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The City's Voice for People with Hearing Loss
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Information, Education, Support and
Advocacy for People with Hearing Loss
Chapter Meetings
2nd Saturday of the Month
1 - 3 pm, (
September- Ma
y)
Community Room, Gold Hill Police Station
955 W Moreno Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
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At our Christmas party,
Pat
received a Bear Ornament, personalized with the names of the Board Members,
in thanks for his past and continued service as our
Technical Assistant.
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Dwight delighted us again with another one of his original stories, entitled,
"
Obstacles",
about a woman over-coming her hearing loss to achieve her goals of flying in space.
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Joy
received the Chapter's
Gift Membership to HLAA!
Welcome, Joy!!
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Bette won the
Grand Prize - a Walk4Hearing Backpack and Ballcap!
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To see other pictures from our Christmas Party, click
here
.
Pictures courtesy of
Pauline
, our Official Chapter Photographer!
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-
How to Tell if a Hearing Aid Battery is Fresh?
Click
here
to find out.
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Skype is now more accessible to people with hearing loss with live captions that are optimized to be fast, continuous, and contextually updated as people speak. They can be used on one-on-one calls with a friend, coworker, or to any phone number, as well as in group calls with a work team or friend group.
To learn how to use this feature, read the
support article.
Try it on your next call
and give us your reviews at our meeting!!
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Vickie
attended
Colorado Springs' first ever
community ADA Forum
on the city's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. These meetings are interactive and will be held quarterly and are open to the public. When the next one is scheduled, I will let you all know when it is.
I asked if the U.S. Olympic Museum - which is currently under construction - will be accessible to people with hearing loss - YES!!
The panel, comprised of staff from many city departments, was led by Rob Hernandez, the city's ADA Manager, (pictured in center). Also pictured next to Rob is Michael Killebrew, the city's
T
itle II ADA Coordinator/Office of Accessibility.
Hearing accessibility throughout the city
and county have been advanced largely due to their efforts.
Have you ever thought what a person with hearing loss would do if they're stuck in an elevator? Read
the Gazette's article about the discussion
here.
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REGISTRATION is OPEN. Click
here
Educational workshops will be categorized in the following tracks:
- Hearing Assistive Technology
- NEW TRACK: Genetics & Hearing Loss
- State/Chapter Development
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A DREAM written down with a date becomes a goal.
A GOAL broken down into steps becomes a PLAN.
A PLAN backed by ACTION becomes
REALITY.
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Saturday, January 12th
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
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Community Room, Gold Hill Police Station
955 West Moreno Ave., Colorado Springs
Meetings are free, and all are welcome.
Membership is not required to attend.
Free parking, refreshments, hearing loop, assistive listening devices (ALDs), and CART (live captioning) are provided.
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Inclement Weather Policy
In the event of bad weather
on the day of a chapter meeting or
event, an email notice of cancellation will be sent out by
10 a.m.
Be Sure to Check Your Email Before You Head Out
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HLAA National Professional Adviser of the Year will be our speaker. Dr. Nichole Kovel
, Au.D.,
will
present an Open Forum on a
myriad
of topics - Get the Facts and Bust the Myths; Updates in Audiology; New Hearing Aid Technology; and Over the Counter Hearing Aids." Bring your questions!
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REMEMBER - CART transcripts are now available! They are posted within a week after each months' meeting. Click
here. PS - No CART transcript for the December Party
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HLAA's new Virtual Chapter for Veterans!
L
earn more about it and how to join by clicking
here
.
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HLAA Offers
FREE Educational and Product/Service Webinars
3rd Wednesday of the Month
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm. Colorado Time
Webinars are Captioned and Recorded
To access a webinar, and to view and replay past webinars, click here
Next Webinar is:
Wednesday January 19th
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
"Life Sounds Good"
Inspiratio
nal story of Jess Toews who was diagnosed with a hereditary condition most commonly associated with acoustic neuromas, which are benign tumors that occur on the nerves for balance and hearing leading to the inner ear.
She is one of just a few people in the United States that has an
auditory brainstem implant
(ABI) as well as a
cochlear implant
.
The
cochlear implant
is used in
individuals with cochlear damage but who still have a functioning auditory nerve.
A cochlear implant works by bypassing the damaged areas of the inner ear. It uses an array of electrodes to
stimulate the auditory nerve directly
. The auditory nerve sends signals generated by the implant to the brain, which recognizes the signals as sound.
The
auditory brainstem implant is for those who
cannot benefit from a hearing aid or a cochlear implant. It
bypasses the inner ear and the auditory nerve, and uses an array of electrodes
to stimulate the hearing pathways on the brainstem directly.
