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PRESIDENT'S REPORT
by Katherine Bouton
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I’d like to use this month’s space to encourage everyone to take a look at our website. You can find it at hearinglossnyc.org. It’s full of helpful information.
The home page connects to current chapter information, including the topic and speakers for our next meeting, as well as a link to register for that meeting. Also on the home page is a link to the most recent News & Views, and a link to timely material: at this time of year, we post information about the Al Chen college scholarship for New York City high school seniors with hearing loss. In the summer, we link to the Walk4Hearing.
“Who We Are” includes names and photos of board members, information about membership, and a chapter history. Our chapter was formed in 1986 and was originally called SHHH—Self-Help for Hard of Hearing People. “Programs” includes a full chapter-meeting schedule, among other things.
My favorite topic is “Resources,” where you will find links to state and local disability ordinances, as well as information about accessibility at movie theaters, live theaters, and museums.
Our "Local Looped Venues" list is updated whenever we hear about a newly installed induction loop, or one that is no longer working. There is a section with links to information from our national organization, an informative article on hearing aids, information about reduced-fare MetroCards, and links to blogs and Facebook pages. We also have a comprehensive list of books about hearing loss.
This material is updated when we hear about changes. Please email info@hearinglossnyc.org to let us know about new loops, new books, and any other resources.
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Upcoming (Virtual) Chapter Meetings
Save the Dates
6-7:30pm
CART provided by Lauren Schechter of Total Caption
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February 20: Barbara Weinstein, CUNY department head and former HLAA-NYC professional advisor, will talk about what’s new in hearing aids. Thomas Powers, an audiologist and expert on over-the-counter hearing aids, will also speak.
March 19: Succeeding in the Workplace with Hearing Loss. Speakers TBA.
A panel of professionals in various fields will discuss their experiences with and strategies for succeeding in the workplace with hearing loss.
April 16: Captioning, the universal tool for people with hearing loss. This meeting will focus on captioning on IOS and Android smartphones, computers, YouTube, videos, TV, streaming, and so on.
May 21: Diversity in the hearing professions and among patients/consumers. Speakers TBA.
June 18: Our annual awards program. Speakers include the winner of our $5,000 Albert B. Chen Scholarship for a New York City High School senior with hearing loss, as well as a recent graduate or professional with hearing loss who will talk about their hearing loss journey.
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2024 Annual Albert B. Chen Scholarship Award
for a High School Senior with Hearing Loss
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The Hearing Loss Association of America’s New York City Chapter is pleased to announce the fourth annual Albert B. Chen Scholarship, made possible by funds donated by Albert B. Chen. Mr. Chen, who has a profound hearing loss, hopes to inspire younger generations to give back to the hearing loss community at some point in the future. This $5,000 scholarship for a high school senior with hearing loss is to be used toward the pursuit of a college degree.
Applicants must be New York City residents, have applied to a college, be between the ages of 17 and 20, wear a hearing aid or cochlear implant, and have a minimum academic average of 80 or a grade point average of 3.0 or better. The scholarship is a one-time award. Financial need is not a consideration. The award will be presented at HLAA-NYC's June 18, 2024 chapter meeting.
To apply for the scholarship, complete all parts of the 2024 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FORM and send to info@hearinglossnyc.org. The application can be downloaded here. Deadline for receipt of applications is April 15, 2024.
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DECEMBER 2023 MEETING RECAP
Working in Musical Theater with
Hearing Loss
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In December 2020, the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, HLAA/NYC started a tradition of annual programs about music and hearing loss. The December 2023 speaker, Alex Lacamoire—a Tony, Grammy, Emmy, and Olivier Award-winning orchestrator, music director, arranger, and composer—is best known for his work on the critically‑acclaimed Broadway musicals Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and In the Heights, and FX's miniseries Fosse/Verdon. He also has served as executive music director for many films, including The Greatest Showman, In the Heights, Dear Evan Hansen, and Tick Tick Boom. He is currently Music Supervisory Conductor for the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd.
Alex, who is 48 years old, described his journey as a musician growing up with hearing loss—how there were times he felt his hearing loss was an impediment to his music making and social life, and how he found ways to prevail. He began his talk by saying, “Music is what I feel I was born to do, and my hearing loss hasn't gotten in the way of my dream. Once I realized how being vocal about my hearing loss removes some people’s negative feelings about it, I thought it would be helpful to talk about it.”
