Department opens new audiology lab to public

By Melissa Tav
The Collegian

Listen up Central Valley: for people who suffer from hearing disorders, there is a new state-of-the-art audiology lab on the Fresno State campus that will cater to the needs of the hard of hearing.

The Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Studies at Fresno State opened its doors to a brand new audiology lab early this year.

The new lab, which boasts high-tech equipment and facility upgrades, is not just limited to Fresno State students. It is also open and readily available to members of the public.

Starting now, members of the public, from adults to children as young as 3, can take advantage of the free comprehensive hearing evaluations that are being offered. According to The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 28 million Americans suffer from mild loss to total loss of hearing.

In addition hearinglossca.org states that one out of 10 people in the United States suffers from some kind of hearing loss, and hearing loss is right up there with high blood pressure and heart disease as one of the most common physical conditions facing Americans today.

The lab will serve community members who are uninsured, underinsured or would just like a second opinion.

An added benefit of the lab is that it will give graduate students who are studying speech pathology and deaf education a chance to hone their newfound skills by working with real patients using the latest diagnostic technology.

Students work under the direction of Cynthia Cavazos, the clinical supervisor of the lab, as well as faculty in the department of communicative disorders and deaf studies.

Cavazos said the new lab enables students to learn through first-hand experience about hearing disorders and their treatment.

“With this new diagnostic equipment, our students now will be able to gain experience in specialty areas that were not previously available,” Cavazos said in a Fresno State News release. “In turn, we will be able to provide a wider array of audiological services to the community.”

The Fresno State audiology lab, located in the Psychology and Human Services building, is one of two clinics available in the Central Valley. The other clinic is located at Children’s Hospital Central California.

Funding for the new lab is provided by the College of Health and Human Services.

To make an appointment for free comprehensive hearing evaluations, call Lynn Campbell at 278-2422.

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