Post by Brooke on Feb 18, 2004 21:24:16 GMT -5
Hearing-ear dog
Retriever's floppy ears help woman with hearing loss
Dave Hoffman
Reporter staff writer 02/15/2004
Melanie Riordan's new dog tells her when someone knocks on the door, calls her name, or needs her attention.
Noah II, a two year old Labrador/Golden Retriever, is a hearing dog, an assistant for deaf adults.
Riordan, 33, has been deaf in one ear since she had a tumor removed in 1989. She has 40 percent hearing in her left ear, and risks losing the hearing there completely if the tumor returns.
"I'm not completely deaf," said Riordan, "but because my hearing is gone in one ear, I can't tell sound direction at all. So it you're calling my name, across the street or right behind me, I won't be able to tell what direction it's coming from."
Riordan has lived in Jersey City since 1996 with her husband Patrick. She got Noah on Jan. 23 from Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), a donor-funded, non-profit agency that trains and provides assistance dogs. Other types of service dogs include seeing-eye dogs and dogs trained to turn light switches, open cabinets, or pick up keys for people who are unable to do it themselves.
Before coming across CCI during an internet search, Riordan tried other options. One thing she came across was a $5,000 cross hearing aid.
"It's a hearing aid in your bad ear, and when someone talks to you, it will vibrate on the bone and carry it over," said Riordan.
She found that the device didn't work well.
"A few other people I know who have it have the same problem," she said.
Riordan lives with her husband. She said her family has learned how to make sure they are communicating correctly with her.
"My family will make sure they have eye contact with me," she said. "They understand that they need to be sitting on my left side."
Noah helps to fill in the gaps.
"If someone is calling my name, he'll come and get me," said Riordan.
When Noah approaches, she says "What?" and makes a hand signal, which tells Noah to show Riordan where the sound came from.
"He does that even with a doorbell or a door knock," said Riordan. "He'll hear a noise, go to see what it is, and then bring me back. The telephone, I don't have a problem [with] because we have a cordless phone and I always have it with me."
Noah also helps Riordan with her balance, which was affected by the tumor.
"Because of the tumor, they had to cut the balance nerve, so I have no balance on the right side," said Riordan. "That's really hard, because I have no sense of falling, so I'll have no idea that I'm falling before it starts."
Noah has provided support over the last few weeks when Riordan was walking on ice, by acting as a brace for her when she lost balance and providing something to lean on, especially on stairs, Riordan said.
An understanding gap
One of the unexpected challenges that Riordan has learned to handle is establishments that don't allow her to bring Noah in. Some owners are unaware of hearing dogs, and others are skeptical, since she can hear in one ear. "Sometimes, I'll call ahead of time, especially a restaurant," said Riordan. "It's mainly the small mom-and-pop stores. I can call CCI or the cops, but when I speak to the managers, they understand."
Riordan is trained as a Certified Network Engineer (CME) for Novell, and worked as a network administrator in New York City. She had to quit her job due to migraines from the surgery and difficulty with the commute due to her hearing loss.
"Going back and forth from work was hard because of being deaf with all the people around," she said. "Also the crowds in the PATH caused migraines."
It was also difficult to interact with her co-workers, due to their lack of understanding of her condition.
"My coworkers would think I was ignoring them," she said. "If they walked into the room and I was on the phone with my good ear, I wouldn't know they were there, or anything they said. It was just one of a few things we disability people have to work with."
Application and training process
Noah was raised from puppyhood by a specially trained handler in New York City. Hearing dogs get trained for 16 months on basic commands like stay, down, up, visit (put his head in your lap), lap (put both paws in your lap), and give (how to give a toy back).
Noah wears a vest telling him when he is on duty. When Riordan takes the vest off and says release, he knows it is play mode. When she needs him again, she says "come" and he comes over and sits down until he is released again.
Riordan was on a waiting list for two and a half years before receiving the dog. To qualify, she had to write an autobiography and complete a phone interview. She also needed to provide signed paperwork from her doctor, and complete a hearing test.
After an in person interview in New York, she flew to Santa Rosa California for a two-week training program, where she became acquainted with her helper, and learned how to interact.
"You aren't guaranteed a dog," Riordan said. "They have to make sure the dog works [well] with you."
