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The Balancing Act

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Skate For Sound at City Ice Pavilion

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The NIH faces budget cuts - and needs your help!

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has scheduled votes that will take place this week on two competing measures to provide funding for the rest of FY11.

One is the House-passed bill (H.R. 1), which cuts the National... read more »

BLINDSPOT DOCUMENTARY TO KICK OFF LISTENING AWARENESS MONTH IN MARCH

Spartanburg, SC // New York, NY March 1, 2011 -- Kicking off Listening Awareness Month in March is the new national campaign of the Described and Captioned Media Program featuring as its centerpiece the documentary short, BLINDSPOT. The film was... read more »

Hamilton Relay Offers $500 Scholarships for Higher Education

Telecommunications Relay Service provider to award $500 scholarship to one student in each of the 18 states where it operates

Feb. 16, 2011, Hamilton Relay,... read more »

See a video of Dr. George Gates' presentation at the AARP convention, "Recent Advances in Hearing Health Care and Research..."

Click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5h_P0i1vLc read more »

DRF accepting applications for its 2011 DRF Hearing and Balance Science Research Grants

Deafness Research Foundation (DRF) requests applications from both new applicants and DRF awardees applying for second year funding, who are dedicated to exploring new avenues of hearing and balance science.

DRF, the leading national source... read more »

Read only at The Ear Hears

From The Hearing Journal
By Brande Victorian

A new study looking at the relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and age-related hearing loss published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (2010;56:661-669), found that 54%... read more »

Can you hear me now? More teens can't

One in every five teens has at least a slight hearing loss. Many experts suspect the primary cause is the use of headphones to listen to portable music.

Teenagers aren't necessarily tuning out adults; they simply might not be able to hear... read more »

Research on Cell Regeneration Could Lead to Breakthroughs in Hearing Loss Treatments

"Two New Paths to the Dream: Regeneration"
By NICHOLAS WADE
New York Times
Published: August 5, 2010

Two research reports published Friday offer novel approaches to the age-old dream... read more »

DRF INCREASES GRANTMAKING: 2010 GRANT RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

Deafness Research Foundation (DRF)'s National Hearing Health Grants Center is excited to announce that it has awarded $550,000 to 22 outstanding research scientists in the... read more »

Marking 20 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act

In ways large and small, the United States this week marked the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The landmark law signed by President George H. W. Bush assures equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities in... read more »

Healthy hearing today and tomorrow

There are 36 million Americans with hearing loss that's nearly one in ten people in this country. And while 30 percent of adults 65-74 years old, and 47 percent of adults 75 years old or older have a hearing... read more »

Scientist Challenges the Conventional Wisdom That What You Can’t Hear Won't Hurt You

A wind turbine is a rotary device with a gigantic propeller as big as a football field that turns in the wind to generate electricity. Although wind turbines are more often found in Europe than in the United States, they're rapidly becoming more... read more »

30th Anniversary Of First Pediatric Cochlear Implant

This July, House Ear Institute (HEI) celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the first pediatric cochlear implant. HEI received FDA approval for a clinical trial in July 1980 to implant three patients under the age of 18 with the single-channel cochlear... read more »

NPR To Demonstrate New Technologies At Celebration Of The 20th Anniversary Of The Americans With Disabilities Act

INNOVATIVE DUAL SCREEN CAR DASHBOARD WILL ENABLE DEAF PASSENGERS TO EXPERIENCE RADIO

July 19, 2010; Washington, D.C. NPR's research and development group, NPR Labs, has been invited to demonstrate its latest technical innovations at the... read more »

President Barack Obama Nominates Pamela Young-Holmes for the National Council on Disability

On Friday, June 25, 2010, President Barack Obama announced the nomination of Pamela Young-Holmes, former member on the Board of Directors at Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., (TDI) and recipient of the H. Latham Breunig... read more »

Disneyland Resort Provides Sign Language Interpretation for Guests with Hearing Disabilities

Disneyland Resort last month began offering regularly-scheduled sign language interpretation at numerous shows and attractions at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks. As part of the Resort's ongoing commitment to guests with... read more »

Breakthrough Towards Drug For Hearing Loss

Researchers at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, showed that exposure to loud noise led to hearing loss which was permanent if left untreated. If treated with a compound called 'ADAC' after noise damage, hearing recovered substantially.... read more »

This Fat Can Actually Protect Against Hearing Loss

According to statistics from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), approximately 17 percent, or 36 million American adults suffer from some degree of hearing loss.
Over the age of 45, the prevalence rises... read more »

NIDCD-Funded Researchers Cook Up First Recipe for Functional Hair Cells from Stem Cells

Hair cells, the tiny sensory cells located in the cochlea of the inner ear that turn sound vibrations into electrical signals, are among the most scarce cells in the body. Each ear shelters fewer than 15,000 of them, and once they are damaged or... read more »

Deafness Research Foundation Appoints Executive Director

New York, NY, July 1, 2010 -- Deafness Research Foundation (DRF), the leading national source of private funding for research in hearing and balance science, announced today that Andrea Boidman has been unanimously promoted to Executive Director. ... read more »

