Many technology options can help mitigate the communication barriers that PPE poses on those with hearing loss.
Hearing aids
Hearing aids have been helping those with hearing loss understand and participate in conversation for decades. There are
hearing technology solutions designed for all degrees of hearing loss. For someone with mild hearing loss, they may have been able to get by pre-COVID but as face masks become more common, their hearing loss has become more noticeable. There’s never been a better time to start dealing with your hearing loss. With
modern technology features such as Bluetooth connectivity and 360-degree microphones, today’s hearing aids can account for those PPE specific challenges such as background noise and muffled speech.
Hearing accessories
Hearing aid accessories such as the
Roger Select or the
Phonak PartnerMic are great options for hearing aid wearers who need a little extra help hearing in difficult listening environments. These devices can amplify the muffled sound coming from someone speaking from a further distance (think six feet) and wearing a face mask. With the
Roger Select, you can clip this discreet microphone directly on your family member, friend, or even your doctor, to make their speech more clear and easily understood through a face mask.
Speech-to-text apps
There are many apps available for your smartphone that can transcribe someone’s speech into text on your phone in real-time.