Helping Federal Employees and Annuitants Understand Their Benefits
According to the National Institutes of Health, many of you reading this page may have difficulty hearing. This could be affecting you home life or your job, or both. You are in good company. Approximately 17 percent (36 million) of American adults report some degree of hearing loss. In addition, the incidence of hearing loss increases with age: 18 percent of adults 45-64 years old, 30 percent of adults 65-75 years old, and 47 percent of adults 75 years old or older have a hearing loss. Whether you are still working, about to retire, or already retired, you may want to take a look at this forum for succinct guidance on how best to enhance your hearing without wasting your hard-earned salary/pension.
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Cynthia Compton-Conley Ph.D. is a Board Certified Doctor of Audiology, Professor of Audiology, and Hearing Industry Consultant. She is a retired Professor of Audiology who taught in the graduate school at federally-funded Gallaudet University for 32 years and retired in the CSRS system. She also provided institutions and organizations with guidance on how to ensure that the workplace and public areas are accessible to people with hearing loss and provides expert witness services when needed. |
Cynthia is an alumnus of Rutgers University, Vanderbilt University and the City University of New York. She has published and presented on assistive technology both nationally and internationally and has received many honors and awards for her work, including the Special Friends of Hearing Impaired People Award from the Hearing Loss Association of America and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Academy of Audiology. Cynthia is licensed to practice audiology in the State of Maryland and is a member of the American Academy of Audiology, the American Auditory Society, and the Hearing Loss Association of America. She also serves on two American National Standards Institute (ANSI) working groups related to hearing assistance technology and audio track accessibility for television.
If you suspect that you have a hearing loss but haven't gotten around to doing anything about it, review the information on this forum to help you determine if you need professional help. On average it takes people 7 years from the time they think they might have a hearing issue to the time they seek treatment. If you have a diagnosed hearing loss and find that your hearing aids or cochlear implants are not solving all of your communication issues, you are not alone. Hearing aids and implants have microphones that pick up from a short distance. Thus, they work best when you are close to the sound source and when you are in a quiet situation. However, there are additional technologies, accessories if you will, that can be used along with your hearing aids/implants to help you hear better in many different situations at home, in the workplace, and while out and about. This forum is designed to help you navigate the hearing health care system so that you find the help you need to be able to successfully communicate in all venues of your life.
We do not provide medical advice. This website and the
information provided on this site are intended solely for consumer
education. This website and its information services do not constitute the
practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care practice
and nothing contained in this website is or should be considered, or used as
a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Do not disregard,
avoid or delay obtaining medical advice from your physician or other
qualified health care provider because of something you have read on this
website.
While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in providing
information on hearing loss and associated hearing enhancement or hearing
protection technology, they make no representations or warranties with
respect to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this forum and
Website, replies to site visitor questions, or prepared articles, and they
specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness
for a particular purpose. The advice and strategies contained herein may not
be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a physician or
audiologist where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be
liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not
limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.