FCC Takes Action to Protect and Sustain Vital Service for the Deaf Commission Votes Unanimously on Immediate and Long-Term Approaches

The Federal Communications Commission has taken two actions to protect and ensure the sustainability of a vital service for persons with hearing or speech disabilities. This service, called Video Relay Service (VRS), allows persons with these... read more »

Hamilton CapTel(R) Introduces App for Mobile Captioned Telephone Allowing Greater Freedom for Individuals with Hearing Loss

Hamilton Mobile CapTel has launched a new iPhone app that enables greater freedom for those hard-of hearing. For the first time, individuals will have the freedom to "read what they say" and use free captioned telephone services on their iPhones,... read more »

Marines and Hearing Loss

More than 58,000 Marines have reported ringing in their ears subsequently coming back from deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan, and VA says hearing loss will impact 800,000 veterans by 2011. Modern-day hearing protection clearly makes a difference.... read more »

Drawing Contest Winners Announced -- "It's A Noisy Planet: What are you doing to protect your hearing?"

Lucy - Age 7




Bryanna - Age 11 read more »

In Memoriam: Collette Ramsey Baker, founder of DRF, 1918-2010

On May 9, 2009, DRF founder, Collette Ramsey Baker passed away at age 91 with her adoring husband and devoted companion of twenty-two years, Maurice Baker, constantly at her side. She was born in 1918 in Waverly, Tennessee. In her young adulthood,... read more »

3-D imaging technology could lead to hearing aids that fit — and thus function — better than current models

About 36 million Americans suffer from some type of hearing loss. However, only one in five who could benefit from a hearing aid actually wears one, according to the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders. MIT engineers... read more »

Men who take Viagra and other sex aid drugs double their risk of hearing loss: study

Viagra users may be putting themselves at risk for long-term hearing loss. A new study shows that men taking the drug - or similar ones like Cialis and Levitra - are twice as likely to report hearing loss as men who don't take it.

To read... read more »

Aiming to cure deafness, Stanford scientists first to create functional inner-ear cells

Deep inside the ear, specialized cells called hair cells detect vibrations in the air and translate them into sound. Ten years ago, Stefan Heller, PhD, professor of otolaryngology at the Stanford University School of Medicine and past DRF grant... read more »

NIDCD Grantee Among Newly Elected Members to the National Academy of Sciences

NIDCD grantee King-Wai Yau, Ph.D., is among 72 new American members recently elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Created in 1863 by a congressional charter approved by President Abraham Lincoln, NAS is a private organization of... read more »

DRF Benefits from BTIG's Commissions for Charity Day

On May 6th, BTIG LLC, an institutional broker dealer specializing in trading and related brokerage services, donated its equity, fixed income and derivative trading commission profits earned to a designated group of children's charities, including... read more »

Deafness Research Foundation to Benefit from BTIG's 8th Commissions for Charity Day on May 6, 2010

BTIG LLC, an institutional broker dealer specializing in trading and related brokerage services, announced that it will donate its equity, fixed income and derivative trading commission profits earned on Thursday, May 6 to a designated group of... read more »

Little-Known Disorder Can Take a Toll on Learning

Parents and teachers often tell children to pay attention to be a "good listener." But what if your child's brain doesn't know how to listen?

That's the challenge for children with auditory processing disorder, a poorly understood syndrome... read more »

Traditional ‘Heel Stick’ Test Is Not an Effective Screening Tool for CMV in Newborns

A routine screening test for several metabolic and genetic disorders in newborns, the heel-stick procedure, is not effective in screening for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, a leading cause of hearing loss in children, according to research... read more »

Teens Risk Deafness Playing iPods at 'Jet Engine Volume'

Hearing expert Professor Peter Rabinowitz said three-quarters of under people under the age of 30 play their iPods at a damaging 85 decibels and above.

But users of MP3 players often wear headphones that fit snugly in the ear and this could... read more »

Miniaturized, Real-Time, In-Ear, Digital Signal Processing Devices

Sonomax Technologies Inc. has been selected by Montreal's International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS) to provide miniaturized, real-time, in-ear, digital signal processing devices (DSP) to investigate experience-dependent... read more »

Next Generation Hearing Instruments With BestSound Technology - Siemens Introduces Latest Models Of Its Motion, Life, And Pure Hearing Systems

Siemens will be introducing the next generation of its Motion, Life, and Pure hearing systems for the first time at the annual conference of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), which takes place from April 14 to 17 in San Diego.

These... read more »

Deaf awareness book launched by Caversham author

A Caversham writer is hoping to spread awareness about deaf issues with the launch of her first book on hearing loss. Juliet England tackles the issue in Deafness and Hearing Loss The Essential Guide, which... read more »

DNA Test Misses Virus That Causes Hearing Loss

New research shows that testing DNA in blood samples routinely collected from newborns is not an effective way to detect cytomegalovirus (CMV), an infection that's a major cause of hearing loss in children.

