NEWS & VIEWS
September-October 2020
212-769-HEAR
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President's Report
by Jon Taylor
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The past two months have seen a great deal of activity in our chapter. At our virtual meeting in September we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We were honored to have JoAnne Simon, a Brooklyn disability rights attorney and NYS Assembly representative, speak about our rights under the ADA. As background for her presentation, chapter board member Anne Pope provided interesting history about the HLAA’s role in the enactment of the ADA. If you missed this meeting, you can view a captioned recording here.
On October 6, Brenda Battat, former executive director of HLAA, discussed hereditary hearing loss, including her own family’s experience working with a geneticist on prevention via gene therapy. Brenda was joined by her daughter, Anna Westrick, M.D., and geneticist Hela Azaiez, Ph.D. A link to the recording of this meeting will be posted on the chapter website soon.
Save the date: November 17 (This is the THIRD Tuesday of November).
Sharon G. Kujawa, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and clinician, will speak about her research on the role of noise exposure and aging in causing hearing loss, and the types of cellular damage that result. In recent years, this work has given rise to the concept of "hidden hearing loss"—declines in hearing function that are not revealed by the audiograms but are well-known to those who experience them.
I would like to thank Jerry Bergman, captain of the chapter's Walk4Hearing team Walk New York! for his efforts in creating a terrific virtual event on October 4. For more about the Walk, please see Jerry’s article in this issue.
Chapter members Holly Cohen and Shari Eberts were the featured speakers at a Deafness Awareness Month event organized by Sumitomo Mitusbishi Banking Corp. Their talk addressed issues of hearing loss in the workplace. I closed the meeting with a brief discussion of HLAA. SMBC is to be commended for its proactive approach to recruiting people with disabilities as well as for its efforts to create a welcoming workplace. SMBC recognizes the enormous pool of talent in the disabilities community and is a role model of corporate responsibility. I would also like to thank them for sponsoring a Walk4Hearing team, and for matching individual donations.
We are pleased to welcome David Landsberger, Ph.D., to the Board. David is an auditory scientist at the NYU Langone Medical Center who studies hearing impairment and how the auditory system responds to electrical stimulation with a cochlear implant. He became involved in HLAA in Southern California and joined our chapter when he moved to New York in 2013. His knowledge about hearing loss and devices, as well as of important researchers and clinicians, makes him a valuable addition to the Board. And he loves ice cream with crunchy things in it.
The chapter is also fortunate to have a new professional adviser, Dr. Justin Golub, an otologist/neurotologist at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. He spoke at a chapter meeting in 2019 and at the National Convention in June. Dr. Golub's clinical practice focuses on minimally invasive ear surgery, cochlear implants, and regenerative therapies for hearing loss. His lab is investigating how age-related hearing loss affects the brain. We look forward to working with him.
I hope to see you at our November 17 meeting. For more information on our chapter and NYC hearing-related resources, visit www.hearinglossnyc.org.
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SAVE THE DATES
HLAA-NYC Goes Virtual
A Zoom link, with instructions, will be emailed beforehand.
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November 17
(Note that this is the third Tuesday of the month)
Age Related Hearing Loss: Causes and Possible Treatments
Sharon Kujawa, Director of Audiology Research at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, will talk about how noise contributes to age-related hearing loss, and how these processes can be manipulated pharmacologically to reveal underlying mechanisms for treatment or prevention.
December 1
Music and Hearing Loss
On the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, professional viola player Betty Hauck will describe the roller-coaster journey that's taken her from playing at the White House for President Kennedy, to being in a string quartet with Yo-Yo Ma, to experiencing moderate to severe hearing loss later in life. As a bonus we will also hear Betty perform.
January 4
Shared Stories
Members and guests share experiences, trials and tribulations, and triumphs of living with hearing loss.
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NYC’s Virtual Walk4Hearing Entertains;
Fundraising Results Fall Short
by Jerry Bergman
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The sun shone brightly on Sunday morning, October 4, as HLAA-NYC members, friends, and families gathered online for the chapter’s 2020 Walk4Hearing. Although the lovely weather prompted thoughts of the brisk autumn air and Hudson River views of past Walks, attendees enjoyed spirited messages from HLAA leaders, comedy from hearing loss consultant and comedian Gael Hannan, a musical interlude from singer-songwriter Mandy Harvey, and reminders of the importance of hearing healthcare.
Alex Lacamoire, multiple Tony and Grammy Award-winning music director, arranger, and composer best known for his work on the musical Hamilton, added star appeal as Walk MC. Lacamoire shared his personal story of overcoming hearing loss first diagnosed at age two.
