Auburn University's Speech and Hearing Clinic will host its annual hearing aid open house July 14-16.
"The appointments will last about an hour," said Jennifer Thomas, a doctor of audiology student. "We will look at the movement of their eardrums and do a hearing evaluation, and from there we will choose a level of technology to demo on them to determine whether they would like to purchase a hearing aid."
The open house is being put on by first-year Doctor of Audiology students from the class of 2013.
Two clinical supervisors, Dr. Martha Wilder Wilson and Dr. Sandra Clark-Lewis, will also be present.
The open house is available to all adults who are experiencing hearing loss and need assistance, and all services are done free of charge, Thomas said.
"It's not for people who just want their hearing checked. It's for people who are really experiencing hearing loss and need some help," Clark-Lewis said
The clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
"We have time slots for all day Wednesday, Thursday afternoon, and all day Friday," Clark-Lewis said. "Most of them are full so it's already successful, which is great."
Patients of the clinic with hearing aid devices that are five years or older received the first time slots, Thomas said.
Clark-Lewis said she hopes to reach out to people who are gradually experiencing hearing loss and may not see it as a serious problem yet.
"We want people that are experiencing hearing difficulties and feel like they really want to feel better and need help in those areas," Clark-Lewis said.
Each year the clinic partners with a hearing aid company to introduce new technologies, and this year that company is Oticon.
"One of the exciting things is that Oticon has really been a forerunner in pairing hearing devices with current technology," Clark-Lewis said.
This new technology allows people to connect their hearing devices to cell phones, televisions and anything that is Bluetooth compatible, Thomas said.
"People can hear directly through their hearing aid, which is something that's never been done before," Thomas said.
Thomas said they hope to reach out to the community and showcase these new technological advances.
"I think it's very exciting technology, and it's also very useful," said Kristin Shockey, a doctor of audiology student from the class of 2013.
The clinic is located on the first floor of the Haley Center.
Clark-Lewis said many people don't know about the clinic, and they hope to make more people aware of the clinic, as well as the services offered.
"We've been part of this campus for over 60 years, but there are still people who don't even know we're here," Clark-Lewis said.
To make an appointment for the open house or to receive more information about the services provided, call the Speech and Hearing Clinic at 334-844-9600.
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