News

Top 5 Fire Safety Devices for People with Hearing Loss

A fire can start anywhere, anytime. In fact, residential fires occur more frequently in the colder months. And according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 51% of all house fire deaths occur from 11pm to 7am when most people are asleep. Because a majority of fire alarms are auditory, people with hearing loss are more susceptible to the dangers of house fires – especially in the nighttime.

Prepare yourself by learning about the variety of smoke alarms and fire safety devices available for people with hearing loss.

Find Your Voice: Top Free Text-To-Speech Apps for Adults

Speech technology has rapidly improved since the start of the century. Speech technology is the assistive software that reads digital text aloud or transcribes speech into text. You’ve most likely ran across this sort of technology before; Siri, Alexa, and GPS voices are making text-to-speech & speech-to-text software mainstream. It is as reliable as ever. With so many apps to choose from, it can be overwhelming trying to find a perfect match.

Find your voice with our list of the top free text-to-speech apps for adults.

New Innovations in Hearing-Assistive Devices

HATs off to Hearing Assistive Technology! (See what we did there?) They’re the devices dedicated to helping you hear better – and communicate easier – no matter where you are. And thanks to ever-evolving smartphone technology, they’re doing it with even more precision, sophistication and convenience than ever before.

Read on to learn more about the newest innovations in hearing-assistive devices and what they can do for you.

“Tap to Alexa” – Smart Speakers Evolving for Hearing Loss

We are living in the golden age of assistive devices. It seems like every day comes with new and exciting advancements that further promote accessibility and empower individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and/or speech disabled. Alexa is Amazon’s personal assistant program. Alexa, and similar personal assistants such as Google Home and Apple’s Siri, perform actions and scour the web for information based off of voice commands. One of the most recent advancements in accessibility is a new feature for Amazon’s Echo smart speakers called “Tap to Alexa.”

Read on to learn more about the latest advancement in smart speaker accessibility.

Top Universities for Deaf Students

When it comes to catering to the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students, most colleges and universities leave much to be desired. That’s why, for hard of hearing high schoolers, finding a college with systems in place to properly help them reach their educational goals can be a real challenge. Finding a sense of community is vitally important to the college experience. If you or someone you love is ready to take the next step in higher education, don’t settle! Take the time to find a school that meets ALL of your needs—both academic and social.

Check out these top 5 universities for deaf and hard of hearing students:

5 Tips for Dating A Deaf Person

Relationships are all about communication. So, what happens when you and your date communicate differently? In most cases, a few simple considerations are all you need to bridge any gap in understanding, which is why we’ve put together a few simple tips to help you prepare for your first date with a deaf or hard of hearing person.

Check out these quick tips for navigating dating and deafness.

Best Phones and Apps for Hearing Loss

Over the last few decades, technology has advanced rapidly, making way for software and devices that are inexpensive, convenient and more helpful than ever before for hard of hearing individuals. In an effort to help you sort through the options out there today, we’ve put together a list of some of the best phones and apps available for individuals with hearing loss.

Read on to learn more about this lineup of helpful solutions for the hard of hearing.

Sign Language Around the World

Outside of the deaf and hard of hearing community, few people realize just how many types of sign language exist around the world. While the exact number of unique sign languages remains unknown, there are hundreds of distinct languages used by deaf and hard of hearing individuals the world over.

There are far more types of sign language than we could ever include in a single blog post, but read on to learn about some of the most common types of sign language in the world today. 

Does Age-Related Hearing Loss Lead to Depression?

Depression and age-related hearing loss are two incredibly complex and difficult situations that impact everyone differently. While no two people have the exact same experience with hearing loss, the National Council on the Aging (NCOA) found that older people with untreated hearing loss have higher rates of depression, anxiety, paranoia and were less likely to participate in organized social activities when compared to those who wear hearing aids. 

Handling the Holidays with Hearing Loss

The holidays are a great time to get together with loved ones, but—for people with hearing loss—the celebrations can lead to unnecessary confusion and frustration. Going into this holiday season, we’ve prepared some key considerations before you head to this year’s parties.

Consider these common holiday hearing loss issues: