’S Wrong! ’S Word!

I’ve written before about funny and confusing closed-captioning mistakes; they’re a never-ending source of entertainment and I keep a running list of my favorites.

I’m a big fan of Gilmore Girls.  Even though I’ve seen every episode several times, I still record it on DVR every day and play it in the background while I’m writing e-mails or reading a book.  Last night I was watching the episode “’S Wonderful, ’S Marvelous,” where Christopher takes Lorelei on a romantic date to watch the musical Funny Face.  I was typing an e-mail but looked up to watch the captioning as the final scene of the movie was playing, since I often have trouble understanding song lyrics and accents.  Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn were dressed in their white wedding attire, singing their love for each other: 

“You can’t blame me for feeling avarice/

Oh! ’S wonderful! ’S marvelous!/
That you should care for me!”

Wait…what?  “AVARICE”?!  Let’s check Merriam-Webster, shall we?

av·a·rice:  excessive or insatiable desire for wealth or gain

Umm… Maybe we should check the actual lyrics of this beloved Gershwin song:

“You’ve made my life so glamorous/

You can't blame me for feeling amorous…”

am·o·rous:  strongly moved by love; enamored

There, that’s better!

  

1 in 5 Teens has Hearing Loss

In 1994, roughly 1 in 20 American adolescents had some degree of hearing loss.  By 2006, the prevalence jumped to 1 in 5—about 6.5 million children aged 12 to 19, according to a new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.  One of the authors, Dr. Roland Eavey, says,

“What we're seeing is a big jump in the prevalence of hearing loss in a very short period of time, in less than one generation.  That means we're on the front edge of an epidemic.”

The main culprit (probably not too surprisingly) is suspected to be exposure to loud noises, especially music.  Tommie Robinson, president of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, says,

“I believe this is rooted in a cultural paradigm shift in terms of how electronics have become ‘the thing.’  Everyone has something in their ears.”

Recent reports have determined that “not only do teenagers play music at louder volumes, but they are completely unaware they are doing so.” 

Dr. Eavy suggests that when giving a child or teenager an iPod (or other MP3 device), to set the maximum volume limit at a lower level.  Apple has detailed instructions on setting the volume limit on its website, as well as a page on “Sound and Hearing.”  Other informative websites are “How Loud is Too Loud?” and “It’s a Noisy Planet,” both by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders,  and “Listen to Your Buds” by ASHA.

The “Listen to Your Buds” website has a number of recommendations for reducing childhood noise exposure, including wearing hearing protectors.  I personally swear by foam earplugs, which block out the sounds of trains and neighborhood dogs when I’m trying to sleep.  And while I love loud bass and spent my teenage years blaring music as loud as it would go, it undoubtedly contributed to the minor-to-mild hearing loss (15 to 25 decibel loss) that I now suffer.  I’ve decided that from now on, I’m going to take a pair of earplugs with me to concerts, wedding receptions, and other loud venues.  Earplugs now come in a variety of colors and styles—even specifically for musicians and concert-goers—and I hope they can become popular among teenagers who don’t want to lose their hearing before the age of 20!

  

Another Birthday?

One of the last times the whooshing tinnitus in my right ear started up, it was right after eating at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  So after the whooshing completely went away again over the weekend, I wanted to test my theory that it was being caused by food (cheese dip and chicken fajitas—yum!).

The biggest drawback to this restaurant—and most restaurants, for that matter—is the noise.  There is always music playing in the overhead speakers, and sports playing on the flat-screen televisions.  We always bring the FM system, which helps cut out the background noise and amplify my voice, but it’s never a perfect setup. 

Someone was celebrating their birthday, which means the entire restaurant staff came out singing and clapping.  Brandt jumped and asked, “What on earth is that?!”  “Birthday,” I explained.  When we were done eating, we still had a lot of food left over and asked for some to-go boxes.  Our waiter dropped off the boxes and ran off, and I said, “I think we need to ask him for a bag.”  Brandt shrugged and said, “I don’t know, I guess you’d know better than I would.”  I’ve gotten pretty good at being able to tell when he’s mis-heard me, and I knew this was one of those times.  I furrowed my eyebrows, signaling that we were having a misunderstanding.  “Ok, what did you really say?” he asked.  “What did you hear?” I asked.  “There’s another birthday in the restaurant?  People are singing again?”  I shook my head and said, “No…I said I think we need a bag from the waiter, to carry all these boxes.”  He thought for a moment and said, “That wasn’t even close, was it?  And just how did I score a 90% on that sentence test?!”

