THE WORLD OF WIDEX - Widex Hearing Aids & Hearing Care ... · years, but they didn’t work because my hearing is too bad for me to get the benefit out of it. Then the hospital in

#072013

WWW.WIDEX.COM

Printed by RD / 20139 502 3485 001 #01

¡9 502 2410 001E¤ ¡#01v¤

THE WORLD OF WIDEX

BLASTLIFE AT FULL

DEAR READERSHeroes come in many shapes and sizes. What they have in common is their power to inspire us and make our daily lives a little more exciting and richer.

This issue of LISTEN is rich in heroes. It stars Joe Kittinger, who went down in history when he made his record-setting 31,300-metre jump from a bal-loon in 1960. In a special interview, Joe tells LISTEN about his incredible life and how he helped Felix Baumgartner achieve his own world-record jump last year.

Another person who has shown extraordinary courage in the face of adver-sity is Danish pilot Stefan G. Rasmussen, who made a successful emergency landing of a SAS jet in 1991, with all 129 people on board surviving. He talks candidly about the experience and his struggle with tinnitus, a direct result of the accident.

Other outstanding individuals in this issue include a Japanese violin builder, a Dutch composer and the co-founder of Widex, Erik Westermann, who turns the grand old age of ninety this year.

Heroes allow us to dream. Our latest hearing aid brings dreams to life. The aptly named DREAM takes hearing aid technology to a new level; LISTEN examines what makes it special.

We hope you enjoy this latest issue of LISTEN and don’t forget, we‘re always pleased to hear from our readers so if you have any comments, drop us a line at [email protected]. You can also visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/widexhq

The Editorial Team EditorJeanette [email protected]

WritersAndrew [email protected] Bergeron [email protected] [email protected]

DesignMarianne Kim [email protected]

2 LISTEN – THE WORLD OF WIDEX

Falling: On the cover is Ameri-can Air Force Colonel Joseph Kittinger, Jr. in free fall after jumping from 'Excelsior III,' a balloon-supported gondola 102,800 feet (31,330 metres) above New Mexico, on August 16, 1960. During his descent, he reached approximate speeds of 614 miles (988km) an hour. The clouds beneath him are 15 miles (24km) away. (Photo by US Air Force/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)

36 08 40 52

18 48 12 32

04 44 22 28

04 44 22 28

18 48 12 32

36 08 40 52

3LISTEN – THE WORLD OF WIDEX

Research and technology 12 Bringing dreams to life 18 Longer, better, smaller 28 Coming to your senses

Science and health 22 Life at full blast 44 On the road again - with hearing loss

People 32 Seconds from disaster 4 Let the fingers do the talking 40 The grand old man of the hearing aid industry

Society and culture 8 Superheroes are super toys 36 The violin doctor 48 Words to live by 52 Helping children in Peru

LISTEN – THE WORLD OF WIDEX4

PEOPLE

Musician Henk Wieman has played piano since he was five years old and is a re-nowned teacher and a prolific composer. He studied classical music at the Con-servatory of Music in Utrecht and light music jazz at the Hilversum Conservatory in Holland.

Pho

togr

aph:

Hen

k W

iem

an

LISTEN – THE WORLD OF WIDEX 5

PEOPLE

LET THE FINGERS DO THE TALKING

The Audibility Extender from Widex has literally helped a Dutch musician continue his career.


PEOPLE

Popular performer: Henk has performed all over the world and his concerts are characterised by intimate connections to his own life. Here he performs with the Belgian String Quartet, led by Cristina Constantiniscu at the Fulco Theatre in IJsselstein (near Utrecht) in 2009

Pho

togr

aph:

Hen

k W

iem

an

7

PEOPLE

LISTEN – THE WORLD OF WIDEX

“When the music is gone, you’re deaf.”

So says Dutch composer and pianist Henk Wieman. Talking to Henk via a video call, you’d never guess he is hard of hearing. He is fluent and articulate as he explains how his Widex hear-ing aids changed his life. For a piano player, losing the ability to hear high frequency sounds is nothing short of catastrophic. So when his audiologist recommended Widex mind440 hear-ing aids with the Audibility Extender feature, it was like a gift.

“When I got these hearing aids with the Audibility Extender, it was amazing for me,” he says, “because the octaves of the piano were lost for me. With the Audibility Extender I can still compose.”

The Audibility Extender moves inaudible high-frequency sounds, like those found in music - but also sounds like bird-song and even a doorbell - down to regions where they can be heard.

Piano manIt is no exaggeration to say that music is Henk’s life. He’s been playing the piano since he was five, attended music school at the ripe old age of seven and gave his first public recital at fifteen. Since studying at the Conservatory of Music in Utrecht, Henk has worked as a music teacher and been prolific as a composer. “I write pieces for different countries. I have written several pieces for China, and Japan, Norway, Italy. And I get notices from Texas to Asia with reaction to my music. And I have even made a composition for didgeridoo!”

His ‘romantic classic’ style - music from the heart he calls it - has proven to be a hit. “My last CD was in top 20 of Classic FM - the largest classical broadcaster in the Netherlands,” he says proudly. When performing, Henk uses his emotions to the utmost effect, connecting his compositions to events and mo-ments from his own life.

This feat is all the more remarkable when you consider that Henk has had increasing problems with his hearing for quite some time. “About fifteen years ago I went to the doctor and then got a hearing test,” he says. “When I went, I hadn’t noticed that I had bad hearing, just that I didn’t hear certain sounds.”

Initially, he had little luck. “I tried several hearing aids over six years, but they didn’t work because my hearing is too bad for me to get the benefit out of it. Then the hospital in Utrecht advised me to go to my hearing care professional, and I got these Widex mind440’s [CIC] with the Audibility Extender and it was amazing for me.”

Many people don’t even realise the extent of his hearing loss. Henk recalls being in the studio and “mixing my CD and the technician didn’t know I had a hearing problem. When I came across a mistake, he had to listen to it five or six times before he noticed. He said to me, ‘you have great hearing’.”

Let the music play onHenk realises that further deterioration of his hearing makes a cochlear implant likely, but for now his enthusiasm for the Audibility Extender remains undiminished, particularly because an implant will adversely affect his ability to compose. “In February I was on the list to get cochlear implants, but I said I won’t do it because music is very important and when you get an implant, the music is gone,” he says.

As a professional musician, Henk’s use of the Audibility Ex-tender is the difference between playing and not playing. “If you choose music, choose Widex,” he says. “Otherwise you can’t make music anymore. I know that in several years I must be operated for the implant because my hearing will be gone, but I enjoy music now and if I can play for three or four years more – music is my life, a way of being.”

You can visit Henk’s website at: www.henkwieman.com/ For more information about the Audibility Extender and mind440, see widex.com


SOCIETY AND CULTURE

ARE SUPER TOYS

Imag

e: M

arve

l Ent

erta

inm

ent


SOCIETY AND CULTURE


SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Imag

e: M

arve

l Ent

erta

inm

ent

/ C

olou

rbox

CHEERS FOR EARS

There are several toys and books available for children with hearing loss. Here are a few of the most popular:

American Girl Doll Hearing Aid AccessoryAvailable online at www.store.americangirl.com or at American Girl StoresAmerica’s most popular look-alike doll is available with her own pink hearing aid.

