Getting the most from the Roger Pen with professional training

Roger Pen transmitter & 2 receivers (with user’s iPhone and cochlear implant shoes)

Hello, my name’s Lisa Caldwell and I provide professional training on using the Phonak Roger Pen. I work alongside a number of organisations including FM Hearing Systems and 121 Captions. Yesterday I made someone cry. Why? Because, thanks to our training session this lady realised how much benefit she was going to get from the Roger Pen, and the tears were tears of joy. Finally, after months of struggling, she was able to speak to colleagues and customers on her landline and mobile phones. Talk about job satisfaction!

Roger Pen receiver in red and silver

Roger Pen – what’s that?

If you’re not familiar with the Roger Pen, it’s a cutting edge wireless microphone that helps people with hearing loss to understand speech in noise, improves clarity, and makes sounds seem closer – all very useful when you’re struggling to hear! It’s suitable for use at home, in work, and at university and school. In fact I’ve found very few occasions when I can’t use it to improve how I hear.

Training in the workplace and the lecture hall

The training I provide is usually with people who are in work or studying beyond school. Sometimes they are experiencing new challenges with their hearing – for example increased hearing loss or a new role. Other times they have realised the impact their hearing loss is having on their work or studies, and have asked for help from Access to Work  or their Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) assessor. And that’s where I come in.

Getting to grips with new technology

Do you remember the first time you got a mobile phone? I can still recall how bewildering the first few weeks were, trying to remember which button did what, and how to get the phone to do what I wanted. The Roger Pen is much less complicated than a mobile, but still it takes a little bit of time to understand how it works, and how best to use it in the situations you’re finding challenging. I wasn’t offered training when I got my Roger Pen a few years ago and I struggled to get the most out of it until someone showed me how it worked. And that’s why many ATW and DSA assessors recommend professional training as part of their assessment report.

Professional training for your specific challenges

The training I provide takes place where you work or study. As well as explaining in detail how the Roger Pen operates, I also problem-solve around your specific issues, so you know the best way to use the Pen to get the help you need. It’s personal and interactive, and I don’t leave until you’re satisfied there’s nothing else you need to know.

Find out more

If you’d like to find out more about training on the Roger Pen you can contact me on lisa@thehearingcoach.co.uk

121 Captions offers a range of training programs for both people struggling with hearing loss, and organisations wanting to provide accessible services and employment. For more details visit our training page.

Lisa Caldwell works freelance as an accredited Phonak Roger Pen trainer. You can catch up with her at lisa@thehearingcoach.co.uk