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Hear&Now
Australian Hearing’s National Magazine No.1 2004
Working in partnership
Retraining the brain:
Acclimatisation & hearing aids
Friends and relations –
the other type of “hearing aid”
Cochlear implants and adults
Hearing better on the telephone
Helping GPs to hear better
Audiology outback
National Indigenous Hearing Strategy
Making hearing aids fun
Deaflympics 2005

Contents
Introduction
Message from the MD
EDITORIAL
Working in partnership – better
outcomes for all of us ...................3
BETTER COMMUNICATION
Acclimatisation & hearing aids .......4
Friends and relations – the other
type of “hearing aid” ....................6
HEARING AIDS AND TECHNOLOGY
Cochlear implants and adults.........8
Hearing better on the telephone....9
CLIENT STORIES
Nearly 70 years difference
but a lot in common ...................10
“I got a hearing aid
and lost weight!” ........................11
Twins on Waugh path..................11
AUSTRALIAN HEARING NEWS
New Hearing Centres in Perth ......12
Australian Hearing staff member
on Deafness Forum Board ............12
Helping GPs to hear better .........13
National Newborn Hearing
Screening Conference .................13
INDIGENOUS SERVICES
Audiology Outback......................14
A visit to the Ngaanyatjarra Lands..14
A visit to Jigalong .......................15
National Hearing Strategy .............16
KIDS CORNER
What sound does it make? ..........18
Making hearing aids fun .............19
A puzzling puzzle ........................19
TIPS AND SNIPPETS
Deaflympics 2005 .......................20
Calls for more Deaflympians ........20
Network Ten commits to
more captioning ..........................21
Disclosing a disability ...................21
Australian Deaf Games ................21
Croc Fest 2004 ............................22
Wanting to make contact ............22
A peek at the past.......................23
Victorian Poster Project on
Ear Health and Hearing ................24
Cover picture: Detail of art by George
Wallaby, an artist from the Emu Creek
Community in the Kimberley region, Western
Australia. The painting represents George‘s
country, Barragoo (Lake Gregory).
Photographer: Richard l‘Anson
Hello everyone,
The technology and advice Australian
Hearing provides to our clients is
significant, but it’s what people do
with it in the “real world” that makes a
difference to their quality of life. That’s
why Working in Partnership is the theme
of this issue of Hear & Now.
At Australian Hearing we recognise
and value the critical role that family,
friends and professionals play in helping
people to hear better and to reach their
full potential. Support and understanding
from family especially can significantly
influence the success of a hearing aid
fitting. So we involve them as much as
possible in the rehabilitation and
decision-making process. We also invest
a lot of time and effort into working
with the educators of our young clients,
Cochlear Implant agencies, GPs and
other health professionals.
A significant proportion of our work
goes towards delivering hearing services
to our indigenous communities. While
this poses constant challenges, we liaise
with a range of community people and
Hear&Now
Editor:
Sharan Westcott
Assistant Editor:
Marg Anderson
Design & Production:
CHE
Editorial Office: Australian Hearing
126 Greville St
Chatswood NSW 2067
Phone: 02 9412 6800
Fax: 02 9413 3362
TTY: 02 9412 6802
Email: margaret.anderson@hearing.com.au
Web:
www.hearing.com.au
relevant agencies to make it happen. Of
course, flexibility and patience are also
essential to our success. Despite the
setbacks, specialist audiologists at
Australian Hearing find their work in
this field exciting and fulfilling. You can
find out about some of these challenges
in this issue.
I hope you enjoy this latest issue of
Hear & Now. To subscribe for free,
just fill in the coupon on page three.
And please let us know what you think
of our magazine and how we could
improve it. We value our readers’
opinion and ideas.
Anthea Green
Managing Director,
Australian Hearing
Australian Hearing is the largest provider of hearing care in Australia,
offering hearing assessment and the latest in digital hearing aid
technology to eligible clients through a national network of hearing
centres. As a Commonwealth funded Authority, our services are
Government subsidised and provided exclusively to pensioner
concession card holders, most veterans and Australians under 21.
Australian Hearing aims to improve the opportunities and quality of
life for young and older people with hearing loss by offering services
which are tailored to the individual needs of each client and family.
Hear & Now is produced by Australian Hearing to inform, educate
and entertain our clients and those who work and live with them.
Australian Hearing welcomes use of this publication. Material may be
copied for the purpose of community education, provided that
acknowledgment is made of the source.
Enquiries, comments and suggestions are welcome and should be sent
to the assistant editor, Marg Anderson, at this address.
2 AustralianHearing

Editorial
From Sharan Westcott, Principal Audiologist, Australian Hearing.
Working in partnership –
better outcomes for us all
Someone with a hearing loss is more
than a pair of ears that doesn’t work
properly. They live in a complex world
of relationships, learning environments,
work and social situations which place
different demands on their hearing.
Australian Hearing recognises that when
it comes to our clients, hearing better
is about much more than simply fitting
a suitable, high quality hearing aid.
Our audiologists have to find out about
each client’s communication needs and
life context.
The choice of hearing aid has to match
those needs as closely as possible*. Then
it’s important that the client can actually
manage the aid to get all of the benefits
it can offer. This may involve simple
instruction, or it may require some
retraining of the brain to listen to new
sounds. We also offer advice about other
devices, such as amplified telephones
and devices for the television, which
may help in situations where their
hearing aid’s ability is limited.
Without exception we find the people
who influence the “success” of a hearing
aid are those who live and work with the
person with hearing loss. This is why we
like family members to come along to
appointments too. When a child has a
hearing loss from birth or soon after, the
impact on many aspects of their life can
be great, which is why the paediatric
audiologists at Australian Hearing work
as closely as they can with educators of
the young people they see.
Hearing loss can affect many aspects of
a child’s life, from speech and language
development to educational outcomes
and self esteem. It is no simple matter
to help hearing impaired children to
achieve their full potential – the child
needs input from people with a wide
range of expertise. Australian Hearing
audiologists form one part of the team
that works with children and their
families to help them deal with hearing
loss. We may be experts in hearing, but
it is the parents and carers who are the
experts when it comes to their child
and their unique family situation.
Part of the paediatric audiologist’s role
is to work with teachers to help them
keep up to date with the latest in
audiology and technology, as well as
ensure that audiological and educational
programs for each child are heading
towards the same goal. Of course, this
process is not just about our audiologists
educating other people – one of the
rewards of working closely with
educators is the wealth of knowledge
and experience they have to share
with us.
Our article Friends and Relations – the
other type of “hearing aid” on page 6
explores the many significant ways
others can help our clients get the most
out of their hearing and their lives. We
hope it encourages friends and families
to think positively and creatively about
the difference they can make in the lives
of their hearing impaired loved ones.
* See Hear & Now 2003 for more
information about matching hearing
aid features to benefits.
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Hear&Now 3

