News and updates about Sorenson VRS products and features and the Deaf community
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Hearing loss news and trends for hearing health professionals
News and updates about living well with hearing loss and getting the most out of CaptionCall and CaptionCall Mobile
News and resources for VA audiologists and Veteran service providers
Raise your hand if you know someone (besides yourself) with hearing loss. 🙋 Now raise your hand if you know someone with hearing loss who stubbornly refuses to get help for it. 🙋 We all do. Roughly 15% of American adults have hearing loss and many don’t even realize how much they’re missing until they get treatment and see the difference.
On average, it takes about seven years from when someone notices they’re losing their hearing to do something about it. That’s a long time to struggle, and the frustration of being unable to communicate with people because of hearing loss often leads to social isolation, especially among older folks. We talk about how common this is — and the serious health risks it poses — in our blog: Social Isolation Among Seniors with Hearing Loss
The good news is you’re a trustworthy source of support for your hard-of-hearing loved ones because you understand what they’re going through: worries about the stigma of hearing loss, anxiety about going to a hearing health provider, and concerns about the cost of treatment.
A lot of people worry what others will think about their hearing loss, and they may be surprised how many are going through the same thing. The World Health Organization reports 1 out of every 5 people around the world have hearing loss, and numbers are going up, especially among younger people.
Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance may make hearing health treatment more affordable, from office visits to hearing aids (depending on your plan and where you live). Even if your insurance won’t cover those costs, there are programs and organizations across the country that can help people in need get discounts or financial aid for hearing aids. You can find more information here.
As you know, call captioning can make a big difference for people with hearing loss who can’t hear their phone calls. And because it doesn’t cost them anything and doesn’t require going to a doctor, CaptionCall can be the easiest step for people who are hesitant to seek help. If your friends or family need captioned phone calls because of their hearing loss, tell them about CaptionCall landline service and CaptionCall Mobile.
Sorenson VRS is only available if you are eligible for VRS and have registered in the FCC’s User Registration Database. The cost of VRS is paid by a federally administered fund. Accordingly, use of Sorenson VRS calling for video conferencing is subject to compliance with FCC regulations and Sorenson’s VRS EULA. Under federal law, you may use VRS only if you have a speech or hearing disability and need VRS in order to communicate. Also, call participants must be in a different location than the other individuals on the call. VRS cannot be used for webinars or with a privacy screen because the interpreter must be able to see the Deaf participant at all times.
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