicants can apply for funds for assistive equipment including smoke alarms.

Find out more...

The Deaf Society of NSW www.deafsocietynsw.org.au/smokealarms smokealarms@deafsociety.com TTY 02 8833 3691 Ph 02 8833 3600 Fax 02 8833 3699 Vicdeaf www.vicdeaf.com.au TTY 03 9473 1199 Ph 03 9473 1111 Fax 03 9473 1122 Queensland Fire and Rescue Service www.fire.qld.gov.au Ph 07 3635 1952 Guide Dogs SA.NT Hearing Services www.guidedogs.org.au Ph 08 8203 8390 Tasdeaf/Hearing Link www.tasdeaf.org.au catherine.g@tasdeaf.org.au Ph 03 6231 6501 Independent Living Centre of WA Inc www.ilc.com.au general@ilc.com.au Ph 1300 885 886 Fax 08 9381 0611

HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

21

column Our new columnist is one of those women who makes you ask: “How does she do it all?”.

Yvonne Keane is passionate about family, community, early intervention and making a positive difference. In her early 40s, she has been married to Anthony for 23 years and is mum to Asher, 3, who is deaf, and Saskia, 1. In 2009, when the Hear the Children centre that Asher attended was threatened with closure, she stepped in as a full-time volunteer to ensure its doors would remain open. She has just been named 2012 NSW Woman of the Year (People’s Choice Community Hero).

Everyone tells you your life changes profoundly the minute you lay eyes on your newborn.

For me, the moment I first saw my beautiful son Asher, the change was instant, immediate and infinite. For this little being that oozed calm, beauty and love; I would do anything to ensure he has the most wonderful journey that life could offer. The desire to give him all that I have, and more, was so visceral it was as if some hidden code within my DNA had been suddenly unlocked. Yet this transformative moment is not unique at all. My story is every mother’s story.

In the first few days after he was born, it felt as if our blissful bubble of euphoria was impenetrable. My baby boy was thriving. It was a time of mutual discovery. Asher was making tentative eye contact, reacting to sound and revealing his innately affectionate and loving temperament. I drank in every amazing ‘first’ moment and dreamt wistfully of all the beautiful, future first moments we would share together. Then, out of the blue, our bliss bubble came under threat.

At three days old, much to my surprise, Asher didn’t pass the SWISH test – a hearing screening provided free-of-charge to all newborn babies in Australia. So certain was I that the test was wrong, I insisted they do it again. “Your machine must be on the fritz,” I expertly offered. I was in an utter state of shock when Asher went on to fail his second SWISH test and was subsequently diagnosed with permanent mild-moderate bilateral-hearing loss.

In a short period of time my universe had changed once again. The bubble had burst and I was instantaneously plunged into an abyss of fear for my child’s future.

You know how they say: “If only I knew then what I know now?” Well, if only I knew then that my journey with Asher, even with its natural ups and downs, wouldn’t be one of fear, but instead, one filled with overwhelming happiness, hope and celebration.

I remember vividly the moment when Asher was only a few months old, that I realised I no longer had any fear for his future. I sat on the end of our battered old lounge, whilst my son slept like an angel in the cot beside me. I wept for joy. Yet I had no idea that what was to come next would be the most wonderful, unexpected and joyous expedition of my life.

Asher is now a gorgeous 3-year-old boy, who, thanks to the life-changing early-intervention therapy he has received, has age-appropriate, clear, natural language, a great sense of humour - and the world at his fingertips.

In Australia, we are so fortunate to have truly incredible, hearing technology freely available for our children, which, when coupled with consistent early intervention, can mean that a child’s hearing impairment does not need to be a ‘handicap’ in their lives. Through early intervention, I have seen deaf children develop clear and natural spoken language, just like hearing children their age, and then go off to mainstream schools at six, alongside their little hearing peers. I have become a true believer when it comes to early intervention. What can be achieved for hearing-impaired children in those crucial, formative years between zero and six, is, in my opinion, nothing short of miraculous.

Recently, I was trying to help Asher pronounce a new and difficult word. After he had given it a good go, I clearly and slowly repeated it back to him. He looked up at me with surprise and delight and said: “Yes. That’s it! You said it. Good job, Mummy!” I threw my head back and laughed and laughed. I had just experienced another beautiful ‘first’ moment with my son.

22

HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

REAL Travelling 2,600km in a click Imagine having to fly thousands of kilometres for your cochlear-implant programming session? Until August last year that was the costly prospect for Christmas Island resident and 67-year-old retired council worker and cochlear-implant recipient, Teong Fatt Lew. On the rim of South East Asia, the tiny Australian territory off the coast of Java, is

located 2,600km northwest of Perth. Thanks to an initiative between researchers and clinicians at Fremantle Hospital (where Mr Lew received his implant) and Perth’s Princess Margaret Hospital, he now only has to travel a few kilometres to the Christmas Island Hospital for his programming sessions. Although there is no audiologist on the island, hospital nursing staff are able to assist him via a computer loaded with special software and a programming interface that allows his audiologist Roberta Marino to adjust his device remotely from her Perth office.

