Traveling to friendly sites for the hearing impaired!

I recently made a short trip to Kentucky with some friends.  We visited three popular tourist destinations; Mammoth Cave National Park, Churchill Downs, and The Louisville Slugger Museum.  I decided I would check out what the venues offered for assistance/accessibility for the hearing impaired. I did some research on-line about the attractions, determined their operating […]

Can You Hear Me Now?

There are over 36 million Americans with significant hearing loss and the numbers are projected to continue to grow.  One of the significant signs of hearing loss is difficulty communicating on the phone.   Popular slogans for phone companies have leveraged this fact.  It could be the cell phone, a landline phone, or both.  Some individuals […]

Farm Life ….Peaceful, but not so Quiet

Today we celebrate the agriculture community where so many Hoosiers, and even Midwesterners, have their roots.  Here in Hancock County, it is 4-H week.  Many who live in metropolitan areas today remember farming activities as a part of their formative years, if not directly, often indirectly.  Visitors to our state drive by corn fields, soybean […]

The Month of May Brings Noise to Speedway

This past Saturday, I attended Qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  I had the opportunity to “take-in” the event with a  young man who was a first time attendee.  It is always a great treat to experience the excitement of a first time attendee.  We first noticed the “roar” when we were on 10th Street and […]

Dance Floor Noise Dose

During the recent basketball tournament in Indianapolis, a party was held for fans in the Grand Hall at historic Union Station. Like most parties, there was a band on a stage playing popular tunes in front of a dance floor.  I used a personal noise dosimeter (ER-200) to estimate my noise dose. The photo and […]

Turkey Time is Family Time

Many of us will be gathering this week with extended family members and friends.  It is a great time of year and a wonderful time to reflect on the many blessings we have, even the opportunity to re-connect with our loved ones.  I am always surprised by how much change occurs in our younger family […]

Another Chronic Disease & Hearing Loss

What disease afflicts nearly 26 million in the US?  It increases your risk for stroke by two to four times.  It is the leading cause of new cases of blindness?  It is the leading cause of kidney failure?  It attributes to more than 60% of non-traumatic lower limb amputations?  If you haven’t already guessed, the […]

New World Record For Noise!

Recently two NFC divisional rivals squared off on Sunday Night Football in the rain.  According to reports, a new world record was established when the visiting quarterback was sacked.  The great defensive play was cheered by the home town fans at a level of 131.9 deciBels! I have enjoyed some exciting games where the crowd […]

Will Your Smoke Alarm Wake You Up?

This weekend, we had the privilege of partnering with the Sugar Creek Fire Department in New Palestine for their annual safety fair.  The event sparked my interest in Fire Safety for the hearing impaired and after reviewing research I discovered traditional smoke alarms like the one in my home are not very effective at waking […]

A Healthy Start Is The Best Start

For older folks, the Labor Day Holiday signals the start of the school season based on our childhood school calendars, but today’s kids are already in the routines of bed, bath, and bus stop calendars for the current academic year. Moms, nutritionists, and teachers advocate for a healthy breakfast to start the day.  Obstetricians advocate […]