BetterCommunication
Retraining the brain: Acclimatisation & hearing aids
By Sharan Westcott,
Principal Audiologist
The brain plays an important role in not
only receiving and processing sounds
but also in assisting us to attend to
relevant sounds and ignore those which
are not important.
Our world is a very noisy place. With
the rapid development of technology
many new sounds are being added to
our environment. For example, mobile
phones have introduced a whole new
range of sounds with their different ring
tones. When a mobile phone rings in
a busy restaurant, have you ever been
amused to see several people dive for
their handbags and suit pockets only
to discover that it was someone else’s
phone? The calm mobile phone owner
who did not reach for their pocket or
handbag is the one that has learnt to
recognise their personalised ring tone and
knew that it wasn’t her phone. Her brain
has heard the ringing mobile, processed
the sound and discarded it as not
relevant to her.
Here’s another example of how clever
our brain is. I rarely notice my
refrigerator motor humming as it’s part
of my everyday environment. I hear it
but my brain processes and discards the
information at the subconscious level
as irrelevant. If my refrigerator starts to
make a different sound however, my brain
notes the altered noise as meaningful and
alerts me to a problem.
Part of hearing well is this ability to attend
to meaningful sounds and ignore irrelevant
sounds. The majority of us have learnt to
do this over our lifetime and it has
become automatic. When a new sound
comes into our environment, the brain at
the conscious level
alerts us to it and
we identify its
source. If that
sound becomes a
familiar part of our
environment we
eventually learn to
ignore it. This
adaptation to new
sounds is referred
to as the
acclimatisation
effect.
When our hearing
starts to fade,
particularly if we
lose it gradually
over many years,
we are usually alerted to the problem
because we notice we are missing out on
conversation or hearing the TV. We are
often unaware of how many other
sounds we no longer hear, sounds that
are both important and unimportant.
What’s that noise?
A common response from clients when
their hearing aids are first turned on is
“What’s that noise?” Welcome to our
world. People with normal hearing
cope with many potentially intrusive
sounds by blocking awareness of them
at the subconscious level. People who
haven’t heard these sounds for some
time must retrain their brain to notice
them, then to ignore the ones they don’t
need – like the refrigerator humming.
The sophistication of technology available
in hearing aids in recent years has made
this less of a problem as they better mimic
the clever amplification mechanisms of
the ear. But the role that an individual’s
brain plays in managing all the sounds
they hear through their hearing aid has
little to do with technology.
The key factor in hearing well with
your hearing aids is to retrain your brain
to attend to meaningful sounds and
ignore those that are irrelevant. Some
individuals have learnt to do this very
well when it comes to ignoring people
who annoy them - children can be
masters of this technique!
How long does it take?
Research studies have shown that
acclimatising to new sounds with a
hearing aid takes approximately six
weeks for most people. Those with a
4 AustralianHearing

severe to profound hearing loss may
adjust within four weeks. It’s important
to note that acclimatisation to sound
(retraining the brain) can occur only if
the hearing aids are worn for several
hours on a daily basis. The more a
hearing aid is worn, the faster one can
adapt to new sounds. This is probably
why people with severe to profound
hearing loss, who need to wear their aids
all day, take less time to acclimatise.
How do I retrain my brain?
It doesn’t matter whether you’re getting
hearing aids for the first time or
upgrading, you will still have to
acclimatise to the difference in speech
and environmental sounds. The best
place to do this is at home.
Sit or walk around and listen with your
hearing aids to all the sounds around your
house. You can ask your audiologist for a
Listening Check List to help you with this
activity. Try to identify each sound.
Do this every day until you can easily
identify the sounds. Once they become
familiar you’ll find them less and less
intrusive until gradually your brain will
ignore them and attend to more
important sounds, such as the phone ring,
the door-bell or a crash.
Once you have developed the ability
to cope with the environmental sounds
around your home you will be less
distracted by noise during social activities
outside home. However, your brain can
be retrained only if you wear your
hearing aid for more than four hours
each day around your home.
Children or adults who are highly
dependent upon their hearing aids can
become very sensitive to changes in the
signals they receive through them. They
need to allow time to get used to the
sound of a new hearing aid. They may
not necessarily like how it sounds at first,
even when the aid has features that
should enhance speech understanding.
That’s why it’s important to persevere
with the hearing aids for several weeks in
order to allow the brain enough time to
acclimatise to the new sound.
A very young child fitted with hearing
aids or a cochlear implant needs to learn
the meaning of sounds, especially the
ones that are essential for speech,
language and communication. This is a
much slower process and involves more
than simply acclimatisation. Children
need to wear their amplification device
(hearing aids or an implant) most of their
waking hours to learn to identify the
variety of sounds in our environment.
My voice sounds funny
Some hearing impaired people wearing
hearing aids for the first time find their
voice sounds quite different, which can
be disturbing. The reason is simple.
When our hearing is normal, we are
used to hearing our voice louder than
other peoples’ voices. However, when
you have a hearing impairment, you are
hearing your voice at reduced volume.
Once you have switched your hearing
aids on, you’ll hear it again at normal
volume and the brain will need to be
retrained to adapt to the new volume
level. A useful activity to help you adapt
to your own voice is to read aloud to
yourself for five minutes each day in the
first week or two after you are fitted
with the hearing aid. Gradually you
will be less distracted by the sound of
your own voice.
Patience and perseverance
The aim of fitting hearing aids is to
improve your ability to hear in listening
situations that are important to you.
Remember that hearing aids are hearing
aids and to achieve good communication
you’ll need to persevere and retrain your
brain to discard less intrusive sounds. By
consistently wearing your hearing aids
and practising listening in different
situations between your fitting and
review appointment, you will assist the
audiologist to decide whether any real
adjustments are required to make your
hearing aids even better.
Hear&Now 5

Friends&Relations
– The other type of “hearing aid”
By Alison King,
Paediatric Policy
There are many ways to help a person with hearing loss
participate more fully in life. Here are a few suggestions.
and Program Manager
Hearing impairment isn’t just a hearing
issue, it’s also a communication problem.
Communication is a two-way process so
a hearing loss not only affects the
hearing impaired individual, it also affects
those around them – their family, friends
and colleagues. But there are ways to
make a difference in the life of a hearing
impaired loved one.
Understandably, hearing loss can be
quite isolating. Often the hearing
impaired person finds it too hard to
follow even a simple conversation.
Perhaps they feel embarrassed when they
grasp the “wrong end of the stick” in a
conversation. Or they may be worried
they’re a nuisance when they ask for
things to be repeated. As a result, they
may withdraw from hobbies or avoid
activities because these become too
stressful or unrewarding.
We also shouldn’t overlook the effect
hearing loss might have upon the
friends and family of the hearing
impaired. Yes, there may be frustration
when they constantly hear “Beg-yourpardon?”.
Or they may be embarrassed
at having to correct some social gaff.
Hearing loss also gets in the way of
grandparents hearing their
grandchildren’s stories and makes it
difficult for couples to share feelings and
experiences that are so important for
intimacy in a relationship.
• The hearing assessment appointment
can be a worrying experience for some
people. Ask your friend or relative if
they would like you to go along with
them. It might simply be for moral
support or it might be that two heads
are better than one when it comes to
remembering information and
explanations or deciding which
hearing aid might be best.
• Using a hearing aid or upgrading to a
new one can be quite complex at first.
Some people find it helpful to have a
friend come along to the appointment
so they don’t have to worry about
remembering every instruction and
piece of information. If you can’t
come to the fitting appointment,
Australian Hearing provides some
printed information that you can read
later and discuss with your friend if
they would like you to.
• Learn about your friend’s hearing
loss, the benefits and limitations
of their hearing aids.
Hearing aids make a big difference
to the hearing impaired listener.
Modern hearing aids provide clearer
sound and deal much more efficiently
with background noise than ever
before. They won’t solve all problems,
however, especially for those who
have a severe or a profound hearing
loss. Understanding the limitations
of the technology can help you set
realistic expectations about the user’s
hearing ability.
•A helping hand. Some of our clients
find it difficult to manage their hearing
aids independently, maybe because of
low vision or arthritis. They may find
it difficult to insert or adjust their aid.
After all, our ears aren’t where our
eyes can see them! Check whether
your friend needs assistance with
managing their hearing aid, especially
when they are back at home. The
audiologist will be able to give you
both some helpful hints.
•Become a communication trainer!
When hearing aids alone don’t enable
someone to hear as well as they want to,
our adult specialist audiologists can
provide communication training
programs aimed at improving the
person’s listening skills. The best results
are achieved when our clients practice
their newly learned skills outside the
audiology appointment. So consider
helping your friend or relation with
their communication homework – it
will make a big difference.
• Practice good communication.
Talk to the audiologist about the
best way to communicate with your
friend. Do they need to see your face
in order to understand you? Where
would be the best place for them to
sit at the dinner table? Can they hear
you talking when the TV is on?
And remember, patience and a good
sense of humour go a long way
towards keeping communication
channels open.
6 AustralianHearing

When the person with
a hearing impairment
is young…
The diagnosis of childhood hearing
impairment can have a profound effect
on the family. Parents may experience
grief, shock, anger or confusion when
they are confronted with a host of
unfamiliar issues and decisions about
hearing aids and education. In fact,
most families experience all of these
emotions in varying degrees at different
times throughout their child’s life. To
help, recognise that your friend or
relation may sometimes find the going
tough, even if their child seems to be
doing well.
• Support your friend or relation in
their choices for their child. For
example, encourage the wearing of
hearing aids if the child comes to stay
with you. If it is offered, take the
opportunity to learn more about the
hearing loss and what it means for the
child and their family. How much can
the child hear? Does your friend or
relation have therapy to do with the
child at home? Perhaps their hearing
centre or school is running an
information seminar that you can
attend. Australian Hearing produces
material on a range of topics which we
are happy to provide to family and
friends. Please understand that we can’t
provide information about a particular
child without the parents’ consent.
• Find out the best way to
communicate with the child. How
far away can they hear you? Should
you get their attention before you talk
to them? Should you simplify your
language at all? Should you turn down
background noise like the TV or radio
when you want to talk to the child?
Does the child also use sign language?
If you can’t get to formal classes,
perhaps there are some simple signs
you can learn from their family.
• The child or young person may value
your support at an appointment at the
hearing centre, or they may prefer to
attend alone to discuss personal
concerns with their audiologist.
• Audiology appointments can be
difficult for parents if they have to
bring other children along as well.
(Little brothers or sisters can be very
distracting during a hearing test!) It
can also be difficult for parents to
remember everything discussed during
the appointment if they are trying to
keep an eye on several children at once.
You could, therefore, offer to baby-sit
young siblings. Or maybe it would
help if you could look after the hearing
impaired child in the waiting room to
give your friend a chance to talk in
more depth to the audiologist. And of
course, baby-sitting at other times could
give the parents much needed time out
to do something for themselves.
So remember, there are many things that
family and friends can do to make life
easier for the hearing impaired child or
adult. All of them contribute in some
small way to helping to reduce the
impact of hearing loss on everyday life.
And that is why we say that family and
friends are the other very important
type of hearing aid!
Hear&Now 7

Hearing Aids & Technology
Benefits for baby boomers: Cochlear implants and adults
“Am I too old to benefit from a
cochlear implant?” is a question all
Australian Hearing adult specialist
audiologists hear. A number of older,
severely and profoundly hearing
impaired clients may indeed find a
cochlear implant helpful and the most
recent research shows that it is well
worth pursuing this option further.
Cochlear implants offer a number of
potential benefits for children and adults
who have a severe to profound hearing
loss and receive limited benefit from
hearing aids. In the past there were
questions about whether or not the
device was a reasonable option for older
adults. Now that the criteria for
considering people for an implant are
broader, there is evidence of a number
of potential benefits for this age group.
This includes the ability to continue or
resume paid or voluntary employment,
prolonged independent living and
improved social interaction.
In August 2003, Cochlear Limited
released a review paper, Cochlear
Implantation in Older Adults. The review
was undertaken by cochlear implant
professionals in Melbourne, Sydney and
Brisbane. It found that age alone is not a
barrier to cochlear implantation and that
adults over 55 years of age can gain
significant benefit from the high tech
device. A summary is provided here or
you can request a complete copy of the
review by calling Cochlear Ltd on
1800 620 929.
The review paper summarised findings
from a number of studies of cochlear
implantation outcomes for adults over
55 years of age. It also describes one of
the largest studies in this area which was
recently conducted in Melbourne.
A study of 164 adult clients from the
Melbourne Cochlear Implant Clinic
found that implant recipients aged 65+
years who had lost their hearing later in
life found the cochlear implant was
For people who have a severe or
profound hearing loss and receive
little or no benefit from hearing aids,
a cochlear implant may be an option.
A cochlear implant is a surgically
implanted device which can provide
useful hearing sensations by sending
electrical signals to the nerve endings
in the inner ear (called the “cochlea”).
Many people are deaf because they
have damage to the inner ear. But
most – even those with “nerve
deafness” – have some functioning
nerve fibres in the ear. These nerve
fibres may be able to send signals
(sound) to the brain if they are
stimulated electrically. The cochlear
implant can do this.
With a cochlear implant, sound is
picked up by a microphone (worn on
the ear like a hearing aid) and is
passed to a speech processor (a small
computer which may be worn on the
body or behind the ear). The speech
processor changes the sound waves
helpful in a range of real-life listening
situations.
Improvements in their speech perception
and understanding were similar to
implanted adults under 65 years of age.
However, older clients did have a little
more difficulty listening in noisy
environments and found their implant
less helpful for listening to music
What is a cochlear implant
and how does it work?
into a code. This code then goes to a
transmitter (a small wheel-like device
which attaches magnetically to the
skull), which passes the information
inside to the electrodes that stimulate
the hearing nerve within the ear. It is
this nerve that sends the messages to
the brain, thereby allowing the sound
to be “heard”.
8 AustralianHearing

compared to their younger counterparts.
They also took longer to get the full
benefit from their implant – it was
“weeks” before they reached the greatest
improvement in their hearing, whereas
younger adults reported significant
changes in “days”.
The authors reviewed a number of
medical studies and reported that for
adults over 55 years of age,“medical
complications of anaesthetic risk, wound
breakdown or impact of other illness are
no greater than in the normal adult
population. There is no significant
increase in length of anaesthetic or length
of hospital stay.” The Melbourne study
found that while both young and older
implantees could have postoperative
balance disturbance, older people were
more likely to take longer to recover or
Did you know?
• The oldest implant recipient in Australia was 91 years of age. The oldest European
to receive a Nucleus cochlear implant was a 95 year old Birmingham, UK, resident.
The oldest recipient in the world was from California and 97 years of age.
• If you speak a language other than English, visit www.cochlear.com where
Cochlear Ltd provides information in a number of different languages. To obtain
printed leaflets in a range of languages, contact Cochlear Ltd on 1800 620 929.
• In Australia, cochlear implants are usually funded through State funds or private
health funds. People who are eligible for Australian Hearing services (i.e. pension
concession card holders and Australians under 21) are entitled to receive batteries,
replacement parts and repairs for their cochlear implant at no cost. Our young
clients are also eligible to receive new speech processors as technology improves.
have ongoing difficulties as they were less be taken into account and they need to
able to compensate for the changes
be counselled about the benefits and
They reported that older patients were limitations of the cochlear implant, as
more likely to be referred for therapy to well as the time frame over which these
help with balance problems.
are expected to occur.
Overall, the study found that benefits of Your Australian Hearing adult specialist
cochlear implantation for older adults audiologist can provide you with further
outweighed the disadvantages. It was information about whether a cochlear
recommended that age alone should not implant may be an option for you and
exclude a person from implantation. can arrange a referral to a cochlear
Each person’s individual situation should implant clinic.
Hearingbetteronthetelephone
Telstra has a phone with volume control
as a standard feature – the T1000S.
If you currently rent the standard Telstra
handset, you can exchange it for the
T1000S at no extra cost; your phone bill
will simply show a code for a disability
handset rental instead. To apply to
change it, complete an application
form from Telstra, have your Australian
Hearing audiologist sign it, then return
it to Telstra. The new handset will be
delivered to you.
If you’re not currently renting a Telstra
phone and use a private phone instead,
you’ll need to pay a one-off fee of $20
followed by a monthly rental fee for the
volume control phone. If your service
provider is anyone other than Telstra,
you can still arrange to have the T1000S.
If you’re with Optus, contact their
wholesale department on 133 937,
TTY – 1800 500 002 (Freecall) or email
industry.services@optus.com.au
All Telstra phones also have a built-in
coupler. This puts out magnetic signals
that can be picked up by hearing aids
with a 3T2 switch. Your hearing aid
can be programmed so that when the
3T2 switch is on, the microphone is
turned off so it picks up these magnetic
signals instead. The signals are then
converted into sounds that you can hear.
Since the aid can’t pick up interfering
background noise, it’s easier to talk on
the phone.
If you would like more information,
contact Telstra on 13 22 00, visit
their website www.telstra.com or
drop into one of their shops.
Hear&Now 9