PEOPLE

REAL STORIES First ever hearing impaired superhero

Pre-schooler Anthony Smith, 4, from Salem, USA, was born with mosaic trisomy 22 - a rare genetic condition. He’s unable to hear on his right side and has hearing loss on his left. One morning, in April this year, he woke up and decided he didn’t want to wear ‘blue ear’, his hearing aid, anymore.

A huge superhero fan, he figured if they don’t wear ‘blue ears’, then why should he?

His mother Christina D’Allesandro told him superheroes do wear hearing aids, but then wasn’t so sure. So she immediately emailed Marvel Comics in New York hoping someone would answer and reassure her there was a superhero that might be able to help. As it turned out, there was.

Bill Rosemann, an editor at Marvel Entertainment and a father of a three-year-old son, sent Anthony an image of a 1984 comic book cover featuring Hawkeye.

An Avengers’ superhero, Hawkeye lost 80% of his hearing when he was struck by a sonic arrow (his hearing was later restored during his rebirth on Counter Earth). In the image, the character is wearing a small hearing device.

“We wanted to give [Anthony] a concrete example [of a deaf hero],” Rosemann said. “And if Anthony wears his hearing aid, he can be an honorary Avenger.”

D’Allesandro’s letter also inspired a couple of Marvel artists who created a new superhero based on Anthony. Named The Blue Ear, the character says thanks to his listening device he is able to hear someone in trouble. During the creative process production artist Manny Mederos asked: “Why not have the superhero be a young kid himself so he could grow up and work alongside Hawkeye and The Avengers one day?”

“The main thing Marvel teaches is that with great power comes great responsibility and that guides all our heroes. Our goal is to help kids like Anthony recognise their own special powers,” adds Rosemann.

Anthony received three separate pictures from Marvel, including the original artwork for The Blue Ear. He has since worn his ‘blue ear’ without complaint.

books, blogs 'n more Falling on Deaf Ears?

We've found an interesting online read about the risk associated with listening to loud music through earbud headphones. Journalism students at Bearden High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, produce an online-student magazine called The Bark. In the Winter 2011/12 issue, entertainment editor Jack. H. Evans explores teenage use of earbud headphones with iPods and other portable music-playing devices and their correlation to hearing damage. Bold, brave stuff for a young man who suggests that the thought of hearing loss as a side effect of loud and constant music played directly into your ear canal “isn’t just an empty parental threat; it’s science – almost”. He quotes audiologist Dr Lee Cottrell who compares damage done to the system of hair cells in the inner ear by loud noise, like stepping on a blade of grass: “If you step on it once, it’ll come back up, but if you step on it over and over, it’ll die.” He observes that “if there’s one thing that young people know how to do, it’s how to listen to loud music” but that students “have begun to notice hearing damage in themselves”. He jokes that “in 30 years the most common word in the English language will be ‘What?’” To read the full story go to: http://my.hsj.org/488640

Sound and Fury If you could make your deaf child hear, would you? Nominated for several awards including an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature the film, ‘Sound and Fury’ follows an American family comprising three generations of deafness. The family was filmed for 18 months. The story focuses on two brothers – Peter who is deaf, and Chris, who has proficient hearing – and their wives and children. When one of Chris’ twins is born deaf, the brothers research cochlear implants, at which time, Peter’s oldest child Heather starts asking for an implant as well.

A bitter argument between the siblings and

their extended family ensues. They argue about the importance of deafness; the education of their kids and whether or not to give their children cochlear implants that may improve their ability to join the hearing world but might threaten their deaf identity. A followup documentary, ‘Sound and Fury: 6 Years Later’ looks at the experiences of Heather who received a cochlear implant at nine, along with those of her mother, siblings and members of her extended family who also received implants.

The music man who lost his sense of hearing Nick Coleman's memoir The Train in the Night: A Story of Music and Loss tells how he reconnected with the soundtrack of his life after suffering sudden neurosensory hearing loss.

Telling doctors he would rather lose an eye or foot than his favourite sense, the book explores Nick's struggle to cope in a world that has suddenly lost its most important dimension and the one thing upon which his entire livelihood depends. Published earlier this year, four years into adapting to his new way of living, it shows how people redefine themselves when calamity strikes.

Writing about music for over 25 years for publications like the UK's Time Out and The Independent, Nick Coleman woke one morning to find he was stone deaf in one ear and bombarded with a cacophony of internal noise like "the inside of an old fridge hooked up to a half-blown amplifier". After the initial concussive shock, Coleman approached the new circumstances of his life – his inner-ear condition not only ruined his hearing but also his balance – with a good deal of the curiosity and wit that once characterised his reviews of albums and gigs. His book, published in February by Random House Books Australia, is not simply an examination of the effects of his relatively rare and bleakly ironic illness but also a broader meditation on mortality and the resourceful defences of memory.