Build-a-Bear Hearing Aid AccessoryAvailable online at www.buildabear.com or www.amazon.com and at Build-a-Bear stores world-wideA plush accessory that fits a custom-made Build-a-Bear stuffed animal.

A Birthday for Ben, by Kate GaynorAvailable online at www.amazon.comA story that helps children to understand the unique challenges that children with hearing loss face on a daily basis.

Let’s Hear it for Almigal, by Wendy KupferAvailable online at www.amazon.comA story about a young girl whose hearing is im-proved with a cochlear implant.

LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uaqu8KqG6b0


SOCIETY AND CULTURE

A young superhero is empowering children with hear-ing loss.

Marvel Comics, creators of such iconic characters as Spider Man and X-Men, has now added a new superhero to the list. Blue Ear is capable of hearing even the quietest sounds thanks to his fancy blue hearing device.

The character came alive after Marvel editorial staff received a desperate plea from Christina D’Allesandro, a mother from New Hampshire who could not get her four year old son, An-thony, to wear his bright blue hearing aids.

“My little superhero told me one day that superheroes don’t wear blue ears,” she says. “I was devastated. So I lied. I told him Captain America does and he put his hearing aid on. Then I realised this would come back to haunt me so on a whim I contacted Marvel.”

Marvel editor Bill Rosemann was one of the first people to receive Christina’s letter. Rosemann has a toddler of his own at home and identified with the difficulties of getting children to do something that they don’t want to do. He quickly wrote back, explaining to Anthony that even the Avengers them-selves wear hearing aids. They showed him a cover from a Hawkeye story in the 1980s where the superhero had a large hearing device. Rosemann promised that if Anthony wore his device, Marvel would make him an honorary Avenger too.

“It was one of those rare opportunities that remind us of the impact that our fictional characters can have out there in the real world,” he says. “Stan Lee and Spider-Man taught us that ‘with great power there must also come great responsibility,’ so if you don’t use your abilities to help others, then why are you here?”

Help from fantasy friendsAfter the initial letter, Rosemann and his team took the effort one step further and created Blue Ear, an all-new character who hears trouble through his hearing aids. As a special touch, Blue Ear looks just like Anthony.

“When the little Blue Ear came, Anthony said ‘that’s me – with Hawkeye!’ He was thrilled,” says D’Allesandro.

D’Allesandro says that now that Blue Ear is around, Anthony has much fewer complaints about his hearing aids. He helped host a superhero day for his school and often informs others about his hearing loss. Rosemann says that superheroes can have a special impact on children, who like Anthony, have to learn to adapt and deal with certain weaknesses.

“Despite of – or perhaps because of – these obstacles, our heroes reach beyond their experiences and are fueled by their willpower to help the world,” he says. “They inspire us, in a very real way, to rise above our challenges.”


RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY



BRINGING DREAMS TO LIFEThe latest top-of-the-line hearing aid family from Widex doesn’t just help improve your hearing - it redefines what a hearing aid can do to give you true-to-life sound.





With every new hearing aid, Widex strives to give users a bet-ter listening and hearing experience. That’s why the first thing we concentrate on is the sound. It may seem obvious, but if the sound of the hearing aid isn’t satisfactory, then all the sophisti-cated features in the world are of not much use.

The new DREAM family of hearing aids concentrates on pro-viding users with not just the absolute best quality sound, but a fuller, richer sound. New technology expands the dynamic range - that is, the difference between the loudest and softest sounds you can hear – to broaden the spectrum of sounds. All the details of sound coming in are preserved, resulting in a more detailed sound quality, even in noisy environments such as parties or concerts.

What goes in doesn't always come out This attention to the sound coming in to the hearing aid, or the input, is something that the industry hasn’t always focused on. According to Project Manager Majken Hegelund from Widex, for many years the hearing aid industry has concentrated on solving handling limitations, that is, the way the sound is treated in the hearing aid, at the expense of input. Sound processing is of course important but “with DREAM, we also concentrate on another very vital part of the hearing aid that has not had as much focus in the industry – the way the hear-ing aid handles the sound it lets in to the hearing aid – the input handling system,” she says.

“The greatest limit of the input handling systems we see in the industry is that sound cannot enter the hearing aid as it is. The sound quality is compromised and the nature of the sound is changed to make the sound fit into the hearing aid system. This is a major issue in other high performing hearing aids in the industry.”

With DREAM however, the input is widened dramatically so that users can enjoy a larger and richer sound picture in many different environments, including concerts, parties or at sports events. It does this by increasing what is known as the ‘head-room’. Headroom refers to the amount of sound you can hear through your hearing aids before it becomes distorted. DREAM increases the headroom so that even high volume sound is clear and transparent and all sounds are reproduced as they really are.

Words come easyHaving access to excellent sound is one thing, listening to speech quite another, and for many hearing aid users, un-derstanding speech in noisy environments can be extremely challenging.

Thanks to new technology that preserves the human voice, DREAM lets users actively enjoy conversations - even in noise. 69 year old Jens* from Denmark had the privilege of testing DREAM and he was more than happy with the results, particu-larly when it came to conversations and speech. “There is no more guessing about what is being said,” he says. “I can speak with my dinner partner and participate in the conversation happening around the table.”

And when recently flying to Asia, Jens was able to truly ap-preciate the trip. “For the first time ever I was able to hear and understand flight attendants without having them repeat sev-eral times,” he says. “I used to have a lot of stress when travel-ling because I couldn’t hear anything. DREAM really helped to make the trip more enjoyable.”

*The identity of Jens is known to the editor

DREAM FEATURES:

DREAM doesn’t skimp when it comes to world-class features. Here are some highlights:• All DREAM models come with the Zen program, which has

been proven to help manage tinnitus• DREAM uses less battery power, in fact 20 percent less power• The Audibility Extender in DREAM lets you clearly hear high

frequency sounds such as speech and music• DREAM is compatible with the popular DEX assistive listening

devices



BRING DREAM TO LIFE

Step 1: Go to get.layar.com to download the free Layar app onto your smartphone. Alternatively you can scan your phone over the QR code on the left (requires the QR reader to be installed on your phone).

CHECK OUT DREAM ON YOUR SMARTPHONE.

Step 2: Open the Layar app, hold your phone over the image above and tap to scan it.

Step 3: Hold your phone above the page to enjoy the DREAM film.

321



The personal touchBut DREAM is not just about the sound.

All DREAM users can ask their hearing care professional for access to their own personal website called MY.WIDEX.COM. It provides them with all the information unique to their specific type of hearing aid and hearing loss, and features personal au-diograms, info about programs and features, tips and advice, instructional videos and testimonials from other hearing aid users.

MY.WIDEX.COM lets hearing care professionals keep eas-ily connected to their clients. “Involving hearing aid users is crucial if they are to enjoy a successful experience with their hearing aids,” says Majken Hegelund. “MY.WIDEX.COM makes it easy for professionals to do this – it is quick and easy to set up and it is extremely easy for people to use. We also see it as excellent way of complementing the work of hearing care professionals.”

For more about DREAM see widex.com/dream

18



Pho

togr

aph:

Col

ourb

ox

19



Run, run, run…It’s not just pink bunnies who run on batteries, hearing aids do too...