Dried blood spots (DBS) are... read more »

Medicare Hearing Aid Bill in Congress

A bill in Congress for deaf and hard of hearing people: HR 504, the Medicare Hearing Enhancement and Auditory Rehabilitation (HEAR) Act of 2009 would, according to its summary: Amend title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover hearing... read more »

Childhood deafness gene uncovered

A new genetic fault which may account for some cases of inherited deafness has been revealed by Dutch researchers. It means that parents with the hereditary condition may be able to predict more accurately the chances of passing it on to their... read more »

Hearing loss number one diagnosis for military

According to the Deafness Research Foundation, hearing loss is the No. 1 diagnosis for U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and more than 65 percent of Afghan war veterans are suffering from hearing damage.

According to military doctors, many troops... read more »

Technology fuels deaf education debate

Hearing implants are an increasingly popular treatment for children born deaf. The technology has dramatically changed the way children learn language so much so that some traditional school for the deaf has closed. Delaware is bucking the trend by... read more »

Rochester Institute of Technology examines deaf entrepreneurship

In the world of work, deaf and hard-of-hearing people are notably absent, at least in large numbers.

Estimates vary on joblessness in the community, though a 2008 Cornell University study indicated 44 percent of working-age Americans with a... read more »

Inaugural Deaf Tennis Open Tournament Announced

USA Deaf Sports Federation in conjunction with DeafNation will host the first-ever USA Deaf Tennis Open, to be held on July 15-19, 2010, at Las Vegas Hilton Tennis Center and Lorenzi Park Tennis Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Open will be held... read more »

Oscar winner Marlee Matlin launches reality show "My Deaf Family" on YouTube

Oscar winner Marlee Matlin had an idea for a reality about the lives and struggles of deaf people -- but it was a little too real for TV networks. So she took her show "My Deaf Family" to Google's YouTube.

"Deaf and hard of hearing people... read more »

Do you have cocktail party ears?

Professor David McAlpine of Deafness Research UK explains why we find it hard to hear and follow a conversation in a noisy environment — this is known as the "cocktail party problem". It turns out that it could be our brains, and not our ears,... read more »

Hearing protection for the iPod generation

A WELSH company has developed a product to help combat hearing loss in the iPod generation.

Minerva Laboratories has developed a new line of ear defenders aimed at addressing the growing problem of deafness in the UK.

To read the full... read more »

School for the Deaf in Rome celebrates 135 years of deaf education

Rome has seen a lot of things come and go between 1875 and 2010 - but one thing that has stood strong all those years is the New York State School for the Deaf.

This week the school celebrates its 135th anniversary and on Thursday, the campus... read more »

South Dakota governor vetoes bill on deaf education

Governor Mike Rounds has vetoed a bill that would have required the South Dakota Education Department to set up programs to promote the education of children who are deaf or have impaired hearing.

To read more, read more »

Mice Shed New Light on Causes of Childhood Deafness

Dr John Oghalai, of Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, has been wrestling with this problem for his whole career. His work as a clinician, directing a busy team performing cochlear implants and corrective surgery on the ear and cranium, has armed... read more »

See Errors on Real-Time Captioned News? Take this Survey from the WGBH - Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media

If you view TV news with closed captions, you're invited to participate in an anonymous online survey to give your opinion about caption errors. The survey is available at read more »

Richmond, Canada to host the 2010 Deaf Curling Championships

Hot off a very successful 17-day stint as a venue city for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Richmond is keyed up to host another elite sporting event.

From March 28 to April 3, the city will host the 31st Canadian Deaf Curling... read more »

The National Broadband Plan: Tracking the Internet’s expansion

Earlier this month the Federal Communications Commission launched its National Broadband Plan. Its mission is, in a nutshell, to equalize Internet access for all Americans.

The ambitious plan has implications for a variety of businesses,... read more »

East Nashville project will provide homes to low-income, deaf residents

Any new development underway these days has a chance of being unique, due to lack of competition. A new project in East Nashville, dubbed 701 Porter, earns the mantle, however, as the state's first housing development designed for low-income deaf... read more »

Local first responders learn sign language

The Hidalgo County Judge's Office Division of Emergency Management is teaching first responders the basic sign language they need to communicate with the Rio Grande Valley's estimated 8,000 to 9,000 deaf and hearing impaired residents. Cameron... read more »

Deaf man fights the odds to become physician

In 1981, Dr. Philip Zazove became the third certified deaf physician in the history of the United States. Now a specialist in family medicine at the University Hospital, he has spent more than 30 years in the medical field.

To read this... read more »

Hearing Is Not All Down To Your Ears

A fascinating event looking at sign language research is to be held at University College London on 20 March as part of the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) Festival of Social Science (21-21 March). The vast majority of research studies... read more »

World Centre for Partial Deafness Treatment in Kajetany

A World Centre for Partial Deafness Treatment will soon emerge in Kajetany near Warsaw. It will be completed at a cost of PLN123 million. Two thirds of the expense will be covered by the EU.

To read the full article, read more »

New Otolaryngology Faculty Launched By Faculty Of 1000

Faculty of 1000 Biology, the award-winning literature awareness service for the life sciences, has launched the much anticipated Otolaryngology Faculty.

