A feeling of sadness, of being left out unknown to others.

 It’s a language all of it’s own unique in it’s garbled sound.

 Hearing is like a distorted radio or tape playing backwards in a cassette recorder.

 It’s a hurt feeling when everyone laughed at the joke except you.

 Deafness is weeping, crying in frustration to understand a voice;

 And straining to see the lips move – the interpreter to ears.

 Deafness is exhaustion from intense listening. It’s a battle from beginning to end.

 A struggle that is not noticed – because there is nothing to see.

Thanks Belinda, these word sound all too true for one who is still struggling to understand what others are saying, this despite being fitted with an Cochlea Implant and using a H/A. The battle continues until a semblance of normality can be achieved! Do look up the Hear2day website offering some social support for peoples living with hearing loss.@ www.hear2day.co.za

This is what BBC said:

“People who are deaf or hard of hearing have long complained that going to watch a film can be an unsatisfactory experience, with subtitled films on at unsociable times and often suffering from technical problems. But a solution could soon available in the form of special glasses which allow the wearer to see subtitles directly in front of their eyes, giving them the freedom of choice afforded to hearing people.”

Check out the link and watch the video.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14654339

One of the questions that keeps coming up among the Hear2day community is around the issue of subtitling on DVD’s in South Africa. Why do some DVD’s have subtitles and others don’t? Why can’t all DVD’s have subtitles? It would seem that subtitles are available on nearly all DVD’s that are manufactured intentionally, but when it comes to locally supplied DVD’s, it’s a different story. Hear2day has tried to make it easier for people who rent movies from Mr VIDEO by running a campaign where every DVD with subtitles has a sticker easily identifying that subtitles are available. This is a start, but the real issue needs to be addressed at on a supply level.

We wrote to NuMetro and asked them why not all DVD’s which they release here in SA have subtitles available. This is there response:

Nu Metro Home Entertainment represents five international studios (Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount / Dreamworks, Universal, BBC) plus a large slate of independently produced content (both local and international content) which they release each month.  Almost all content from the international studios is subtitled for DVD release.

Product from the Independent slate is handled differently.  When bringing in the material for subtitling, we have encountered problems due to the conversion process required from NTSC to Pal and the time frame that we have to complete this in.  Due to piracy issues, we cannot delay a release for 3 or 4 weeks in order to get this conversion done. All DVDs (both rental and retail) specify on the sleeve whether the DVD is in fact subtitled and for which languages.  This is checked locally and every effort is made to ensure that the information on the sleeve is 100% correct. Nu Metro Home Entertainment would never choose to remove or not include subtitles on any DVDs since extra features are a strong selling tool.

Nu Metro Home Entertainment represents five international studios (Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount / Dreamworks, Universal, BBC) plus a large slate of independently produced content (both local and international content) which they release each month.  Almost all content from the international studios is subtitled for DVD release. Product from the Independent slate is handled differently.  When bringing in the material for subtitling, we have encountered problems due to the conversion process required from NTSC to Pal and the time frame that we have to complete this in.  Due to piracy issues, we cannot delay a release for 3 or 4 weeks in order to get this conversion done. All DVDs (both rental and retail) specify on the sleeve whether the DVD is in fact subtitled and for which languages.  This is checked locally and every effort is made to ensure that the information on the sleeve is 100% correct.

Nu Metro Home Entertainment would never choose to remove or not include subtitles on any DVDs since extra features are a strong selling tool.

We will continue to pursue this issue and try and gain a better understanding, but for now we need to continue with our investigation. We don’t think that enough emphasis is being placed on the importance of subtitles, not only for the deaf community, but also the vast community that doesn’t have English as their first language. Onwards and upwards.

Dr. Robert Sweetow, a world renowned specialist in the area of ear, nose, throat, neck and head disorders, will be visiting South Africa in the month of October 2010. This branch of medicine is called Otolaryngology and Dr. Sweetow has a special interest in tinnitus which is the persistent or continual ringing sound experienced in the ear.

• Is Tinnitus disrupting your daily routine?
• Would you like to understand more about the condition?

You are welcome to attend this support work-shop. Dr. Sweetow will lead the support session. He will address your questions and reflect on therapeutic options for managing this symptomatic disorder.

Please confirm your attendance, by responding in any one of the following ways before 15 October 2010.

Email: tinnitus@widex.co.za
Fax: 086 682 9121
Share call: 0860 326 061

Date: 21st October 2010
Time: 11:00 – 1200
Venue: LT1, E Floor, Groote Schuur Hospital

Anti Vuvuzela campaigners are urging football clubs in Britain to keep the controversial horn out of their stadiums.

To some, they were the definitive sound of the World Cup, a celebration of African culture and must-have momento of this summer’s football festival; to others, they were just an irritating din. But now campaigners for hard-of-hearing people are urging football clubs in Britain to keep their stadiums free of the drone of the dreaded vuvuzelas when the new season kicks off next month.

They are warning that the blaring, horn-like sound from the instruments is so loud that fans of the nation’s favourite sport could suffer permanent hearing loss if fellow spectators at a match try to recreate the atmosphere from South Africa.

Read the full article here.

Pictured here are Christene Rogers, audiologist from UCT,  Andrea Lewis, our Executive Secretary and Betty Glaser.

Tinnitus is a condition that can impact on one’s life and is not easy for non-sufferers to comprehend.  It also can be something that can be very difficult to live with depending on the degree of severity.  Family members may not be able to understand and it could cause strain on a relationship.

If you live on your own, it can be a frightening experience and Betty felt that a support group could be of great assistance to anyone affected.  This would be the first such group in South Africa as far as was known, so if there are any Tinnitus sufferers out there who are interested in joining a group, please let us know.

View Betty’s Presentation on Tinnitus

“These findings may provide the first step toward regenerating spiral ganglion neurons, the nerve cells that send sound representations to the brain,” said Alain Dabdoub, PhD, co-author of the study and Assistant Professor of Surgery with the Division of Otolaryngology at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. “This has significant implications for advances in cochlear implant technology and biological treatments for hearing loss.” Inside the cochlea, hair cells convert sound vibrations into electrical signals that are then sent on to the spiral ganglion cells. If these cells are lost or damaged, hearing loss occurs. Existing therapies for hearing loss are based either on increasing hair cell stimulation with hearing aids or introducing an electronic substitute for the hair cells with cochlear implants. In either case, the presence of working spiral ganglion neurons is required for a successful outcome.

Prior research shows that as few as 10 percent of the typical number of spiral ganglion neurons is sufficient for the success of cochlear implants. Finding out that Sox2 is involved in generating new working cells opens up the possibility of treating hearing loss with therapy that stimulates Sox2 into action. Sox2 is part of the SoxB1 family of proteins, which plays a significant role in neural development in the spinal cord and elsewhere. The study demonstrates a new role for Sox2 in ear development, showing that the protein is critical for the production of auditory neurons and that generating new neurons is possible.
The study was published in the 13th January issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.