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January-February 2015
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The Hearing Loss Association of America exists to open the world of communication
to people with hearing loss through information, support, education and advocacy.
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CHAPTER MEETING UPDATE
We are pleased to present
WHISTLES and WHIRLIGIGS:
MANAGING LIFE with TINNITUS and MENIERE'S
Tuesday, February 17
5:30-7:30 PM
(This program, originally scheduled for the January 20th meeting, was canceled due to illness)
CUNY GRADUATE CENTER
(Old B. Altman Building)
365 Fifth Ave. (between 34th & 35th Streets)
9th Floor (Rooms 9205/9206/9207)
Featuring:
Craig Kasper, Au.D, FAAA, Chief Audiology Officer of New York Hearing Doctors, holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and has appeared in print, on local and national television, and on the Internet.
Emmy Visconti, Au.D., FAAA, the Senior Clinical Audiologist of New York Hearing Doctors.
Michelle Ramacca, Au.D., FAAA, Clinical Audiologist at New York Hearing Doctors, holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Live CART captioning provided by Lauren Schechter of TotalCaption.
ASL interpreter on request with one week's notice.
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RUTH BERNSTEIN RECEIVES RUTH R. GREEN ADVOCACY AWARD  Chapter Board member Ruth Bernstein (above, right), shown holding her Ruth R. Green Advocacy Award, named for the former executive director of the Center for Hearing and Communication (above, left), has worked with several cultural institutions--including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art--to make them hearing accessible. In April 2013 she was inducted into the Hunter College Hall of Fame in recognition of her advocacy work for people with hearing loss.
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WHAT YOU MISSED
IN DECEMBER
At a meeting on fire safety for people with hearing loss, Frank Manetta of the NY Fire Department's safety education unit offered the following tips:
* Keep space heaters several feet away from anything combustible, and shut the heater off when you go to sleep.
* Don't overload electrical outlets.
* Never use frayed or nicked extension cords.
* Plug anything that heats or cools the house (stove, air conditioner, electric heater, etc.) directly into the wall; don't use a surge protector, power strip, or extension cord.
* If there is a power outage, use a flashlight rather than candles.
At the end of the meeting, Lt. Manetta distributed bedside smoke detectors and alarm clocks designed for people with hearing loss.
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CHAPTER HELPS BRING HEARING LOOPS TO 9/11 MUSEUM
Members of the Chapter's Looping Committee recently helped the National September 11 Memorial & Museum evaluate its accessibility for people with hearing loss. As a result, hearing loops (which transmit sound directly to T-coils in hearing aids and cochlear implants) are installed throughout the facilities, including in exhibition areas, an auditorium, and classrooms.
Additionally, headphones and neckloops are available at the information desk. Captioning is provided for exhibition media installations with audio and via handheld devices available on request, as well as via the 9/11 Museum Audio Guide app, which can be downloaded to smartphones. Captions are also provided for audio without video on either a printed label, transcript card, projection, or monitor.
Guided tours of the museum and other programs with CART (computer assisted real time captioning) may be arranged by calling 646-583-3419 (voice) or 212-266 5212 (TTY), or emailing [email protected]. Allow at least three weeks advance notice for CART and two weeks' notice for sign language interpretation.
For more information, go to www.911memorial.org/museum or www.911memorial.org/visitors-who-are-deaf-or-hard-hearing.
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HLAA FLORIDA SETS SAIL!
HLAA-Florida's 35th Anniversary Celebration will take place on a ship. RCCL, Allure of the Seas, will set sail from Ft. Lauderdale on November 8, 2015. Specials and group discounts apply. A refundable $250 per person deposit for the seven-day cruise is due January 31, and final payment is due by August 1. For more information, visit the HLAA-FL website or email [email protected]
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NEW "HEALTHY HEARING" BLOG
Katherine Bouton has a new blog on the AARP website. It's called Healthy Hearing and will appear weekly. The more readers the blog has, the more enthusiasm AARP will have about advocating for hearing loss. We need AARP's numbers and influence, so please let them know of your interest by reading Healthy Hearing.
There is as yet no way to subscribe to this blog, however, without getting every blog that AARP publishes. If you would like to be notified when a new post appears, visit Katherine's personal blog. Click on the "Follow" button on the right, and you will get a brief email whenever Katherine puts up a new post. She will reprint every AARP post on her blog site.
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HLAA CONVENTION 2015
HLAA's 30th annual convention will take place from June 25 to 28 at the Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. It offers workshops, an employment symposium, dynamic speakers, and an exhibit hall and trade show--all in a communication-accessible environment.
To register, visit convention registration.
Early-bird discounted registration rates end January 31, so register now and save!
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HEARING AID DONATION PROJECT
A pilot project has been launched by Sertoma, the New Jersey Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DDHH), and Montclair State University to collect, refurbish, and dispense hearing aids to people 65 and over who can't otherwise afford them. Read more about the project here.
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IF YOU LOVE THEATER, HERE ARE FOUR WAYS TO ENJOY . . .