As our waiter was clearing the plates off the table, I picked the FM transmitter up off the table and reattached it on my neckloop.  The waiter looked at it quizzically and asked me, “What’s that thing for?”  I explained that it was a microphone for Brandt’s hearing aids, and pointed at his ears.  “So, he can’t hear anything without that thing?” he asked.  “Well, a little…” I tried to explain.  We both looked at Brandt, who motioned towards his ears, shrugged, and shook his head.  “We’re talking about you!” I told Brandt. 

I’m always glad when people ask about the FM system.  I much prefer them getting educated about it, instead of just staring and whispering.  I also think it helps to dispel the myth that only ‘old people’ wear hearing aids!

And my whooshing tinnitus is still completely gone, so, I’m back to square one trying to figure out the cause…

  

“WHOOOOOOSH!”

It’s baaaack.  I’ve had problems with tinnitus off and on for the past year (though not nearly as bad as Brandt’s constant static).  Last summer I had a high-pitched tone in my left ear, that sounded like an old television set dying.  After several weeks of sleepless nights and a hearing test, I finally figured out that it was caused by the increased dosage of my blood-sugar medication.  I switched to an extended-release version of the medication and the tinnitus went away, other than an occasional tone that lasts a few seconds and goes away.  It was a huge relief to get rid of it, because it was driving me absolutely crazy.

Then when I was about to attend the National Association of the Deaf conference in Philadelphia last month, I woke up to a loud whooshing sound in my right ear.  It sounded like a tornado roaring inside my head, something I had never experienced before.  I could actually feel the whooshing.  I don’t have health insurance, and this happened on the Saturday of Fourth of July weekend.  I assumed that it was an ear infection, and since I was about to fly, I knew I’d have to get on antibiotics immediately.  So Brandt drove me to an emergency medical clinic, almost an hour away.  I spent $100 to find out that my eardrum was “clean and beautiful” and it wasn’t an infection.  The doctor didn’t have any advice other than to use Afrin nasal spray before flying (I already use it every time I fly).

Fortunately, the whooshing went away two days later, right before my trip.  I wrote it off as a fluke and forgot about it, until it came back a few weeks later.  This time it lasted four days, then went away again.  And it’s been coming and going since, lasting two to four days and then suddenly disappearing in my sleep.  The fifth round started two days ago.  It’s not anywhere near as annoying as the high-pitched tone that was in my left ear, but it’s still really annoying, especially when I’m trying to fall asleep.

I have no idea what could be causing this.  I take the same medication every day, so I don’t see how that could be the cause.  It starts and stops quickly—I wake up with it, then a few nights later it disappears while I’m sleeping.  I’ve wondered if maybe it is being brought on by barometric pressure, or maybe high blood pressure caused by eating a salty dinner.  I’m thinking about keeping a food journal, to see if there is a food or ingredient that is triggering it.

Whatever the cause, I’m ready for it to go away.  “WHOOOOOOSH!”

  

Welcome to the 21st Century!

After the disastrous June hearing of the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3101), I wasn’t sure if this act was ever going to get passed.  But, much to my excitement and surprise, the House and Senate versions have both been passed—just in time to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act!

Senator Mark Pryor from Arkansas submitted an amendment to improve the Senate version, S. 3304, last week and it passed on August 5 (H.R. 3101 was passed on July 26).  Senator Pryor said,

“The Internet and other emerging communication equipment are no longer a luxury. They are an essential gateway to learn, interact and conduct business.  This legislation will ensure all Americans, including those with disabilities, are able to fully participate in today’s online world.”

Senator John Kerry added,

“In the digital age, an inclusive America demands that no person with a disability is left behind either online or offline.  The goal of our bill is crystal clear.  We must ensure that Americans with disabilities have every opportunity to access our shared communications infrastructure.  Anything less than our best effort dishonors the Americans with Disabilities Act and all that’s been accomplished over the twenty years since its passage.”