ClientStories
Nearly 70 years difference but a lot in common
It’s not often that a four year old
sets an example for her grandfather.
But that’s exactly what happened
when John Kenney’s granddaughter
was diagnosed with severe hearing
loss by the Australian Hearing team
at Mt Gravatt.
Eighteen months ago, John’s daughter
Catherine Young discovered that her
daughter Grace had a hearing problem.
“Grace was nearly three years old when
I first noticed there was a problem,” said
Catherine. “We were playing a game of
Chinese whispers with her sisters and I
realised she literally couldn’t hear what
was being said. Following a visit to our
GP we were referred to Australian
Hearing for an assessment.”
Grace’s audiologist diagnosed a severe
to profound hearing loss in her left ear
and mild to moderate loss in her right.
She was fitted with two hearing aids
shortly after.
“My initial reaction was shock,” recalls
Catherine. “I think I cried for three days,
not because Grace was hearing impaired
but because of the barriers that may be
put in front of her because she was
different. I know it sounds strange but
now I am grateful for her hearing loss.
While it means extra time and cost, it also
means extra love and closeness within our
family and has widened our circle of
friends. Grace’s hearing loss is far from
the old term of a disability – it is a gift
that is part of the uniqueness of Grace.”
Grace enjoys visiting Australian Hearing to
see her audiologist Karen McGhie. “Karen
takes the time to explain everything and is
always looking for ways to help Grace get
the best from her hearing aids and so from
her life,” said Catherine. With the aid of
her teachers and speech pathologists at
Yeerongpilly Special Education Unit she
is progressing well.
Grace not only wears her hearing aids
comfortably all day, she’s very proud of
them. “Each time she needs a new
earmould she chooses a different colour –
she’s gone from purple, to pink, to orange
and now to blue. She is a real example to
her grandfather!” said Catherine.
For John Kenney, accepting his hearing
loss was a lengthier process. Despite
noticing he was missing the odd word
and the drift of the conversation at
social functions, John refused to even
consider a hearing aid for a long time.
“My mother had a hearing loss and was
fitted with bulky metal aids which
attached to her clothing with a lead to
her right ear. They were never
satisfactory and caused my mother
embarrassment. Eventually she
withdrew from outside conversations
altogether,” said John.
At 66 years of age, John finally put his
prejudices and vanity aside and made an
appointment for a hearing test. The
consultant advised him to have two
hearing aids. To John’s dismay, outside
noises became intolerable as the hearing
aids were simple amplifiers with no
volume control.
“I had totally given up hope until
Catherine suggested that I have a
consultation with Australian Hearing
because they had helped Grace so much.
So I made an appointment. After an
extensive examination, they suggested
I try a new hearing aid with different
characteristics and controls.
“I now use my aids continually and
the results have been fantastic. They are
exactly like my granddaughter’s except
mine are clear instead of brightly
coloured!” said John.
Catherine is just as delighted with the
outcome.“The relationship between
Grace and her grandfather has deepened.
They were at opposite ends of the
spectrum in terms of acceptance of
hearing loss and especially wearing the
hearing aids. I think Grace has helped
Dad to see his loss and the wearing
of aids as normal – she says however
that Granddad’s aren’t in pretty colours
like hers!”
Grace and grandfather John are the best of friends.
10 AustralianHearing

TwinsonWaughpath
Twin cricket talents Nick and Andrew
Watkins, 20, represented Australia during
the 2004 Deaf Ashes Tour in Jan/Feb.
Long term clients of our hearing centre
in Mt Gravatt, Queensland, their severe
hearing loss hasn’t kept them from
realising their dream of playing cricket
for Australia.
In fact, proud mum Merrilyn Watkins
attributes their sporting success to it.
“Because of their hearing impairment,
they didn’t sit around watching TV. They
spent a lot of time practising their cricket
instead.” Andrew says the only problem
has been hearing the coach’s instructions.
“They use signing to
communicate with each other
on the field, particularly when
Andrew is bowling and Nick is
keeping wickets,” said Merrilyn.
“That way they don’t give away
any secrets to the batsmen.”
Andrew is captain of the
Australian Deaf Cricket Team.
Both have their coaching
Outstanding sportsmen Nicholas and Andrew Watkins.
certificates and are involved in coaching If it wasn’t for the support of their
clinics for hearing and deaf children. family, friends and many coaches, Nick
They even spent five months in England and Andrew are certain they wouldn’t
last year playing in English clubs. It was be where they are.
so successful they’re returning this year.
“I got a hearing aid
and lost weight!”
When Melbourne grandmother Noela
Pearson, 59, was fitted with hearing aids
at the Australian Hearing Dandenong
Centre, she was amazed with the results.
“Not only could I hear again clearly for
the first time in years but I lost weight
too!” says a delighted Noela.
Noela’s father suffered from industrial
deafness and she clearly remembers
getting frustrated with always having to
repeat herself. Then when she was 23
years old and working as a receptionist,
Noela noticed a ringing in her ears
which was diagnosed as tinnitus.
“Using the phone was a major part of
my job. As my condition worsened I
found that holding a meaningful
conversation was becoming harder and
felt isolated from my surroundings.”
Operations did nothing to improve her
situation. Then when she was told that
even hearing aids couldn’t help, Noela
gave up hope. That was back in 1974.
“About five years ago I decided to try
one last time and talked to my GP. He
suggested I contact Australian Hearing
to see if any modern hearing aids would
help me. I’m glad I did because the
technology had changed so much.”
An audiologist at Australian Hearing
Dandenong worked with Noela to find
the correct solution for her needs.
“The day I received my hearing aids,
the world opened up to me – I could
hear the birds sing and my grandchildren
seemed to have learnt to talk clearly
overnight! I could join in conversations
and enjoy the asides and jokes instead of
feeling disconnected,” said Noela.
“Previously at family lunches or parties I
couldn’t make out what people were
saying and join in the chit-chat so I
simply focused on the food.
“But with my new hearing aids I’m
now very much a part of the friendly
banter and food is secondary. So I’m
eating only a portion of what I used to.
And because these aids don’t whistle
when I’m out walking, I’m exercising
more and am fitter than ever. Who
would have thought it - happiness,
fitness and weight loss, all from a couple
of tiny hearing aids!”
Hear&Now 11