The world's top head and neck surgery experts... read more »

Deaflympics set for 2015 in Vancouver and Whistler

For the 2015 Deaflympics, about 1,000 competitors and officials from up to 35 countries will come to Vancouver and Whistler to compete in five sports: curling, hockey, snowboard, alpine skiing and cross-country skiing. There will also be two... read more »

"See What I'm Saying" premieres tonight in Hollywood

The Deaf Entertainers Documentary, "See What I'm Saying" premieres tonight at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, California.

For ticket information and additional openings, read more »

FDA Approves First Totally Implanted Hearing System

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of the Esteem an implanted hearing system used to treat moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss, a type of permanent hearing loss.

The Esteem system consists of external... read more »

New Study Suggest Hearing Aids Improve the Effects of Tinnitus

According to a new study by Deafness Research UK, tinnitus can be helped or eliminated with the help of hearing aids. In the study of 1553 tinnitus suffers, 22% said a hearing aid reduced their tinnitus when wearing one digital hearing aid and 39%... read more »

Lawsuit Alleges EBay Violates Disabilities Laws

A deaf woman who claims she hasn't been able to sell items on eBay Inc.'s ecommerce Web site has filed a lawsuit saying the Internet giant violates federal and California state laws that protect disabled people against discrimination.

To... read more »

Meniere’s Disease DNA Testing – Looking For Causes

The exact cause of Meniere's disease isn't known. Researchers believe the symptoms may occur when fluid from one part of the inner ear mixes with another inner ear fluid. Rick Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., Neurotologist with the House Ear Institute in Los... read more »

Nominate DRF for the American Express Members Project

Nominate DRF as one of the charities in the American Express Members Project!

Visit http://www.takepart.com/membersproject/vote and click on "Suggest a... read more »

Brain To Blame For ‘lame’ Hearing At Cocktail Parties?

Do you struggle to hear properly at parties and at other group gatherings? If so, you are not alone and your brain- rather than your ear - could be to blame for this inability to 'zoom in' on the person you want to hear. New research undertaken by... read more »

Kids sought for hearing-loss study

A study at Boys Town National Research Hospital is aimed at making sure that the help children receive for mild and moderately severe hearing loss is making a difference.

Boys Town is continuing to recruit children for the five-year study,... read more »

Widely-Acclaimed, Award-Winning Children's Author Produces DVD for the Deaf

Tina Turbin, humanitarian, researcher and author of the celebrated children's book Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy will release the Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy DVD (vivid audio-visual presentation of the book) with sign-language interpretation for the... read more »

IBM research on mobile devices for illiterate, blind, deaf, and elderly people

IBM has launched a research project to develop mobile devices for disabled people or people who cannot read. This mobile device will be easier to use. Big Blue cooperate with the Indian National Institute of Design and the Japan Research Center for... read more »

First responders learn basic sign language to assist with deaf, hearing impaired

Several emergency first responders in the Rio Grande Valley are learning a new language and it has nothing to do with the spoken word. The responders are learning basic sign language to assist them in better communicating with the deaf or hearing... read more »

Three plead guilty to defrauding FCC of millions of dollars

Three individuals have pleaded guilty in a federal court to scamming the Federal Communications Commission out of over $2.5 million with organizations they owned that were designed to help people with hearing impairments.

The FCC has a... read more »

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Receives "Media Award" from the National Hearing Conservation Association

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) has received the "Media Award" from the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) for its "It's a Noisy Planet, Protect Their Hearing" campaign and web site. This... read more »

DRAWING CONTEST “IT’S A NOISY PLANET: WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROTECT YOUR HEARING? “

In celebration of Better Hearing and Speech Month in May, Deafness Research Foundation (DRF) announces a drawing contest for children and tweens ages 5-7 and 8-12, and teenagers age 13-18. The theme of each drawing is "It's a Noisy Planet: What are... read more »

Music class may benefit kids with cochlear implants

Music class may help improve certain types of sound perception in deaf children who have cochlear implants, a new study hints. Researchers assessed 27 children with cochlear implants for their ability to discern musical pitch -- how high or low a... read more »

Word Learning In Deaf Children With Cochlear Implants

Learning words may be facilitated by early exposure to auditory input, according to research presented by the Indiana University School of Medicine at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting in San Diego, Feb. 18-22.... read more »

Why a glass a day WILL keep the doctor away...

The health benefits of red wine have long been a consolation to those who enjoy an occasional glass or two. But the news has got even better. The health benefits of red wine are down to resveratrol, a plant chemical in the skins and pips of grapes.... read more »

Starkey Labs partners with SpongeBob

Starkey Laboratories Inc. has announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) to launch co-branded pediatric hearing aids.

The earmolds specifically created for children ages 0-13 will feature... read more »

Hands free i-Monitor

The new i-Monitor from Puretone brings together the sound of their custom Micro Monitors with hands free communications required for today's mobile market. Made from soft silicone, the custom-made earmoulds fit precisely to the user's ear contours... read more »

Ohlone College gets grant for Deaf Studies lab

Ohlone College soon will have a new computer laboratory where American Sign Language will be the lingua franca.