Ava Grimley was announced as winner of the Joss Kendrick doll from Walk educational partner American Girl for her contest essay. Three names were also drawn from among all Walk donors as prize winners. Rick Savadow won a home loop kit from Williams Sound. Liz Gatto won an iPad, and Nicole Genser won a $25 Amazon gift card.
While donations are still encouraged, a tally the following day of funds raised shows the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In contrast to 2019, when a final total of nearly $130,000 was raised, this year thus far has yielded about half that amount, largely owing to a drop of $22,000 in Walk sponsorships.
Although the chapter’s Walk New York! team raised the most among participating teams, its $22,276 in donations are about a third less than the total the team received last year. Special thanks to leading fundraisers Anne Pope and Jon Taylor, and to Holly Cohen, Nancy Collin, Shari Eberts, Tony Iacolucci, and Michael Ratner for their donations of $1,000 or more.
If you value what HLAA does, it is not too late to make a donation by clicking here.
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September 1 Chapter Meeting
Celebrating the ADA
Watch on YouTube
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The September 1 chapter meeting was a celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with introductory remarks by long-time chapter board member Anne Pope about the history of the ADA and HLAA's role in its enactment. The main speaker was JoAnne Simon, a member of the NY State Assembly for the 52nd District in Brooklyn and a disability rights attorney. A graduate of Iona College, she holds a master’s degree in Education of the Deaf from Gallaudet University, and a law degree from Fordham University School of Law, which she earned while working full time. In addition, she is an adjunct Assistant Professor of Law at Fordham, with a long history of community activism. Her committee memberships in the State Assembly, which reflect her community advocacy, address women’s issues as well as consumer protection and education. She is chair of the Commission on Legislative Ethics.
As noted by HLAA-NYC Chapter President Jonathan Taylor, "Ms. Simon has worked with too many community organizations to list. But I want to mention one, the ARISE Coalition, which seeks to improve educational and life outcomes for NYC's children with disabilities.”
If you missed this meeting, you can view a captioned recording on YouTube by clicking here.
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Oticon Focus on People Awards |
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HLAA-NYC Chapter member Jerry Bergman is a finalist in the 2020 Focus on People awards program sponsored by hearing aid manufacturer Oticon. The program recognizes individuals who are helping to change perceptions of what it means to live with hearing loss.
Jerry is one of three finalists in the Advocacy category. The first-place winners, in the Student, Adult, Advocacy, and Practitioner categories, will be chosen by online voting. To vote for Jerry and other finalists, go to www.Oticon.com/FOP. Voting will end on November 16 and winners will be announced in January.
The winners in each category receive a $1,000 prize and a $1,000 donation from Oticon to the charity of their choice. Jerry has pledged to donate both amounts to HLAA if he should win.
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Our Favorite Hearing Loss Blogs |
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Shari Ebert
How to Create a Hearing Loss Hospital Kit
Hearing loss and hospitals are a difficult combination. The environment is hectic and you are probably not feeling your best. Doctors and other medical staff are often masked, dampening the sound of their voices and hiding lip reading cues. Due to Covid-19, family or friends may not be allowed to accompany you to help advocate for your needs. It is up to you to make sure you understand your diagnosis and the decisions that are required for your care. Hearing loss can make that challenging. Proper preparation is the key to success. Build your hearing loss hospital kit today, so it is ready to go if you need it. Read more of this post.
Gael Hannan
Only a Person with Hearing Loss Can Tell You This
If you have hearing loss, you probably know a lot about it. Most of it you may not like, but the more information you have about your hearing loss, the better you will deal with it. It helps to know, or at least be aware, of what you should do or not do. Strategies that improve your understanding and practices that don’t. You probably get your information from your hearing healthcare professional, from the internet and/or from consumer hearing loss organizations. And this is all good! But as a person with lifelong hearing loss, I can tell you this: there’s important info that you won’t get from your audiologist or hearing loss websites. I’m talking about the nitty-gritty stuff, the reality checks and helpful tips, that only another person with hearing loss can tell you about because they’ve gone through it. Read more of this post.
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Now More Than Ever, Connecting Is Important.
Join HLAA "Closed" Facebook Group
To Connect with HLAA Members
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The Hearing Loss Association of America – Official Community and Support closed Facebook group enables members to ask questions, share experiences, and offer support on how to live with hearing loss. Due to its “closed” status, members can comment and post without having either show up on their newsfeed. According to the group's administrators, "The primary focus and goal of HLAA is to create a safe haven and community for those who experience this world with hearing loss." To access and join the group, click here. |
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Having Trouble with Closed Captioning on TV? |
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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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Support HLAA - Become a Member |
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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.
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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 online or 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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