not anymore. ♪ fiber one is bringing brownies back. at 90 calories, the only thing between you and chocolaty brownies ♪ new fiber one 90 calorie brownies. in the granola bar aisle. welcome to "beyond the headlines", i'm cheryl jennings have you ever had to ask somebody to repeat something or lean over a little bit? it's happening to millions of people and now we are learning more and more teenagers actually start losing their hearing at a

young age. a report from 2010 confirmed something that has been obvious to hearing experts for years. american teenagers are going deaf at a higher rate than ever before. wayne freedman reported last year it's part social and part environmental. [ bell ringing ] >> we live in a loud world. it's pretty much everywhere all the time and those of us who don't know it must be deaf or headed that way. >> it shows up ultimately but it doesn't show up immediately. >> a dr. of ucsf knows better than most people. a new study shows hearing loss among teenagers has risen in one-third in recent years and we can blame portable music players. >> the sound is so good. that you don't limit the sound based on loudness.

>> for 18-year-old nick ash, it is extreme. they compared kids up to 2006 and most hearing losses occurred at high frequencies. >> i am not going deaf? >> you're sure. >> i'm positive. >> it's more than volume. hearing loss impedes social development. >> it's changing. technology has has influenced how we interact with each other. >> research has showed as people of all ages hear less they tend to listen less drawing in to themselves more. she seize a vicious cycle. >> people don't apt to be social and they have to develop social skills for face to face. >> pp 3 players, people blast

other sounds of their own choosing, it's becoming cloud and clear that we're losing more than peace and quiet. >> is your hearing okay? >> i guess, totally okay. i think it's good. >> are you sure? >> what's that? joining us in the studio is dr. robert sweetow a professor at university have sacramento and even advised the grateful dead rock group. >> i've been around for a while. >> there is new research that one in five kids is losing their hearing. that is stunning. >> it's a high number. 30% higher than studies that were done jaws decade earlier. so it is a little bit stunning. i think we have to get too

terribly alarmed this means that these people are going to become deaf at an older age but what it is showing with all the noise exposure and sound exposure that people are around there is a higher tendency to show hearing loss at an earlier age. >> we talked about the portable music devices. what is the problem with those things? >> the problem with those things is that they sound too good. what happens is, when i was young, i would listen to a transistor radio and i would be able to tune that up to the point where the music would distort. now, the sound never distorts so the tendency is to turn it up higher and higher and if you listen on on over a period of time the combination of the volume and the length of time you are listening is what causes permanent damage to your hearing

>> so they will be losing a little bit but not deaf. how do we stop that? >> one of the main things we tell our patients to do give your ears some rest. number two, get yourself some earphones that black out background noise. we tend to turn the volume up to get it over the background noise. if you are riding on bart and it's noisy on the subway, you keep turning the volume up just trying to overcome the background noise. getting yourself some rest and limiting the volume. if you put the volume at approximately 80% you could listen for about 90 minutes a day safely. if you wear it at 70% or listen at 70% you could wear it four and a half hours a day safely.

>> so there is time limits? >> absolutely, but if turning the volume all the way up, you have five minutes and you could create permanent damage. >> how are you going to know? >> that one is of the problems. you know if you are hurting your eyes when we look into the sun. we don't know that with hearing. it takes place -- you might start off with buzz in your ears. or a little bit of dullness but it tends to recover so it could take 10, 20, 30 years before this really becomes a permanent problem. you don't know. you've got be smart. we've got to recognize that technology today is as wonderful as it is, it is creating some real potential damage for us. >> so the importance -- but what

can kids and parents do to help. >> rest breaks are important. limiting the volume on it. in europe the iphones have an actual intensity limiter on it. in united states we don't have that. with you there is something in the menu of the mp-3 players that parents can limit the volume. give yourself the breaks. getting away from the sound is great countries. >> thanks for being here. >> we do have to take a break. you're going to learn about a recent

welcome back. president obama recently signed a new law for equal access to all forms of information with people of disabilities. they signed the act just this past october after congress passed it. it's meant to provide access to smart phones and digital programming for people with vision and hearing impairment. >> equal access, equal opportunity, freedom to make our lives what we will, living up to these principles is an obligation we have as americans and to one another.

