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The Villages
Friday, March 29, 2024

Audiologist has plans to ‘Loop’ The Villages for hearing impaired

Dr. Danielle Rosier
Dr. Danielle Rosier

Taking part in the official Sumter County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on Thursday for the bright new Brownwood HEAR USA store was a happy milestone for audiologist, Dr. Danielle Rosier, who will base her clinical practice there to benefit people with hearing loss. But together with her support staff, Kelly and Karen, she was already up and running — seeing patients.

“My goal is to improve my patients’ quality of life — and I’ve seen first hand many times how much happier people can be when improved hearing helps them reconnect with family and friends. They can lead a fuller life. We can, of course, dispense quality hearing aids to fit each person’s individual needs — but I’m not here just to sell hearing aids,” Rosier said. “We want to ‘Loop The Villages.'”

‘Looping’ is not a widely known term. Installation of ‘looping’ technology has been required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for all large public facilities built since 2012.

An Induction Loop System is a literal wire which is run around a room or auditorium, and connects to the public address system. Even if you are in the back row, and you activate the T-coil setting on most hearing aids, you will hear the person at the microphone as clearly as if they were right next to you.

The T-coil serves as an antenna, which transmits desired sound directly to a hearing aid, improving sound quality and clarity. The technology works in cars, on chairs and even around one’s neck. Outside interference is virtually eliminated, because the sound bypasses echos and room noise. Other methods for improving hearing loss include cochlear implants and bluetooth streamer devices.

The three theater complexes in The Villages  — The Rialto Theater on Spanish Springs, the Old Mill Playhouse at Lake Sumter Landing and the Barnstorm Theater at Brownwood — have FM transmission and closed captioning available. The Savannah Center’s Scarlett O’Hara Theater and the newer recreation centers in The Villages are all wired for FM transmission. Special areas in the new Publix market at Colony Plaza; the Sun Trust Bank in Wildwood, Lady Lake Town Hall’s Community Chamber and some area churches have been looped — and it is Dr. Rosier’s goal to work with local leaders to vastly enlarge this list.

The new HEAR USA location in Brownwood in The Villages.
The new HEAR USA location in Brownwood in The Villages.

Dr. Rosier is a board member of the Hearing Loss Association of America’s Central Florida Chapter, whose mission is to advocate for people with hearing loss. The HLAA-FL meets the first Tuesday of each month (except June, July and August) at 1:00 P.M., at the Churchill Street Recreation Center, 2375 Churchill Downs, in The Villages.

The  Triple Crown Room at the Churchill Street Recreation Center is looped for hearing assistance. Through their support group meetings, people with hearing problems can make new friends and learn how to better cope with their hearing loss. Participants can share experiences, hear about new technologies and listen to speakers who are experts in the field,

“This is not just a business,” Muriel Raines, a HLAA-FL board member and a Lady Lake resident, said of Dr. Rosier’s HEAR USA endeavor. “Dr. Danielle is here to educate, advocate and provide support services for people with hearing problems.”

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 11:30  p.m., HEAR USA in Brownwood, located at 3618 Kiessel Road, will hold an open house where interested parties can meet Dr. Rosier and her staff, and ask questions. It is a corner store about one block from Brownwood Paddock Square —  next to Village Cycles and near Cal’s Barber Shop,

Originally from Ocala, Dr. Rosier is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Florida in communication sciences and disorders and received her doctorate in audiology in 2012. She recently moved from Sarasota to The Villages to be near family, and was the recipient of the Thomas B. Abbot Excellence in Audiology Award in 2012.

For more information, contact Jan Sharp — fjsharp@me.com; Andy Finlayson — abf1144@yahoo.com; Muriel Raine — murhlaacntrfl@aol.com or Janis Ward — janisward2@gmail.com. The Hearing Loss Association of America website is www.hearingloss.org.

Dr. Danielle Rosier and Muriel Raines are both board members of the Hearing Loss Associaton of America -- Central Florida Chapter -- a non-profit patient advocacy group.
Dr. Danielle Rosier and Muriel Raines are board members of the Hearing Loss Associaton of America — Central Florida Chapter — a non-profit patient advocacy group.

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