AustralianHearingNews AustralianHearingNews
NewhearingcentresinPerth
We’ve been busy during the second
half of 2003 relocating two of our
existing hearing centres and opening
another two in Perth. This means we
now have permanent offices in the
north-east, north-west, south-east and
south-west suburbs of Perth. These are
conveniently located for our adult
clients in major shopping hubs with easy
access both by car and public transport.
The Australian Hearing city centre in
Perth is still located in the Hartley
Poynton Building, 141 St Georges
Terrace. This is also our specialist
centre, providing a full range of services
to our young and older clients who
need expert care from our specialist
audiologists and technical staff.
Our Morley centre has relocated to an
office on the outside of the Galleria
Shopping Centre which means easy
access for those with mobility problems.
We have a new centre in the Karrinyup
Shopping Centre, which has lots of
Australian Hearing Fremantle.
parking and convenient access for those
with mobility problems.
After many years in the Queensgate
Centre, our Fremantle office has
relocated to the corner of Point and
Cantonment Streets. There are buses and
trains nearby and convenient parking in
the Woolstores Shopping Centre and
Point Street car park.
The suburb of Cannington has a new
hearing centre, opened just before
Christmas and conveniently located in
the Carousel Shopping Centre.
Disabled parking bays just outside make
this an easy to access location.
Australian Hearing staff member
on Deafness Forum Board
Senior audiologist and Marketing
Co-ordinator Lee-Anne Sargeant has
been appointed to the Board of the
Deafness Forum of Australia, the peak
body for deafness in Australia.
Established in 1993 at the instigation of
the Federal government, the Deafness
Forum exists to improve the quality of
life for Australians who are either deaf,
have a hearing impairment or a chronic
disorder of the ear.
Lee-Anne, who lives in Ballarat, Victoria,
was elected as a Director by the Service
Providers Section in October 2003. She
is a clinical audiologist with experience
in the diagnostic, rehabilitative and
community education areas of audiology.
With two deaf sisters, she has a personal
involvement with the many issues that
surround hearing loss. Lee-Anne has a
strong commitment to promoting better
information, access and acceptance of
Lee-Anne Sargeant has been personally touched
by deafness.
hearing loss in the community, having
been involved in raising national
awareness through the annual Hearing
Awareness Week campaigns organised
by Australian Hearing since 1999.
12 AustralianHearing

AustralianHearingNews AustralianHearingNews
HelpingGPstohearbetter
The human body is extremely complex
and general practitioners encounter myriad
health issues every day in their practice.
One health issue that receives little
attention in their training, is hearing
health. It’s not surprising then that one
in eight doctors we surveyed rated their
knowledge of identifying a hearing loss
as less than adequate and one in four
said their understanding of how to
manage hearing loss was poor.
GPs are a vital link in the identification
and referral of hearing loss. Studies show
National newborn hearing screening conference
The second National Newborn Hearing
Screening Conference was held at the
Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick,
on August 2nd and 3rd, 2003.The
keynote speaker was Prof. John Bamford
from the University of Manchester (UK),
who spoke about progress with the
United Kingdom’s Universal Newborn
that most people are likely to talk to their
family doctor first about concerns about
their own or their children’s hearing.
Australian Hearing is targeting GPs in a
number of ways to increase their awareness
of hearing loss, their understanding of its
impact on health and lifestyle and where
to send their patients for help. This
includes providing free information kits
that contain tools to help doctors discuss
hearing issues with their patients.
Reaching GPs during their training is
something the manager of our Newcastle
Hearing Screening program. Participants
heard presentations from speakers from a
wide range of professions, including
audiologists, otologists, early
intervention teachers, paediatricians and
public health experts. One particularly
well-received session was a panel of
parents who discussed their experiences
centre, Maree McTaggart, has managed to
achieve. She has developed a fruitful
working relationship with the large
medical training facility at the University
of Newcastle.
Maree has also presented a half-day
seminar to over 30 GP practice nurses
focusing on ways the nurses can best
handle hearing related issues for over 75
year olds. Maree has been invited to run
another seminar in 2004.
of early diagnosis of hearing loss in
their children. Alison King, Paediatric
Policy & Program Manager for
Australian Hearing, presented a paper
about how Australian Hearing manages
hearing loss in babies, entitled
Amplification for Infants – What are
the issues?
What’s happening
in Australia?
Universal Newborn Hearing Screening began in NSW in
December 2002. The Queensland Government recently
announced it would progressively introduce newborn
screening in 2004 with the aim of having Universal Newborn
Hearing Screening in place across the State by 2005-06.
Western Australia screens about 50% of new babies at present,
and a pilot program has been undertaken in several South
Australian hospitals. Newborn hearing screening is also
available for babies admitted to neonatal intensive care units
in Victoria and Tasmania. A number of hospitals around
the country also run their own newborn hearing
screening programs.
Hear&Now 13

AustralianHearingIndigenousServices
AudiologyOutback
By Chris Burton, Manager, Indigenous Programs and Policies, Australian Hearing.
Australian Hearing has been providing
outreach hearing rehabilitation services
to indigenous people for many years.
Our culturally sensitive approach in
relevant localities actively encourages
indigenous people to use the services.
Over the past year, 350 visits have been
made by Australian Hearing staff to 129
sites across the length and breadth of the
country. Many of the sites are in very
remote locations and without Australian
Hearing visits, the indigenous people
there would have very little opportunity
to access audiological support services.
be both geographically and culturally
challenging. However, the challenge for
indigenous people living in remote
locations to provide and maintain the
infrastructure of roads, clinics, schools
and stores cannot be understated.
Without such infrastructure and the
support of indigenous communities for the
services we provide, difficulties faced by
our audiologists in providing audiological
services in very remote areas would be so
much greater.
Following are just two examples of the
challenges we face.
Shepherd, who recently accompanied
audiologists Matthew Grounds and Chris
Burton to the Ngaanyatjarra Lands to
gain an understanding of the issues
involved in delivering services in such
remote locations.
Glenn Johnson has been visiting remote
indigenous communities (including
Jigalong) for many years and is also
actively involved in Aboriginal Health
Worker training in WA with health
worker, Irene Nannup. He has given us
a snapshot of one of his visits in the
second story.
The work of our audiologists in
providing these outreach services can
A visit to the
Ngaanyatjarra
Lands
With a population of just 2300, people of
the Ngaanyatjarra Lands live in 11 widely
separated and isolated communities,
scattered across 250,000 square kilometres.
The Ngaanyatjarra Lands of WA straddle
the Great Gibson Desert to the north and
west and the Great Victoria Desert to the
south. The traditional owners have
maintained continuous association with
their country, providing and managing
the entire regional infrastructure of roads,
roadhouses, stores, health clinics and
air services.
Today the Ngaanyatjarra Health Service
comprises 11 community health clinics
providing primary healthcare services to
the local population. These clinics are
The first story follows the Chairman of
the Board of Australian Hearing, Michael
Packed, dressed and ready to roll: Michael Shepherd, Chris Burton and Matthew Grounds.
based in all the main communities
A team of audiologists from the
(average population 180 – 220 people), Australian Hearing Alice Springs centre
but outreach services are also provided has been visiting the Ngaanyatjarra
to smaller outstations on a regular basis. Lands regularly since 1993. The
The Health Service employs one medical audiological team and the administrative
director, three part-time medical officers staff back in the Hearing Centre work
and nursing staff. Specialist care is
very closely with both the Health
provided by visiting specialists from
Clinics and the school Principals to
Alice Springs and Perth two to four
co-ordinate the visits. Permits need to
times per year.
be organised, accommodation arranged,
14 AustralianHearing

