News & Views   
   November-December 2014

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

                    The Hearing Loss Association of America exists to open the world of communication
                   to people with hearing loss through information, support, education and advocacy. 

SOUND THE ALARM:

FIRE SAFETY FOR PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS

 

Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2014

 
Location:  CUNY GRADUATE CENTER
365 Fifth Avenue (between 34th and 35th Streets)
 
FDNY Chief Inspector Laura Squassoni will explain how you can identify fire risks at home and what you need to know to ensure your own and your family's safety. Bedside smoke detectors designed for people with hearing loss will be distributed.

 

by Anne Pope

Past Board Chair, HLAA

 

Thirty-five years ago, Howard P. "Rocky" Stone established Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, now the Hearing Loss Association of America. He had the wisdom to understand that people with hearing loss don't have to be consigned to a life of isolation, the vision to see that there are many things we can do to improve our communication with others, and the spirit to spend years carrying his message to people with and without hearing loss. What he knew was that hearing loss can have a deadly effect on our relationships - whether at work, with friends, or within the family. What he refused to accept was that nothing could be done to change that dynamic. He knew that people with hearing loss can and should have a rich and satisfying quality of life as part of mainstream America - and that communication is the answer. This simple but powerful idea continues as the guiding light of our organization to this day.

 

Millions of people who have never heard of HLAA have reaped the benefit of Rocky's idea. We are now able to talk on amplified or captioned telephones, flip on captioned television programs, ask for assistive listening devices at theaters and museums, and watch captioned movies because of Rocky's conviction that technology can and must help people with hearing loss stay connected.

 

Certainly, this is a lasting legacy of Rocky Stone. But those of us who are members of HLAA have benefited from an additional legacy: his idea that we can learn and share and put into effect many small strategies that, taken together, will have a large impact on the quality of our lives. He knew, and we know, that even the best hearing aids, the most up-to-date cochlear implant, the largest array of assistive devices, and completely accessible technology are not enough. They don't replace the human ear. Despite all the advances, communication glitches continue to occur. To keep our communications on track, we need to know an array of supplementary strategies to set things straight and, just as important, be willing to use them. Self-help, while no longer part of our name, is still an essential part of who we are.

 

Across the country, many thousands of us are leading richer, happier, more productive lives because of Rocky Stone. The Board of Trustees of the Hearing Loss Association of America wants to be sure that those who never had the privilege to know Rocky know what a remarkable thing he did. In November, chapters all over the country started a year-long celebration of HLAA and its contribution to improving the lives of people with hearing loss. By focusing on Rocky and his ideas and determination, you will find, as thousands of us have, that our lives can be beautiful. Thank you, Rocky!

SONGBOOK - 

BROADWAY'S FUTURE

 

NEW YORK PUBIC LIBRARY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Bruno Walter Auditorium

W. 65th and Amsterdam Avenue

6-7:30 PM

The 4th Monday of every month.

 

Concerts of new music by Broadway composers and lyricists, sung by Broadway vocalists. Presented by Arts and Artists at St. Paul and directed by John Znidarsic.

 

Lyrics are captioned by

 Lauren Schechter of TotalCaption

 

Walk4Hearing
September 28, 2014
Riverside Park
Walk photo 2014

 

REFLECTIONS 

by Shelly Mitnick

NYC Chapter Volunteer Coordinator

 

What a great day we had when my husband, my dog Pebbles, and I participated in the Walk4Hearing for the first time. And it won't be the last! We had the chance to see the people we met at the HLAA Convention in Austin and at Chapter meetings. We also met new people as well, all of whom were connected in some way to hearing loss.  

It was a great feeling to be among others who understand my struggle with hearing. People are happy to repeat what I miss, and they ask which side of me they should walk on so I can hear better. If everyone understood how to help those with hearing loss in these simple ways, then workplaces, theaters, restaurants, and doctors' offices would be so much more functional for all of us. Ultimately, this is one of the goals of our Chapter: to educate the public about and advocate for those with hearing loss. So please help get the message out by walking next year, raising money, and supporting the NYC Chapter of HLAA. Thanks to all for making it such a memorable day!
 
For more photos, visit hearinglossnyc.org

OPEN THE DOOR TO  ACCESSIBILITY!

 

OPEN your world to new adventures!

 

Attend OPEN CAPTIONED performances through TDF's Accessibility Programs

 

To sign up for a free membership, go to

www.tdf.org

 and click Accessibility.
 
Tickets are approximately half-price, and are always in the orchestra.  

 

Here's just a sample of shows that have had captioned performances: The Book of Mormon, Les Miserables, Disgraced, The Elephant Man, the ever popular Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and many more!

 

Shows sell out quickly. Join today!

BROADWAY HEARING ACCESS--
AND TICKETS
  

HLAA NYC has long been advocating for installation of hearing loops for t-coil access to theater dialogue and lyrics. Largely due to this advocacy, the Gershwin ("Wicked") and Richard Rodgers ("If/Then") theaters have been looped-and discount tickets to these shows are available to HLAA members and their families and friends on the following dates:

 

"Wicked"-January 13-16, 20-30; February 1-12, 18-27.

