CDC kindergarten class visiting the Giving Tree at the CARES Center

It began with “One.” “One” is a children’s book by Kathryn Otoshi that Charlie, a student at Kent State’s Child Development Center, read with his parents. His mother taught at the center. The book uses colors and numbers as characters and deals with issues of bullying, standing up for one’s self, the power of numbers and the power of “one.” Charlie and Sarah Knapp, a Kent State alumna and kindergarten teacher at Kent State's Child Development Center Inspired by this book, Charlie and his parents visited the Kent State’s CARES Center (Crisis Advocacy Resources Education Support) an...

Aliyah C. Tipton banner

“Me: what if I don’t have what it takes? God: you don’t have to, because I do.” This is the quote Aliyah C. Tipton sees every time she opens her phone. Tipton said her educational and career journeys from Michigan to Mississippi to Ohio have been heavily influenced by God.   Tipton has gone from student to employee to founder and owner of her own communication agency in just a few years.   Currently, Tipton serves as assistant director, communications in the Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at Kent State University. She also just founded her own boutique pubic...

Digital

Digital hearing aids utilize digital signal processing (DSP) chips, which became available in 1982. Experimental body-worn digital hearing aids were developed soon after.

Electric Carbon

These are based on the telephone principle; however, Alexander Graham Bell had nothing to do directly with their development. These appeared first in limited quantities in a table model about 1899, but in wearable and practical instruments beginning only in 1902. Carbon aids were popular through the 1940's. Most of these used a rather large 3-volt or 6-volt battery but did not have enough power to assist those with more than a moderate hearing loss.

A.) Microphone
B.) Headset
C.) Battery

Electric Vacuum Tube

Unlike the carbon instruments, these had adequate power for severe hearing losses but were also usable by persons with a lesser loss. The first one appeared in 1921, but this type did not become practical until the early 1930's, and did not appear in a wearable version until 1934. Vacuum tube aids required two batteries, so costs were rather high.

A.) Ear Receiver
B.) Microphone/Amplifier
C.) Batteries

Hybrid

Hybrid hearing aids use a combined digital/analog circuitry. The first patent for hybrid technology was received in 1977 and the first commercial release of a digital chip to be integrated in an analog hearing aid occurred in 1986. These hearing aids have greatly increased our flexibility in fitting the hearing-impaired population.

Transistor

These also can be properly called electronic hearing aids. They appeared in a few models in late 1952 and virtually replaced vacuum tube hearing aids by the end of 1953. Transistors need only one battery. Therefore, the reduced size permitted development of a number of types of hearing aids.

1.) CIC (Completely-in-canal)

2.) ITC (In-the-canal)

3.) ITE (In-the-ear)

4.) BTE (Behind-the-ear)

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