The college, which is located in California, is home to about 200 deaf students and a 650-student Deaf Studies division, expects... read more »

YouTube adds video captions for deaf

YouTube is making the tens of millions of videos it hosts more accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing by putting automatic captions on them. The Google-owned company said this use of speech recognition technology is probably the biggest... read more »

“See What I’m Saying,” the new music video film sponsored by Sprint Relay

See What I'm Saying, filmmaker Hilari Scarl's anticipated intimate feature documentary delving into the onstage and offstage lives of four professional deaf entertainers, will embark on a 25 city national tour sponsored by Sprint... read more »

FCC Issues Important New Ruling on VRS With Retroactive Impact, Issues Related Demand Letters and Withholding Payments

On February 25, 2010, the FCC issued a Declaratory Ruling addressing certain types of calls that are not compensable under the Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) program administered by the FCC. The Declaratory Ruling applies to all providers... read more »

To hear or not to hear

Across the country, thousands of Americans with cochlear implants are hearing for the first time in years or for the first time ever, sounds that most of us take for granted. And as the technology continues to improve, it's broadened the potential... read more »

Want a Better Listener? Protect Those Ears

For football fans, the indelible image of last month's Super Bowl might have been quarterback Drew Brees's fourth-quarter touchdown pass that put the New Orleans Saints ahead for good. But for audiologists around the nation, the highlight came after... read more »

Connecting Marlee and Mickey

Nobody who was at the FCC's broadband field hearing at Gallaudet University in November will forget the passion of Marlee Matlin. Her dedicated efforts led to captioning laws being passed nearly a generation ago.

But now, according to... read more »

Dementia study launched within the deaf community

Researchers have launched a unique project to improve early diagnosis and management of dementia among Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL).

The research, funded by Alzheimer's Society, will examine how to identify dementia in Deaf... read more »

Making Broadway Accessible for the Disabled

The next time you complain about not being able to see the stage from the nosebleed sections of a Broadway theater, think about not being able to see the stage at all.

"No one wants to feel left out of a performance," said Lisa Carling, the... read more »

Landrieu Welcomes Over $1.3 Million in Broadband Grants for Deaf Action Center

United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., Chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, today welcomed over $1.3 million in broadband expansion grants from the Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunity... read more »

FCC Announces New Closed Captioned Complaint Rules

This action by the FCC is in response to part of TDI's Petition for Rulemaking regarding captioning quality standards filed on July 23, 2004. The new procedure was first announced by the FCC on November 7, 2008 pending review by the Office of... read more »

Hearing Loss Doesn't Affect Quality of Life for Kids with Cochlear Implants

Deaf children who have cochlear implants report the same quality of life as their hearing counterparts, and their perceived satisfaction improves with earlier implants and longer wear, new research shows.

To read the full article, read more »

Regular analgesic use increases hearing loss in men

In a study published in the March 2010 issue of the American Journal of Medicine, researchers determined that regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases the risk of hearing loss in men,... read more »

IP-Relay Brings iPhone Calls to the Deaf

For over 30 years, Telecommunications Relay Services have brought voice telephony communication to deaf consumers. The latest development is an application that supports Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. This software from Purple is named... read more »

Arco supports child deafness charity

Safety company Arco is donating one per cent of the sales of its E-gard range to the Sound Seekers charity, which provides aid to deaf children in developing countries. The proceeds will be used to help the charity provide basic hearing... read more »

Indiana House passes bill setting standards for sign language interpreters for deaf students

The Indiana House has unanimously passed a bill aimed in part at helping deaf students by setting state standards for sign language interpreters. The bill passed the House on a 94-0 vote Monday, and now advances to Governor Mitch Daniels for his... read more »

Apple not responsible for deafness caused by loud iPod music, US courts rules

A US appeals court has ruled that Apple is not to blame for hearing loss suffered by those who listen to very loud music on their iPods. The judge upheld a previous ruling that Apple's iPod was not responsible for hearing loss as users can choose... read more »

Word Learning Better in Deaf Children Who Receive Cochlear Implants by Age 13 Months

Learning words may be facilitated by early exposure to auditory input, according to research presented by the Indiana University School of Medicine at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting in San Diego, Feb.... read more »

Actress Alison Pill shares her experience about her role in "The Miracle Worker"

In "The Miracle Worker," actress Alison Pill is flexing a new muscle or rather, several. As teacher Annie Sullivan, she pushes and shoves her way into the sealed-off world of Helen Keller, teaching language to the blind and deaf child played by... read more »

Hearing Aid Treats Deafness in One Ear

A new hearing aid implanted into the skull bone may help kids with hearing loss in one ear. Unilateral sensorineural hearing loss is a disorder that affects up to 3 percent of children. In the past, treatment options for the condition -- which... read more »

Hearing Aid Tax Credit Update

H.R. 1646, the Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act, will provide a tax credit of up to $500 per hearing aid, available once every 5 years, towards the purchase of a hearing aid, available to: 1) individuals age 55 and over, or 2) those purchasing... read more »

Bone-anchored hearing aids help children with deafness in one ear

A new study suggests that bone-anchored hearing aids help youth with single-sided deafness.