Alex’s affinity for music dates back to early childhood. A cousin told him that when he was two he would stare at stereo speakers, transfixed by the music. “Like I was hypnotized,” he said. “Then, when I was four years old two big things happened: I started to take piano lessons and I was diagnosed with hearing loss.”
When Alex was nine his family moved to Miami. He had been wearing hearing aids for several years, but didn’t from the age of 13 until he started college. After he joined a rock band in Miami, he went to an audiologist to get fitted for ear plugs. When he told the audiologist he had stopped using hearing aids due to embarrassment and discomfort, she told him that hearing aids now fit inside the ear canal and aren’t easily seen. “Indeed,” Alex said, “many people I work with don't realize I wear aids. I’ve been proudly wearing hearing aids since 1993, and grateful for what they bring to my life.”
Alex continued, “I don't feel as though my hearing has stopped me musically. I feel like I was put on this earth to make music. And I move forward in life not letting my hearing define me. The aids help me, as does technology, such as captioning and apps such as Gala Pro. I was very fortunate to be honored by the Center for Hearing and Communication, a couple of years ago as someone who had career advancement despite hearing loss. That honor had been offered to me previously, but I declined it because I wasn't comfortable with the spotlight on my hearing loss. But I'm so glad I finally accepted the honor because I was able to talk about it. I've been learning that the more I try to come to terms with and love that piece of me, the happier I am."
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JANUARY MEETING RECAP
The Emotional Side of Hearing Loss
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Jeffrey Wax, Director of the Emotional Health and Wellness Center at the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC), provides counseling services to people with hearing loss. He works with clients of all ages, gender, sexual orientation, and hearing disabilities.
Jeff began his presentation by noting, “We're going to talk about emotions and resilience, which can hopefully lead to change. One thing I like to promote as a therapist is that when people undergo therapy, they become aware of their emotions.”
According to Jeff, there are emotional impacts to living with hearing loss. A common experience is feeling socially isolated. There’s what Jeff called “the dinner-table syndrome”: You’re having dinner, everyone’s chatting, and you’re missing the conversation. Jeff continued, “Sometimes you feel like there’s limited empathy from others, and this chips away at your self-esteem, undermines your confidence, and unleashes a range of emotions, including frustration, anger, stress, anxiety, and sadness.” Jeff stressed the importance of being seen and heard. He said, “Because hearing loss is an invisible disability, sometimes we’re made to feel invisible.”
In Jeff’s view, “All feelings are good, but not all are comfortable. Indeed, some are quite challenging.” He quoted the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu: “If you're depressed, you're living in the past. If you're anxious, you're living in the future. If you’re at peace, you're in the present moment.” Jeff continued, “If we're in the past, if we're in the future, we're not in the present and we're missing the experience of what's happening. When we feel things very strongly, when we're overwhelmed, when we're in a situation we can't control, we can be thrown into emotional chaos. We want a sense of emotional safety and control. We want to cultivate resilience.
“Adapting well in the face of adversity involves bouncing back from difficult experiences and can promote personal growth. As the saying goes, ‘What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.’ Whether it involves dealing with hearing loss or other issues, resilience involves optimism and gives us strength. It is an inner strength. It's not something that you have to search for. It's not the Holy Grail. It's right here every day. Be the author of your life story.”
To watch a captioned video of this meeting on YouTube, click here.
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To Watch (or Re-watch) a Previous
HLAA-NYC Chapter Meeting, See Links Below
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Join TDF Accessibility Programs (TAP) for discount tickets to open-captioned performances at NYC
theatres. Here are the latest offerings. Look for an email from TDF/TAP with ticket information a month before the show.
The Ally, Saturday, March 2, 1:00 PM
Brooklyn Laundry, Saturday, March 10, 2:00 PM
Doubt, Thursday, April 4, 7:00 PM
Sally & Tom, Saturday, April 20, 1:00 PM
Jordans, Saturday, May 4, 1:30 PM
Uncle Vanya, Wednesday, May 29, 8:00 PM
Merrily We Roll Along, Wednesday, April 17, 7PM
The Wiz, Tuesday, July 3, 7:30
Water for Elephants, Tuesday, July 9, 7 PM
Hell's Kitchen, Wednesday, August 28, 7 PM
If you would like to sponsor open captioning for one of these shows, please contact Kate Garst, Associate Director of Individual Giving and Events at kateg@tdf.org.
