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"I can hear you, but I can’t understand you"
Sound Clarity and Understanding Speech
Hearing is much more than the audibility (loudness) of sound. Sound clarity and intelligibility, or understanding speech and recognizing words, are just as important. Critical information is lost at high frequencies. Today’s treatments for hearing loss – amplifying devices such as hearing aids – are limited in their ability to improve the clarity and intelligibility of sound, as they cannot replace the tuning and filtering of lost hair cells. This often translates into difficulties understanding speech and following conversations – often in noisy backgrounds.
Additionally, most acquired SNHL begins in the high frequencies (2,000 Hz to 8,000 Hz). Add all this together, and millions of people with hearing loss continue to struggle to understand speech, even when using assistive devices. Speaking louder does not mean I will understand speech. For instance - I do not know French, so, speaking louder in French doesn't help me understand French.
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High frequency hearing loss is associated with problems understanding speech, because a lot of speech sounds – especially “s,” “f” and “th” – are high frequency, soft sounds. When you can’t hear these consonants, it can be very difficult to recognize words.
Frequency Therapeutics was a virtual exhibitor at the HLAA Convention 2021. For information on research to regenerate hair cells, click here. |
Helpful Links
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Other Hearing Aid Resources |
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Legal Auxiliary Services - Communication Access in Legal Settings
Legal Auxiliary Services (LAS) provides courtroom/legally qualified sign language interpreting and Communication Access Realtime Translation (“CART”) services for the Colorado State Courts and state administrative proceedings. LAS covers all court-ordered services, including probation, mediation, and therapy/treatment.Click here |
Communications Technology Program
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Provides free devices tailored for access to communications, such as phone, email, and text, to qualified deaf, hard-of-hearing and deafblind applicants.
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