Lisa Christensen, Au.D., of Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, and colleagues analyzed the charts of 23 children and teens (age range 6 to 19,... read more »

Deaf boy hears after brain implant

Eleven months ago, when doctors switched on the equipment on two-year-old Koushik Gandhi's ear lobe, her cried out in fear. Tears of joy trickled down his mother's cheeks as she realized that Gandhi, who was born deaf, was hearing sound for the... read more »

Music Therapy for Previously Deaf Children

New research conducted in Israel and led by Denmark's Aalborg University once again highlights the incredible qualities of music. Infants who were born deaf and had a cochlear implant surgically placed in their ears can regain up to 90% of their... read more »

Ken Harrenstien, a deaf enginner at Google, quest to caption the Web

The Google engineer, who has been deaf since childhood, loved the Web because he could e-mail and chat without the aid of a sign language translator. As the Web evolved and got faster, online video stated to flood in. And all of a sudden, this... read more »

Novel mouse model sheds light on causes of childhood deafness

Scientists from Baylor College of Medicine in Texas have developed a mouse model mimicking childhood deafness, which they believe would provide important insights into the cause of childhood deafness.

Researcher Dr John Oghalai, of Baylor... read more »

Males more likely than females to have noise-related hearing loss

Recent research presented by the American Academy of Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) in San Diego concluded that males are three times more likely to have noise-related hearing loss than women.

According to Dr. Hamid Djalilian of the... read more »

DRF congratulates Debra Tucci as the new president-elect of ARO

DRF's Council of Scientific Trustee member, Debra Tucci, has been elected president of the Association of Research in Otolaryngology (ARO). We congratulate her on her new appointment!

For more information about ARO and their council members,... read more »

Hate crime and the deaf

Carl N. Schroeder, president of the Oregon Association of the Deaf (OAD), gave a lecture called Hate Crime and the Deaf. Schroeder's lecture examined how oppression impacts the Deaf community.

To read full article, read more »

Justice Department Enters Agreement With Alameda County, California, Sheriff to Guarantee Effective Communication for Persons Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Deaf-Blind

The Justice Department announced on Tuesday, February 2nd, that it has reached a settlement agreement with the Alameda County, Calif., Sheriff's Office, under which it will provide sign language interpreters and other auxiliary aids and services to... read more »

Children: Quality of Life With Cochlear Implants

Children with the surgically implanted hearing aids called cochlear implants rate their quality of life as highly as children with normal hearing, according to one of the first studies that looked at children as well as their parents.

To read... read more »

Higher Quality of Life for Deaf Children

Researchers studied 88 families with children who had cochlear implants and measured their quality of life using a questionnaire. The results revealed children who had a cochlear implant rated their quality of life equal to that of their hearing... read more »

New Hearing Aid Uses Your Tooth To Transmit Sound

Single sided deafness affects around 200 out of every million people the world over. The loss of stereo hearing can prove dangerous when crossing the street, or other mobile environments. read more »

DRF names Clifford P. Tallman, Jr. as its new chairman

Deafness Research Foundation (DRF), the leading national source of private funding for research in hearing and balance science, announces that Clifford P. Tallman, Jr. has been unanimously elected as Chairman of the Board, effective January 1, 2010.... read more »

Kids with Bionic Ears Have Trouble Controlling Their Voices

Although children who are deaf may be able to hear when fitted with cochlear implants in both ears, they have a more difficult time controlling their voices than kids with normal hearing, a single-center study showed. Children with bilateral... read more »

Ira J. Hirsh, one of the founders of audiology, dies at 87

Ira J. Hirsh, Ph.D., who did pioneering research in human hearing, auditory perception, communication, speech, language and communication disorders, died Jan. 12, 2010, of cardiopulmonary failure at Hillcrest Convalescent Center in Durham, N.C. He... read more »

University of Alabama researcher to lead tinnitus treatment trial

A University of Alabama researcher, Craig Formby, is leading a $3.2 million clinical study of a treatment of severe tinnitus, or ringing in the ear. About 50 million Americans say they suffer from tinnitus, but a smaller group, less than 5... read more »

Study: Second cochlear implant can restore two important facets of binaural hearing

In a study published this week in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Ruth Litovsky, an associate professor of communicative disorders and director of the binaural hearing and speech lab at the Waisman Center at the University of... read more »

Chin-Tuan Tan's, DRF current grant recipient, mathematical model patent purchased by Nokia

Chin-Tuan Tan, Ph.D., a current DRF grant recipient, has extensive experience examining the types of distortion that are common in cell phones. Tan has developed a mathematical model to predict how sound quality may suffer from different types of... read more »

Macy's at Dadeland to Feature the Phonak Hear the World Exhibit

The Hear the World initiative by Phonak will bring the Hear the World Tour - a traveling photography exhibit - to Macy's at Dadeland Mall (Miami, FL) to raise awareness about hearing loss, a growing issue that affects 31 million Americans. From... read more »

Brain implant helps restore hearing

A new implant may help people hear again who don't have success with their hearing devices, especially those who can't be helped by cochlear and other implants. This new device retrains the brain to hear.

