6 When you hear the word Sailability, what springs to mind — sunshine on the water, the wind in your hair, or simply the ability to sail? In reality, Sailability is something far more meaningful. It’s a community built on inclusion, independence, and the simple joy of being out on the water, regardless of physical ability. Sailability Gold Coast is a volunteer run, not for profit organisation dedicated to giving people with disabilities the opportunity to enjoy on water activities. Our fleet includes twelve 303 class skippered dinghies, three keelboats with crew, and a fully accessible pontoon boat designed to accommodate wheelchairs and carers. No sailing experience is required — just a desire to enjoy time on the water. Our on shore facilities include dockside hoists for easy boat access, lifejackets, slings, and supportive seating pods. And after a morning on the water, there’s even the traditional sausage sizzle to refuel and share a chat. We operate every Tuesday from 9am to 1pm at the Southport Yacht Club, Hollywell Sailing Squadron in Marina Crescent, Hollywell. Visitors, carers, and newcomers are welcome at any time. If you’ve ever thought about volunteering, we would love to have you join us. Sailing skills aren’t necessary — there are many roles both on and off the water, and we’ll teach you everything you need to know. Most importantly, you’ll become part of a fun, supportive community. For more information, visit www.sailabilitygc.org. A bit of background - Sailability began in the UK in the early 1980s, thanks to the vision of Ian Harrison MBE. It has since grown into a global network operating in 23 countries, with 178 clubs in the UK alone. Queensland is home to 15 clubs, stretching from the far north to the state border — a testament to what passion, community spirit, and a shared love of the water can achieve. Here on the Gold Coast, that legacy is thriving. It lives on through dedicated volunteers, embraced by participants, and celebrated every time someone heads out on the water and enjoys whatever the day brings. SAILABILITY GOLD COAST “Do you have the AI hearing aids?” We are asked this most weeks now, and it deserves a better answer than yes or no. One of the things Louai and I hear most often is: “I can hear people talking. I just can’t always understand what they’re saying — especially in groups, restaurants or family gatherings.” That is exactly the problem some of the newest hearing aids are getting much better at solving. Modern AI-driven hearing aids can recognise different listening environments, identify speech and noise, adjust microphone focus and change settings automatically as your surroundings change. All of that is useful. But perhaps the biggest improvement is in one of the oldest hearing-aid problems of all: helping you follow the conversation you want when other people and noise are around you. Think about a family lunch. Someone opposite you is talking, your daughter joins in from the side, a waiter asks a question, chairs scrape, glasses clink and another table is laughing behind you. New AI systems can now do something hearing-aid engineers have been trying to achieve for decades: become much better at recognising people’s voices within all that competing sound. They are trained using enormous numbers of real-world examples of speech mixed with everyday noise. This teaches the system to recognise patterns that belong to speech and distinguish them from the other sounds happening around you — even when the person speaking is not directly in front of you. That is a big change from the older approach. Hearing aids previously relied much more heavily on fixed rules and directionality: sound from the front is probably important; steady sound is probably noise; sound from behind can probably be reduced. Those systems can work well, but conversations do not follow rules. People move, interrupt each other and speak from different directions. AI gives the hearing aid much more information to work with than simply “where is the sound coming from?” In simple terms, it can help lift voices out of the background. The room does not suddenly become silent, and the hearing aid cannot magically know exactly who you want to listen to. But for the right person, speech can stand out more clearly and listening can feel less exhausting. There is one thing the technology cannot do, though: fit itself properly. A sophisticated hearing aid is only as useful as the way it has been programmed for your hearing. That is why we measure what it is actually delivering inside your ear canal and adjust it specifically for you, rather than relying on how it sounds in a quiet clinic room. If your current hearing aids serve you well, there is no need to change just because something says “AI” on the box. But if restaurants, family gatherings and group conversations remain your hardest places to hear, newer technology may be worth exploring. Because we are independent and not tied to one manufacturer, we start with the situations you want to improve — not a product on the shelf. We have also written a two-part blog on AI in hearing aids, with more real-life examples and a closer look at how the technology differs between brands. You can find it on our website. Book online or call 07 5619 3007. No pressure, just a clearer picture. Article supplied by Holistic Hearing Solutions, 2/1 Bell Place Mudgeeraba. AI Hearing Aids: What They Really Do and Who May Benefit
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