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NEWS & VIEWS
January-February 2016
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LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS ABOUT THE LATEST COCHLEAR IMPLANTS
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Tuesday, February 16th Chapter Meeting
5:30-7:30 PM
CUNY Graduate Center, Segal Theater
365 Fifth Avenue (between 34th and 35th Streets), 1st floor
All cochlear implants work on the same principle, but each one is unique. Learn from the three major cochlear implant companies about the special features each one offers. Q&A follows.
Advanced Bionics
Jamie Sklarski, Au.D, CCC-A
Cochlear Implant Consumer Specialist
Northeast Region
MED-EL
Jeanne Fredriksen
Senior Outreach Manager
Northeast Region
Cochlear America
Allison Mendez, MS
Engagement Manager
CART (real-time captioning) provided by Lauren Schechter of TotalCaption. Note: CART can be streamed onto any smartphone, computer, or tablet that has internet access. At the meeting, ask Lauren to send you a link via email, click on the link, and the streaming text will appear. For additional information, see Lauren's website,
www.TotalCaption.com
. An ASL interpreter will be provided with two weeks notice. Please send requests to
[email protected]
.
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HEARING LOSS TIPS from DECEMBER CHAPTER MEETING
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The adage "We learn from each other" was in full bloom at HLAA-NYC's December chapter meeting. In sharing their hearing-loss experiences, participants focused on the positive - and how to overcome the negative. Among the comments:
* If you're working full time, you might be able to purchase hearing aids via a flexible spending account - a tax-free savings for paying out-of-pocket healthcare costs.
* Be sure to purchase hearing aids from a skilled audiologist who is a good communicator and provides a detailed tutorial on how to use the aids.
* When you're attending meetings or dinner parties, you'll hear participants better if you use an FM system - a wireless device that conveys speech from a transmitter (usually a small microphone) to a receiver worn around the neck or clipped to the clothing of a person with hearing loss.
* Take advantage of captioning at movies and theaters. See movies at an AMC or Regal theater, both of which have captioning devices. To gain access to captioned Broadway shows, sign up for the Theatre Development Fund's TAP Accessibility Program by clicking
here. And to check for movie captioning availability, visit
www.captionfish.com. Because movie captioning is still in the developmental stage, it doesn't always work properly. When that happens, tell the in-house manager (you'll either get a refund or a free pass), and write to the theater owners. HLAA-NYC board member Ellen Semel, who has had meetings with movie theater managers about ineffective captioning, advised "Don't give up."
* Regarding captioning on television: There are changes coming. According to board member Joe Gordon, the evening news - long a source of delayed and error-ridden captioning - is getting better computers, so there will be fewer mistakes.
* Do your homework before going to the theater or a lecture. If you read the script of a play ahead of time, or research a lecture topic, you're less likely to have to struggle to hear and more likely to be able to relax and enjoy.
* Inform others that you have a hearing loss. That includes the salesperson in the department store, the guy behind the deli counter, your friends, and your co-workers. Tell them to face you when they are speaking to you, and to rephrase rather than repeat. In the words of one participant, "You don't ask, you don't get." She mentioned her experience at Memorial Sloan Kettering where, after she told hospital officials that she has a hearing loss, they put that information in their computer. Now, every time she arrives for an appointment or a procedure, a CART provider is on hand.
* Don't forget to say "thank you." When chapter member Carol Karasick wrote to a theater manager about how much she appreciated a captioned performance of The King and I, he replied by writing that he gets complaints all the time. This was the first time he had received a thank you email.
* At restaurants, select your seat carefully. Ask for a seat in front of a wall, in a corner, or in a booth to minimize background noise.
* Go where the accessibility is. The Metropolitan Museum of Art now has assistive listening tours, and the Museum of Modern Art has captioning devices. Before visiting a museum, go to its website and type in "hearing accessibility." If there's no accessibility, "ask for it, write letters," board member Ruth Bernstein advises.
* Retain your sense of humor. Many years ago, when Ruth Bernstein was interviewing for a job, her hearing aid batteries died. In Ruth's words, "I looked at the interviewer and said, 'You'll have to excuse me. The number you have reached is temporarily disconnected.' " She then removed her aids and put fresh batteries in.
