Conference and opening of the AV clinic at Eikholt

Published September 22, 2015

The development of the AV clinic started when Bente Ørbeck, a former employee of ours, conducted a study at NTNU. The project was completed in 2012 and is entitled: The influence of vision loss on hearing.

Vision has an impact on hearing, and research shows that when both visual and hearing impairments occur together, they reinforce each other and vision indirectly affects hearing.

People with combined visual and hearing impairments feel frustrated and insecure about not being met with a holistic understanding where hearing and vision are seen in context. A lack of holistic understanding increases the risk of unsatisfactory rehabilitation and sub-optimal fitting of visual and hearing aids. The consequences of their lack of mastery in communication can be serious and lead to absence of participation in social activities and isolation.

We hear by also using our eyes and we see by also using our ears. The clinic is already in use for assessment: -of people with congenital vision and hearing problems and of people with acquired vision and hearing problems. In addition, we have had assessment under observation - with an observing team in a neighbouring room. The AV clinic has been established with support from Helse Nord RHF, the Coordination Unit for NKDB-Lydia and the Harald Lyckes Fund and Suppliers of equipment

As a national competence service in the specialist health service, we will focus on:-Competence building - research and professional development-Dissemination of knowledge and expertise. The AV clinic will be an important addition to our efforts to build up and disseminate expertise rooted in clinical activities. It is an important tool for all the units that make up the National Advisory Service on Deafblindness. And, not least, it strengthens the services we offer to users. Several users have already benefited from the programme and can confirm that it meets a great need.

On this day, we had the pleasure of a visit from the county governor of Buskerud, Helen Bjørnøy, who made the formal opening.