HARD OF HEARING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 3, 3 July 1941, Page 5

HARD OF HEARING

WELLINGTON BRANCH

"In spite of difficulties in the supply and servicing of hearing aids, we are not losing heart, "for we are confident that eventually hearing aids of the highest standard will be available," said Dr. W. Macdonald, president of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand League for. the Har-d of Hearing, at the annual meeting last night. "Meantime the importance of lipreading must not be forgotten," he said. "Lip-reading, more than anything else, helps the deafened person, by cultivating self-reliance, to overcome social difficulties. It is an art, once acquired, never lost; and no one should buy a hearing aid without first having some lip-reading skill."

The secretary, Mrs. J. F. Nicholson, reported that there had been a decided increase in the number of men students attending lip-reading classes during the year, and that the average number of students had been ninety. Lipreading is taught to adults who have a partial or total loss of hearing, but not the congenitally deaf. Helpful advice is always willingly given to parents of hard of hearing or deaf children.

The election of officers resulted as follows: —President, Dr. W. Macdonald; vice-presidents, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, the Bishop of Wellington, Archbishop O'Shea, Rabbi Solomon Katz, Sir Donald McGavin, Sir Alexander Roberts, Colonel A. Cowles. Captain M. S. Galloway, Dr. G. W. Harty, Mrs. G. A.^Hurd-Wood, Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, and Mr. F. R. Jones; secretary, Mrs. J, F. Nicholson; treasurer, Mr. J. F. Nicholson; acoustical engineer, Mr. T. R. Clarkson; organising teacher, Miss M. Eggleton; social committee, Mrs. N. Brown, Mrs. E. Harrison, Miss M. Eggleton, Miss I. Fonseca, Miss E. Atack, Miss O. . McHardje, Miss C. Hetherington, Mrs. Braggins, Mrs. E. R. Morgan, Mr. Pearce, and Mr. Chambers.

To enable industry to make the most of its resources, firms in Britain engaged on less essential production are being asked to pool their resources so as to free labour and factory space for national needs, and ensure that no time, materials, and machinery are wasted for the duration of the war.