Hearing Loss
Help Forum.
Hearing loss affects nearly 1 in 5 American adults — and the rate increases significantly with age. Whether you're still working, preparing to retire, or already retired, this forum provides expert guidance on enhancing your hearing without wasting your hard-earned salary or pension.
You are in
good company.
According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 17 percent — 36 million — American adults report some degree of hearing loss. The incidence increases significantly with age, reaching nearly half of all adults over 75. If you are a federal employee or retiree in the 45-and-older age group, this is not a peripheral concern.
On average it takes people 7 years from the time they think they might have a hearing issue to the time they seek treatment. Don't wait. The resources you need are available — and largely affordable.
If you suspect you have hearing loss but haven't acted on it, this forum will help you determine whether you need professional help and how to navigate the hearing health care system to find it. If you already have hearing aids or cochlear implants and find they aren't solving all your communication challenges, you are not alone — and this forum explains why, and what additional technologies can help.
Beyond hearing aids — assistive technology
Hearing aids and cochlear implants have microphones that pick up from a short distance and work best in quiet environments close to the sound source. That covers many situations — but not all of them. Additional assistive technologies can extend your ability to hear in places where aids alone fall short:
When hearing aids aren't enough
Technology accessories and assistive listening devices can supplement hearing aids and implants in challenging environments: large rooms, movie theaters, places of worship, telephone calls, television, and noisy public areas. Dr. Compton-Conley's forum and articles cover specific technologies — wireless systems, loop systems, captioning devices, and more — that can dramatically improve communication in settings where hearing aids struggle.
This forum is designed to help you navigate the hearing health care system so you find the help you need to communicate successfully in every venue of your life — at home, in the workplace, and out in the world.
Dr. Cynthia Compton-Conley.
Dr. Cynthia Compton-Conley is a Board Certified Doctor of Audiology, Professor of Audiology, and Hearing Industry Consultant. She retired as a Professor of Audiology after 32 years at federally-funded Gallaudet University, where she taught in the graduate school — and she retired under the CSRS system, making her uniquely positioned to address the intersection of federal retirement and hearing health.
Throughout her career, Dr. Compton-Conley provided institutions and organizations with guidance on ensuring that workplaces and public areas are accessible to people with hearing loss. She has published and presented on assistive technology both nationally and internationally, provided expert witness services, and received numerous honors 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.
She is an alumnus of Rutgers University, Vanderbilt University, and the City University of New York, and is licensed to practice audiology in the State of Maryland. She serves on two American National Standards Institute (ANSI) working groups related to hearing assistance technology and audio track accessibility for television.
Articles by
Dr. Compton-Conley.
How to Manage Your Own Hearing Health Care
Wireless Hearing Aid Systems — How to Connect to Everything (Almost)
How to Hear Better in Movie Theaters and Other Public Areas
HearingTracker.com — An Innovative Online Approach to Hearing Health Care
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Limits of Liability: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in providing information on hearing loss and associated hearing enhancement or protection technology, they make no representations or warranties with respect to accuracy or completeness. The advice and strategies herein may not be suitable for your situation. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss or commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.