This act will require the internet and communications technologies to be more accessible to deaf and blind people, as well as people with other disabilities.  Among its many requirement, the act will:

• Require captioned television programs to be captioned when delivered over the Internet.
• Authorize the FCC to require 7 hours per week of video description on the top 4 network - channels and top 5 cable channels nationwide.
• Allocate up to $10 million per year for equipment used by individuals who are deaf-blind.
• Require televised emergency information to be accessible to individuals who are blind or have low vision.
• Require accessible advanced communications equipment and services, such as text messaging and e-mail.
• Require access to Internet services that are built-in to mobile telephone devices, like smart phones, if achievable.
• Require devices of any size to be capable of displaying closed captioning, delivering available video description, and making emergency information accessible.
• Require accessible user controls for televisions and set-top boxes, and easy access to closed captioning and video description.

I am not 100% sure, but I think the act will require Netflix to caption its Instant View movies and television shows.  I certainly hope so, because as far as I know they haven’t added any more captioning other than the first 4 seasons of Lost, and I’m really tired of having to pay full price for a service that isn’t fully accessible to us.

On the National Association of the Deaf’s page announcing the passage of S. 3304, Deaf actress Marlee Matlin wrote,

“We may be Deaf but we made NOISE.  A lot of it.  Now the ramp to the information highway is green for us and we can drive as fast as we want to!  Let's continue to fight for ‘caption action.’”

As an added bonus, the NAD also announced that the Department of Justice is calling for public comments on proposed amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act.  They are seeking feedback on accessibility in the areas of:  websites, movie theaters, 9-1-1 services, and equipment and furniture.

   

‘Explanation’ of CI Evaluation

As a follow-up to his disappointing Cochlear Implant evaluation last Friday, Brandt sent an e-mail to Marie, his audiologist at Dr. Awesome’s clinic.  She is the audiologist who fitted his hearing aids and who we go to every time there’s a problem with the aids, iCom, or FM system.  Marie did not think that Brandt was a CI candidate, and has recommended since we met her last summer that he wait until his hearing loss has declined further before getting the evaluation.  Even though she didn’t agree with Dr. Awesome’s decision to send Brandt for the evaluation, she was still hopeful for our sakes that we would have a more positive outcome than we did, and wanted a full report afterwards.

Since we were upset and confused from the results, Marie contacted Tiffany, the audiologist who conducted the evaluation at the separate CI clinic.  Her e-mail back to Brandt attempted to explain why he was deemed to not be a Cochlear Implant candidate:

“The reason [Tiffany] stated to me that they did the HINT [Hearing in Noise Test] in quiet only is because you did so well.  The FDA requirement to qualify for cochlear implant is that the ear to be implanted must score lower than 50% and the non-implanted ear must score lower than 60% on sentence testing. In your case, the test was done initially bilaterally (both ears).  If your scores had been lower, then [they] would have then done the exam in the individual ears to determine candidacy.  However, since you scored so well, you are not a candidate based on FDA requirements.  They could have done other testing, but you would not have been a candidate based on these scores and therefore they felt it unnecessary.”

So if I understand this correctly, Tiffany did not perform the actual test that is used to determine candidacy, but assumed that based on his high binaural score, that he would do too well when his individual ears were tested.  I can understand that this is probably the case, but I still want to know what his individual scores are and think he should have the further testing done.

Brandt asked Marie why there would be such a discrepancy between his very low Speech Discrimination score (24%) and his very high HINT in Quiet score (90%).  She explained:

1. “The testing we did here was done at a level much higher than threshold to overcome part of the hearing loss.
2. The testing we did was UNAIDED—NO Hearing Aids.
3. The testing we did was WORDS in quiet.
4. The testing done [by Tiffany] was actually a completely different kind of test…
5. The testing done [by Tiffany] was done at conversational level AIDED—WITH Hearing Aids.
6. The testing done [by Tiffany] was done BILATERALLY—Both ears at the same time.
7. The testing done [by Tiffany] was a sentence test—not single words.”

Which means:

“Based on these differences, I would fully expect that you would do better on the sentence testing because there is more context to be gained from a sentence than from single words.  In that situation, even if you misunderstood part of the words, the context of the sentence let you fill in part of the blanks.  In a single word condition, the word could be any word out of thousands.  The single word test was done UNAIDED which means we were presenting at an extremely loud level which helps to overcome some of the hearing loss.  The loud presentation level gives us a chance to see how your system functions when things are presented at a loud level (basically, how do you do with more volume).  However, sometimes the loudness actually distorts some parts of speech, so it is not a perfect test (name one that is :-) ).  Also the testing we did was in individual ears and did not give the binaural boost that the brain actually applies when you are hearing with two ears.  Basically, that means that your processing system actually gives a natural boost when you are hearing information from both sides.  Because of these circumstances (sentences vs. single word, both ears vs. single ear, loudness presentation levels, etc.) comparing the score on the HINT to the score on the single word test is like comparing apples to oranges.”