Riordan pays for the dog's food and other expenses, and provides a monthly report to CGI as to his welfare.
Retriever's floppy ears help woman with hearing loss
Dave Hoffman
Reporter staff writer 02/15/2004
Melanie Riordan's new dog tells her when someone knocks on the door, calls her name, or needs her attention.
Noah II, a two year old Labrador/Golden Retriever, is a hearing dog, an assistant for deaf adults.
Riordan, 33, has been deaf in one ear since she had a tumor removed in 1989. She has 40 percent hearing in her left ear, and risks losing the hearing there completely if the tumor returns.
"I'm not completely deaf," said Riordan, "but because my hearing is gone in one ear, I can't tell sound direction at all. So it you're calling my name, across the street or right behind me, I won't be able to tell what direction it's coming from."
Riordan has lived in Jersey City since 1996 with her husband Patrick. She got Noah on Jan. 23 from Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), a donor-funded, non-profit agency that trains and provides assistance dogs. Other types of service dogs include seeing-eye dogs and dogs trained to turn light switches, open cabinets, or pick up keys for people who are unable to do it themselves.
Before coming across CCI during an internet search, Riordan tried other options. One thing she came across was a $5,000 cross hearing aid.
"It's a hearing aid in your bad ear, and when someone talks to you, it will vibrate on the bone and carry it over," said Riordan.
She found that the device didn't work well.
"A few other people I know who have it have the same problem," she said.
Riordan lives with her husband. She said her family has learned how to make sure they are communicating correctly with her.
"My family will make sure they have eye contact with me," she said. "They understand that they need to be sitting on my left side."
Noah helps to fill in the gaps.
"If someone is calling my name, he'll come and get me," said Riordan.
When Noah approaches, she says "What?" and makes a hand signal, which tells Noah to show Riordan where the sound came from.
"He does that even with a doorbell or a door knock," said Riordan. "He'll hear a noise, go to see what it is, and then bring me back. The telephone, I don't have a problem [with] because we have a cordless phone and I always have it with me."
Noah also helps Riordan with her balance, which was affected by the tumor.
"Because of the tumor, they had to cut the balance nerve, so I have no balance on the right side," said Riordan. "That's really hard, because I have no sense of falling, so I'll have no idea that I'm falling before it starts."
Noah has provided support over the last few weeks when Riordan was walking on ice, by acting as a brace for her when she lost balance and providing something to lean on, especially on stairs, Riordan said.
An understanding gap
One of the unexpected challenges that Riordan has learned to handle is establishments that don't allow her to bring Noah in. Some owners are unaware of hearing dogs, and others are skeptical, since she can hear in one ear. "Sometimes, I'll call ahead of time, especially a restaurant," said Riordan. "It's mainly the small mom-and-pop stores. I can call CCI or the cops, but when I speak to the managers, they understand."
Riordan is trained as a Certified Network Engineer (CME) for Novell, and worked as a network administrator in New York City. She had to quit her job due to migraines from the surgery and difficulty with the commute due to her hearing loss.
"Going back and forth from work was hard because of being deaf with all the people around," she said. "Also the crowds in the PATH caused migraines."
It was also difficult to interact with her co-workers, due to their lack of understanding of her condition.
"My coworkers would think I was ignoring them," she said. "If they walked into the room and I was on the phone with my good ear, I wouldn't know they were there, or anything they said. It was just one of a few things we disability people have to work with."
Application and training process
Noah was raised from puppyhood by a specially trained handler in New York City. Hearing dogs get trained for 16 months on basic commands like stay, down, up, visit (put his head in your lap), lap (put both paws in your lap), and give (how to give a toy back).
Noah wears a vest telling him when he is on duty. When Riordan takes the vest off and says release, he knows it is play mode. When she needs him again, she says "come" and he comes over and sits down until he is released again.
Riordan was on a waiting list for two and a half years before receiving the dog. To qualify, she had to write an autobiography and complete a phone interview. She also needed to provide signed paperwork from her doctor, and complete a hearing test.
After an in person interview in New York, she flew to Santa Rosa California for a two-week training program, where she became acquainted with her helper, and learned how to interact.
"You aren't guaranteed a dog," Riordan said. "They have to make sure the dog works [well] with you."
Riordan pays for the dog's food and other expenses, and provides a monthly report to CGI as to his welfare.