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You will also find the latest theater information
on the chapter's Facebook Page.
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The Theatre Development Fund's Accessibility Programs (TAP) offer a membership service for theatergoers who have hearing loss or are deaf. TDF/TAP obtains special seating and provides open captioning. There is no annual fee but you must provide proof of eligibility. To see current availability and to join, visit TDF Accessibility Programs.
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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, 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.
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Hearing Loop at TKTS Booth in Times Square
Going to the TKTS booth to buy discount tickets? Turn on your t-coils and go to Window #1.
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Our Favorite Hearing Loss Blogs | |
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Ruth Bernstein
Give the Gift of Hearing Access this Valentine's Day
I usually begin my day with a mug of hot ginger tea, which gives me a warm, comforting and slightly spicy start. I also get a bit of philosophy from the Yogi Company tea bag tags. Two of the tags recently caught my attention because they speak to my passion for making hearing loss visible. Read more of this post.
Katherine Bouton
Do You Have a Hearing Partner?
The term “hearing partner” is often used in the context of aural rehabilitation. Your hearing partner is a spouse or someone close to you who will be part of the process of adjusting to a new hearing aid or cochlear implant. They might go through a course of regular listening exercises with you to help your brain acclimate to the new sounds. Read more of this post.
Shari Eberts
LivingWithHearingLoss.com
What Is Your Hearing Loss Word of the Year?
Each January much of the world takes a pause to start fresh. It’s a new year. A new chance. A fresh opportunity for happiness and hope. Some people make resolutions—I will exercise three times a week or I will eat less fried food—but many of them are abandoned within a few weeks. A more successful strategy may be to choose a theme or word for the upcoming year that signifies a certain approach rather than specific behaviors. Read more of this post.
Gael Hannan
Asking for Access, Accepting its Absence
It’s not just about hearing. It’s about being heard. Almost from the moment I became involved in hearing health advocacy, this has been both my mantra and my byline. It describes my passion for discovering what can make the hearing loss journey smoother, more accessible, less stressful. And that boils down to having hearing access. Read more of this post.
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Having Trouble with Closed Captioning on TV? | |
Closed captioning (CC) gives people with hearing disabilities access to television programming—and provides a critical link to news, entertainment, and information—by displaying the audio portion of broadcasts as text on the television screen.
If you're unhappy with the quality of the closed captioning on a specific program, make your voice heard by filing a complaint with the FCC. It only takes a few minutes. Click here.
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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 membership form.
DONATE: 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 on our website, at hearinglossnyc.org, by credit card or by Zelle (email donations@hearinglossnyc.org for details). Or you can mail a check (payable to HLAA-NYC) to HLAA-NYC Chapter, P.O. Box 602, Radio City Station, New York, NY 10101. Please include your name and address as well as the name of the person you're honoring. An acknowledgement will be mailed. Donations are tax deductible.
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Mention of goods or services does not mean HLAA-NYC endorsement, nor should exclusion suggest disapproval. | |
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Do you have hearing aids
you're no longer wearing?
Consider donating them to
The House Institute
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Hearing Aid Donation Form
Thank you for your interest in donating hearing aids to the House Institute Foundation. Please complete this form and mail to the House Institute Foundation along with the devices you are donating.
Once your donation is processed, you will receive an acknowledgment letter from us. Your donation is tax-deductible as allowed by law, although we will not evaluate the value of the hearing aids.
We only accept hearing aids that are fit behind or over the ear and hearing aids from manufacturers that we work with (see below for the manufacturers we work with). Custom-made hearing aids that fit inside the ear are not accepted. Please be sure to verify that we accept your donation.
We DO NOT accept any other hearing devices, accessories, phones, etc.
If you would like to donate a bone-anchored (BAHA) device or a Cochlear Implant Processor, contact eodonnell@hifla.org. Thank you!
Name of Donor:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Date of Donation:
Date of BTE/RIC Hearing Aids:
Hearing Aid Manufacturer
(circle): Oticon Phonak Resound Widex Starkey Unitron
Model(s), if known:
Serial Number(s), if known:
Signature of donor:
Date:
For internal use:
Date Received:
Recorded by:
Mailing Address:
The House Institute Foundation
ATTN: Gladys Diaz-Garcia
1127 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 1620
Los Angeles, CA 90017
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