The study investigated the effects of six telephone conditions on discrimination in 19 hearing impaired adults. No significant differences were found among the unaided, acoustically coupled, and magnetically coupled listening modes. Ss understood words significantly better using an amplifier handset, regardless of listening mode. (Author/CL)

The bibliography containing more than 2,000 references on tactile aids was prepared as a resource guide for teachers and clinicians who must make informed decisions about the relative benefits of tactile aids for hearing-impaired individuals. (Author/CL)

The effects of cochlear implants, devices to stimulate hearing, on speech discrimination, lipreading, and auditory contact are reviewed. This review highlights unresolved questions and considers the potential risks and benefits. It is suggested that future development of the cochlear implant should include educators of deaf children. (Author/CL)

Systematic instruction in reading music with the Optacon was given to seven blind Optacon users (10-24 years old) with musical training. (Author/SW)

This article presents a survey of the demographical, educational and visual functional characteristics of children attending a specialist paediatric low-vision assessment clinic at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. Comprehensive data were collected retrospectively from children attending the paediatric low-vision clinic between January 2003 and…

A vibrotactile N-back task was used to generate cognitive load while participants were guided along virtual paths without vision. As participants stepped in place, they moved along a virtual path of linear segments. Information was provided en route about the direction of the next turning point, by spatial language ("left," "right," or "straight")…

The study assessed the effects of near-verbatim captioning versus edited captioning on a comprehension task performed by 15 children, ages 7-11 years, who were deaf or hard of hearing. The children's animated television series "Arthur" was chosen as the content for the study. The researchers began the data collection procedure by asking…

Article detailed the efforts of Recording for the Blind, Inc., a voluntary organization that supplies growing numbers of blind students, free of charge, with accurate tape recordings of any textbooks their studies require. (Author/RK)

The guide updates one section of a previously written manual on speech software for blind and visually impaired persons. The guide presents reviews of 14 specific commercially available software programs. Software is critiqued for IBM (Enhanced PC Talking Program, Soft Vert, Screen-Talk Pro, Artic Vision, Freedom 1, and Prompt-Writer), Apple…

The Hearing Aid Malfunction Detection Unit is a miniature, add-on device which performs a check of hearing aid operation about every half hour, and which indicates malfunction by means of a highly visible, electrically tripped indicator. (Author/SBH)

A blind infant used the Canterbury Child's Aid (a binaural spatial sensor) for such purposes as reaching, feeding, and walking. As a preschooler, she used it to explore novel environments and avoid objects in her path. Training increased her responsiveness to and action upon the environment. (CL)

An evaluation of five voice calculators now on the market--the Canon SP-1260-D, Panasonic JE-165OU and JE-72OU, Sharp EL-620, and Speech Plus--by 20 legally blind adults indicated that most can easily by used by visually handicapped people. Descriptive information is given. (Author/MC)

The article discusses the design, application, and clinical uses of press-on optics which are descirbed as 1 millimeter thick, flexible lenses or prisms that may be produced in virtually any desired plus or minus dioptric power as ophthalmic lenses, or in any range of usable prism diopter power. (GW)