Cochlear implant surgery is an inner ear surgery. Auditory brainstem implant surgery is brain surgery and is much more complex. Jessica's surgeon, Ravi Samy, M.D., presented a webinar, Auditory Brainstem Implantation, in September 2018.
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HLAA's Advocacy in Action
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FCC Updates Hearing Aid Compatibility Reporting Requirements
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In a unanimous vote November 15, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a Report and Order that will
give consumers and the Commission
better access to information about the availability of hearing aid compatible (HAC) wireless handsets.
Specifically, the Report and Order:
- Requires service providers to post more up-to-date and accessible information about hearing aid compatible wireless handsets on their websites.
- Requires all service providers to annually certify whether they are in compliance with FCC hearing aid-compatibility rules.
- Eliminates a method of providing information that is currently less effective and burdensome by ending the requirement that service providers file FCC Form 655 annually, while maintaining that requirement for handset manufacturers.
- Ensures that consumers have access to the Commission's rules by providing a link to the FCC from the service provider's websites.
There is more information about the Report and Order and the rules regarding HAC phones on the FCC website.
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Need Help Paying
for Hearing Aids?
If you are a U.S. citizen living in El Paso County and need help paying for hearing aids, find out more about the
Rocky Mountain
Sertoma
H.E.A.R.S.
Program here
For more hearing aid resources, click
here
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Chapter Volunteers Needed!
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Spread the Word about our Chapter and Invite others to come
Volunteer for a Committee or an Outreach Project
Help with Refreshments, or as a Greeter
Like to Drive? We need carpool drivers for out-of-town Social Activities (cost of gas is split among the riders)
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Did you know that all HLAA
Chapter Officers and Committee Chairpersons are volunteers, too?
Please let any of us know if you are interested in being more involved with HLAA-CS. It can be a
one-time, ongoing, or as-needed basis.
You can also email us at
HLAAColoradoSprings@outlook.com
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 Vickie
President
Website and Newsletter Editor |
Duane
Vice President
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Pauline, Secretary |
Michelle, Treasurer
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Welcome Committee Chair |
Stacy
Social Committee Chair
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Pat
Technical Assistant |
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Keep Up to Date with HLAA-CS!
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"The City's Voice for People
with Hearing Loss"
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Assistive Technology Available Here
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Is Your Venue Accessible to People with Hearing Loss?
If not, HLAA-CS can
demonstrate assistive listening technology, and/or set up a portable loop. Hear for yourself the difference it can make!
For a list
of Public Venues, Churches, En
tertainment Venues, and Retirement Living Communities with Assistive Listening Systems in the Colorado Springs area, visit the HLAA-CS Website and click on the "Communication Accessibility" heading.
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HLAA, a 501(c)3, is the nation's leading membership and advocacy organization for people with hearing loss, and has local Chapters all across the country.
As
the nation's voice for people with hearing loss
, our Mission is "
to open the world of communication to people with hearing loss through information, education, support, and advocacy.
As a Member, you share in this mission. Through our advocacy work at the federal level, we represent 4
8 million people with hearing loss
. For
Member benefits, click here.
To
join or renew, click here
. Membership for our Military Veterans is complimentary!
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Keep up-to-date with HLAA! Sign up
for chapter and state news and updates.
Also
Both are free and are delivered directly into your inbox!
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HLAA
Walk4Hearing is the largest walk for hearing-loss awareness in the country.
Every spring and fall, teams walk in their communities to increase public awareness about hearing loss, help eradicate the stigma associated with it and raise funds for programs and services.
For more information on National and Local Programs and Services supported by this annual fundraising event, click here.
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Become a member of HLAA
to receive the bi-monthly magazine,. Click,
here
to find out all the benefits
of membership!
In Every Issue - readers look to "Hearing Life" magazine to provide them with:
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the
latest information on products, services, research, and technology
in the hearing health care field
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personal stories of people with hearing loss
to find encouragement, and give them the feeling that they are not alone in living with a hearing loss
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practical and useful information.
"Hearing Life" magazine readers view this publication as
a "lifeline" to help them help themselves and live well with hearing loss.
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OUR THANKS to
for
sponsoring our
e-Newsletter!
NEW LOCATION:
4195 Centennial Blvd
Mention this sponsorship to
receive a discount on a pair of
Disclaimer: Mention of goods or services in advertisements does not imply
Hearing Loss Association of America
endorsement, nor should exclusion suggest disapproval
.
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