"If/Then"-January 6-February 22.

 

To order, go to www.ticketmaster.com, or to the theater box office (the Gershwin is at 222 W. 51st Street; the Richard Rodgers is at 226 W. 46th Street). Use the code HLAA when purchasing tickets.

 

MORE ACCESS NEWS

 

Closed-captioning devices called I-Caption� tablets are available on request for all performances of these long-running Broadway shows:

 

"The Book of Mormon"

"Jersey Boys"

"The Lion King"

"Mamma Mia"

"Wicked"

 

If you see a show with captions, write to 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 devices. And be sure to ask to have a hearing loop installed in the theaters that don't have them yet.

 

We also encourage you to let the Broadway League and theater managements know that hearing loops should be installed in all Broadway houses.

 

A message from
SHELLEY MITNICK,
NYC Chapter's Volunteer Coordinator  

As a new member who has learned so much and gotten so much from HLAA, I am eager to get started on welcoming and guiding new members on how they can contribute to this wonderful and important organization. Together we can help more people with hearing loss of all ages and backgrounds to cope and improve their lives. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, exchange tips, and make a difference. So let's help as many people with hearing loss as we can by getting involved in HLAA. Let me hear from you
   
To get involved, please complete and return the 
JOIN HLAA TODAY!
 
As the nation's leading membership organization for people with hearing loss, we provide information, education, support, and advocacy to the 48 million Americans living with hearing loss. Some of the benefits:

* Advice and encouragement from members who have faced hearing loss challenges similar to your own.

 

* A subscription to Hearing Loss Magazine, featuring information on products, services, technology, and learning to live successfully with hearing loss.

 

* Discounts of 10-20% on purchases of hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and cell phones.

 

There are two ways to join:

1. Visit hearingloss.org/content/join

2. Download and mail in Membership Form


UPCOMING CHAPTER MEETINGS IN 2015 


January 20
Tinnitus and Meniere's

February 17
Cochlear Implants  
March 17
Museum of Modern Art Program and Tour

April 21
Job Searching with a Hearing Loss

May 19
Reclaim Your Passion
Despite a Hearing Loss


June 2
Awards and Scholarships Night

WHAT YOU MISSED
IN SEPTEMBER
Joe Montano 9-16-14 
 

Joe Montano (pictured above), the speaker at HLAA-NYC's September 16 meeting, is the Chief of Audiology and Speech Pathology at New York Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell Medical Center. Addressing the topic of hearing aids and technology, he stressed that hearing aid selection is a very personal endeavor.

 

In Joe's view, the most important thing an audiologist can do is counsel clients. "My counseling is based on what I hear from you as a person with hearing loss," says Joe. "Even though the technology now is leaps and bounds better than it was back in the 1980s, the number of people who are satisfied with their hearing aids is not that different than it was then." The take-home message, according to Joe: Each person has individual needs. What works for you doesn't necessarily work for somebody else. So it's important that you go to an audiologist who is going to listen and try to figure out what your needs are.

WHAT YOU MISSED IN OCTOBER

 

The October 21 meeting featured, in the words of HLAA Board member and program moderator Jerry Bergman, a panel of "New York City all-stars who jobs involve helping people with disabilities lead better, more active, and more fulfilling lives." The panel-City Council member Helen Rosenthal; Victor Calise, the Commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities; NYC Commission on Human Rights member Ted Finkelstein; and disability rights attorney Bruce Gitlin-talked about advocating for people with hearing loss.

 

Councilwoman Rosenthal pointed out that she is drafting a bill that would require the city to install hearing loops in public spaces, especially libraries, so that each City Council district will have at least one assembly location with a hearing loop. Commissioner Calise mentioned a slow but evident "snow-balling effect" toward equal access in movie theaters, places of recreation, hospitals, medical offices, and transportation facilities. He noted, for example, that 10 percent of taxicabs now have to be looped, and he predicted that all taxis of tomorrow will have loop systems.

 

Ted Finklestein is director of Project Equal Access, a program designed to help people with disabilities get the accommodations they need-including CART, captioning, or a looping system. Essentially, he said, the program is complaint-generated, "and that's where you folks come in. There's a great team out there and we will fight for you and in all likelihood we will prevail, but we need you to come to us with the issues." Similarly, Bruce Gitlin urged HLAA members to be proactive. "Don't be reluctant to make waves," he said, "because that's how we move our community forward in the most positive way." 

 

Read the latest news from our national office by visiting  
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and mail names and addresses (along with your check payable to HLAA-NYC Chapter) to:

 

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   P.O. Box 602

   Radio City Station

   New York, NY 10101.

 

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HLAA WEBINAR SERIES

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WE'RE HAPPY TO SAY ...

  

... we're bursting at the seams! This means we're having record-breaking attendance at our monthly chapter meetings. But ...
 
WE NEED MORE SPACE!
  

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Hearing Loss Association of America - New York City Chapter | info@hearinglossnyc.org

Copyright � 2014. All Rights Reserved.

 

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.