Modern hearing aids are sophisticated computers with an array of electronics, programmes and features. But all these vital components would be nothing without one thing: a source of constant and dependable battery power.

For many hearing aid users, the cost and performance of bat-teries are a contributing factor in their satisfaction. As a 2011 consumer survey revealed, as many as 45 percent of users rated their hearing aid’s battery lifetime to be less than satis-factory.* And when you consider that on average, users change batteries roughly twenty to twenty-five times a year, it is no surprise that the issue of batteries is paramount for hearing aid users.

LONGERBETTERSMALLER



...run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run,

run, run, run, run, run…



While batteries themselves have more capacity than ever before, hearing aids have also become smaller and more pow-erful, and many have sophisticated features that consume ad-ditional power. According to Electronic Engineer Ole Toft, the batteries in modern digital hearing aids should be able to meet four criteria. “They must be reliable, leak-free, have a high-working voltage and have a long effective life or capacity,” he says. A high and stable working voltage is important to “help ensure that sophisticated hearing aids are used optimally. The gain, or amplification, as well as the maximum output, depends directly on battery voltage.”

Widex hearing aids use batteries that more than live up to these conditions. “Ours come from the respected German manufacturer Varta,” says David Charmer, Director of Business Development at Widex. “They are extremely reliable, have a guaranteed high cell voltage and each battery cell is 100 percent tested.”

These batteries are types of zinc air cell batteries. They are designed to be as light as possible while providing maximum power. The batteries are activated by the oxygen in the air. This happens when a protective seal is removed, and once it is activated the battery begins to expire. Of course, how long they last depends on various factors such as usage, pro-grammes and features in the hearing aid and wireless commu-nication. Life spans can be up to anything between three days to three weeks.

Mercury-freeBecause mercury is a metal, it is often used in hearing aid bat-teries to help with conductivity. Mercury can be very damag-ing to the environment so manufacturers are working hard on producing mercury-free batteries. However, according to David Charmer, these are less efficient and have less capacity. Still, some countries – namely Canada and the United States – have introduced legislation that requires all hearing aid batteries to be mercury-free. Because of this, the major battery manufac-turers are striving to make batteries mercury-free by the end of 2014.

More efficient While battery technology continues to improve, Widex has worked on ensuring that our latest hearing aids get the abso-lute best out of their power supply. With the new DREAM high-

end series for instance, the hardware of the hearing aid has been extensively revamped to improve battery performance.

Helle Strandbygaard Jørgensen, Audiological Product Special-ist at Widex, says that “the more the hearing aid processes information, the more power it uses. There are also vital features that cost battery power but are essential to have, such as the sound compressor, noise reduction, feedback cancelling and microphone. So we have concentrated on making the chip in DREAM so efficient that it uses less power while still deliver-ing the same results. You could say that with DREAM we have changed the hardware, not cut down on features, to improve battery performance,” she explains.

This is good news for hearing aid users: Widex DREAM uses twenty percent less power, meaning that they don’t have to change batteries as often. And ultimately, this makes a small yet vital difference to the environment.

Ear powerWhile manufacturers are working on making batteries more efficient, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States have conducted experiments utilis-ing the power of the ear itself.

Our ears convert vibrations in the eardrum into electrical signals; the current from these signals can in effect work as a natural battery. The researchers managed to run a very low-powered radio transmitter using this ‘natural battery’ inside the ears of guinea pigs. This work is in its infancy but there is hope that in the future, the ear itself could power implantable electronic devices such as hearing aids.

Until then, hearing aid users will have to be content with tradi-tional batteries.

READ MORE:

widex.com/dreamvarta.comhttp://web.mit.edu/press/2012/biological-battery-inner-ear.html

*MarkeTrak VIII: ‘Consumer satisfaction with hearing aids is slowly increasing’, The Hearing Journal, 56. pp.17-18, 20, 22, 24.


SCIENCE AND HEALTH

Pho

togr

aph:

Pau

l Pop

per/

Popp

erfo

to/G

etty

Imag

es


SCIENCE AND HEALTH

LIFE AT FULL BLAST

jumps. While he says he is “not a man of poetry,” he does ad-mit that there were emotions involved when making them. But his training as a test pilot taught him to ignore the fears and worries and concentrate on the task.

“There’s always the unknown. You’re concerned that you have not anticipated all the potential problems,” he says. “But it’s all a function of training, all a function of being prepared for what can come up.”

Kittinger’s first high altitude jump with Excelsior I had plenty of those unexpected problems. An equipment failure caused him to spin out of control and pass out, only to be saved by an automatic parachute. That didn’t stop him from trying again with Excelsior II and then for the record-setting 31,300-metre jump with Excelsior III. With that last jump, Kittinger fell for 4 minutes, 36 seconds and reached speeds of 988 km/hour.

“It was business as usual for me,” he says. “I was used to work-ing in stressful environments. I had to work on the problem I was facing and be prepared.”

Living out loudWhat was nothing more than a day at the office for Kittinger

Felix Baumgartner recently made headlines for his jump from the stratosphere. His mentor, Joe Kittinger, knows what it’s like. He made a similar jump 52 years ago – and without much of the technology we have today. We spoke with Joe about his daring career and how his hearing aids keep him active today.

If you’re looking for volunteers, Joe Kittinger is a good person to ask.

He has wrestled an alligator, had three combat tours of Viet-nam and jumped out of a balloon from the earth’s stratosphere three times. Kittinger willingly signed up for it all and says he doesn’t regret it. For him, it’s what makes life interesting.

“It’s how you get ahead and challenge yourself,” he says. “I had a wonderful career in the Air Force made possible by volun-teering for a lot of interesting research programs. A lot of them I didn’t even know anything about at first.”

One giant leapKittinger is most known for Excelsior III, a 1960 U.S. military-sponsored project where he jumped from a balloon 31 km off the ground to test the effectiveness of high altitude bailout. It was before the days of NASA - a time when the darkness of space was not yet explored. This dangerous project could ter-rify even the most veteran jumpers. Luckily, Kittinger doesn’t scare easily.

Speaking by phone from his home near Orlando in Florida, USA, Kittinger reminisced about the excitement of those

24

SECTION HEADLINE

LISTEN – THE WORLD OF WIDEXLISTEN – THE WORLD OF WIDEX24

SECTION HEADLINE

The only way is down: the entire jump lasted less than five minutes. After removing his pressurized suit, Joe’s body was covered in marks made by his special underwear. (Photos by Paul Popper/Popperfoto/Getty Images and US Air Force/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)


SCIENCE AND HEALTH


went down in the history books as the highest parachute jump, a record that was not broken until last October. For Kittinger, it was just the beginning of the journey. He spent nearly 30 years in the United States Air Force, which included three tours of Vietnam and 11 months as a prisoner of war. In 1984, he set another world record for being the first person to make a solo balloon flight across the Atlantic.

Life has always been an adventure for Kittinger – and it’s been a noisy one. At the peak of his career he flew fighter jets for more than 20 hours a week, all without ear protection.

“I spent 29 years on the flight line with jets and that really is what did my hearing in,” he says. “It was a very high noise area and we didn’t have earphones or ear protection, nor was this protection required.”