lists of people to be seen need to be
exchanged so that no-one who needs or
wants to be seen is missed. There are
children and adults to test, hearing aids
to be fitted and followed up on,
soundfield amplification systems in
classrooms to be checked, meetings to be
arranged with community leaders, clinic
staff, medical officers and school staff.
Ngaanyatjarra people are still quite
mobile so tracking people down takes
time. Missing a person may mean
waiting three to four months until the
next visit.
The visit by our audiological team in
November 2003 was fairly typical – a six
day 4WD journey from Alice Springs,
41 hours on the road (across three time
zones) covering some 2000kms on
largely unsealed roads.
First overnight stop is Uluru, where
all provisions required for the trip are
purchased. As the sun rises we cross into
WA and on to the
communities of Wanarn,
Mantamaru (Jameson),
Warburton, Papulankutja
(Blackstone) and Irrunytji
(Wingellina) where over
the next five days clinic
and school-based services are provided.
Mid-week at Warburton there is an
opportunity to address a health
workshop. Health and education
professionals travelled many hours from
all over the Ngaanyatjarra Lands to
attend the workshop. Never have there
been so many white LandCruisers lined
up in one place at the one time!
On the last day, after a morning clinic at
Wingellina, the car is packed for the
long drive back to Alice Springs via the
Pitjitjantjara Lands in SA.
As well as the daily clinical activities,
many domestic decisions need to be
made – who drives, who shops, who
Manager of the Australian Hearing Indigenous Programs, Chris Burton, assists
Alkawari Dawson, an Australian Hearing client from Irrunytju (Wingellina) in
the Ngaanyatjarra Lands in Western Australia.
packs and unpacks the car, who cooks,
washes and dries, who gets to sleep on
the bed, the kitchen floor or the
verandah (not a bad option with daytime
temperature around 40°C). Time also to
get to know fellow house guests, on this
occasion a group of environmental
scientists working with the local people
to restore ancient waterholes.
Back in Alice Springs, there are reports
to be completed and a visit made to
the Ngaanyatjarra Health Service local
office to meet with the various Health
Team Leaders to assess the year’s
program and to begin planning for the
next twelve months.
A visit to Jigalong
By Glenn Johnson, Audiologist, Australian Hearing.
Fly two hours north to Newman, drive
east on the dirt “highway” towards
Marble Bar for an hour, turn right at
the “Jigalong Community” sign then
bounce along for another hour well
into the Western Desert. Pull up at the
clinic, switch off the engine and bathe
in the soft sound of the delicately
whispering she-oaks. Dust off the red
dirt, stretch and wonder how long it
will take for your body to stop rattling
in time with the road.
Expect to arrive with the clinic either
deadly quiet – community business
happening – or, more likely, in complete
mayhem with the arrival of a truckload
of kids from Cotton Creek, five hours
away. Adjust accordingly. Set up quickly
as there are three waiting adults and the
clinic staff say “they won’t hang about.”
Shift portable airport landing lights off
the desk to the reclining dental chair,
then shift again as you realise you’ll
need this chair to seat clients.
Jigalong is located in the Western Desert.
Hear kids raking sticks across the
corrugated iron walls of the clinic then
wait for an effective “get out of it!”
from the health worker. You’re ready.
Tell the waiting room you’re the “Ear
Man” and you’re on your way.
Hear&Now 15

AustralianHearingIndigenousServices
National Hearing Strategy:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Health Worker Training Program.
Since 1997, Australian Hearing has been funded by the Commonwealth Office for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) to provide a Hearing Health Skills
training program for Aboriginal Health Workers. The aim of the program is to develop
skills in early detection and management of ear disease and hearing loss in children. It
also helps develop skills in educating children, parents, teachers and the community on
the importance of good hearing.
Because the incidence of hearing problems caused by middle ear disease is ten times
higher and lasts for longer periods for Aboriginal children compared to the wider
community, untreated ear disease can have a negative impact on a child’s development.
Damage to hearing at a young age can also cause problems later in life. In order to
intervene early, Aboriginal Health Workers working within Aboriginal Community
Controlled Medical Services and trained under the OATSIH funded program have been
setting up high risk infant programs.This involves screening opportunistically at “well
baby” clinics, immunisation, etc, as well as setting up formal screening programs
for pre-schoolers.
Since then she has acted as a course
co-presenter for Australian Hearing.
In recognition of her exceptional skills
in the area of hearing health, Irene was
asked to participate as a member of the
“Advisory Group for the Review of
Hearing Health Service to Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander People”
commissioned by the Commonwealth
Government in 2002.
Australian Hearing would like to
recognise Irene’s skills, her promotion of
the importance of good hearing health,
and thank her for sharing her skills with
fellow health workers in the Hearing
Health field.
Irene Nannup from Derbal Yerrigan in
Perth and Sarah Boyne from Brisbane
are two health workers who have
worked very actively in hearing health
since undertaking their training with
Australian Hearing. Irene continues to
work closely with us and participates as
co-presenter of the Australian Hearing
Hearing Health Skills training program in
WA each year. Sarah maintains close
links with Australian Hearing at a local
and national level. This year, she will
co-present a workshop at the
Audiological Society of Australia’s
national conference on developing and
presenting community education
programs on ear disease.
Australian Hearing would also like to
recognise the contribution of Lois
Atkinson-Farrant (now deceased). Lois,
in her role with OATSIH Victoria, was
a valued colleague, a great support to
our AHSPIA audiologists and a strong
advocate for the importance of good
hearing in Koori children.
Irene Nannup
Irene has been employed as a Health
Worker at the Derbarl Yerrigan
Aboriginal Medical Service in East Perth
for the last 11 years. In 1996, Irene
participated in the OATSIH funded
Hearing Health Skills training course run
by Australian Hearing. She now runs
Derbarl Yerrrigan’s very successful Ear
Health Program. Three years ago, Irene
became the first Health Worker Trainer
in Hearing Health Skills in Australia.
Irene Nannup.
Sarah Boyne
Sarah completed the OATSIH funded
Hearing Health Skills training run by
Australian Hearing in 1999 while she
16 AustralianHearing

Sarah Boyne.
was working at Kambu Medical Centre
in Ipswich (Queensland) as an Indigenous
Health Worker. Her work at Kambu
involved managing the hearing clinic.
Sarah conducted hearing screenings both
on site at Kambu and at local schools
throughout Ipswich. She provided
valuable assistance to Susan Matsen, an
Australian Hearing audiologist who
visited Kambu’s hearing and hearing aid
clinic once a month. She also provided
referrals, assisted in transporting clients
to the clinic and followed up on client
needs such as helping clients manage
their hearing aids.
Sarah left Kambu and joined Queensland
Health in 2000 as an Indigenous Hearing
Health Worker through the Mt Gravatt
Community Health Service District based
at the QEII Hospital Health Service
District. Her primary work has focused
on hearing screening on site and at local
schools. She has also played a major role
in educating the community about
hearing health and otitis media. Sarah
continues to maintain a close relationship
with Australian Hearing audiologists in
the state and also nationally. She also
continues to refer many clients, both
children and adults, to us for testing and
for hearing aid and FM fittings. What’s
more, she has recently developed
educational programs including a CD
ROM, manuals, posters and stickers for
children and adults entitled Binung and
Koura,Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Child/Adult Hearing Health Programs.
Sarah will be displaying and presenting
the programs at the Audiological Society
of Australia Conference in May this year.
Lois Atkinson-Farrant
Lois Atkinson-Farrant worked with the
Commonwealth Public Service for 20
years and served the last 10 years with
the Office for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) as a
Senior Project Officer.
Lois’ association with Australian Hearing
began in 1994 when we sought her advice
about the best way to improve access to
our service for the Koori community in
Victoria. Lois immediately arranged a
program of visits and consultations with
26 Aboriginal organisations around
Victoria, during which she introduced our
audiologists to the communities and
facilitated discussion about the hearing
needs in each community. She was always
willing to share information about
Aboriginal culture with us. She also
introduced us to Aboriginal project
workers in OATSIH Victoria, who
played a valuable role in helping to
maintain relationships in their regions.
Lois was a staunch supporter of the
OATSIH Hearing Health Training
Program as well as our Australian
Hearing Services Program for Indigenous
Australians (AHSPIA) program. She
attended most of our Hearing Health
training courses to welcome and provide
support to the trainees. In fact, she
became so familiar with the training
material that she successfully identified a
perforated eardrum in one of her friends!
She was committed to spreading the
word about hearing in the Koori
community and obtained grants from
OATSIH that enabled us to undertake a
number of activities that enhanced the
success of the hearing health training
program. These included an advanced
hearing workshop for the trained health
workers and a series of workshops for
educators and early childhood workers.
The final project, a poster competition
for Koori children, was held in 2003.
Lois passed away on September 13, 2003
after a year-long battle with cancer. More
than 600 people attended the funeral in
her home town of Deniliquin. As has
already been noted by her OATSIH
colleagues, Lois was a very strong woman
and proud of her Aboriginality and the
life she achieved. All Australian Hearing
audiologists who knew Lois admired and
respected her and would like to
acknowledge the pivotal role she played
in the development of the Australian
Hearing Indigenous Services program.
Hear&Now 17