>> now the debate how fast that will be implemented is under way because there is so many new ways we receive video and including the internet. we're going to talk about that in a moment. one issue that is moving forward right now is what is happening on the big screen. there has been a breakthrough for people who are deaf and hearing impaired and want to go movies who can't enjoy the theater experience because they can't hear what is going on the screen. but as don sanchez explains, they are changing that. >> more than a million deaf or hard of hearing people experience it in a theater. >> simulating how they 61 theaters that are installing close captioning. >> i'm so excited. this is just wonderful news. >> she is deaf and hasn't been

able to go to theaters in years. >> i've missed all the movies. >> that will change. >> it's absolutely a major breakthrough. >> they filed suit against cinemark charging discrimination. the company agreed it's time for close captioning and the suit has been dismissed. >> cinemark was very accommodating and willing to work. >> the cost is under $200,000 a theater. >> it -- $2,000 a theater. >> at the same time they will close captioning for deaf and hard of hearing people. >> they will get a device and captioning is transmitted to it. >> they will have it installedey of next year. next up negotiations with amc and regency chains.

it makes sense from a business standpoint. opening up a new market. >> there is a large deaf and hard of hearing community out there that is untapped. that is good news for people. we turned to the debate about screaming video content on the internet. joining me right now is arlene mayerson which is the lead attorney filed against netflix. thank you for being here? >> my pleasure. >> i want to talk about the lawsuit but first for people what streaming content is, can you explain that? >> not to be too technical, it's taking media and allowing it to be shown on the internet. in that process, the matter of delivery is called streaming. >> who are you represent can and why are you suing netflix?

>> my organization is disability rights education and we are organization for disability civil rights. we are representing the national association of the deaf, the massachusetts association of the deaf and individuals in a case that we filed in massachusetts for equal access the watch instantly program. >> would that be movies or all sorts of content? >> watch instantly is a big breakthrough because netflix is so much of the leader just the other day in the news, it reported that six out of every ten movies that are streamed are streamed on netflix. >> so are not satisfied with the progress you are making. i want to read a statement.

the statement is from steve swayze. he said that netflix has had continued to be in dialogue with the deaf and hard of hearing community but he will not provide specific details, progress which is 50% of hours have sub titles available. our goal is 50% by the end of third quarter and 80% by the end of the fourth quarter. so with that timing and the lawsuit going, does that give you hope this is going to change and be better? >> we were aware of that when we filed the lawsuit. it's kind of tripy how to interpreted that statement because netflix is referring to is the cover. it's the top of the curve.

the most popular programming. so if i look at overall titles, everything that netflix offers to other customers get by the program which is over 12 million. you'll see that if you look at all of those, netflix has about one-third at most. >> so are not happy? >> different on that, but the deaf and hard of hearing community is full access. and that is the debate of the lawsuit which is the american disabilities act. it's for equal access. people that are deaf they don't want to have access to a percentage. i am hard of hearing and i have netflix and i have watched instantly and i find a show that i want to watch.

>> what is your hope for the future? >> the hope for the future is that either through the lawsuit or through negotiations with netflix we reach an agreement that the goal will be full access to watch instantly breakthrough programming that netflix has developed. deaf and hard of hearing people will have access like everyone else. >> we do have to take a break. when we come back we're going hear one woman's personal story.

i'm jerry meteorologist entire, music and the ability to hear it is the cornerstone of my life. when my son was born with a hearing loss i didn't know how to handle it. 1.2 million children have hearing loss that can affect them later. with advances in technology have made it possible with children with severe hearing loss. get your children tested. visit the website to learn more. >> welcome back. it's so children from children to seniors to get tested for hearing loss because it dramatically affects lives. here so tell us is raegene castle. had i the pleasure of working with you before.