SCIENCE AND HEALTH


SCIENCE AND HEALTH

Kittinger was 45 years old when he first noticed a change in his hearing, and it was another 25 years before he received his first pair of hearing aids.

“It was my ego probably. I kept putting it off until finally I couldn’t function anymore,” he says. “When I finally got the hearing aids I was sorry that I hadn’t had them earlier.”

Hearing aids have helped Kittinger lead an active life in his 70s and 80s. He has spent much of that time working as a “barn-stormer”, flying to random towns and selling plane rides to the locals. He still takes passengers on hot air balloon flights and the year he turned 80, he even helped wrestle a 12-foot alliga-tor out of a Florida river.

Keeping his momentumIn his retirement, Kittinger has been approached several times to help those looking to break his Excelsior III record. He turned down all of them except one: Red Bull. A team from the energy drink company contacted Kittinger to discuss a project to test the performance of high-altitude parachutes and pres-sure suits that could be used for emergency evacuation from the stratosphere.

This request was different from the others. Most of the people who contacted Kittinger in the past were daredevils looking to break records. In contrast, the Red Bull project had a budget that focused on two things: science and safety.

“I didn’t want to participate in anything where someone might get killed,” he said. “For Red Bull, safety was the primary objective.”

Kittinger signed on to the Red Bull project in 2008. There he worked as an engineer and mentor for Felix Baumgartner, a 43-year-old Austrian skydiver who had been chosen to make the jump. Kittinger was key to the mission because of his unique experience.

“I was the only one Felix could talk to who had experience because I was the only one who had ever done it,” he says.

The importance of communicationOn October 14, 2012, Felix sat in a capsule tied to a giant he-lium balloon and began his ascent toward the stratosphere. On the ground a crew of engineers, doctors and scientists cal-culated and monitored Baumgartner’s progress. In the centre of mission control sat Kittinger, who sent up a steady stream of instructions and encouragement. It was a role that required Kittinger to be alert and fast-thinking. Most of all, it was impor-tant that he heard everything.

“Without my hearing aids I wouldn’t have been able to func-tion,” he said. “With them I had no problem communicating.”Now that the Red Bull Stratos project is over, one would think that at 84 years old Kittinger is ready to slack off. But he isn’t done yet.

“I’m looking for another adventure. I enjoy challenges and working on research programs,” he says. “I haven’t found my next adventure yet, but I’m still looking.”



COMING TO YOUR SENSES



Pho

togr

aph:

Get

ty Im

age



SEE

SMELL

HEAR

TASTELISTEN

SENSESEE

SEE

HEARSMELL

Pho

togr

aph:

Col

ourb

ox /

Get

ty Im

age



Senses such as smell and hearing are not as individual as we may think, and our senses rarely work in isolation. Even sound and smell can form an unlikely pairing. LISTEN spoke to an expert in the field.

What sound do you think of when you smell a lemon? What about smoke? It may seem surprising to associate sounds with smells, but recent research into how our senses interact has thrown up some surprising results.

This interaction of our senses is known as crossmodal percep-tion. PhD student Anne-Sylvie Crisinel from Oxford University explains that our senses are more complex than imagined. “Most of our everyday perception is multisensory,” she says. “We usually see what we are about to eat, we rely on both audition and vision to make sure there is no car coming before crossing a road, when we touch something it usually makes a sound, etc. The different sensory modalities interact with each other, often without us being conscious of it. We will thus naturally associate the colour yellow with the smell of lemon, or a smaller size object with a higher pitch sound.”

Senses working overtimeIn experiments with taste and smell, Anne-Sylvie and her colleagues from Oxford’s Crossmodal Research Laboratory looked at how we associate these senses with music. “Partici-pants were asked to taste or smell a variety of stimuli, and to choose a note that they felt was the best match for that taste or smell,” explains Anne-Sylvie. “They were choosing both the pitch of the note, and the musical instrument playing it. We also had participants tasting toffee while listening to two dif-ferent soundtracks and showed that the music could influence how bitter or sweet the toffee was rated.”

Their responses were remarkably consistent. “Participants tended to associate pleasant instruments, such as the piano, with pleasant tastes and smells, while choosing less pleasant-

sounding ones – for example, brass instruments - with un-pleasant tastes and smells,” says Anne-Sylvie.

There were also clear associations with the pitch of sounds, with most people choosing higher pitch notes for fruity scents, such as lemon, apple or apricot, and lower pitch notes for odours such as smoke or musk.

As yet, there are few practical uses of Anne-Sylvie’s research. Could there be a way for people who are hard of hearing to use their sense of smell to help them hear? “Some artists are already trying to mix senses by combining odours with music, or tastings with background music,” says Anne-Sylvie. “I can’t imagine smell compensating for the loss of hearing, but maybe combining them and being more aware of their interactions could increase our appreciation of both.”

As to why these associations take place, the jury is still out. Some researchers believe that for our ancestors, for example, the sound of movement accompanied by an unfamiliar smell could have alerted them to the presence of predators. Ac-cording to Anne-Sylvie, “It is still unclear what drives these associations and how they work. Perceived pleasantness and complexity seem to play a role, but we are still far from under-standing the phenomenon.”

One thing we can say for certain though is: our senses rarely work in isolation from each other.

For more information about Anne-Sylvie’s work see:psyweb.psy.ox.ac.uk/xmodal/index.htm


PEOPLE

THE MIRACLE OF GOTTRÖRA

The accident outside Gottröra began with insufficient de-icing of the plane’s wings. The engines of the plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-81, were placed at the back end of the fuselage. As ice broke off the wings, it was sucked into the engines, breaking the blades of the turbines. This meant that there was not sufficient airflow into the engines, causing them to stall and causing a phenomenon known as compressor surge.

Stefan reacted by attempting to decrease the power, or throttle down, in order to lessen the load on the engines. But, unbeknown to the pilots, a new automatic sys-tem known as ATR (Automatic Thrust Restoration) had recently been installed on board the aircraft. This system took over control of both engines, totally destroying them while the plane was at an altitude of only 1000 metres.

Stefan managed to land the plane on a snow-covered field surrounded by trees. He used them to slow the plane down and make the landing as soft as possible. On im-pact, the plane broke into three parts but luckily did not catch fire. All 129 on board (including 6 crew members) survived.

After the crash, Stefan had to endure the suspicion that he should have been informed about the installation of the ATR system. He was later cleared of all suspi-cion; his story was featured in the National Geographic Channel documentary series ’Air Crash Investigation’ in an episode entitled ’Pilot Betrayed’ and based on the official air crash investigation report into the crash.P

hoto

grap

h: G

etty

Imag

e

Pho

togr

aph:

Pre

ssen

s B

ild/P

OLF

OTO


PEOPLE

SECONDS FROM DISASTER

Pilot Stefan G. Rasmussen hit the front pages of the world’s press in 1991 when he made a spectacular emergency landing of SAS flight 751 on a field near the Swedish town of Gottröra and saved all 129 passengers on board. The crash made him an instant hero but it also had enormous personal consequences for Stefan, including a life-long struggle with tinnitus.

Four minutes.

That’s all it took.