What sound does it make?
The world is full of many sounds.
Just listen hard and look around…
Some sounds are soft and some
are loud,
Like a squeaking mouse or a
cheering crowd.
Low pitched sounds go boom,
boom, boom,
Like drums that bang and cars
that vroom.
And high-pitched sounds go tweet
or ping,
Like whistles, bells or birds that sing.
But some things make no sound
you know,
Not loud, not soft, not high, not low.
A flower is quiet. So is a hat.
They make no sound and that
is that!
Look in the picture (right).
Can you find...
• something that makes a loud sound?
• something that makes a soft sound?
• something that makes no sound?
• a low pitched sound?
• a high pitched sound?
Colour in the picture.
18 AustralianHearing

Apuzzlingpuzzle
A U S T R A L I A N H
U S E R E C S C E A L
D A I U A O C R E A I
I R R S F U I L T I V
T S E T R S T I A C N
O N T A R T G G R P A
R R T U A I A A B I T
Y E A R D C G B I N E
A W B I I Y E O L N C
S O D U O L D S A A H
J P A E L H C O C L B
Find the Mystery Words:
All the words listed below are hidden in the puzzle. They
may be written backwards, forwards, upwards, diagonally or
downwards. As you find each word, circle each letter in the
word. When you have found all the words, the leftover
letters spell the mystery words.
Solution: 11 letters (7,4).
Accurate
Acoustic
Act
Anvil
Auditory
Australian
Batteries
Bell
Calibrate
Case
Clap
Cochlea
Digital
Ear
Gain
Goal
Job
Lab
Loud
Pinna
Power
Radio
Rattle
Say
Set
Siren
Soft
Study
Tab
Tech
Trust
Try
Use
See page 22 for answers.
Makinghearingaidsfun
By Julie Stumer, Australian Hearing District Manager, Hervey Bay.
We all know that sometimes children
need a little bit of extra encouragement
to wear their hearing aids. Luckily, there
are many colour options for behind-theear
hearing aids and earmoulds that
allow children to choose their favourites,
making them a bit more fun to wear.
Bernafon hearing aids have cases in red
and purple. Siemens hearing aids come
in red, yellow, blue, green and clear (so
you can see the insides!). Most earmoulds
can also be made in a variety of colours,
from “cool blue” to fluoro pink – your
audiologist can show you a colour chart
when you next have impressions taken.
You can either match the colour of the
hearing aid or choose a contrasting
colour – some children choose their
favourite colours while others even
co-ordinate with their school uniform!
Children can also decorate their aids with
small stickers, like Santas around Christmas
or eggs at Easter time! Alcohol wipes will
easily remove any stickiness left over once
stickers are removed.
The cochlear implant ESPrit 3G speech
processor comes in a range of base
colours (black, brown, silver and beige).
Each processor also comes with a range
of colourful battery covers.
Bone conduction hearing aids are fitted when someone cannot wear
something in their ear, for example, someone with no ear canals or
chronic discharging ears. The arrangement involves a small vibrator
which has to be pressed against the bone behind the ear, usually by a
tight headband. This vibrator, or bone conductor, is then attached to
a hearing aid. Bone conductor hearing aids can sometimes be
difficult to keep on small heads but here are some fun solutions that
families and audiologists have come up with…
Bone conductor in a colourful
headband.
Jerusha Foley looks smart in her
“hearing cap”.
Hear&Now 19

Tips&snippets
Deaflympics2005
Onlyoneyeartogoandcounting
By Emma Stonham, Marketing Project Officer, Melbourne 2005 Deaflympic Games.
Calls for more
Deaflympians
Deaf Sports Australia (DSA) is the
co-ordinating body assisting with
Deaflympians Cindy-Lu Fitzpatrick, Joanne Lambert and Sam Quinn proudly model the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals.
Monday January 5, 2004 was another of the Melbourne 2005 Deaflympic
milestone on the Australian Sporting Games, Mr Bill Scales,Vice-President of
Calendar – it marked exactly one year the International Olympic Committee,
until another world-class sporting event Mr Kevan Gosper, and President of Deaf
is held on our shores - the Melbourne Sports Australia, Rebecca Adam.
2005 Deaflympic Games.
To add further excitement to the day
This international event was celebrated Deaflympian, Cindy-Lu Fitzpatrick and
at the Crown Promenade Hotel in
the Premier of Victoria, Mr Steve Bracks
Melbourne. Arriving guests were
were announced as the first patrons of
directed into the main celebration by the Games.
Games Mascots “Vic & Mel” through Commencing January 5 and concluding
a cavalcade of 85 flags representing
on January 16, 2005, the Games are
the participating countries.
expected to attract 3500 athletes from
A video with footage of past Deaflympic 85 countries around the globe. It is also
Games and landmarks of the host cities, anticipated that upwards of 15,000
Melbourne and Ballarat, gave the 350 international and interstate visitors will
guests a taste of what’s to come in 2005. converge on Melbourne for the Games.
Presentations were made by several
For further information about the
dignitaries during the official games
Melbourne 2005 Deaflympic Games,
proceedings. These included Chairman visit www.deaflympics.com
identifying and preparing athletes for
the 2005 Australian Deaflympic Team.
The team will consist of approximately
170 athletes and about 50 coaches
and support staff such as medical
personnel, interpreters and assistants.
DSA is still in search of participants
that have the potential to represent
Australia. If you or someone you
know is deaf or wears a hearing aid
and is good at sport, encourage them
to register their interest quickly.
For further information
please contact:
Brett Hidson
Aust. Deaflympic Team Coordinator
Deaf Sports Australia
Telephone 0412 887 791 or
03 9473 1154 or email:
brett.hidson@deafsports.org.au
20 AustralianHearing