One common theme throughout the evening was the empathy, camaraderie, information-gathering, and friendships that come with participation in HLAA. In the words of board member Mary Fredericks, "I never go away without having learned some new tip or trick." And as board member Rick Savadow put it, "You really do learn how to live better with hearing loss."
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EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE APPROACHING for 2016 HLAA CONVENTION
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If you're planning to attend HLAA's 2016 convention, now's the time to register. The convention, which will take place from June 23 to 26 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, has early registration fees that expire on January 31. In addition to numerous hearing-loss-related workshops and exhibits, the convention features a get-acquainted party, a research symposium on "Novel Approaches Toward Addressing Hearing Loss," and a Saturday night banquet, plus access to Washington DC's many monuments, museums, and historical sites. To register, click
here.
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City Council Accessibility Bills Moving Toward Passage: Three bills (#s 881, 882, and 883), introduced by NYC Council Member Helen Rosenthal with HLAA-NYC's encouragement, now have between 15 and 19 co-sponsors. It is hoped that 881, to require each City agency to designate a staff person to coordinate disability services, and 883, to require accessibility notices in all City meeting announcements, will be adopted soon. Bill 882, the "hearing loop bill," is being modified for further consideration.
In Support of Pharmacy Counter Loops: The Chapter Board authorized the Disability Rights Advocates law firm to press a major NYC drugstore chain to install hearing loops at prescription counters in all stores. The request is consistent with an agreement negotiated last year by the New York State Attorney General for loops to be installed by a chain of 77 drugstores upstate.
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JAY ALAN ZIMMERMAN on his 12/17/2016 Naughty & Nice Concert
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Jay Alan Zimmerman and John Znidarsic
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I was honored to have so many creative and professional peers in the audience, including John Znidarsic, who founded and hosts the Lincoln Center Songbook series I've been in so many times; Paul Katz, who produced the original version of the Incredibly Deaf Musical; playwright Craig Pospisil, who has been so supportive; many other writers; and friends from HLAA's New York City Chapter. I was also very proud to see my son Zachary and his Glee Guy friends embrace the joy of performing Holiday Zombie, as well as backing up the pro cast with their tight (and very hard and complicated) harmonies.
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Mandy Harvey blew everyone away with her beautiful voice, amazing stage presence, inspiring story, and musicality. She did it all with just vibrations, speech-reading, and muscle memory. Broadway's Angel Desai joined the show at the last minute and knocked us out with her hilarious take on Happy Jolly Merry Headache and soulful rendition of A Party High. Casey Erin Clark made so many cry with her heart-wrenching voice on Whispering To Me.
Oh! And Ritt Henn! In addition to being a hilarious performer and excellent bassist, he revealed a sensitive side for the moving song No More Room. The buzz on the show has been fantastic. I think everyone had a great time - plus . . . captions!
To purchase an autographed copy of the songbook, click here. Use the discount code
CLEANSLATE, and you'll save $4.95. Discount ends March 15.
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| HLAA and the CENTER FOR HEARING & COMMUNICATION |
The Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC) and the New York City chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America are pleased to enhance their collaborative relationship in order to best serve both CHC clients and HLAA-NYC members. CHC, a private, nonprofit rehabilitation center for individuals with hearing loss, offers a wide range of clinical services and also fits and dispenses hearing aids and hearing aid accessories.
Beginning March 1, 2016, CHC will be providing a 5 percent discount on all purchases of hearing aids and FM systems, along with an extended trial period of 60 days following a purchase of hearing aids to HLAA members in their New York City and Broward County locations. CHC will also conduct a group assistive device demonstration every three months exclusively for HLAA members, at no cost.
CHC and HLAA-NYC will partner by ensuring that all clients and members are informed of the wide variety of educational workshops provided by each organization and will conduct some programming together.
In order to obtain the discount on a hearing aid or FM purchase, individuals must show written documentation of their HLAA membership. For more information, call the CHC appointment secretary at 917-305-7766, or email the secretary at
[email protected].