From the first explosive sound from the plane’s engine – just a few seconds after take-off – until the wheels hit a field near Gottröra in Sweden. But in those four minutes it seemed as though time took on a new dimension for Stefan G. Rasmus-sen. All his senses were heightened while his brain and body worked frantically to understand the situation and find a way out of the catastrophe.

“The stress in such a situation cannot be described,” says Stefan. “To have responsibility for so many people’s lives, com-bined with a feeling of total powerlessness, is one of the worst situations a person can be in.”

After the accident, Stefan chose to give up his job as a pilot. Today, more than twenty years later, the former captain still fights with post-traumatic stress syndrome. He doesn’t hide the fact that what he consistently refers to as the ‘incident’ has led to many ups and downs, as well as imposing a great deal

on his closest family. “I am so lucky to have an understand-ing wife and a couple of lovely daughters who have been very patient and supported me,” he says.

Ringing tonesIt was Stefan’s wife who encouraged him to visit his doctor when, not long after the accident, he became aware of con-stant ringing tones in his ears that prevented him from sleep-ing at night.

“At that point I didn’t know what tinnitus was,” he recalls.Stefan visited an ear specialist who ascertained that he had both hearing loss and tinnitus. His tinnitus is more than likely the result of extreme stress.

”I asked the doctor what I could do about it. He gave the worst advice I have ever heard: ’You’ll just have to learn to live with it.’”

But Stefan is not the type just to give up. He discovered that when he had the radio on in the background, he could disre-gard his tinnitus. One night when the ringing tones became


PEOPLE

Stefan G. Rasmussen was born on July 23, 1947 in Randers, Denmark. He trained as jet pilot in the Danish Air Force and graduated from Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, in 1973. He was employed by SAS as a captain from 1979 to 1991 and has received numerous awards, including the Order of the Dannebrog and the Golden Medal from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. He is also an ‘Aviation Week & Space Technology’ magazine Hall of Fame Laureate.

Pho

togr

aph:

AP/

PO

LFO

TO


PEOPLE

more than he could bear, he got his Walkman and lay in bed with it on. “I slept like a baby for the first time in a long time,” he recalls.

Stefan then began to research tinnitus and hearing more thoroughly. And he used his own personal experience to find methods where he could better keep his tinnitus at bay. For example, a flashback from his time as a pilot:

“Suddenly I saw myself in the cockpit while flying to London Heathrow. Standing behind me, a stewardess chatted about how we were going out to dinner that evening. I could also hear some passengers talk in the background and at the same time I was engaged in dialogue with my co-pilot. Suddenly a voice said ’Scandinavian Airlines 501’ over the radio. I disre-garded all the other sounds and began to listen to the radio.”

“Remembering that made me realise that one has a type of selective hearing,” says Stefan. “I said to myself: There is the solution! I just have to focus on something else.”

From pilot to politicianThis drive to find a solution, no matter how impossible the problem may seem, is a typical characteristic of Stefan – and perhaps part of the reason for the miracle of Gottröra.

”You have to say to yourself: Is it a life you are satisfied with? And if the answer is no, then you have to do something about it,” he says.

After the crash, Stefan began to rebuild his life – a struggle not made easier by the fact that he had to give up flying and his job (without a ‘golden handshake’, he says) with SAS. In 1994, he chose to go into politics and was quickly voted in as Mem-ber of Parliament for the Conservative party.

Stefan is a man with much to contribute and politics suited him. Despite that, his tinnitus forced him to leave politics after only two years.

“I came home after one Constitution Day, where I had been out giving three speeches,” he remembers. “The tones were ringing in my head. I sat on the terrace and must have looked very despondent because my youngest daughter came up to me and said ‘Dad, you’re not happy any more – don’t you think you should stop?’”

”I threw the towel in the ring and admitted in public that I had tinnitus and therefore could not continue in politics.”

A stable ‘friend’When Stefan came out in public with his tinnitus, he was con-tacted by the Danish Association of the Hard of Hearing and invited to become involved in their cause. He became active in the association’s network for tinnitus sufferers and quickly became a popular speaker, travelling around the country to talk about his hearing problems.

It is easy to understand why Stefan is a popular speaker; he has a humorous approach to even the most difficult parts of life. “Before I got tinnitus, I used to say that there are only two sure things in life: being born and dying. Everything in between is just coincidence. But now there was a third thing I could be certain of and that was my tinnitus. So I have got the most stable friend you could have.”

”You need to be able to laugh about things if you are not going to get too upset and have everything turn to black,” he smiles.

Tinnitus has been the background music to Stefan’s life since the crash. But thanks to his hearing aids, he has been able to take up one of his old passions again - jazz. He plays saxo-phone and has started his own one-man band, ‘The World’s Smallest Big Band’ and records and plays live at private func-tions.

No matter what he does, Stefan comes across as a shining ex-ample of his own life philosophy: “No one person is the same. Every individual is unique. To be there for each other and con-tribute what you can is important – for family, for a company or for whatever part of society,” he says.


SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Pho

togr

aph:

Hir

omic

hi H

oshi

ya

A good ear is essential for Japan’s Muneyuki Nakazawa, whose life revolves around the violin.

THE VIOLIN DOCTOR


SOCIETY AND CULTURE


SOCIETY AND CULTURE

“I would like to go through my life with violins and music and to light other people’s hearts with it as well.”

Photograph: H

iromichi H

oshiya


SOCIETY AND CULTURE

In the beginning of the fifteenth century, the world’s first violin was created in a small village in Cremona, Italy. Now, over 600 years later, a Japanese violin builder is car-rying on that tradition.

Meet Muneyuki Nakazawa, also known as “The Violin Doc-tor.”

Nakazawa has been building violins since he was eight years old with instruction from his father. When he was 19, he went to London, where he saw a Stradivarius for the first time and was deeply moved. He started working as an apprentice in a restorer’s workshop, and this was the start of a career dedicated to building and restoring vio-lins. Today, Nakazawa has workshops in Cremona as well as in Tokyo and Nagano, Japan. Since his apprentice days, he has constructed 150 violins and has left his mark on 20,000 others through restoration and service – including 50 Stradivarius.

For Nakazawa, this art and sound comes naturally.

“I want people to touch violins made by natural wood and to feel the original nature inside violins – the sound of the stream, the breeze of the air, and the birds singing.”

Taking shapeThe violin-making process starts with selection of wood. This is important because the tone of the instrument depends on the wood’s quality and shape. Natural materi-als like maple, blackwood, and spruce make for the best violins. According to Mr. Nakazawa, the quality of the violin doesn’t come from the man who made it, but from the tree it came from.

“You must confirm the sound with your ears when you touch the wood,” he says. “The tone is not made by me, but by the sound that is originally stored inside the wood, and I just whittle with the superfluous parts to take the shape out from the wood.”

Once the violin is made, it’s up to the musician to further perfect it.

“Great instruments nurture great musicians,” says Naka-zawa. “A great combination of players and musical instru-ments leads to brilliant musical performance.”

Creating hopeNowhere was this symbiosis seen more than in March 2011, when Nakazawa’s country was ravaged by a tsunami that left over 15,000 people dead. Devastated by the news of his homeland, Nakazawa combined his sorrow with his passion for music to create a one-of-a-kind violin using driftwood from the tsunami.

