NEWS & VIEWS
MAY-JUNE 2016

      www.hearinglossnyc.org           212-769-HEAR         info@hearinglossnyc.org

HONORING MARY FREDERICKS

Handwritten thank you and welcome letters. Hand-addressed and stamped newsletters. Hard-copy documents filed in paper file folders. Meeting minutes and membership lists typed and updated on a manual typewriter and distributed by 

hand. In 1987, that was what Mary Fredericks agreed to take on as the secretary of our chapter. Computers, of course, changed the m.o. dramatically. But our secretary stayed the same. Now, almost thirty years later, Mary has retired.

 

There is no way we can thank her enough for her dedication and indispensable work over almost three decades. She helped build the chapter, held it together through the lean years, and was part of the group rebuilding when it started growing again. We are delighted that Mary has stepped down only as secretary. She will still be our historical memory, reminder of procedure, common sense advisor, and - most fortunately - board member. We hope she will continue in these jobs for many years more.

LAST CHANCE TO PRE-REGISTER  
HLAA's 2016 convention will take place from June 23 to 26 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. 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. For more information and to register, click  here. Note: pre-registration ends on May 31. After then, you can register at the convention locale.
STEP UP for PEOPLE with HEARING LOSS!
Registration is open for the ninth Annual NYC Walk4Hearing, which will take place on Sunday September 25, at 10 am in Riverside Park at West 97th Street.
 
The Walk is a Call to Action as we ask you to Step Up for People with Hearing Loss. Advocate for accommodation for yourself and 48 million Americans with hearing loss, while joining the NYC hearing loss community for a day of celebration and festivities.
 
Invite friends and family to participate, send them the link to contribute, encourage them to walk with us whether or not they have hearing loss. It's time to raise awareness for this invisible disability, which affects one in five Americans of all ages. 
 
Participants in the New York City walk include teams from all over the metropolitan area. Join the New York City Chapter's team - Walk New York! - or form your own team. 
 
The Walk takes place in beautiful Riverside Park, with easy access from the 1, 2, and 3 trains and many bus lines. If you're driving, several parking garages are nearby. There's always a big turnout, with balloons and treats, good will, and lots of fun. 
 
Please register now  and plan to join us on September 25. 
 
Contact Toni Iacolucci , team captain, with any questions.  
 

RECAP OF MAY 17th CHAPTER MEETING
In Transit: Travel Tips and Trips for People with Hearing Loss

A program about how to enjoy traveling when you have a hearing loss featured Chapter board members Ruth Bernstein and Barbara Bryan, as well as Claire McGurn, program and event manager for Road Scholar. Ruth's advice: When you're in transit, or planning a trip, tell everyone involved you have a hearing loss, including the travel agent, ticket clerk, airline personnel, group coordinator, or cruise ship operator. At the airport tell the person at the check-in gate - and, after you board, the flight attendant - that you can't hear public address announcements. 
 
Claire McGurn recounted how Road Scholar evolved from Elderhostel, a college-campus-based program, to "more active, experiential" tours for older adults. Although no Road Scholar programs are geared specifically to people with hearing loss, "we will accommodate anyone with a special need," Claire said. Road Scholar supplies hearing impaired travelers with Quietvox listening devices that transmit sound to hearing aids that are equipped with telecoils. Other accommodations include written transcripts of lectures, up-front seating, and sign language interpreters.
 
Barbara Bryan provided a rundown of the Hearing Accessible Cruise, an eight-night Caribbean excursion. All cabins are equipped with assistive devices such as visual door knockers, amplified phones, and shake awake alarms. Barbara reports, "You will find hearing loops at the pier, and help with checking in." In addition, CART is provided for floor shows, as well as for comedy performances and other presentations. For more information, visit www.hearingaccessiblecruise.com.

An additional piece of advice: If you fly this summer and don't get the access you need from your airline, Lise Hamlin, HLAA's director of public policy, urges you to file a complaint. Contact Lise at lhamlin@hearingloss.org for help in filing. 
From left to right: The two sign-language interpreters, Claire McGurn, and Ruth Bernstein. Ruth's PowerPoint presentation and Lauren Schechter's CART screen are in the background.  

RECAP of APRIL 19th CHAPTER MEETING 
     To Reveal or Conceal:  Managing Your Hearing Loss in the Workplace

Hearing Loss Advocate and HLAA-NYC Past President Holly Cohen led a program about on-the-job challenges faced by people with hearing loss. "The goal," Holly said, "is to focus on experience, strengths, and skills so that you can navigate the workplace successfully, while at the same time educating co-workers about hearing loss and being your own best advocate."
 