24

HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

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25

here to help There are many not-for-profit organisations around Australia and government agencies that provide valuable support, advice and information on hearing issues. Please visit hearinghq.com.au to find out more about any of these organisations and to link directly to their websites.

Better Health Channel VIC Govt funded health & medical information www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

Guide Dogs SA.NT Telethon Speech & Hearing - Perth Early intervention program and specialist Adelaide & Darwin based hearing dog service www.guidedogs.org.au paediatric audiology services www.tsh.org.au ADVICE & SUPPORT Hear and Say Centres - QLD Listen and speak early intervention program Better Hearing Australia (BHA) Hearing advice by letter, email or in person www.hearandsaycentre.com.au www.betterhearingaustralia.org.au Hear The Children Centre - Sydney Deaf Children Australia Free Auditory-Verbal therapy early intervention www.hearthechildren.org.au Services for hearing impaired children www.deafchildrenaustralia.org.au Catherine Sullivan Centre - Sydney Early intervention for hearing impaired children Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (Aus) Inc www.catherinesullivancentre.org.au Educational association www.shhhaust.org The Hearing House - Auckland NZ Early intervention for hearing impaired children Hear For You www.hearinghouse.co.nz Mentoring hearing impaired teens www.hearforyou.com.au Matilda Rose Centre - Sydney Meniere’s Australia Early childhood intervention for hearing impaired Dizziness & balance disorders support www.ridbc.org.au www.menieres.org.au ADVOCACY & ACCESS SERVICES Australian Tinnitus Association (NSW) - Sydney Support, information & counselling services Deafness Forum of Australia www.tinnitus.asn.au www.deafnessforum.org.au

Deafness Foundation Research, education & technology support www.deafness.org.au

Tinnitus SA Support group for those with tinnitus www.tinnitussa.org

ACT Deafness Resource Centre www.actdrc.org.au

Deaf Can:Do (formerly Royal SA Deaf Society) Services to SA deaf and hearing impaired www.deafcando.com.au

Acoustic Neuroma Association of Australia Support and information on treatment www.anaa.org.au

Deaf Sports Australia www.deafsports.org.au

ACT Deafness Resource Centre - Canberra Information, referral and advocacy services www.actdrc.org.au

EDUCATION

Arts Access Victoria/Deaf Arts Network www.artsaccess.com.au

The Shepherd Centre - NSW & ACT Early intervention and cochlear implants www.shepherdcentre.org.au

NMIT Centre of Excellence Vocational Education www.nmit.edu.au/excellence

Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children Hearing and vision impaired education & services www.ridbc.org.au

Deafness Council Western Australia Inc www.deafnesscouncilwa.org.au

INFORMATION & SERVICES Audiological Society of Australia Inc Information on national audiological services www.audiology.asn.au Australian Government Hearing Services Program Government assistance eligibility information www.health.gov.au/hear Australian Hearing Australian Government audiology clinics www.hearing.com.au Telecommunications Disability Equipment Contact information for special phones www.acma.gov.au National Relay Service Telephone access service for hearing impaired www.relayservice.com.au JobAccess Disabilities workplace solutions www.jobaccess.gov.au

Australian Communication Exchange (ACE) Tinnitus Association of Victoria www.aceinfo.net.au Support group for tinnitus sufferers www.tinnitusvic.asn.au Media Access Australia www.mediaaccess.org.au Vicdeaf BHA Tinnitus Self Help/Support Group -TAS Support group for those with tinnitus Cap that! Captioned for Learning Advice and support for VIC deaf adults T 03 6244 5570 www.capthat.com.au www.vicdeaf.com.au The Deaf Society of NSW Information & services to NSW Deaf people www.deafsocietynsw.org.au

Ear Science Institute Australia Help with ear, balance & associated disorders www.earscience.org.au Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre www.scic.org.au The Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital Melbourne cochlear implant centre www.eyeandear.org.au Hear and Say - QLD Early intervention and cochlear implants www.hearandsaycentre.com.au Lions Hearing Dogs Australia Provide hearing dogs and training to recipients www.hearingdogs.asn.au

Taralye Oral Language Centre - Melbourne Early childhood intervention & advocacy www.taralye.vic.edu.au Cora Barclay Centre - Adelaide Auditory-Verbal Therapy early intervention www.corabarclay.com.au Can:Do 4Kids - Adelaide Programs for deaf, blind and sensory impaired children www.cando4kids.com.au

OTHER EARtrak Help improve hearing aid standards www.eartrak.com Hearing Aid Bank Donate old hearing aids and batteries www.betterhearingaustralia.org.au Planet Ark Find a battery recycler near you www.recyclingnearyou.com.au/batteries

To have your organisation considered for listing please email editor@hearinghq.com.au (you must be a not-for-profit, charity or completely free service)

26

HQ Magazine Aug-Nov 2012

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stay in touch You can still make your own phone calls at no extra cost. The National Relay Service helps you:

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• make appointments and business calls