The violin was first played by UNESCO Goodwill Ambas-sador Ivry Gitlis. Two driftwood violins are now travel-ling around the world in a tour named “Sen no neiro de tsunagu kizuna’ (Bonds made of a thousand tones).” The goal is to have the violins be played by 1,000 musicians over the next decade.

It’s a fitting tribute from a man whose life has been led by the sound of strings.

“Music has been my emotional support in life,” he says. “I would like to go through my life with violins and music and to light other people’s hearts with it as well.”

40 LISTEN – THE WORLD OF WIDE

PEOPLE

THE GRAND OLD MANOF THE HEARING AID INDUSTRY


PEOPLE

Happy birthday to you: Erik arriving at Widex HQ on February 11, 2013, to much applause.


The original dream team: Erik Westermann (left) and

Christian Tøpholm seen here with the Widex 561, their first hearing aid.

PEOPLE


The two men met in the late '40s while working for another hearing aid producer, American Danish Oticon (popularly known as Oticon). Christian Tøpholm was a gifted electron-ics engineer and inventor, and Erik Westermann the natural business talent with excellent language skills and international experience. By the mid '50s, both began to feel that their valuable work at Oticon was not appreciated, and together they decided that they could do better. This is how Widex was created on a late November evening in 1955.

“We met in the evening at the home of Christian Tøpholm to talk about the future over a bottle of red Martini. When the bottle was empty, we shook hands and said ‘We’ll do it’,” re-calls Erik Westermann.

Working out of the cellar of Christian Tøpholm’s home, the two laid the foundation of what would later become one of the world’s leading hearing aid producers. Step by step, they built up a successful business combining their respective skills.

Immense prideLooking back, Erik Westermann says one of the greatest mo-ments in his career is when he and Christian Tøpholm inau-gurated their first properly owned headquarters in Vaerloese, outside Copenhagen, in 1966. At that time, Widex had around 300 employees. Today, the company employs over 3,400 peo-ple worldwide and Widex hearing aids are sold in more than 100 countries. When asked how he feels about this accom-plishment, Erik Westermann looks down and quietly replies, “Very proud.”

One of the most difficult moments in Erik Westermann’s career was when his partner, Christian Tøpholm, passed away as the result of a tragic car accident in 1985. Fortunately, Christian Tøpholm’s son, Jan, was ready to take his father’s place. “Jan was a chip off the old block,” as Erik Westermann says.

Erik Westermann retired in 1993, leaving the reins to his two sons, Søren and Anders, who form the current management together with CEO Jan Tøpholm, supplemented by his two sons, civil engineers Richard and Julian Tøpholm.

Erik Westermann has been on the road for most of his life, travelling the globe to establish partnerships for Widex. “I’m lucky to have met a lot of fascinating people within the indus-try with whom I have formed lifelong friendships,” he says. But his life has also had its dark moments. As an active member of the Danish resistance during the Second World War, he was captured by the Germans and sent to a concentration camp. The memories of the atrocities he witnessed and the friends he lost are just as vivid as they were back then.

Despite such experiences, Erik Westermann has always had a positive outlook on life. His experience and knowledge, combined with a contagious energy, worldly manners and a great sense of humour, make him a source of inspiration for his employees and a valued friend and colleague for people across the industry.

Congratulations, Erik.

This year Widex celebrates the 90th birthday of one of the hearing aid industry’s emblematic figures, Erik Westermann, who founded Widex more than half a century ago together with his partner Christian Tøpholm.

PEOPLE

44

SECTION HEADLINE


Pho

togr

aphs

: Col

ourb

ox


SCIENCE AND HEALTH

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Travelling can be stressful, especially when you have hearing loss. Here are some ways that travellers with hearing loss can be prepared for their next trip.

On a morning in 2010, Nancy Sonnabend was sitting on a plane and reading a book, prepared for a hassle-free trip. Suddenly she noticed ticket agents walking up and down the aisles yelling “Who is Nancy?” Sonnabend identified herself and showed the agents her ticket. It was then she learned she was on a plane headed to Dallas, Texas, via Charlotte instead of Tampa, Florida, nonstop. Because of her hearing loss, Son-nabend didn’t know that her plane had a gate change and mistakenly got on the wrong aircraft. The ticket agents weren’t sympathetic.

“I told them I was profoundly hard of hearing which only made them shout at me,” she said. “I said, ‘please don’t shout, I’m getting off the plane.’ I was treated like a naughty child.”

Travelling is confusing enough for travellers with perfect hear-ing. Travelling with hearing loss is even more stressful. Muffled public address systems, lack of closed captioning on airplane televisions, and ill-equipped hotels can lead to travel night-mares. Luckily, there are ways to prepare and make a trip as stress-free as possible.

At the airportAirports offer a labyrinth of sights, sounds and smells that can cause confusion to even the most seasoned travellers. For people with hearing loss, who may not hear public announce-ments, the experience of travelling alone by plane can be daunting.

“I’ve almost missed my plane several times when there is con-gestion and it’s difficult to tell which plane is boarding,” says Lise Hamlin, Director of Public Policy and State Development for the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). “And I have no confidence that in an emergency on the plane the airline attendants would have a clue for how to deal with my hearing loss. “

To help make her trip run smoother, Hamlin explains her hear-ing loss to ticket agents and asks for pre-boarding privileges to ensure that she gets on the right plane at the right time. She tells security personnel about her cochlear implant and pays special attention to airline safety videos, which are always captioned.

Brenda Battat, Executive Director of HLAA, says making others aware of your condition will make your flight less stressful.

– WITH HEARING LOSS


• A “SHAKE AWAKE” ALARM CLOCK• AN ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICE• EXTRA BATTERIES• EXTRA HEARING AID BATTERIES• A FLASHLIGHT FOR EMERGENCIES• A SMARTPHONE TO RECEIVE EMERGENCY TEXT ALERTS• ADAPTERS TO CONNECT TO POWER SOURCES, IF TRAVELLING ABROAD

DON'T FORGET TO PACK:

WIDEX DEX: EASY LISTENING ON-THE-GO

• M-DEX connects your hearing aids directly with your mobile phone via Bluetooth tech-nology. This allows you to hear your phone through your hearing aids, rather than from the phone. It makes it easy to hear your phone in crowded airport terminals or bus stations.

• TV-DEX plugs directly into standard televi-sions and allows you to hear your hotel room TV directly through your hearing aids. There is also an option to eliminate non-TV sounds and focus directly on the TV. It’s an easy and portable setup that can travel with you.

Travelling is made easier with Widex DEX listening devices. This range of devices con-nects seamlessly with mobile phones, televi-sions, and audio signals for easy listening on-the-go. Travellers with hearing loss can benefit from these devices:

• RC-DEX is a small remote control that can be used to control the volume and program of your hearing aids. This allows you to dis-creetly control your hearing aid when your noise environment changes – like when you go from a crowded restaurant to a quiet city street.

• FM+DEX – Streams radio, MP3, and telecoil signals directly into your hearing aids. Use this device when you want to listen to mu-sic in a crowded train station for example.