you have really interesting way to hear and you shall hard of hearing and you have got a microphone here. we'll talk about that in a moment but how did you lose your hearing? >> actually in january of 2000 i contracted meningitis. i was in a coma for ten days and three days i wasn't supposed to live. when i came out of the coma, i couldn't walk or eat. i am deaf in this ear and 80 a% in that ear. >> so you came up with this. what is this called? >> this is packet tracker. along with the hearing aid i am able to hear you clearly and distinctly. >> she has a microphone and aiming a microphone. i bet you get a lot of reaction. >> the last 11 years, i am

hearing channel 7 tonight and this is perfect. >> did this cost anything in how did you get this? >> we have different devices and different companies that sell it. this is 150, this is about 70 and this is 70. >> not bad compared to hearing aids. >> i mow when i called you you had a captioning thing on the phone i was talking too fast but the words are on the screen. >> there is. two there is phone that you do it on the phone and there is sprint and captel. i like the computer because it's larger. >> i notice you give back to the community by showing these devices on a regular basis. where is that done? >> we do it in redwood city first wednesday of every month at 10:30. we demonstrate 20 to 25 devices,

television, smoke detectors, anything you use at this restaurant, telephone and we do it at 10:30 and then we let them try them out themselves so they can go to catalog and buy them. we are volunteers. >> you have something that you sit on. what do you do with this? >> it's on the chair and i sit on it and it has a loop that works with a program with the hearing aid, along captioning i ca to hear clearly. >> before we run out of time you have a big conference coming up next year that you want people to know about? >> there be all the vendors and more the devices we show in redwood city and you'll be able to try them out and buy them another discount. we have workshops for technology communication and this year which i'm really excited about,

parents with children with hearing loss. they will learn everything the same way i did. >> it really makes a difference and involved in society. >> it certainly does. thank you, cheryl. >> thank you for coming and thank you for sharing this. it's amazing. we have to take a break and when we come back, we'll let you know how you can get a specialized

welcome back. a lot of people don't know that anybody can get a specialized phone for free if you have a disability. here to tell us about that is

sharif frink. you've brought a bunch of stuff with you. this is a sampling. >> just a sample. >> pretty much we have phones for people that have a difficult time hearing, seeing, moving and remembering. >> for folks that don't understand where the money comes from we all pay for it? >> there is a tax that we pay that is put into a fund and you need to pay the surcharge along with doctor's sitting on the application and the phone is yours at no cost. >> what is the process? >> the process is once you get the application filled out. you put your name and address. doctor verifies the need or disability. you bring it to the office at berkeley service center we can give you a phone the same day. we have customer advisors that will help you in the process.

>> we are looking and how easy it is. so it's really easy and basically name and phone number and that is about it? >> right. >> what if you are severely disabled? >> a lot of time we have student advisors that will set the home for them. >> how do they know what is the right one for a right person? >> it's like trying a pair of shoes. once you get in the office you can test them out or come to your home and try it out that way. >> let's go through some of these. this is one we started to talk about, is captioning? >> this will show the words as you talk to them. its caption tesm. this phone lights up and flash when it rings. this is actually good for memory.

you can dial by picture. this is good for vision. so people that are having a difficult time seeing the numbers. >> people do have multiple disabilities. my dad has lost sight and hearing. so he really needs the big buttons. is the biggest you have this? >> is the biggest, yes. >> and what is the most requested? >> they will ask for cordless phones. they are also amplified for mobility and vision. >> what are the hours for people because i know they will want to come see you? >> best time is monday through friday 9:00 to 1:00. >> and berkeley at the bart station. we have several, sacramento, fairbanks, we have a new office in salinas, los angeles, san diego, if you go to our

website you can find the information. >> so just filling out an application? >> have your doctor filling out the application, verifying the need and ma mail to us. >> you'll ship it to them free? >> yes, that's right. >> thank you so much. there is a lost information but we are out of time for this week's edition. a reminder, state conference is february 17th and 18th and the oakland hilton. all of our information is available on our website. if you need community resources in your neighborhood dial 211 for help. i'm cheryl jennings, bye-bye.