March 2022 Newsletter
What We Can Do in Uncertain Times
With everything going on in the world today, you may be feeling that important things beyond your control are affecting your day-to-day existence. Instead of being overwhelmed by them, how about concentrating on important things that you can influence?
For example, this month the World Health Organization (WHO) celebrates World Hearing Day with the theme “To hear for life, listen with care!” Read more about this effort to raise awareness about noise-induced hearing loss, which is preventable, in the first article below.
ALSO IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
♦ BeHear ACCESS Model II Roll-out
♦ Tinnitus Masking Sound Therapy: Could it work for you?
♦ BeHear SMARTO: Scenes from the Production Line
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Important Message from the WHO
Unfortunately, like with many precious things, we don’t pay proper attention to our hearing unless we lose it. Evaluate your hearing status by asking:
- Do you often ask people to repeat themselves?
- Does it feel like people around you are mumbling?
- Do others complain that the TV volume is too high?
- Does background music drown out dialogue?
These are all signs of potential hearing loss, which, when left untreated, can lead to isolation, depression, and even dementia. Let’s all heed the advice of the World Health Organization and protect the hearing that we do have. And, while you’re at it, see if a BeHear hearing amplifier can enhance it to keep you connected to the people and sounds that you love.
What’s New in BeHear ACCESS Model II?
While both models of the BeHear ACCESS use the same form factor and sound processing technologies, Model II supports five additional features:
♦ Tone control: Adjust base/treble emphasis directly from the headset
♦ Tinnitus masking: Customize a sound file to distract you from your tinnitus
♦ Bluetooth 5.0: More stable, easier to pair, supports “over the air” updates
♦ Increased loudness: Full amplification, without feedback
♦ Multilingual expansion: Voice prompts are available in 11 languages
We’ve prepared a video to illustrate these features. With some assistance from our model “Patty”, you can get a first-hand impression of the new features in BeHear ACCESS Model II. We connected the BeHear ACCESS headset Patty is modeling to our video recorder so that you, the viewer, can experience these new sound technologies, just as if you were wearing the headset yourself.
Tinnitus Sufferer? Try BeHear Tinnitus Relief Sound Therapy!
As we roll out Model II of our flagship hearing amplifier, BeHear ACCESS, we are keen to know if the customizable sound therapy it features helps alleviate distress caused by tinnitus, or “ringing in the ears”. While there is currently no known cure for tinnitus, masking therapy has proven beneficial to many. This short video clip lets you experience the sound therapy provided in BeHear ACCESS Model II.
If you suffer from tinnitus and are interested in providing your feedback, please contact us for a special deal on the headset.
BeHear SMARTO Reaches a Milestone
We are excited to announce that the production process for the new BeHear SMARTO hand-held hearing amplifiers has reached the pilot stage! This means that our newest product is progressing nicely through the hurdles of materials sourcing, assembly, testing, and certification. We are expecting to receive the first units for integration next week and if all goes as planned we’ll be shipping units to early adopters in the next two months or so.
If you haven’t yet pre-ordered your SMARTO at the discount price — time is getting short! You’ll want to reserve this simple yet powerful hearing amplifier and be one of the first to enjoy loud and clear conversations with your loved ones.
Shattering disability stigma for World Hearing Day with Israeli BeHear technology enabling self-administered hearing screening
A.R.M. and BeKol leverage BeHear’s innovative hearing check kiosks to raise hearing health awareness and accessibility
A special initiative by A.R.M. Medical Center, experts in Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck, and Oral and Maxillofacial surgery; BeKol, the organization representing the hard of hearing in Israel; and BeHear by Alango Technologies is designed to shatter disability stigma while promoting hearing health awareness and accessibility.
Imagine a world where disabilities are addressed without stigma. Imagine a world where all people are treated with dignity and respect and can easily implement technological solutions without experiencing shame. While this seems like an obvious and morally imperative goal, when it comes to hearing health there is a painful dissonance between its importance and the general levels of awareness and accessibility. Worst of all, there is a high level of social stigma attached to hearing as a disability, as if it is indicative of being “broken”, old, or damaged, as well as the negative and completely inappropriate association of cognitive incapacity.
