[NFB-DB] New hearing aids

Fri Mar 6 00:20:15 UTC 2026

I use Belltone and have no problem with voiceover
Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 5, 2026, at 6:18 PM, Colleen McFadden via NFB-DB <nfb-db at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Hello again.  My audiologist contacted 3 manufacturers and has informed me that the hearing aids are not made that way anymore.  They are constantly connected.  She programmed a different pair of hearing aids for me and I am still having the same problems.  So there isn't anything wrong with the hearing aids.  Are there any hearing aids that work better with voiceover or is it just hit or miss? Thanks.
Colleen

On Mon, Mar 2, 2026 at 12:48 PM Mosen, Jonathan via NFB-DB <nfb-db at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-db at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
Hi Colleen, it can be confusing because that’s correct, Made for iPhone hearing aids don’t show up with all the standard Bluetooth devices. They use a proprietary protocol which is based on the Bluetooth low energy specification.
The important thing about that for the problem you’re having is that when wireless radios are on, they’ll drain battery faster, so hearing aid manufacturers tend to be quite aggressive about how quickly they switch off.
For someone who is not blind and not using VoiceOver, this is no big deal at all. The hearing aid wakes up for a phone call, or music, or a podcast or whatever, then goes to sleep quite quickly after. But for VoiceOver, where the phone will speak, pause and then want to speak again when you next touch the screen, it’s a problem because there is a bit of a delay between when you ask VoiceOver to speak, and when the connection wakes up.
If this is adjustable, it will be in the fitting software your audiologist has access to for the hearing aids and it would be good for her to ask the manufacturer. Essentially, what she needs to find out is whether she can configure how long the wireless radio stays active after the phone stops streaming to them. If she can extend this time, it won’t solve the problem, but it will happen less.
There is a workaround, but it will drain your battery quite a bit. iOS has sounds that you can play for people who experience tinnitus. You can tell the phone to play these sounds, then turn the sound completely down. This will keep the hearing aid awake and VoiceOver will always be responsive. But you would want to monitor the impact this has on battery life very carefully because it might deplete it unacceptably.
I don’t know whether you are still evaluating these aids, but if so, you want to ensure you have the best possible option for your needs, and it may be that these ones simply aren’t it.
Best of luck.

Jonathan Mosen
Executive Director for Accessibility Excellence
National Federation of the Blind
410-659-9314 ex 2233
jmosen at nfb.org<mailto:jmosen at nfb.org>

Reminder: Attend National Convention<https://nfb.org/convention>, July 3-8, 2026, in Austin, Texas.
“It’s the time of year where blind people are the majority.”
<https://nfb.org/>
<image001.jpg>

From: NFB-DB <nfb-db-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-db-bounces at nfbnet.org>> On Behalf Of Colleen McFadden via NFB-DB
Sent: Monday, March 2, 2026 2:11 PM
To: NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List <nfb-db at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-db at nfbnet.org>>
Cc: Colleen McFadden <cllnmcfddn at gmail.com<mailto:cllnmcfddn at gmail.com>>
Subject: Re: [NFB-DB] New hearing aids

The audiologist (Rebecca) says that the hearing aid is not a bluetooth device and is an Apple product under hearing aid devices.  She has no clue on how to adjust the bluetooth connection. She had me go into settings, display and brightness, and turn audiolock to never but of course, that didn't work .   This is the first time Rebecca has worked with a blind person using voiceover. I really appreciate your help.
Colleen

On Sun, Mar 1, 2026 at 5:36 PM Mosen, Jonathan via NFB-DB <nfb-db at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-db at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
Yes I suspected that's what would be happening. What's going on is that the Bluetooth connection is going to sleep to save battery in the hearing aid. You may be able to have the audiologist adjust it but it's possible that that is the default behavior and it's the only option. If that's the case there are workarounds but it would be worth checking with the audiologist and explaining about the Bluetooth connection hibernating too quickly to see if they can fix it at their end.
Jonathan

On Mar 1, 2026, at 6:37 PM, Colleen McFadden via NFB-DB <nfb-db at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-db at nfbnet.org>> wrote:

Hello, It seems to be working better today but I would say it happens just before voiceover speaks.  I have noticed today that when I press the up or down button or the on/off button, I get that clicking sound in my right hearing aid.  I am wondering if there is a connection problem because when I went in the last time, there was a problem with pairing my hearing aids and the woman noticed there was a loose wire in my right hearing aid.  Now that I said this, I will get that loud clicking sound in my left ear.  LOL

On Sun, Mar 1, 2026 at 2:00 PM Mosen, Jonathan via NFB-DB <nfb-db at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-db at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
Hi Colleen, does this happen in the middle of VoiceOver speaking, or does it happen when you haven’t touched the phone for a while and VoiceOver is just starting to talk?

Jonathan Mosen
Executive Director for Accessibility Excellence
National Federation of the Blind
410-659-9314 ex 2233
jmosen at nfb.org<mailto:jmosen at nfb.org>

Reminder: Attend National Convention<https://nfb.org/convention>, July 3-8, 2026, in Austin, Texas.
“It’s the time of year where blind people are the majority.”
<image001.jpg>

From: NFB-DB <nfb-db-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-db-bounces at nfbnet.org>> On Behalf Of Colleen McFadden via NFB-DB
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2026 9:48 PM
To: nfb-db at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Colleen McFadden <cllnmcfddn at gmail.com<mailto:cllnmcfddn at gmail.com>>
Subject: [NFB-DB] New hearing aids

Hello,

I recently bought hearing aids (Resound Vivia 9 60S-R)
That are paired under hearing aid devices and are connected to my IPhone.  The problem with my hearing aids is that when I am using my IPhone I hear a clicking sound in my left ear only and sometimes in my right ear only or both.  It doesn’t matter what I’m doing but it is inconsistent and very irritating especially when I can’t hear voiceover.     It happens when I push a button, move around the screen or just tap on an ap; it is sporadic.  The audiologist believes that the problem is not with the hearing aids but with voiceover.  Has anyone had this happen and is there anything I can do to resolve this problem in my settings?  I'd appreciate any help you can give me. Thank you.

Colleen McFadden
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