HEARING AID SALES

Press, Volume C, Issue 29498, 27 April 1961, Page 11

HEARING AID SALES

Difficulties For Deaf "Since commencing our investigations we have been acutely conscious of the dif Acuity posed to the deaf in selecting a suitable hearing equally varied range of prices at which they are qffibfeft fog sale," says an interim ' report on the services Tor the deaf committee of file. Board of Health. —Sthde IKS. ISO types of heating ' aids have been approved, aa warranting the payment of a subsidy of £IX imd there are others that do wot- attract this benefit under the social security scheme. “The confusion of the deaf engendered by this wealth of hearing aid* is aggravated by thequestionable methods of <arta:n agents of the commercial firms selling them. “We have too much evidence of the deaf being sold expensive ' but unsuitable hearing aids. •'The project of producing, under Government auspices, a hearing aid of similar quality to that designed by the Australian .Commonwealth Acoustic Laboratories for issue to children and war veterans, is one which needs facilities which are now non-existent. “The committee does not intend at this stage to propose that such a service be established, but it is worth recording that other countries besides Australia have found it necessary to institute a Government-sponsored hearing aid service, and a similar service should logically grow from the establishment of an audiology centre.”