To read and see a video clip of this... read more »

More Than 27 Million Americans Will Suffer from Untreated Hearing Loss in 2010

With hearing loss in America approaching what medical researchers say may be epidemic proportions, a top hearing care executive is calling for this to be the year that hearing care is recognized as a medical necessity.

Even mild hearing loss,... read more »

Identification Of Gene Linked To Rare Form Of Progressive Hearing Loss In Males

A gene associated with a rare form of progressive deafness in males has been identified by an international team of researchers funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The gene, PRPS1, appears to be crucial in... read more »

Combat veterans going deaf

More than two-thirds of British troops returning from Afghanistan are suffering from severe and permanent hearing damage, according to the most comprehensive study into one of the less well-known side-effects of the conflict in... read more »

Let Your Teeth Do The Listening

According to New Scientist, Californian company Sonitus Medical has created a small device that connects around the teeth and uses bone conductivity to translate sounds picked up by a microphone in the deaf ear into vibrations transmitted through... read more »

School for Deaf runs table

The Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs pulled off an undefeatedseason, going 8-0 for the first time in school history. The Bobcatsplayed deaf teams from around the country, as well as junior-varsitysquads from nearby high schools.

To... read more »

Gene linked to rare form of progressive hearing loss in males identified

An international team of researchers have identified a gene associated with a rare form of progressive deafness in males. Seemingly, the gene, PRPS1, is significant for inner ear development and maintenance. The gene is associated with DFN2, a... read more »

200 rally for MSU's deaf program

A crowd gathered at Michigan State University's Hannah Administration Building on Friday morning to save the Deaf Education program at Michigan State University, which trains teachers for the deaf. The program, along with classes in American Sign... read more »

Rochester study targets hearing loss in HIV/AIDS patients

At University of Rochester Medical Center, specialists in hearing loss and specialists in HIV and the immune system are teaming up to measure the hearing of people with and without HIV, supported by a nearly $2 million grant from the National... read more »

Dashing Santas raise charity cash

More than 800 runners donned Santa costumes to dash around the streets of Manchester to raise money for deafness and hearing loss charity RNID's Hear to Help service.

To read the full article, read more »

Students learn about the deaf

Fourth graders at Academy Hill School in Springfield, Massachusetts recently finished a unit on understanding deafness with a visit from... read more »

During the Holiday Season, Good Hearing Equals Glad Tidings

Starting with Thanksgiving and all the way to the New Year, families and friends will be getting together for joyful and noisy - celebrations. But if you have an untreated hearing loss, all the laughter and conversation around you will not exactly... read more »

The Loudest Telephone ever

Intended for the hard of hearing, the AmpliPOWER50 phone from Geemarc rings at to 81dB, 3 times the volume of a standard... read more »

Silence Gets Sound

From a single electrode to having 22 electrodes, cochlear implant devices have undergone rapid technological evolution.

To read more, read more »

UCI Research with Cochlear Implants No Longer Falling on Deaf Ears

Researchers at University of California, Irvine are developing a new breed of hearing implants that will reshape the landscape of auditory technology. The research has already been met with spectacular results on a global scale.

To read the... read more »

Gene identified as the cause for deafness in the elderly

Researchers have identified a gene that causes deafness in the elderly, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The researchers removed a gene, called Bak, in mice and found that these mice had better hearing as they aged than mice that had the gene.... read more »

Sam Kateu Receives World of Children Humanitarian Award

By Amy Morrison, Staff Writer

When Sam Kateu receives the World of Children Humanitarian award today, November 5, 2009, in... read more »

Specialists in Hearing, HIV Come Together to Study AIDS Patients

Specialists in HIV and in hearing at the University of Rochester Medical Center are teaming up to measure the hearing of people with AIDS.

The five-year study is believed to be the first large study of its kind testing the hearing of people... read more »

BOOK REVIEW Mean Little deaf Queer

Terry Galloway, writer/performer and author of Mean Little deaf Queer, addresses the issues that embroil the deaf/Deaf communities over identity, with Galloway's own deafness, which came on gradually when she... read more »

Inherited form of hearing loss stems from gene mutation

Marci Lesperance, M.D., now a hearing researcher at the University of Michigan Health System, and researchers in Iowa, France and Germany report they have identified a mutation in a gene, SLC17A8, that accounts for a form of hearing loss that... read more »

Senator Brown calls for adding hearing aids to Medicare

Senator Sherrod Brown says it's time to make hearing aids a covered benefit under the Medicare health-care program for seniors. The Ohio Democrat introduced a bill last week seeking to add hearing aids to Medicare's basic coverage.