Although the stigma and embarrassment associated with hearing loss often intensifies the desire to conceal, Holly said that talking about hearing loss is empowering because connecting with colleagues will make your workday less stressful and isolating. It also allows you to ask for the modifications and assistive technology you need - such as CART, an FM device, a captioned telephone, or a a note-taker - to participate in meetings, conference calls, and other on-the-job activities.
                                                     
Holly encouraged audience members to read the Employment Toolkit on the HLAA website. "At the end of the day," she concluded, "it's about revealing our hearing loss so that others can communicate with us better."
APRIL 19.2016 meeting
Holly Cohen at the dais, flanked by PowerPoint and CART screens. Meeting photos by Rick Savadow.
ADVOCACY WORKS!
HLAA-NYC Chapter member Ellen Semel is pleased to announce the following news:
 
* The Minskoff Theatre is the fifth Broadway theater to install a hearing loop.
* The Irish Repertory Theatre in the Chelsea area is the first Off-Broadway house to have a hearing loop.
* The Gershwin Theatre, in addition to having a hearing loop, now has a countertop loop at its box office.
* Mutual Redevelopment Houses (aka Penn South Co-op), in the Chelsea area, announced it will install a hearing loop in its largest community room this summer.
  
Be an Advocate
The Port Authority, which is contemplating a new Bus Terminal, is asking for our advice, Ellen reports. Complete this survey. Be sure to list a hearing loop as your primary concern (write it in under "other"). We want to be sure the new Bus Terminal installs a hearing loop connected to a public address system. We also want countertop loops at ticket windows and information booths. And don't forget to mention that captions should be available wherever there is audio. In addition, we should promote signage on the buses themselves, showing the stops and any other information that is announced.
 
In Ellen's words, "We can influence the future. Let's make the world a better place for people with hearing loss. If we don't do the work, who will?"  
DEAF WOMAN IN OBAMA'S WHITE HOUSE
Leah Katz-Hernandez, 28, is one of the first people visitors encounter when they enter the White House. Informally known as the Receptionist of the United States - or Rotus - she is the first deaf person to hold that position. Her desk is just steps away from the Oval Office. Read her story here.
CENTER for HEARING and COMMUNICATION

For the latest news, read  The Buzz E-Newsletter, May 11, 2016 
T he Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC) and the New York City chapter of HLAA are pleased to enhance their collaborative relationship in order to best serve both CHC clients and HLAA-NYC members. 
  
CHC will provide a 5 percent discount on all purchases of hearing aids and FM systems (and a 15 percent discount on the purchase of two hearing aids), along with an extended trial period of 60 days following a purchase of hearing aids by HLAA members in their New York City and Broward County locations.
  
In order to obtain the discounts, you must show written documentation of your HLAA membership. For more information, call the CHC appointment secretary at 917-305-7766, or email  appointments@chchearing.org.
OUR FAVORITE HEARING LOSS BLOGS
Katherine Bouton
What Would Helen Keller Do?
"Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people?" Did Helen Keller actually say this? No one knows. She did express the idea in different ways. In one letter she wrote, "The problems of deafness are deeper and more complex, if not more important, than those of blindness." Read more of this post.
 
Shari Eberts
Lipreading in Paradise
Do you lipread? I do. Most of the time, I am not aware of it, but I know I must be doing it, because it annoys me terribly when people cover their mouths when they speak! I have gotten quite skilled at it over the years. Read more of this post.

Gael Hannan
Travel Alert: What Passengers with Hearing Loss Really Need
I travel frequently for pleasure and business. My severe hearing loss poses no problem when I'm traveling with family or friends, who take over the crucial communication chores. When traveling solo, however, I let the airlines know my needs, but the help I get is a curiously mixed bag. Read more of this post.

Mary Whalen
My Deaf Mother, My Deaf Self: Shame and Hearing Loss
Every morning my father would get a copy of The New York Daily News and The New York Mirror. Often, he would cut out advertisements showing hearing devices. As they shared their morning coffee, my father would gently suggest that my mother could benefit from one of these devices. Read more of this post.
 
Nancy Williams
 Why You Need Musicians' Earplugs 
You should invest in a set of custom musicians' earplugs and keep them on hand for hearing protection in loud environments - whether you are a musician or not. To learn why, read more of this post.
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
coping with hearing loss. Join online or download a membership form.


NEW WEBSITE for THEATERGOERS WITH DISABILITIES

Those who are hard of hearing or deaf, have low vision or are blind, who cannot climb stairs, who require aisle seating or wheelchair locations, who are on the autism spectrum or have other developmental or cognitive disabilities, now can find out everything they need to know to choose a show, buy tickets, and plan their trip to Broadway by visiting Theatre Access NYC. IS NEW WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION OF THEATRE 
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 .
ONE MORE NYC THEATER IS LOOPED!
Hear these musicals through your hearing aids/cochlear implants
at the following theaters:
Gershwin: Wicked
Minskoff: The Lion  King (NEW!)
Richard Rodgers: Hamilton
Lunt-Fontanne: Finding Neverland
Vivian Beaumont: The King and I
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
The Hearing Loss Association of America exists to open the world of communication
to people with hearing loss through information, education, support and advocacy.
HLAA is a volunteer association for people with hearing loss, their relatives, and friends. It is a nonprofit, nonsectarian educational organization devoted to the welfare and interests of those who cannot hear well. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. We are a 501(c)(3) organization. Mention of suppliers and devices in this newsletter does not mean HLAA endorsement, nor does exclusion suggest disapproval.