Lifetone

Lifetone Technology was at the 2009 Hearing Loss Association of America Convention at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.

Standard fire alarms and smoke detectors may not wake up people with hearing loss. The first of its kind; the Lifetone HL™ Bedside Fire Alarm and Clock uses a 520 Hz square-wave sound pattern proven by the Fire Protection Research Foundation to be more effective at alerting and awakening people with hearing loss, seniors, children, and heavy sleepers than standard fire alarms. The Lifetone HL is both a state of the art fire alarm and an attractive and easy to use alarm clock. The patented Lifetone HL™ sensor listens for your existing smoke detectors (smoke alarms) and then broadcasts its low frequency, 520Hz square wave sound pattern. Be protected. The Lifetone HL™ helps ensure a life-saving environment for you and the ones you love.

Steve and Debbie Bottles getting drawn at the Lifetone Technology booth.

This next part is extremely important to note. The upcoming 2010 edition of NFPA 72® National Fire Alarm Code has made significant changes to the code especially concerning people who have mild to severe hearing loss. It has been shown that a low-frequency (520 Hz) square wave fire alarm effectively awaken and alerts people who have mild to moderately-severe hearing loss and should be installed in sleeping and guest rooms. If you have a profound loss, this new code requires the use of tactile or vibration in addition to high-intensity strobes in sleeping and guest rooms.

Now, I am one of those in the profound category which means without my cochlear implants, I can put a standard 3100 Hz pure tone sound of current smoke detector to either one of my ears and I can't hear it. Then again, a F-16 fighter jet can take off in my driveway and I wouldn't hear that either. So this is a very real concern for people in my position. When I did the demo of the Lifetone Fire Alarm, I could not hear obviously the low-frequency (520 Hz) square wave but people with a milder/moderate loss were able to hear it without hearing aids or cochlear implants. Thus people in my profound position, must rely on the high-intensity strobes and bed shaker as the new National Fire Alarm Code suggests. Lifetone lacks the strobes for me and it would be perfect if they did.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) conducts and supports biomedical and behavioral research and research training in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech and language. The Institute also conducts and supports research and research training related to disease prevention and health promotion; addresses special biomedical and behavioral problems associated with people who have communication impairments or disorders; and supports efforts to create devices which substitute for lost and impaired sensory and communication function.

Deafness Research Foundation

Deafness Research Foundation attended the 2009 Hearing Loss Association of America Convention at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center and was the proud sponsor of the Research Symposium: An Update on the Latest Hair Cell Regeneration Research.

For more than 50 years, DRF has worked to make hearing health possible for everyone through quality research and education. As the leading national source of private funding for research, our grants have resulted in treatments for hearing and balance related conditions helping those living with hearing loss and protecting those at risk.

Over 37 million adults and over 1 million children in the United States suffer from some degree of hearing loss. Of adults who suffer from hearing loss approximately:

* 55% are male
* 45% are female
* 8.4 million are between the ages of 18 – 44 years
* 14.3 million are between the ages of 45 – 64 years
* 6 million are between the ages of 65 – 74 years
* 8.3 million are 75 years and over

These numbers are increasing every year due to aging baby boomers (ages 41-59) and Generation Xers (ages 29-40).

In addition to being the leading national source of private funding for research in hearing and balance science, DRF also publishes Hearing Health magazine. Our publication has a circulation of approximately 30,000 and recently won an APEX 2008 Award of Excellence for Magazine & Journal Writing. This valuable consumer resource provides information on technology, treatment, research and issues affecting people with hearing loss.

Teltex

Teltex joined us at the 2009 Hearing Loss Association of America Convention at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Teltex is setting the mark when it comes to providing equipment for the deaf and hard of hearing. They specialize in amplified phones, TTY’s, unique notification and Smoke Detection Systems they provide extra support after the purchase answering any questions you may have.

National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology

National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology joined us at the 2009 Hearing Loss Association of America Convention at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) is the world's first and largest technological college for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. It is one of eight colleges of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), a privately endowed, coeducational university that is student centered and career focused. RIT was founded in 1829, and NTID was formally established by Congress in 1965. It became one of RIT's colleges in 1968. One of the unique features of RIT/NTID is that more than 1,100 deaf and hard of hearing students study, share residence halls and enjoy social life together with more than 14,000 hearing students.

NTID/RIT has a new initiative, Military Veterans with Hearing Loss Project, a program designed especially for veterans of OIF and OEF who have a hearing loss that HLAA is a partner of this project. HLAA is offering a free one-year membership for Veterans of OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom) that you can contact the Membership Department to find out more information. HLAA offered free HLAA Convention 2009 Registration to Nashville to OIF and OEF Veterans as well. Since RIT/NTID is a designated Yellow Ribbon and Servicemembers Opportunity Consortium college with oncampus audiological services, note taking, captioning and other classroom technologies that can cater to our returning troops with a hearing loss to learn their best. This pilot program will be expanded over the next five years to over 200 career programs and majors.

Purple

Purple attended the 2009 Hearing Loss Association of America Convention at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Purple provides a variety of communication services tailored for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Video Relay: Hands On VRS® service is the nation's second largest video relay service, and has an unmatched track record for providing its users high-quality communication experiences. Available on videophone, and through customized software called VideoSign, Hands On VRS enables customers choose how and when they make a VRS call. Hands On VRS is also available in Spanish on a videophone through espanol.hovrs.tv.

Text Relay: Introduced in 2004, i711.com is relatively new to the relay industry. With its suite of enhanced calling tools such as a built-in phone book, one-click dialing and other conveniences, i711 quickly grew to be come the second largest text relay service. i711 blends its core communication services, with exclusive video and text content tailored to the interests of the deaf community. i711 provides a great call experience, and a great online gathering place for community content.

Community Interpreting: Purple Language Services combine industry-leading interpreting services, with video remote interpreting (VRI) and communication access real-time translation (CART) services. With convenient online scheduling and billing, and interpreting and translation services available nationwide, Purple Language Services is the ideal partner for your communication and accommodation needs.

Some happy Purple people!

Purple services!

Advanced Bionics

Advanced Bionics attended the 2009 Hearing Loss Association of America Convention at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.

Advanced Bionics is dedicated to improving the quality of life for hearing impaired individuals from around the world. As the only American manufacturer of cochlear implants, AB has over 15 years of experience designing and producing high technology devices that enable adults and children with severe to profound hearing loss to hear. Advanced Bionics developed the Harmony™ HiResolution Bionic Ear System to help cochlear implant recipients maximize their hearing potential beyond words and to experience as much of the full spectrum of natural sound—and life—as possible. Click to learn more about AB and its revolutionary cochlear implant technology.