Tips&snippets
Network Ten commits to more captioning
for the deaf and hearing impaired.
On October 28, 2003, Network Ten
signed an exclusive contract with the
Australian Caption Centre to provide
quality captioning services for the next
five years.
Network Ten’s commitments are:
• All prime time programs (6.00pm –
10.30pm) and all news and current
affairs programs must be captioned.
• By December 2005, no less than
55% of all programming broadcast
between 6.00am and midnight must
be captioned.
• By December 2007, no less than
70% of all programming broadcast
between 6.00am and midnight must
be captioned.
This means that over the next five years
the amount of captioned programming
broadcast on Network Ten will increase
by almost 30%. Captions enable deaf
and hearing impaired people to watch
television, videos, DVDs and cinema
screenings by showing the entire
soundtrack of a program as text at the
bottom of the screen.
For more information please contact:
Karen Williams, Marketing Manager,
Australian Caption Centre.
Email: karen.williams@auscap.com.au
Tel: 02 9212 5277
TTY: 1800 777 801
Website: www.auscap.com.au
Disclosinga disability
Choosing Your Path. Disclosure: It’s a
Personal Decision is a new web-based
resource for students and employees with
disabilities as well as employers, educators
and support services. The resource has
been developed by the National Network
of Regional Disability Liaison Officers &
Disability Coordination Officers and
provides information about the:
• Options a person has when deciding
to disclose their disability.
• Benefits and disadvantages of disclosing.
• Key considerations to achieving
effective disclosure.
• Rights, roles and responsibilities of
employers, educators and support
services when a person discloses a
disability in post secondary education
and employment.
For details, visit the website
www.uws.edu.au/rdlo/disclosure
TheXIVthAustralian
deafgames
By Dr. Jacinta Baldwin, Executive Officer, Deaf Sports Australia.
The XIV Australian Deaf Games, the “Games with a Difference”, were held in
Sydney last year from April 11 – 20.
“It is safe to say that Sydney hosted the best Australian Deaf Games ever,” recalls
Rebecca Adam, President of Deaf Sports Australia.
More than 900 registrants participated in events across 15 sports and the event was
supported by more than 100 volunteers.
The organisation was of a very high standard and the Opening and Closing
Ceremonies were a smashing success.
We would like to congratulate Aleshia Yet Foy for winning the Sportsperson of the
Games Award. NSW was the overall winner, taking home the coveted ADSF Cup.
A big congratulations also to the Games Organising Committee for its total
determination and commitment to making the Games the best ever.
We look forward to more triumphs at the Melbourne 2005 Deaflympic Games. Visit
www.deafsports.org.au for further information about Deaf Sports Australia.
Hear&Now 21

Tips&snippets
Croc Fest 2004
Croc Fest is a remote area
alternative to the city based rock
eisteddfods and an opportunity for
both indigenous and non
indigenous kids to come together
to celebrate indigenous culture.
From small beginnings in 1998 at
Weipa in far north Queensland,
Croc Fest has grown to incorporate
seven festivals nationally. Last year
12,200 children from 277 primary
and secondary schools participated.
Two days of the four day event
(which takes place in term 3),
are devoted to activity sessions
including topics related to health,
sports, visual arts, vocational
education, science and culture.
By being involved this year,
Australian Hearing hopes to raise
awareness of hearing and hearing
related issues in Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander communities,
particularly the impact otitis media
(middle ear infection) has on the
indigenous population.
Croc Fest will be held in at least
six locations in 2004:
WA Derby and Kalgoorlie
SA Port Augusta
NSW Moree
VIC Swan Hill
QLD Weipa
NT Katherine
www.crocfestivals.org.au
Wanting
to make contact
• Simon is a 15 year old who is interested in pursuing a career in medicine. Simon
would like to talk to someone who is also hearing impaired and who works in the
area of medicine or science.
• Gabriele is 25 years old and keen to find others like her who wear hearing aids and
“understand how frustrating it can be when they don’t fit, break, etc.”
If you would like to make contact with either Simon or Gabriele, contact the
Hear & Now editor and we’ll put you in touch with them.
Puzzling
PuzzleAnswers
A U S T R A L I A N H
U S E R E C S C E A L
D A I U A O C R E A I
I R R S F U I L T I V
T S E T R S T I A C N
O N T A R T G G R P A
R R T U A I A A B I T
Y E A R D C G B I N E
A W B I I Y E O L N C
S O D U O L D S A A H
J P A E L H C O C L B
Mystery words: HEARING AIDS
22 AustralianHearing

Tips&snippets
Apeekatthepast
“Such graceful form,
not detracting from efficiency,
these artful forms hid
one’s deficiency.”
At the turn of the 19th century, a new
trend emerged in the design of
mechanical hearing devices. Clumsy and
bulky devices such as ear trumpets and
long speaking tubes evolved into devices
that could be incorporated into everyday
items or worn on the person.
This move toward concealment may have
encouraged more users to wear hearing
devices since they were cosmetically or
socially acceptable for public use. It was
literally a work of art to combine the
elements of disguise and functionality in
a form that was aesthetically appealing
and yet useful for those with mild to
moderate hearing loss.
For a fascinating glimpse into “discreet”
hearing solutions from the past, visit
http://becker.wustl.edu/ARB/
Exhibits/cid/ for a virtual museum
called Deafness in Disguise: Concealed
Hearing Devices of the 19th and 20th
Centuries. These four online exhibits
have been prepared by the Central
Institute for the Deaf and the Bernard
Becker Medical Library of Washington
University Medical Centre. Pictured are
a few gems from this site.
Courtesy of Central Institute for the Deaf, St. Louis
Courtesy of Central
Institute for the Deaf,
St. Louis
Courtesy of Central Institute for the Deaf, St. Louis
Floral Aurolese Phone
This phone was made by
F.C. Rein around 1802.
Despite its fragile
appearance, it provided
an acoustic benefit up to
10 dB over a limited
frequency range and was
appropriate for a person
with a mild hearing loss.
Aurolese Phones
This F.C. Rein catalogue
illustration shows a
variety of Aurolese
Phones and the various
ways in which they could
be disguised or made
“invisible.”
Amplivox “Purse”
One ingenious example
of a carbon hearing aid
designed for camouflage
was the purse model
created by Amplivox
around 1935. A battery
pack and microphone
were contained within the
purse. The earpiece was
held to the user’s ear
while the purse containing
the microphone faced
the talker.
Hear&Now 23

Hearingstartsfrom
thebeginning
Victorian Poster Project on Ear Health and Hearing
Over the past five years, a grant from the
Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Health (OATSIH) has enabled
Australian Hearing in Victoria to run
training workshops with Koori Educators
to increase awareness of the difficulties
caused by hearing loss. The workshops
were designed to complement our
Hearing Health Skills training program for
Aboriginal Health Workers by improving
referrals of children who might have a
conductive hearing loss. They also
provided the Koori Educators with
information to help them work with
hearing impaired students.
Following feedback from health workers
and educators, Australian Hearing and
OATSIH started work on a collaborative
project to develop resources to promote
ear health in Victorian Aboriginal
communities. The project was called
Hearing Starts from the Beginning and it
aimed to develop resources that
promoted good ear health and the
importance of hearing from birth
to old age. The first step was to
develop a poster that had a
Victorian flavour – and what
better way to do this than to
seek ideas from Koori children!
We decided to run a poster
competition and to introduce it
by talking to schools and
homework groups about the
effects of hearing loss,
prevention and management
of ear and hearing problems,
and where to go for help
with hearing problems. In this way we
hoped to find a poster design and spread
the word about hearing at the same time.
A group of Australian Hearing
audiologists who work with Aboriginal
communities across Victoria visited a
small number of schools. They gave a
presentation on ear health and hearing
to Aboriginal students and discussed the
project Hearing Starts from the Beginning.
It was then over to the students to
design the artwork and slogans that
could be used in developing the final
resources. The winners were announced
in June 2003. Jaryd Day of Echuca
Primary School received a prize for
We think the finished poster looks terrific.
his colourful artwork and text.
His school was given a book voucher for
supporting the project. Crystal Brown
of Robinvale Secondary College was
also awarded a prize for coming up with
a great slogan, “Hearing is important…
like I said before”.
The posters and postcards have been
distributed by Australian Hearing to
Aboriginal health centres across Victoria.
The posters will help local health
workers educate their communities on
ear and hearing health and show where
and how to get help from their local
health worker.
Poster competition winner Jaryd Day (centre) with
Echuca Health Worker, Jackie Giles (left) and
Manager of Australian Hearing Moonee Ponds,
Paul Hickey (right).
Australian Hearing Head Office
126 Greville St
Chatswood NSW 2067
131 797