• T-DEX offers an easy and inexpensive Bluetooth connection to hearing aids using a telecoil. This system can connect to all brands of hearing aids

Pho

togr

aphs

: Col

ourb

ox

SCIENCE AND HEALTH


SCIENCE AND HEALTH

“Ask, ask, ask,” she says. “Do not expect the gate agent to remind you when to board or tell you when there is a change. Be assertive and ask the gate agent to repeat what he/she just announced.”

At the hotelLegislation has come a long way to help travellers with hearing loss receive assistance. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that hotels provide amplified or text phones, televisions with captions, and accessible emergency alerts. But while the law has good intentions, it doesn’t always work in practice.

Hamlin says that getting these accommodations is often a hassle. Television captioning can involve a call to the hotel’s tech department and accommodations aren’t always avail-able. Even when provided, the fire alert tends to be a portable, visual strobe that plugs into an outlet in the room. This means that someone is alerted only if the fire starts in their own guest room. Without a wired alerting system, a fire could start elsewhere in the hotel and the person with hearing loss would never know.

“The occupant, deaf to the world without hearing aids, and possibly deeply asleep, is very much at risk of being left be-hind,” she says.

New rules will make it mandatory for hotels to install accessi-ble fire alerts in designated guest rooms that are connected to the hotel’s fire system , but Hamlin says she hasn’t seen these systems in place yet.

To ensure that these devices are available, call or email your hotel before your trip and inform them of your hearing loss. Ask which devices are available and make sure that your reservation notes that you will require them. Bring your own portable technology if you have it.

“Whether traveling in the US or abroad, consumers should not make assumptions that the accommodations they are used to are available where they travel. They must prepare for that,” says Hamlin.

Out and aboutCertain locations offer greater accommodation for people with hearing loss. In New York City, many taxis feature induction loops that transmit sound wirelessly into the T-coils that are already installed in most modern hearing aids and cochlear im-plants. The loops help hearing impaired passengers to better understand their driver - so they don’t end up in Noho instead of Soho. New York’s project stems from a similar endeavour in London, where taxis have been equipped with induction loops since 1998.

Disney parks worldwide also cater to visitors with hearing loss. Captions and induction loops are available on many rides and attractions, guided tours are available for people with hearing loss, and handheld assistive listening and captioning devices can be rented.

Cruises can be more difficult. Sonnabend recently returned from a cruise with her family where she said the public an-nouncement system was difficult to understand. She recom-mends standing as close as possible to a PA speaker box in the case of an emergency on a ship to get directions. Even when travelling with friends or family they may not be where you are on the ship when the emergency occurs. For travelling in general, Hamlin emphasises that it’s important to expect the unexpected.

“Once I acquired hearing loss, I needed to prepare much more,” she says. “There are lots of questions you need not even think about if you don’t have hearing loss. You must if you do.”

Pho

togr

aph:

Col

ourb

ox


SOCIETY AND CULTURE

WORDS TO LIVE BY

DAVID MYERS USED HIS JOURNAL OF

HEARING LOSS TO HELP AND INSPIRE

OTHERS IN HIS BOOK “A QUIET WORLD”


SOCIETY AND CULTURE


SOCIETY AND CULTURE

The Train in the NightBy Nick Coleman (Published by Jonathan Cape) An account of Nick Coleman’s diagnosis of sudden neurosensory hearing loss and how it affected his main passion: music. Coleman explains how he rediscovers his love of music by going to the origin of his passion and learning to understand music in a different light.

Deaf SilenceBy David Lodge (Published by Penguin Books)Inspired by the bestselling author’s own journey with hearing loss, this novel describes a man whose hidden loss leads him to misunderstand the intentions of others.

Living with Hearing LossBy Marcia Dugan (Published by Gallaudet University Press)Based on the author’s own experience with hearing loss, this guide provides helpful advice on a wide range of subjects from living alone with a hearing loss to going to the hospital to legal advice.

71 year-old David Myers is a professor of psychology at Hope College in Michigan, United States and the author of 17 books, both fiction and non-fiction.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

The poet W.H. Auden once said that “a real book is not one that we read, but one that reads us.” People with hearing loss may find similar comfort and familiarity in these stories of hearing loss, available at www.amazon.com and www.amazon.co.uk.

Hear Your Life: Inspiring Stories and Honest Advice for Overcoming Hearing LossBy Melissa Kay Rodriguez (Published by Greenleaf Book Group Press)Revealing and inspiring stories about hearing loss and the journey to better hearing. This book also includes a guide to hearing loss and frequently asked questions.

Invisible: My Journey Through Hearing LossBy Ruth Silver (Published by iUniverse)Ruth Silver tells her story of living with retinitis pigmen-tosa, a condition that has made her deaf and blind. The story discusses how Silver learned to live with her double disability and includes a bit of a love story as well.

Pho

togr

aph:

Dav

id M

yers


SOCIETY AND CULTURE

“Unlike people who have been deaf most of their lives, I have known, and still know, the sound of waves splash-ing, of symphonies playing, of children laughing. Thus, those most akin to me are the millions of fellow travelers anywhere on the slow voyage from sound to silence, from hearing to non-hearing. It is for them, and for those who love and wish to understand them, that I record my journey into a silent world.”

So begins A Quiet World, a memoir on hearing loss written by social psychologist David Myers. Taken from his personal jour-nal, Myers’s book tells about two journeys of hearing loss. The first is of the author’s mother, whose hearing loss progressed to total deafness by the time she was 76 years old. The second is of Myers himself, whose hearing has become gradually worse since his teenage years. Myers’ hearing loss journey rep-licates his mother’s loss, and he predicts that he too will soon lose all of his residual hearing.

Power of the penThere are a lot of emotions involved with hearing loss, and Myers approaches those feelings by writing them down. In 1990, Myers attended a talk by a colleague who spoke about benefits of writing a journal.

“This inspired the idea that as a writer, a psychologist, and a person with progressive hearing loss I might enjoy journaling my slow pilgrimage from sound to silence,” he says.

For a decade, Myers recorded his thoughts and struggles in a computer journal. In addition to researching the science behind hearing loss, Myers also records his personal struggles. He chronicles his difficulties in understanding students in the classes he teaches, his embarrassment over disrespectful com-ments he made when he couldn’t hear one end of the conver-sation, and his struggles to hear sermons at church.

“Knowing that hearing loss can be socially isolating, I often wonder, will these relationships and life in general still be satisfying during retirement? How will I cope as the hearing loss progresses and the world becomes quieter? How will I feel about being unable to talk to friends on the phone, interact with uncomprehending strangers or enjoy music?” he writes.

Looking forwardA lot has changed in hearing aid technology since Myers started his journal in 1990. The clunky eighties era analoge hearing aids that he wore then have been replaced with dis-creet high-tech digital aids, assistive listening devices give him clear hearing in his classroom and at church, and hearing loops - which he advocates (www.hearingloop.org) - allow him to make even better use of his hearing aids in public places.

It’s technology that came too late for his mother, who died in 1997. But Myers said that her experiences helped him to better understand how to cope with his worsening levels of hearing loss. Moreover, he appreciates that modern technology will help him to avoid the same fate.

“Her social isolation - related to her embarrassment and bore-dom when unable to hear - has left me vowing not to socially withdraw, as she did,” he says.

A Quiet World, by David Myers, is available at www.amazon.com and www.amazon.co.uk.