To read... read more »

New hearing aid options: looking good and sounding better

Advances in hearing aid design and technology mean more and better choices for consumers. The October issue of read more »

How tiny cells deliver big sound

Deep in the ear, 95 percent of the cells that shuttle sound to the brain are big, boisterous neurons that, to date, have explained most of what scientists know about how hearing works. Whether a rare, whisper-small second set of cells also carry... read more »

Troy University’s Interpreter Training Program receives $1.5 million

Troy University (Montgomery, Alabama) and the relay board officially announced a partnership that will provide additional funding for the school’s Interpreter Training Program and eventually start a Center for Deafness on the Troy... read more »

One million Indian babies born with deafness: Doctors

Over one million babies are born with hearing impairment every year in India but early intervention can help get rid of the problem, doctors say.  In a panel discussion, doctors unanimously called for screening for deafness in newborns to be... read more »

Snetaor Tom Harkins named chair of the Senate HELP (Health Education Labor and Pensions) Committee replacing Senator Ted Kennedy

On September 16, 2009, Senator Tom Harkin was named chair of the Senate HELP (Health Education Labor and Pensions) Committee replacing Senator Ted Kennedy.  This change places Congress’ foremost champion of hearing loss and disability issues... read more »

2010 National Hearing Conservation Association Conference to "Explore The World Of Hearing Loss Prevention"

The National Hearing Conservation Association [NHCA] announces that its 35th annual conference will be held February 25-27, 2010 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Florida. Titled "Explore the World of Hearing Loss Prevention," the conference will... read more »

Fort Washington Medical Center to ensure effective communication For deaf or hard of hearing patients

Under a settlement agreement reached with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, deaf patients at the Fort Washington Medical Center in Prince George's County, Md., will be screened and provided with sign language interpreters whenever... read more »

HearForever, a new initiative for hearing protection, is introduced

Howard Leight's introduced HearForever (TM), a major initiative aimed to raise awareness of the dangers, risks and consequences of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) at work and at home.

To read more about Leight's hearing initiative, read more »

Tone-deaf people lack an important neural pathway

Researchers have found that the nerve fibers that link perception and motor regions of the brain are disconnected in tone-deaf people.  According to experts, 10% of the population may be tone-deaf -- resulting in the inability to sing in tune.... read more »

Scientists find genetic cause for type of deafness

A team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has discovered a genetic cause of progressive hearing loss. The findings will help scientists better understand the nature of age-related decline in hearing and may lead to new therapies... read more »

Southeastern researchers explore approach to improve deaf education

In a unique approach to deaf education, two members of the Southeastern Louisiana University education faculty are using technology common in logistics and supply chain management to improve instruction in sign language for young deaf... read more »

Manufacturer & retailer of hearing aids offers free tips for hearing loss

Hearing Central LLC, a manufacturer and online retailer of digital hearing aids, offers free tips on the early detection of hearing loss and copping with hearing loss to better educate consumers about the benefits of using them.  To view the... read more »

Caludin-9 gene mutation prevents protein production that protects sensory hair cells

Dr. Yoko Nakano from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, along with colleagues, studied a new mutant mouse line with inherited deafness.  The researchers conducted an experiment and narrowed the genetic loci of the gene causing the... read more »

Oticon Medical Receives FDA Clearance to Market Innovative Bone Anchored Hearing System

Oticon Medical, a global medical device company, announced that it has obtained 501(k) clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to market the innovative Ponto bone anchored hearing system.

The Ponto System features an... read more »

Bad Brain Wiring Linked to Possible Tone Deafness

In the August 19 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, Psyche Loui and colleagues said tone-deafness appears to be a neurological condition.  Researchers used an MRI-based method known as diffusion tensor imaging to analyze a neural pathway... read more »

Smaller, Faster & Smarter Ear Implants

Cochlear implant technology has been around since the 80's when adults first received them.  There are about 150,000 people worldwide who have received cochlear implants.  In the USA, there are roughly 30,000 adults and more than 30,000... read more »

Mutations in a Gene Associated with Cancer Causes Deafness

A surprising and unexpected discovery happened when an international group of researchers found three mutations responsible for a form of hereditary deafness in a gene that is implicated in cancer.  Researchers from the National Institute on... read more »

Can Zebrafish Be the Cure for Hearing Loss?

Researchers use the zebrafish in efforts to find ways to regenerate hearing-essential cells that are damaged as a result of excessive noise, certain illnesses and drugs, and simple aging.  The zebrafish has cluster of hair cells running along... read more »

Research To Investigate The Clinical And Cost-effectiveness Of Bone Anchored Hearing Aids

New research commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) program will assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of bone anchored hearing aids (BAHAs) for people who are bilaterally deaf... read more »

Researchers at the Peninsula School of Medicine receives grant for brain tumor and deafness research

Researchers at the Peninsula School of Medicine have received a grant of over £39,000 from the charity Deafness Research UK to investigate the role of brain tumors causing deafness in children and adults and the development of therapies... read more »

Buying a Hearing Aid? What you should know

About 37 million people suffer from some form of hearing loss in the US and the cost of hearing devices come with a hefty price tag that insurance companies do not cover.  Although, Medicare and most private insurance plans pay only for... read more »

iPod generation risk losing hearing

In the US there have been reports of an increase in teens and young adults who are listening to their IPods or MP3s for hours every day diagnosed with hearing levels of a 50-year old.  A person who listens to their IPod or MP3 at... read more »

Rose Pizzo shares her experience growing up deaf in her self published autobiographical book

Rose Pizzo who has hearing loss and was raised in a hearing family, shares her experience about growing up deaf and how she discovers that communication can become a dilemma in everyday life in her book entitled, Growing Up Deaf:... read more »