The official website for Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (Australia) Inc.

Hearing Aid Bank
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____________________________

Contact us

By mail at:
Hillview Community Health Centre
1334 Pacific Highway
Turramurra    NSW    2074

By email at:
shhh@netspace.net.au

By phone and TTY:
(02) 9144 7586

By fax:
(02) 9144 3936

What is the Hearing Aid Bank?

Hearing aids are costly, and eligibility for free government issued aids is limited to children and certain pensioners.

In 1988 SHHH, in conjunction with Macquarie University, established a Hearing Aid Bank, whereby eligible needy people who are not able to receive free hearing aids from the Commonwealth Government can be fitted with recycled hearing aids.  The hearing aids are tested by Macquarie University and fitted by Diploma in Audiology postgraduate students working under the supervision of qualified and experienced audiologists.

Clients are required to contribute $137 towards the costs of making a personal ear-mould before final fitting.

The SHHH Hearing Aid Bank cannot work without the donation of unwanted, pre-used hearing aids.  These must be commercially purchased behind-the-ear type aids.  Unfortunately, in-the-ear or canal type hearing aids, where the aid is enclosed, are not suitable for recycling.

If you have a suitable hearing aid, please help by sending it to the SHHH Head Office address.  Someone will thank you for restoring their gift of hearing.

Further information can be obtained from SHHH.

 

The Story of the Hearing Aid Bank
With many visitors coming into our Turramurra Information Centre for hearing help, many were voicing that they were unable to afford hearing aids. The need became apparent to establish a facility where needy people had the opportunity to obtain second hand hearing aids for a nominal fee.

There was little doubt that unwanted second hand aids would become available if the need was made known, but there were questions of obtaining costly hearing aid testing equipment, and who would do the testing of client’s hearing and the fitting of the aids.

Bill Taylor, a long standing volunteer at our Turramurra Information Centre, began investigating the feasibility of establishing a hearing aid bank in 1986. Whilst the idea was gaining ground, the major obstacle it was facing was that SHHH Australia Inc didn’t have the personnel or facilities to test or fit the aids.

Philip Newell, then senior lecturer in Audiology  (and now professor of Linguistics) at Macquarie University offered help by way of proposing that up to 20 clients a year could be fitted by Diploma in Audiology post graduate students, working under the supervision of qualified and experienced audiologists, if SHHH Australia Inc provided the hearing aids.

A formal application was then made to Professor Di Yerbury, vice chancellor of Macquarie University seeking the University’s cooperation in the project. Professor Yerbury’s response in part read:

“The University is delighted to be participating in the offering of a community service not available elsewhere in NSW and we look forward to further contact with you as the scheme progresses”.

The first hearing aid was fitted under the scheme in November 1988.

The operational side of the Hearing Aid Bank includes the following:

  • Collecting unwanted second hand aids
  • Processing application forms/eligibility (low income earners/health care card holders)
  • Dispatching aids from SHHH Australia Inc to Macquarie University
  • Testing and determining the characteristics of the hearing aids at Macquarie University
  • Testing clients hearing by audiologists
  • Fitting the aid and advising its use and maintenance

Pauline Reidy 

31 October 2007