ABSTRACT
In this study, the discussion is based on the hearing aid as the most effective device for the individuals with the hearing impairment in the independent living. In developing the content, the other types of technological tools have been ruled out in an appropriate manner, by offering actual and supported reasons as to why the hearing aid is the most suitable choice. The essay has also described the various types and levels of hearing impairment, which are namely: deaf, deafness, hard of hearing. This is of significance as it offers a framework for basing, and presenting my arguments on the chosen type of tool.
This work is conclusive enough as it has offers the various aspects of the topic which are enlightening to understanding the people who have this type of impairment. Throughout the study, reference and support have been given from the work of other research studies done with other relevant sources in articles, books, and journals, and websites.
The hearing impaired people; the deaf or the hard of hearing individuals use various assistive technologies that offer them with improved accessibility in the various environments of independent living. As Craddock (2003)states, ‘A lot of the devices offer a sound which is amplified or alternate means to obtain information or enable communication via the technique of vibration and vision. The technologies can be categorizedinto three vast groups, namely: hearing technology, alerting gadgets, and communication aid (p. 34).” The primary objective of this category of devices is to offer better accessibility to information several individuals obtain through hearing. According to the various specific requirements of a person in a given situation, deaf and hard of hearing persons, these people need the assistive technologies.
After a comprehensive research on the various assistive technologies that are available and that are used by individuals, the decision is on the hearing aid device, as the most effective assistive technology. First,to understand how the device works, a look at understanding the differences between, deaf deafness, and hard of hearing, is considered. These terminologies are the distinctive categories in the hearing impairment. Also, an illustration of the various assistive technologies tools that exist is provided, but in a shallow view. Next, a clear-cut description as to why hearing aid is the most effective is explained, offering reasons with support from obtained from various reliable scholarly materials. Conclusion is on restating and reaffirming the above on the choice of this type of assistive technology for the hearing impaired individuals.
Understanding the Difference between Deaf, Deafness, and Hard of Hearing
There is no equivalence in the hearing disabilities. The explanation on the hearing of an individual is commonly levied on the extent of the hearing at various frequencies as estimated by an audiologist. Generalizing on the word descriptors do not precisely foresee the skill of a person in the scope of the activities such as speech, language, listening, mode of communication and much more. Craddock (2003) says, “The terms, ‘deaf,' ‘deafness’, and ‘hard of hearing’ are employed to illustrate the people with hearing impairment and is based the medical approach and description of the degree of the impairment. The manner in which an individual regards himself/herself, on the other hand, is dependent on the self-identity and the cultural ideals linked to or different from the status of hearing. For example, an individual who has a degree of hearing that could be medically stated as hard of hearing (an individual spotted with moderate to serious hearing impairment). This person may identify him/herself as deaf by their chosen manner of self-identity, cultural ideals, and way of communication (pp. 95-97).”
Deaf does not explain the degree of hearing difficulties in a person. Rather, the word gives an implication to the individuals who are hard of hearing and for their means of communication is through the application of the American Sign Language. On the other hand, deafness refers to a degree of hearing impairment serious enough that the person is controlledin his or her skills to process acoustical linguistic. This is irrespective of whether they are applying the listening gadget or not. This condition is not strictly dependent on the capability to communicate or the need to apply sign language. Hard of hearing is applied to offer a description of a person who does not hear properly. The person may hear and comprehend verbal communication, but may require the support of an assistive listening device (ALD) or hearing aid.
Assistive Technology Devices for the Hearing Impaired Persons
The persons with hearing disability have various types of assistive device for use. Hearing aid is the most known, and effective device to my view exists, but still there are others such as cochlear implants, smartphone apps, and webcam/video chat technology, TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf) / TYY (teletypewriter) (Sandlin, 2000, p. 101). There exist the FM system and the audio induction loop. The cochlear implants are fundamentally prosthetic ears. There are relatively costly on the sense that they need surgery and a good follow up care. They involve a lot of logistics such as the external and internal gears for its effective operation. These are the aspects that are regarded as the cons of this type. The smartphone apps are the other type, but reason as to why they are disregarded was because it caters to a small market niche, the teenagers, and the young adults as though not all of the adults but most perceive this tool to be of convenience.
Sandlin (2000) in his work notes that “There is the webcam technology which has to work in compatibility with a smartphone and laptops which permit for videoconferencing chat capabilities. This enables a chance for reading of the lips (on the assumption that there is high, and sufficient bandwidth and clarity of the camera), and sign language is messaging (p. 103).”The disregard for this is that, though it seems appealing it requires a smartphone and a data plan for its usage which restricts its comprehensive effectiveness for the independent living application. Conversely, studies show that the TDD/ TYY tool is an obsolete gadget and thus not appropriate. The FM system functions through a microphone, which remotely disseminates the message to the receiver. It is employed in the cochlear implants, hearing aid and head phones where it works for compatibility reasons. Lastly, an audio induction is used in the hearing aid which uniquely has telecoil and as a result is not accessible to all the people.