Also remember from the CI evaluation that Tiffany ran a computer test on Brandt’s hearing aids and determined that they “are not programmed correctly,” and offered to “fix them.”  Marie’s response to this was: 

“As far as the hearing aid programming is concerned, yours are fit appropriately for your specific hearing loss and environmental needs.  Unfortunately, the testing done [by Tiffany] was simulated real ear measurements and not done on your ear.  They used normative values for a 2 cc coupler ear canal volume whereas we used your actual ear canal volume to determine appropriate fit (in other words, not everyone’s ears are the same and we took in to consideration your actual size and shape of your ear canal to program the hearing aids, not a simulated, generic coupler).   Also, they are looking only at loudness for “vowel sounds” being low frequency and were not taking into consideration how your system functions in your specific listening environments with background noise present.  I fully stand behind the way your hearing aids are programmed and I would not suggest changes based on their input.  I actually am very impressed by your sentence scores and feel it verifies that your hearing aids are fit appropriately and that you are functioning at the best possible level for your abilities.”

Brandt’s upcoming semester—both teaching and trying to finish his doctorate—is going to be extremely busy, so we don’t know when exactly he’ll be able to go back for further testing.  Another audiologist at the CI Clinic, Bobbie, has already looked at Brandt’s chart and agreed to meet with him for more testing.

Stay tuned…

  

Fear and Loathing of Microphones

What’s the deal with all the hatred and avoidance of microphones lately? (said in my best Jerry Seinfeld impression)

I briefly touched on this while at the National Association of the Deaf conference last month, but it was even more widespread than I initially reported.  While most of the ASL interpreters automatically used the microphones, I had to ask several of them to do so, and four of them flat-out refused to use them.  REFUSED.  I told them, “My husband is deaf, I have trouble understanding clearly, and we’re not fluent in ASL, so we need you to use the microphone sitting right over there on that table.”    And they actually refused to use them.  One interpreter even joked about it, saying, “You better sit close to me, then, because I’m not using that mic and I don’t plan on projecting very loud, either.”  We sat as close as we could, two rows behind, and of course it wasn’t close enough to hear them easily.  During a pause in the presentation, the ’terp turned sideways towards me and asked, “Can you hear me ok?” and I hissed back, “No, not really!”

We had another microphone problem when the wedding we attended in May was not accessible to Brandt.  It was an outdoor wedding and the pastor started off using the provided microphone, then quickly declared “I’m loud enough without it” because it was getting in his way, and turned it off.  Poor Brandt couldn’t understand a single word, and I struggled to understand everything myself.

I had forgotten about the issue, but then 2 weekends ago my mom went to a “Teaching with Technology” conference and encountered a similar situation (ah, the irony!).  The first man who got up to speak bragged, “I don’t need this microphone, I’m loud enough without it!”  This was in a large ballroom, with hundreds of people sitting in the audience.  Of course he wasn’t loud enough!  Where are people getting this idea?!  My mom sat there quietly annoyed, trying hard to understand his talk (she has normal hearing).  But when a soft-spoken, tiny little woman got up to speak—the microphone had completely disappeared at this point—she’d had enough.  She snuck to the back of the room and told one of the A/V guys, “You have got to get that woman a microphone!  There’s no way the audience can hear her!”  They quickly got her one, and after asking, startled, “Oh did I need one?” she asked the audience if they could hear her any better.  A collective sigh spread throughout the room.

That same weekend, Brandt was in Washington, D.C. for a different teaching conference.  With 100 people in the room, sitting at long tables, there wasn’t one single microphone.  So he had an incredibly hard time hearing what was going on, naturally, but it was too late to say anything.

Let this be a lesson!  You can never assume that there will be microphones available; and even if they are available, you can’t be sure that they will actually be used.  It’s important to let the people in charge know that everyone who speaks has to use a microphone, even if they think they’re “loud enough without it.”

So why do so many people hate using microphones?  Is it because it makes them self-conscious?  Do people hate how their voices sound on a mic?  Are they afraid of the screeching feedback that makes everyone cover their ears in pain? (ok that one I can understand, but still—get over it!)  Risking a few seconds of uncomfortable feedback isn’t near as bad as wasting your breath because no one can understand you.