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SUPPORT HLAA - BECOME A MEMBER
As the nation's leading organization for people with hearing loss, we provide information, education, support, and advocacy for the millions of Americans
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| OUR FAVORITE HEARING LOSS BLOGS |
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Katherine Bouton
Hearing Loss? Think Opportunity
"Hearing loss is such an adventure," a new acquaintance wrote to me not long ago. This is one comment I'd never heard before. Wow, I thought, she really has reached that elusive state of acceptance. Many people talk about the hearing loss "journey," from denial to anger to bargaining to depression to acceptance. But an adventure. That suggests exciting new opportunities and challenges. Read more of this post.
Shari Eberts
Hearing Loss - Know the Facts
Hearing loss affects nearly 50 million Americans. This includes 1 in 5 teenagers and 60% of returning veterans from foreign wars. It is a pervasive problem, but one that is not always taken very seriously. Hearing loss is often viewed as a normal part of aging, or someone else's problem - this person mumbles or that restaurant has gotten too loud. Often, it is ignored for years due to stigma or denial, or just plain refusal to acknowledge a problem.
Read more of this post.
Gael Hannan
When Hearing Changes, So Does Life
"Gael, we're going to give you a cochlear implant!"
I looked at the doctor blankly for a moment. Then, "You are?"
"Yes, we are." He paused, "Do you want a CI?"
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NEW BOOK ABOUT CAPTIONING
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Do you know that, like television, online videos, live events, classes, and work meetings can be captioned? If you want your school, employer, or event organizer to provide live captions and/or other types of access, but they are resisting, check the book Sound Is Not Enough: Captioning as Universal Design.
The book was written by Svetlana Kouznetsova, who became profoundly deaf at age two after contracting meningitis. She is bilingual in Russian and English, a fluent ASL signer, and a cochlear implant user. Due to limited aural and oral communication abilities, Sveta relies on captioning and sign language interpreting services to access information. Because she has had to overcome numerous communication access barriers, she has learned how to self-advocate. Her book - which is available in paperback and electronic versions - will help you become more confident about dealing with your hearing loss, and advise you on how to convince your personal, educational, and professional contacts about the importance of captioning and other types of communication access. Let's think outside the ears!
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| FREE CONCERTS: BROADWAY'S FUTURE SONGBOOK SERIES |
Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts
Dorothy and Lewis B Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium
W. 65th and Amsterdam Avenue
MONDAYS:
January, February, March, April, May, June
6-7:30 PM
The performance features new music by Broadway composers and lyricists sung by Broadway vocalists - each one a gem. It's presented by Arts and Artists at St. Paul and directed by John Znidarsic.
The lyrics to all songs are streamed to your smartphone.
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DISCOUNT PRICES FOR
CAPTIONED THEATER PERFORMANCES THROUGH TDF |
The Theatre Development Fund's Accessibility Programs (TAP) offers a membership service for theatergoers who have hearing loss or are deaf. TDF/TAP obtains special seating and provides captioning. There is no annual fee, but you must provide proof of eligibility. To see what shows are available - and to join - visit TDF Accessibility Programs.
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| THESE THEATERS ARE LOOPED |
Hear these musicals through your hearing aids/cochlear implants
at the following theaters:
Gershwin Theatre:
Wicked
Richard Rodgers Theatre:
Hamilton
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre:
Finding Neverland
Vivian Beaumont Theater: The King and I
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| SAVE THE DATES for UPCOMING CHAPTER MEETINGS |
March 15, 5:30-7:15 PM - Muhlenberg Library
Top 10 Tips for Managing Hearing Loss on the Job
April 19, 6-8 PM - CUNY Graduate Center, 9th floor
What Technology Can Do for People with Hearing Loss
May 17,6-8 PM - CUNY Graduate Center, 9th floor
On the Outside Looking In
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| HONOR SOMEONE WITH A GIFT TO THE HLAA-NYC CHAPTER |
Searching for the perfect way to observe a loved one's birthday, anniversary, or special occasion, OR to honor the memory of someone special? Please consider making a gift to HLAA-NYC Chapter to support our efforts.
You can donate by mailing a check (payable to HLAA-NYC) to HLAA-NYC Chapter, P.O. Box 602, Radio City Station, New York, NY 10101. Include name and address. An acknowledgement will be mailed. Donations are tax deductible.
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Hearing Loss Association of America - New York City Chapter
Voicemail: 212-769-HEAR
The Hearing Loss Association of America exists to open the world of communication
to people with hearing loss through information, education, support and advocacy.
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