Hearing Aid as the Effective Assistive Technology Device
The choice for the hearing aid as the most effective device for the hearing impaired is not at the top of mind thought that it is cheap. Rather, it is for the reasons of its convenience, reliability, less complication in its application and much more that will be seen as this work delve to offer description of its application, and existence. Analysis is going to be on a comprehensive look at the functionality of the device, the styles of the tools, and the impact it has brought.
Hearing Aids
According to WI Department of Public Instructions, the National Council on the Aging conducted a study on a population of 2,000 individuals who had a hearing impairment. The studies revealed that hearing aids is linked to the remarkable improvements in the social, emotional, mental, and physical welfare of the individuals with this challenge. This cuts across all the scope of the degree of those with the challenge ranging from moderate to serious cases. Hearing aid application is positively associated with the following quality of life matters: communication among the couples, earning power, affection and love for the families, emotional security, feeling of control on the life issues, and notion on the functioning of the mind.
How does hearing aid work?
This assistive tool applies similar basic components to convey sound from the environment into the ear to increase their audibility and loudness. A good number of the hearings aids are battery powered and are digital, scrapping off the notion of them being obsolete. There exist small microphones that gather sound from the surrounding (Heckendorf, 2009, p. 39). An amplifier exists, and is embedded in a computer chip which translates the incoming echo into a digital code. Then, it examines and modifies the sound by the hearing loss, hearing requirements, and the degree of the surrounding sound. The amplified signals are then altered into sound waves and disseminated to the ear drum via the speakers in the device. Most of the hearing aids have user controls, namely toggle switch, volume adjustment knob, push switch or wireless control that makes possible for the user to control the various hearing aid gadgets.
Styles of the Hearing Aids
The ITE type fits directly into the outside part of the ear. The circuitry is contained mainly in the concha (outside) part of the ear. Because of the miniaturization of the individual parts (not limited to the microphone, receiver, and the battery), there is the possibility to develop the hearing aids in a small size just to fit a size of the concha or completely fit into the canal of the ear (CIC). These three styles have been regarded to be more up-to-date and cosmetically attractive. The other traits of the in-the-ear hearing aids that make it well, suitable, and vastly used include:
The more safe fit, and less hard attachment and removal
Better cosmetic advantages with the smaller types (CIC, and ITC)
Less disturbance of the wind with its noise in the smaller types
Directional microphone technology and receiver use with the CICs could cause increase in the battery life and high degree of amplification
All the parts are put in a single-component he; which is easier to operate contrary to the BTE type
For those customers who prefer the BTE, they are stationed to enjoy a small curved enclosure which is positioned at theexternalear and is heldto a tailor made earpiece designed in the shape of the external ear. The other traits of the BTEs include:
It is the best choice for the children as compared to the other type of the assistive technology tools. This is because the earmold should regularly be replaced as the child becomes bigger and the ear’s shape also transforms.
The BTEs are the most powerful hearing device in the market, and it is suitable for the individuals for the people with serious-to-profound hearing impairment.
Non-occluding ear molds are applicable with the BTE type in the case of a prevalent medical situation or if the patient reports a ‘plugged’ feeling when using the hearing aids
There is the directional microphone technology incorporated with several of the BTE types
In summary, there are various assistive technologies that exist in the market, from cochlear implants, smartphone apps, and webcam/video chat technology, TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf) / TYY (teletypewriter). Also, there are the FM system and the audio induction loop. In light of all these, the above-stated device has their pros and cons, and the choice of which one to use dependson a person. The assistive technologies offer victims of hearing impairment with improved accessibility on how to communicate in the various environments of independent living. On the other hand, in the discussion, the preferred as the most effective of them all is the hearing aid tool. The choice for this is as a result of the variety in its style, the effectiveness of any style, the functionality, and the reliability that the device offers.
The effectiveness and the choice of the hearing aid are supported by the statistics and other scholarly materials. With the transformative technological growth, the hearing aids are digital which is a feature that allows them to be regarded as by precision on a person’s degree of hearing on various frequencies. The essay has offered conclusive and intriguing reasons as to why hearing aids is not only a good choice but also the suitable one among the others.
References
Craddock, G. M. (2003). Assistive Technology: Shaping the Future: AAATE'03. IOS Press.
Heckendorf, S. (2009). Assessing Students’ Needs for Assistive Technology. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR INDIVIDUALS, 32-50.
WI Department of Public Instruction. (2003, December). Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Retrieved from Eligibility Criteria Guidelines: http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sped/pdf/dhhguide.pdf
Myers, D. G. (n.d.). The Coming World Of Hearing-Aid Compatible Assistive Listening.Hearing Loss Article, 21-26.
Sandlin, R. E. (2000). Textbook of Hearing Aid Amplification. Cengage Learning.