SOCIETY AND CULTUREP

hoto

grap

hs: G

etty

Imag

e


SOCIETY AND CULTURE

HELPING CHILDREN IN PERUWidex is working to provide hearing aids to some of Peru’s poorest children.

When a school in Peru couldn’t afford hearing aids for their students at full price, Widex stepped up.

Panadex, Widex’ Peruvian distributor, recently worked with the Italian non-profit, La Asociacion para la Cooperacion Italo-Peruana (ACIP), to donate hearing aids and free fitting and follow-up services to Colegio Fernando Wiese Eslava, a school in Lima, Peru.

Over the years, the school has helped hundreds of children with profound hearing loss. Hector Sommerkamp, president of ACIP, says seeing these children experience better hearing is priceless.

“The first time they wear a prosthesis and are suddenly able to hear, it’s like they discovered the world for the first time: they have such a surprised expression on their faces,” he said. “It’s really moving to hear a four year old child saying ‘mama’ for the first time and repeating this word.”

In Peru, many parents of children with hearing loss do not have access to audiological services and as Sommerkamp explains, Peruvian hospitals usually do not offer free medical care. Health education is also sparse, and parents are often unaware of the importance of early hearing screening and rehabilitation.

Colegio Fernando Wiese Eslava provides educational, audio-logical, and psychological services for 120 Peruvian children with profound hearing loss. Ninety-five percent of these stu-dents are from low socioeconomic backgrounds and the ma-jority have parents with seasonal or non-contract work. Tuition is covered through scholarships and donations, and support from companies like Widex is crucial.

“We are happy to be able to help the children at the school, and we work hard with ACIP to make sure they get the best fitting,” says Widex sales and business development manager Juan Pelaez, who helped facilitate the partnership.

A better future: Many children with hearing loss in Peru do

not have adequate access to audiological services

54

SECTION HEADLINE


ALBANIA Arben Ruci ALGERIA Widex Algérie eurl ARGENTINA Widex Argentina SA AUSTRALIA Widex Australia Pty Ltd AUSTRIA Neuroth AG BELARUS LTD Arnikatrade BELGIUM Veranneman b.v.b.a. BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA Widex Slusni Aparati d.o.o. BRAZIL Centro Auditivo Widex Brasitom Ltda. BULGARIA ANKA - Anka Peeva CANADA Widex Canada Ltd. CHILE Widex Chile CHINA Widex Hearing Aid (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. COLOMBIA Widex Colombia COSTA RICA Tecnomédica S.A., Clínica Dinamarca CROATIA Microton d.o.o. CYPRUS CH & M Cyprus Audiology Center CZECH REPUBLIC Widex Line s.r.o. DENMARK Widex DK A/S DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, THE Widex Dominicana ECUADOR PROAUDIO EGYPT Widex-Egypt ESTONIA Indium Ltd. FINLAND Widex Akustik OY FRANCE Widex France F.Y.R.O.M Otomedical SkopjeGERMANY Widex Hörgeräte GmbH GHANA Krispat Ear Centre GREECE D. Chryssikos & Co. GUYANA Roger Viapree HONG KONG Widex Hong Kong Hearing & Speech Centre Ltd. HUNGARY Widex-H Kft. INDIA Widex India Private Limited INDONESIA Pusat Alat Bantu Dengar Melawai IRAN Persia Samak Co.

IRELAND Widex Ireland Ltd. ISRAEL Steiner Hearing Instruments ITALY Widex Italia S.P.A IVORY COAST Centre International de Correction Auditive JAMAICA Siredan Enterprises Ltd. dba Caribbean Hearing Center JAPAN Widex Co., Ltd. JORDAN Queen Alia Foundation for Hearing and Speech KAZAKHSTAN Almaton-2 KENYA BEAM HEARING CENTRE KOREA Widex Korea Ltd. KOSOVO N.T.SH. “QUENDRA E DEGJIMIT” KUWAIT Al-Shammary Hearing Center LATVIA SIA Dzirdes ServissLEBANON Beeco Speech & Hearing Center LIBYA Widex Libya LITHUANIA Surdotechnika JSC LITHUANIA UAB Audiofon MACAU Widex Macau Hearing and Speech Centre Limited MALTA Beacon Healthcare Ltd. MEXICO Distribuidora de Equipo Audiológico S.A. de C.V. MONGOLIA Mon-Anir Co., Ltd. MOROCCO Widex Maroc NAMIBIA Windhoek Hearing Aids NETHERLANDS Veenhuis Medical Audio B.V. NEW ZEALAND Widex New Zealand Ltd. NORWAY Medisan A/S OMAN, SULTANATE OF National Optical Centre PAKISTAN Rehabilitation Centre for Hearing Impaired PANAMA Widex Panama PARAGUAY Centro Auditivo SRL PERU Panadex S.A. PHILIPPINES Ledesma Audiological Center POLAND Widex Polska Sp. z.o.o. S.K.A.PORTUGAL Widex - Reabilitação Auditiva, Lda.


WIDEX AROUND THE WORLD


ROMANIA Sonorom SRL RUSSIA 000 “Widex” SAUDI ARABIA Basha Medical Group SERBIA OPTICUS d.o.o. SINGAPORE Widex Singapore Pte Ltd SLOVAKIA WIDEX SLOVTON Slovakia s.r.o. SLOVENIA Slusni Aparati - Widex d.o.o. SOUTH AFRICA Widex South Africa SPAIN Widex Audífonos S.A. SRI LANKA D.S. Jayasinghe Opticians (Pvt) Ltd. SUDAN Sudanese Hearing Center SWEDEN AB Widex SWITZERLAND Widex Hörgeräte AG SYRIA TEBA Medical Equipment TAIWAN Melody Medical Instrument Corp

THAILAND D MED Hearing Center Co,.Ltd. TUNISIA C. M. Acoustiques TURKEY Widex Tibbi ve Teknik Cihazlar San. ve Tic. A.S. UKRAINE ReOton UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Widex Emirates Hearing Care UNITED KINGDOM Widex UK URUGUAY Audilux USA Widex USA, Inc. VENEZUELA Instituto Auditivo Widex S.A. VIETNAM QUANG DUC HEARING SERVICES Co., Ltd. YEMEN National Hearing Center

55

36 08 40 52

18 48 12 32

04 44 22 28

04 44 22 28

18 48 12 32

36 08 40 52

GLISTEN – THE WORLD OF WIDEX

Research and technology 12 Bringing dreams to life 18 Longer, better, smaller 28 Coming to your senses

Science and health 22 Life at full blast 44 On the road again - with hearing loss

People 32 Seconds from disaster 4 Let the fingers do the talking 40 The grand old man of the hearing aid industry

Society and culture 8 Superheroes are super toys 36 The violin doctor 48 Words to live by 52 Helping children in Peru

By choosing Widex, you are choosing

a company that has been WindMade

certified. WindMade is the first global

consumer label identifying companies

that use wind power.

Widex A/S, Nymoellevej 6, DK-3540 Lynge • www.widex.com

Documents

THE WORLD OF WIDEX - Widex Hearing Aids & Hearing Care ... · years, but they didn’t work because my hearing is too bad for me to get the benefit out of it. Then the hospital in