Common Causes of Deafness and How You May Be Able to Prevent It

Some common causes of deafness are:-

• Hereditary Disorders: Hereditary deafness happens when the parents pass the defect on to their children. It means that people are born deaf and this is generally caused by the malformations of the inner ear.

• Genetic Disorder: Genetic deafness occurs when the baby is in the mother’s womb.

• Noise: Loud noise like gunshots, firecrackers, explosions and rock concerts tends to damage the ear mechanisms. A single exposure to loud noise does not damage the eardrum. Repeated exposure to sound over a long period of time will affect the ear with moderate to severe hearing loss.

For further information please go to our Digital Hearing Devices site read more

Products for the Deaf

Welcome to ProductsForTheDeaf.com. We offer an extensive line of products for the hearing impaired. If you have been looking for assistive devices for the deaf, you're in the right place. Our equipment for deaf people includes a variety of bed vibrators and clocks such as the Sonic Bomb vibrating alarm clock, plus amplified telephones (including cordless amplified phones and other products from Ameriphone) and assistive listening systems. You'll find the right VCO phone and closed caption decoder here, as well as wireless baby monitors and so much more! When it comes to hearing impaired products, we are your experts. From a vibrating watch and telephones for hearing impaired to The Ultimate American Sign Language Dictionary for learning sign language, we've got you covered. Take a look at our hearing impaired devices and click on any picture to find more information. Thank you for your visit to our website today, and we look forward to serving you read more

DeCA honors employees for work in equal opportunity

Though born deaf, Green never allowed his disability to hinder his performance as a grocery department storeworker at McGuire Commissary in his nearly two years of service. "Through years of perseverance, self discipline and hard work, Anthony has overcome a multitude of communication barriers," said Store Director John Zoubra. "He enhances store productivity and furthers our safety goals. His positive attitude, personal drive, and passion for excellence continue to inspire the commissary team and patrons." read more

Signs and Wonders

In Al-Sayyid, at least 150 residents are deaf, a rate 50 times greater than that of Israel's general population. As it happens, a recessive gene for profound deafness--traced back to sons of the "founding" couple--has made its way, through large families and genetic probabilities, into an ever-widening gene pool. Thus over three generations an extraordinarily high number of deaf children have been born to Al-Sayyid's villagers.

Of necessity, a special means of communication has sprung up: Nearly all the village's residents, hearing and deaf alike, are fluent in a sign language unique to Al-Sayyid. Margalit Fox's "Talking Hands," in part, describes this language and chronicles the work of a group of linguists who were allowed by townspeople to study it.

Though rare, such "signing villages" are not unheard of. Certain conditions are conducive to their forming. "First," Ms. Fox writes, "you need a gene for a form of inherited deafness. Second, you need huge families to pass the gene along." The practice of polygamy, together with the habit of marriage among cousins, speeds the rate of genetic spread. Al-Sayyid has met all these conditions. read more

New: STC boy making transition to mainstream school

ST. CHARLES – Stephen Para can do something that many children would like to do.

He can turn off his parents’ voices – by taking out his cochlear implant. Stephen, who is deaf, won’t be taking it off today, though, as he starts his first day in second grade at Ferson Creek Elementary in St. Charles.

According to the National Association of the Deaf, about 10,000 children or youths have received a cochlear implant. The device consists of microphones and radio signals that are transmitted through a lead directly into a chip and then through to the brain. The cochlear implant allows the individual to hear a range of sound volumes and frequencies.

Implants are controversial in the deaf community, however, because an implant restores a certain degree of hearing to those with it and eliminates the need for sign language and lip reading, two mainstays of deaf culture. read more

Disabled artists enter mainstream

One of Creative Growth's biggest successes was the late sculptor Judith Scott.

Scott -- who had Down syndrome and was deaf and mute -- had been institutionalized until she came to the center at age 40. Having no communication skills, her only interface with the outside world was through sculptures.

"Judith Scott prominently displayed alongside (Mark) Rothko and Ann Hamilton is a sign of change," she said. "Before the last few years, these artists would be shown together. Only recently do we see disabled and non-disabled artists showing in the same shows." read more

College for Deaf are promoted

DONCASTER College Deaf have been promoted to the Premier Division of the Doncaster Senior League.

The programme kicks off this Saturday with only three Premier Division matches but there is a full Division One programme. read more