Staff Report
The second Brandon Healthy Hearing Expo will offer unprecedented consumer opportunity to try and compare advanced hearing technologies, including innovative new ‘wearables’.
The Expo will take place on Saturday, February 3 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Brandon at 121 Carver Ave.
Edward Ogiba, Chair of the Healthy Hearing Expo and HLAA Tampa Bay Advisory Board said, “The Healthy Hearing Expo offers consumers an unprecedented opportunity to try and compare a wide variety of the leading hearing aids and all sorts of other advanced hearing technology in risk–free, highly supportive environment. In the marketplace you cannot try hearing aids without first buying them, making comparison shopping impossible. At our once-a-year clinic, everything is free from admission to product trials, to consultations from hearing professionals who will educate you and answer your questions and not try to sell you a thing.”
You can check out the latest hearing aid technology, as well as learn about a wide array of wireless accessories, cochlear implants, and assistive listening devices. Some 40 exhibitors will make this the largest consumer hearing health event in the Tampa Bay area. The Healthy Hearing Expo will host some key firsts in Florida.
Attendees will have opportunity to try and compare a wide variety of hearing aids from the leading manufacturers. Consumers currently cannot try a hearing aid without first purchasing it, negating any chance to compare performances.
Audiologists will conduct hearing screenings and consultations to guide attendees on which hearing aid models are best suited for their needs and merit comparing in their trials.
San Francisco based NeoSensory, Inc., a developer of sensory substitution wearable products for individuals, will make its first East Coast appearance, allowing attendees to test the new ‘wearable’ vest and wrist devices that enable the user to hear through skin conduction. The company, which is on the cutting edge of neuroscience, claims these products offer the functionality of a cochlear implant, without the need for surgery, at a fraction of the cost. Consumers can also explore a wide range of wireless accessories that connect hearing aids directly to mobile phones, TVs, and someone’s voice across the table in a noisy restaurant and deliver added clarity and speech understanding.
Numerous support groups for hard-of-hearing and deaf people and their families will be available, as well as resources who provide financial assistance to those who cannot afford hearing aids.
There are 260,000 people with hearing loss in Hillsborough County and 86% do not seek the treatment that could improve their quality of life largely because they feel pressured or overwhelmed when exploring solutions. The Healthy Hearing Expo is sales-free zone structured to provide the added mentoring, guidance and support many need to freely and fully understand options.
Attendees wishing to try hearing aids at the expo can get pre-event guidance on how to eliminate the line for a hearing screenings by contacting HLAAhelp@gmail.com or 941-706- 4312.
