Hearing aids during sports

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idresearch

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Hi, I'm new to the boards here. I'm trying to accumulate some information about deaf athletes for a research and design project. I'm curious as to weather or not deaf athletes wear their hearing aids while participating in sports. If not, why?

After researching the rules of some hearing impared sporting events, I have found that there are rules banning the use of cochlear implants and hearing aids during game play. In response to this, I'm working on designing an inexpensive product that will be allowed in sporting events making it possible for deaf athletes to more quickly and easily be made aware of change in game play. The product does not amplify sound but rather transmits a signal from the refferee's whistle to a small vibrating motor on an ear piece. Rather than relying on visual cues (ie crowd, refferee, other players) a small tactile indicator will notify the athletes of a foul or stopping of time.

Thanks for you help and please feel free to give me feedback on my proposed product!

-mike
 
I'm curious as to weather or not deaf athletes wear their hearing aids while participating in sports.
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Depends on the sport.....I don't wear them when swimming, or kayaking, but wear them during most other sports. I wear them when I ski, but keep them switched off since I can't hear through my helmet.
 
what about softball/baseball ?? I not wore them during playing but some people do wears them.
 
I don't wear hearing aids when I play heavy sports.

Wearing hearing aids whilst playing sports in the Australian Deaf Games and Deaflympics are not allowed.
 
While playing most sports I remove my hearing aids... usually because I am concerned about getting them sweaty.

While I was on a high school swim team the school provided a light strobe that flashed when the starter pistol was fired.

Using a vibrating tactile aid might be useful! I hated playing basketball and keep playing after the whisle... also would be good for football.
 
I am concerned about getting them sweaty
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This is the idea...provide an inexpensive, water resistant alternative to hearing aids.

I hated playing basketball and keep playing after the whisle... also would be good for football.
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The purpose of the product would be just that. A whistle emiting both audible sound and a radio signal would make hearing and deaf athletes wearing the product aware of the change in game play.

Through testing, I have decided to move ahead with an earpiece design. I will attempt to explain my reasoning: The head or ear in this case is a part of the human body that we take great care in protecting. The ear in particular was chosen due to the fact that a tactile stimulus to this area is usually very foreign and easily noticed. Using a wrist or arm band to deliver the stimuli, on the other hand, may not be as effective as the signal may be confused with other physical contact during high contact sports such as basketball, soccer, football, or wrestling.


Thanks for the replies and input! I hope to hear more from you all.

-mike
 
I was a kid, I wore my hearing aids all the time includes activities. One time, I got dress changed and went in for swimming. The lifeguard noticed my hearing aids on through I did not feel I had them on. She called me and told me my hearing aids wore on. I touched my hearing aids and took it off. :Oops: I was embrassed by that . I prefers no hearing aids in sports or activity (it depends on what activity).
 
i wonder if you could create a warning system for skiers...I have been run into on the slopes at least once, b/c I didn't hear someone warn me that they were going downhill....I'm usually pretty careful, but still......
 
idresearch said:
This is the idea...provide an inexpensive, water resistant alternative to hearing aids.


The purpose of the product would be just that. A whistle emiting both audible sound and a radio signal would make hearing and deaf athletes wearing the product aware of the change in game play.

Through testing, I have decided to move ahead with an earpiece design. I will attempt to explain my reasoning: The head or ear in this case is a part of the human body that we take great care in protecting. The ear in particular was chosen due to the fact that a tactile stimulus to this area is usually very foreign and easily noticed. Using a wrist or arm band to deliver the stimuli, on the other hand, may not be as effective as the signal may be confused with other physical contact during high contact sports such as basketball, soccer, football, or wrestling.


Thanks for the replies and input! I hope to hear more from you all.

-mike
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My husband does wear his "dolphin" hearing aids when he is involved in any sports, and he sweats like crazy. They are water resistant aids. The only time he doesn't wear them when he goes swimming.
 
i wonder if you could create a warning system for skiers...I have been run into on the slopes at least once, b/c I didn't hear someone warn me that they were going downhill....I'm usually pretty careful, but still......
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heh, this is a problem for all skiers, hearing and deaf alike. Hearing is not the issue, reckless skiers are.


I appreciate the input everyone. If this product were on the market, from a deaf persons perspective, would it be accpted by hearing impaired sports teams? Keep in mind, this has nothing to do with hearing aids, it is merely a means to make athletes aware of changes in game play (start, stop, foul, goal, time out, penalty, etc.)
 
Well I don't wear hearing aids because it don't help me at all. I quit wear them when I was pretty young around 14 to 15 years old.

When I was young, I took my hearing aids off before play any sports because of sweaty. Sweaty can cause damage or something like that so I don't wear it during play sports.
 
I never take off hearing aids all my life in sports except only in swimming. I was athlete in H.S. & capt. of variety team; also, Olympic Game of the Deaf.
 
I skateboard and always wear my aid,it falls off my ear in only the most extreme falls i take but otherwise it's cool.I also have a cochlear implant but never wear the speech processor skating though
 
I see people all the time wearing HA or CI's when they are playing sports. Quite a few basketball players and a few softball/baseball players. I never relaly noticed if their was any during football season because of the helmet!
 
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