"New to HOH" on the forum wrote that they did not realize how loud their television was until they went to a neighbor's house. Apparently, the television could still be heard inside the neighbor's house! New to HOH wants to know if there are any gadgets that can help. I've heard of something called TV Ears. Have you had experience with TV Ears or anything similar? Reply to New to HOH on the forum.

That's the point of Karen Meyer's article (she is deaf herself, BTW) on ABC7 Chicago. Illinois has a bill pending that would require hearing aids to be covered by insurance the same way cochlear implants are. As Karen points out, it is about "lack of choices."

Are there any American parents who can identify with this one? In Canada, a deaf four year old child had his school interpreter taken away. The reason given? "...He does not initiate conversation." Come on, this is a four-year-old deaf child!

Another interpreting story in the news is that in Minnesota, a hospital settled a lawsuit over interpreters not being provided to a husband and his wife while his wife was dying. The reader comments show a lot of ignorance from readers. How ignorant? Consider this snippet:

There is also something called personal responsibility in your health and if you have issues as this, bring a friend to your visits, not just another family member with the same handicap.

And that one was LIKED by 8 people! We can't let our need for interpreters and other accommodations be used as a scapegoat by people angry over health care costs!

Sometimes I don't understand the media. They think it is a big deal for the mayor of New York City to wear hearing aids. Then the media reported that the mayor's hearing aids "were gone." Was he discouraged from using his hearing aids by the burst of media attention? It even got the attention of the Huffington Post.

Sources:

Mayor Bloomberg Sports New Hearing Aid in Public - New York City Daily News (has photo of the hearing aid in his ear)

NY Mayor: I can't hear question about hearing aids - WCAX

Bloomberg Mum on Wearing Hearing Aid - NBC New York

Bloomberg Hearing Aid Question Gets Testy Response - Huffington Post