World Hearing Day is an annual global initiative sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), designed to raise awareness and promote hearing care at community and national levels across the world. This year’s theme “Hearing care for ALL! Screen. Rehabilitate. Communicate.” fits perfectly with the A.R.M.-BeKol-BeHear initiative to provide free, accessible hearing screening.
Using equipment donated by Alango to BeKol, free access will be provided to BeHear’s hearing check kiosks located at the A.R.M. Medical Center in Assuta Hospital, Tel Aviv. The innovative kiosks offer a unique balance of user-independence with precision results, testing in a quick and simple process that anyone can undertake without the help of a healthcare professional. The system guides the user through a 5-minute hearing assessment using an intuitive interface available in English, Hebrew, Russian, and Arabic. Results are received on the spot and can be sent to the user’s email. The user is then invited to compare “what they hear” with “what they could be hearing” once BeHear’s advanced hearing enhancement technology is applied to the sound they hear.
“Increasing visibility raises acceptance and reduces social stigma.” states Dr. Alexander Goldin, Founder and CEO of Alango Technologies. “There is no excuse for people to be deterred from attaining the hearing care they need due to complicated bureaucracy, fear of going for screening, or high costs. We hope that through the donation of our kiosks to Bekol and the screenings that will take place, many people will be empowered to take control of their hearing health and address any issues they might have sooner, rather than later. People tend to like playing with gadgets so many will find that our hearing assessment is actually an interesting and engaging experience.”
“We at A.R.M. Medical Center work hard to raise awareness about the importance of early diagnosis of hearing loss and the need for appropriate and customized treatment,” states Prof. Michal Lunz, Director of the Department of Ear Surgery and Hearing Rehabilitation, A.R.M. “Each year, in conjunction with World Hearing Day, we hold a special week-long event. We invite the public to come and get tested by A.R.M.’s team of experts and receive the best diagnosis and consulting, all at no cost, in order to make good hearing health accessible to everyone.”
BeKol Executive Director Damian Kelman explains, “Bekol constantly strives to raise awareness and increase accessibility to good hearing health. World Hearing Day 2021 marks a unique opportunity to enhance Bekol’s efforts to provide free hearing screenings to the general population and to elderly adults in particular. With the newly and highly appreciated addition of BeHear kiosks to our centers and hearing mobile stations, we at Bekol look forward to expanding and maximizing the impact of our screening program throughout the year as well. Increasing testing availability and simplifying the process is a critical part of disrupting the barriers to hearing health.”
Free screenings using the Hearing Check Kiosks will take place over the course of two days (March 8 & March 10). The appointments are conditional on pre-registration by phone: 03-7645464, and will take place at A.R.M. Medical Center located at 20 Habarzel Street, 1st floor, Assuta Hospital, Ramat Hachayal, Tel Aviv. In addition to the hearing screenings, A.R.M. offers at no cost consulting appointments with its team of leading otologists and audiologists.
About A.R.M.
A.R.M Medical Center was founded in 2009 as a center of expertise in the fields of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck, and Oral and Maxillofacial surgery. With its team of leading Israeli doctors, it works to deliver all-encompassing solutions for patient needs, with full consideration of the best available technologies. The A.R.M Medical Center operates within “Assuta”, the most advanced private hospital in Israel. For more information, visit: www.aram-ent.co.il/en
About BeKol
BeKol is the organization representing the hard of hearing in Israel that strives for the empowerment, attainment of equal opportunities, and real integration of the hard of hearing in Israel, in all areas of life. The goal of the BeKol is to ensure that every hard of hearing person in Israel will be able to make the most of their skills, to the extent that their heart desires. For more information, visit: www.bekol.org
About Alango Technologies
Alango Technologies, Ltd. (www.alango.com) has been developing sound enhancement technologies since 2002, selling over 50 million software licenses that improve the audio experience in automotive, entertainment, and smart home applications around the world. Realizing the importance and opportunity of combining the sound enhancement technology found in hearing aids with the advances and costs in the consumer electronics world, the Company is now using its field-proven expertise in sound technology to create products for personal hearing enhancement: the “BeHear” product line (www.WearAndHear.com).
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BeHear, HearLink, and Wear & Hear are registered trademarks of Alango Technologies, Ltd. in the United States. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Also published at:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shattering-disability-stigma-world-hearing-160200047.html