NUMBER 1
SPECIAL PRICING FOR BROADWAY HEARING ACCESS
TURN ON your t-coils and hear musicals via the new induction loops at both the Gershwin and Richard Rodgers theaters. Discount tickets are available to HLAA members on the following dates:
"Wicked": January 20-31; February 1-12, 18-27.
"If/Then": January 21-February 22.
To order, go to www.ticketmaster.com, or the theater box office (Gershwin: 222 W. 51st St.; Richard Rodgers: 226 W. 46th St.). Use the code HLAA when purchasing.
NUMBER 2
I-Caption� tablets (closed-captioning devices) are available on request for all performances of these long-running Broadway shows: "The Book of Mormon," "Jersey Boys," "The Lion King," "Mamma Mia," and "Wicked."
If you see a show with captions, write the theater manager to express your appreciation. In addition, write to the Broadway League (Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director, 729 Seventh Ave., NY, NY 10019) to request that other Broadway theaters provide I-Caption� tablets, and ask for hearing loops to be installed in the theaters that don't have them yet.
NUMBER 3
OPEN THE DOOR TO ACCESSIBILITY!
Attend OPEN CAPTIONED performances through the Theatre Development Fund's Theatre Accessibility Programs (TAP). To sign up for a free membership, go to www.tdf.org and click on Accessibility Programs.
Tickets are approximately half-price and are always in the orchestra.
NUMBER 4
The NEW YORK THEATER WORKSHOP, 79 East 4th St, now offers FM headsets and neckloops. These are top quality and provide clear and good sound.
The theater is a small gem tucked away in the East Village; a New York find with good productions. For more information, call 212-780-9037.
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SAVE THE DATES!
March 17
Museum of Modern Art
Private Tour
5:30-7:30 PM
*Special event
for HLAA Members
April 21
The Latest in Cochlear Implant Research
Muhlenberg Library
May 19
Reclaim Your Passion Despite a Hearing Loss
National Opera Center
June 2
Heroes of Hearing Loss
Scholarship and Awards
Muhlenberg Library
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WHAT YOU MISSED
IN NOVEMBER
The November chapter meeting, a panel discussion about the challenges of living with hearing loss, featured former chapter chair Anne Pope, composer and HLAA-NYC board member Richard Einhorn, and Katherine Bouton, author of the book Shouting Won't Help.
Anne discussed how, after losing much of her hearing, she struggled for years before finding HLAA. At a convention in Little Rock, Anne attended a workshop given by psychologist Sam Trychin, who stressed that hearing loss is something you can take charge of, and once that happens "your self-esteem comes up, your relationships improve--everything about your life is better. I am now able to say that my hearing loss, as grim as it was, has given me far more than I lost. And I can say with conviction, the same can be true of you."
Katherine, in focusing on hearing loss in the workplace, said she regrets not being more frank about her hearing loss during her years as a writer for the New York Times. She spoke about the difficulty of attending meetings that grew larger over the years, ultimately involving as many as two dozen people.
Katherine left the workplace early, but said, "The flip side of this is that you can take the skills you learned on the job and put them to good use." In her case, "I use my writing and editing talents to raise awareness of hearing loss and talk about the things we need to do to make the world a better place for people with hearing loss."
Addressing the topic of audio technology for folks with less than optimum hearing, Richard stressed the need for people with hearing loss to make it known when listening devices in theaters and other venues don't work. He added, "have a back-up." For example, there are sound amplifier apps and directional mics for smartphones that you can use to hear better in entertainment settings, restaurants, and meetings. These require an excellent pair of earphones to work well.
"If you are not comfortable with tech," says Richard, "consider a pocket talker, which is easier to use but isn't as flexible and doesn't sound as clear or clean. Also, be aware that everyone's hearing loss is different, and what works for one person might not work for you."
For additional information on using an iPhone for hearing assistance, email Richard at [email protected].
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TAKE THE SURVEY
As the New York Public Library develops its Midtown Campus, please share what's important to you by taking a brief survey. Go to www.NYPL.org, then on the left side of the main page, click on "Take the Survey." The last section allows you to offer suggestions, such as "install a hearing loop in the Campus's main community room."
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Read the latest news from our national office by visiting
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MANY THANKS TO THOSE WHOSE GENEROSITY KEEPS HLAA GOING:
Katherine Bouton
Lois Geller
Shera Katz
Margaret Paine
Ruth Rose
Willeen Smith
Diane Sussman
Susan Knight and
Cal Carter
Matthew and Ellen
Feldman (in honor
of Jerry Bergman)
Cindy and Stephen
Chaplin (in honor
of Holly Cohen)
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HONOR SOMEONE SPECIAL IN YOUR LIFE WITH A GIFT TO THE NYC CHAPTER
Consider...
Birthday of ...
Anniversary of ...
Congratulations to ...
In memory of ...
In honor of ...
and mail names and addresses (along with your check payable to HLAA-NYC Chapter) to:
HLAA-NYC Chapter
P.O. Box 602
Radio City Station
New York, NY 10101
We will send an acknowledgement and an announcement will appear in News & Views. Donations are tax deductible. |
NYPL ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library is working to document the stories of NYC residents living with a visual, physical, or other disability. For more information, click here.
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Copyright � 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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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. Your contribution is 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.
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