Are we in for a double-dip recession in the hearing-aid business? According to the most recent analysis of U.S. hearing aid sales by the Hearing Industries Association (HIA), the number of hearing aids sold in the U.S. only grew by 2.9 percent in the second quarter of 2010. When you exclude an 11.6 percent increase in units bought by the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA), which … [Read more...] about U.S. Hearing Aid Sales Recovery Stalls In Second Quarter Of 2010 Even As Veterans Administration Fits More Hearing Aids Than Ever
GN ReSound Alera Arrives With Wireless Features Setting The Bar Higher For Premium Hearing Aids
The wireless features in the new GN ReSound Alera family of hearing aids, which start shipping this week, are very similar to those found in several other high-end hearing aids already announced by other manufacturers. But, taken together, they help set the bar higher for premium hearing aids and assistive listening devices in general. The only question is how much better the … [Read more...] about GN ReSound Alera Arrives With Wireless Features Setting The Bar Higher For Premium Hearing Aids
Big Movie Theater Chains See Writing On Wall And Start To Provide More Closed Captions
On the same day that the U.S. Justice Department was asking for comments on a proposed rule requiring movie theaters to provide closed captions for hard-of-hearing customers along with audio descriptions for blind theatergoers, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley was finalizing an agreement with three of the biggest movie theater chains to dramatically increase … [Read more...] about Big Movie Theater Chains See Writing On Wall And Start To Provide More Closed Captions
Does Amplifon’s Revenue Increase Mean The Global Hearing-Aid Industry Is Ready To Rebound From Recession?
When Amplifon S.p.A., the leading global hearing-aid distribution company, yesterday announced that its revenues in the first half of 2010 increased 8.9 percent to 314.4 million Euros, it may have sounded the opening bell on a rebound for the hearing industry generally. Amplifon, based in Italy, is the leading distributor of hearing aids in Europe, through its … [Read more...] about Does Amplifon’s Revenue Increase Mean The Global Hearing-Aid Industry Is Ready To Rebound From Recession?
After A Five-Year Wait, CapTel Real-Time Captioned Telephone Service Is Finally Available In Massachusetts
Nearly five years ago, I wrote, "I'm still a CapTel wannabee." That was when the 32 states in the U.S. that had already approved the captioned telephone service did not yet include my home state of Massachusetts. Today I'm happy to say the wait is over. Starting on August 1, Hamilton Telecommunications will start providing its Hamilton CapTel service to residents of … [Read more...] about After A Five-Year Wait, CapTel Real-Time Captioned Telephone Service Is Finally Available In Massachusetts