Programs & Services

Audiology

In 1994, O.K. began to lose his hearing at the age of 45. By August 1995, he had sustained a complete hearing loss. No one has been able to ascertain the cause of this rapid loss of hearing. Due to his deafness, O.K. had to abandon his thriving medical practice. He came to the League for speechreading instruction and counseling. At the same time, he volunteered to help in any way he could.

In 1998, O.K. received a cochlear implant, a device which restores the sensation of hearing in profoundly deaf individuals. Shortly after surgery, he was able to understand conversations with minimal repetition or lipreading. O.K. continues to be a valued volunteer and was recently elected a member of the Board of Directors. “It is my pleasure to return, in some measure, what has been given to me,” he says.

31 million Americans have a significant hearing loss. That’s about 10% of our population. 30-40% of people over 65 have some type of hearing loss, and 14% of those ages 45-64. Approximately 3 million children in the U.S. have a hearing loss, and 1.3 million of them are under the age of three. Hearing aids can offer dramatic improvement for around 95% of hearing losses.

The effects of hearing loss are complex. Hearing impairment often causes or is clustered with medical, financial, physical and emotional complications, like anxiety and a sense of isolation. A communicative challenge such as hearing loss not only affects the person who is deaf or hard of hearing, but also all those with whom s/he interacts. Thus, the League is also a source of help for parents, siblings, friends, teachers, employers and employees of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Run by licensed and certified audiologists, the League’s Audiology Department offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach through its specialized clinical and support services for infants, children and adults, including:

Hearing testing and regularly scheduled free hearing screenings
Hearing aid evaluation, dispensing, maintenance and repair - we dispense over 1,500 hearing aids yearly, including the latest in programmable and digital technology. There are approximately 30 visits a day to the Hearing Aid and Assistive Devices Dispensary by people requiring earmold fittings, hearing aid repairs, loaner aids, or for consultations, demonstrations, or purchase of devices.
Assistive devices dispensing and training - while hearing aids are extremely useful, sometimes the hearing aid alone will not provide sufficient help. To help with more challenging listening situations, the League provides auxiliary or assistive devices and the specialized orientation or training required to use them effectively. These include alerting devices which react to alarm situations, and assistive listening devices which facilitate communication.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) – helps those who suffer from persistent noise or ringing in the ear or head, through highly effective (80% success rate) twin components of directive counseling and sound therapy.
Cochlear Implant Support Group – provides specialized information and support for successful adaptation to cochlear implants, which is a surgical breakthrough that restores hearing sensation to people who are profoundly deaf and cannot benefit adequately from amplification. Individuals who receive their cochlear implant from many different cochlear implant centers attend the group.
NF2 Support Group – specialized information, speakers, and support for people diagnosed with NF2 (Neurofibromatosis 2) and their families, who are coping with the effects of this genetic disorder which causes hearing loss among other medical problems.
Mobile Hearing Test Units – the League’s two Mobile Units are each equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and contain a sound-isolated audiometric testing room, counseling area, waiting room, and are wheelchair accessible. Staffed by League audiologists, up to 100 individuals a day can be screened for hearing loss. To date, over 250,000 infants, children, and adults have been tested through the League’s Mobile Unit outreach, which brings needed hearing healthcare to workplaces, public spaces, and underserved neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs and the surrounding metropolitan area. Current specialized outreach programs include:

*Project P.A.T.H. (Preschool Access to Hearing), providing hearing screening, referrals, and bi-lingual support materials to thousands of New York City pre-schoolers and their families, through a network of nursery schools.

*Senior Hearing Program (funded by the NYC Department for the Aging), provides hearing screening, evaluation, hearing health care workshops and referral through visits to city funded senior centers throughout the five boroughs.

*Corporate/Private Sponsorships – through targeted underwriting and sponsorships, corporations fund the Mobile Units to travel to various neighborhoods for free public screenings, health fair participation, or to designated workplaces for employee hearing testing.

Free onsite hearing screenings held at the League every Tuesday from 12-2pm and every Thursday from 4-6pm by appointment only.