AID TO HEARING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 224, 22 September 1938, Page 12

AID TO HEARING.

WELCOME NEWS.

AUCKLAND INNOVATION.

GOOD RESULTS ANTICIPATED.

Welcome news for many people in Auckland, who are suffering the disability of difficulty in hearing was conveyed to a "Star" representative to-day by Dr. J. Hardie Neil in a statement that the Auckland branch of the New Zealand League for the Hard of Hearing is about to install a group-hearing aid, which can be used by as many as Jifty people at a time for social activities, and in connection with classes, conceit programmes, travel talks, educational lectures and special readings. Teachers recognise that by the use of such aid the habit of lip-reading is encouraged without conscious effort, while for those who have had prior instruction in lip-reading the hearing aid induces more rapid progress in the art.

The appliances made use of consist of a high-quality microphone with a loudspeaker, and* wift individual aids, the apparatus being capable of tuning to a pitch which suits all classes of hearing. Hearing aids are now used in all foremost cinemas in Auckland, said Dr. Hardie Neil. These were for individuals, and were much appreciated, but with the group-hearing apparatus the society proposed to install much better results were possible. Success In Wellington. He said that in Wellington, where a group-hearing aid had been in operation for some time, the facility was looked on by members as indispensable. He had been very interested at the last annual meeting of the league in Wellington to observe that by means of this group-aid a number of persons afflicted with deafness were able to follow the proceedings with facility and comfort, and that they stayed behind after the meeting and obviously enjoyed the concert programme.

As a consequence, said Dr. Hardie Neil, the fact that the Auckland branch had arrived at the stage of acquiring this facility for groups of its members was. a source of unqualified satisfaction to him, and he gave credit for much of the success in this direction to. the ladies of the Auckland branch under Mrs. C. Bailey and Mrs. Eric Macdonald. whose efforts in such enterprises as the sale of work being held in Myers Park Kindergarten to-night had been a constant source of financial help. An audiometer, presented by the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis, had proved of the utmost value in the scientific treatment of deaf children.