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Information, Education, Support and
Advocacy for People with Hearing Loss
2nd Saturday of the Month
1 - 3 pm, (Sep - May)
Community Room, Gold Hill Police Station
955 W. Moreno Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
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In the event of
bad weather on the day of a chapter meeting,
an
email notice of cancellation
will be
sent by
10 a.m.
Be Sure to Check Your Email Before You Head Out.
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The topic of support has been on my mind a lot lately. One of the main elements of HLAA's mission statement is to provide support to people with hearing loss. Our chapter strives to offer support by providing the opportunity to develop social connections both at our meetings and at the social outings that
Stacy organizes. Getting to know one another a little better helps us support one another. Living with hearing loss can be lonely and isolating.
We hope to bridge some of the gaps that leave us feeling left out. And we find that the more we are out and about and engaged with others, the less loneliness and isolation we feel. There is a caveat though. We must take the initiative to see that we have the accommodations we need to participate. Not having what we need to hear and participate only leads to more frustration. We can help you learn about things that can help. Start with coming to "Hear It Here" on May 11
th.
See the
flyer
below for details.
Giving back to our organization is a great way to become more engaged and connected. The opportunities are abundant. Sign up for the Walk4Hearing and help raise the funds that support our work throughout the year. Or volunteer to help out at our meetings. Take on the challenge of providing leadership to our group by serving as an officer or committee chair.
We will vote in May for our new President and Treasurer. Do you have the talents and skills to fill
one of these positions? The rewards of supporting a vibrant organization like ours are great. Helping people thrive in spite of hearing loss, exploring our community, being part of improving hearing access in Colorado Springs - all of this and more can be yours if you just choose to join the fun! Let any board member know if you are ready to step up!
-
Ann
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Hear It Here!
Hearing Expo Friday, May 11th
Be sure to scroll down for details and the Hear it Here Flyer!!
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THE SOCIAL BUG
Social Committee Chair
Mark Your Calendars and Plan to Join Us for the
Next Chapter Social on Saturday, April 28th. S
tay tuned for details!
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March Chapter Socials
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Ann, Bette, Amber, Stacy, Vickie, and Pauline |
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Ann, Vickie, Pauline,
and Joan at the Cliff Dwellings...
BEFORE being tasted by the Wolves!
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Colorado Walk4Hearing
Kickoff Brunch!
Sunday, April 22nd
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Wings Over the Rockies Museum
7711 E. Academy Blvd.
Denver, CO 80230
Lunch provided along with
free admission
to the museum!
RSVP Contact:
Sendie Arief-Vang
JOIN OUR TEAM
and help us to be the top fundraising
Chapter in Colorado again!
It's Time to Start Asking for Donations!
Talk to family and friends, fellow parishioners, club members, others with hearing loss. The list goes on forever. You never know who will contribute until you ask! And the more people you approach the greater your chance of receiving donations. You can set your goals and track your progress on your Walk4Hearing home page. Now is the time to get started! Good luck with your fundraising effort
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Walk4Hearing Sponsorship Opportunities
And Incentives
are Still Available!
Have your
Business Name or Logo on our
Walk4Hearing T-shirts and/or
Walk Day route signage! Deadlines are below.
- Imprint your Name or Logo on our Walk4Hearing T-shirt - Deadline May 18th
- Imprint your Name or Logo on Walk Day route signage - Deadline May 25th
S
ee the Sponsorship Form at the bottom of the newsletter for more Information and Instructions
QUESTIONS? Contact
Ann
for more information.
Colorado Walk 4 Hearing
Sunday, June 10th
8:30 a.m. Registration Opens
Walk begins at 9:30 a.m.
Clement Park
7306 Bowles Ave., Littleton, CO 80123
The course is twice around the lake, or, you can do one lap, or, you can sit and visit under the pavillion!
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Too Loud. Too Long.
The extent of damage to your hearing
caused by noise depends on:
- Decibel level: How loud the sound is.
- Distance: How close you are to the source of the sound.
- Time: The length of time you are exposed to the sound.
PROTECT YOUR HEARING!
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The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health announced the launch of a
new research center
that will study the effects of hearing loss, particularly among older adults, with the goal of preventing and mitigating the consequences of hearing impairment, including cognitive decline and dementia.
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Receive Emergency Notifications to Your Cell Phone
El Paso-Teller 9-1-1 Authority announces
the addition of the Everbridge App to the Emergency Notification System. In an emergency, communication channels can sometimes fail under adverse conditions because of low bandwidth or connectivity.
The Everbridge App helps make communication redundant and more reliable by adding another channel to receive emergency alerts.
By downloading the Everbridge app citizens can:
- Add another channel of communication so you never miss an important alert
- Receive push-alerts anytime you travel into an area of an active "incident"
- See a map of messages affecting where you live, work, and travel
- Opt-in immediately and anonymously
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Free Monthly Webinars
Topics include Educational Webinars,
and
Product/Service Showcase Webinars
(Disclaimer: Products/Service Showcase webinars are in no way to be construed as an endorsement by HLAA, nor should exclusion suggest disapproval)
All webinars are captioned and recorded.
To l
earn how to access the webinar platform, click
here
. To v
iew the schedule, click
here
.
To s
earch and/or replay past webinars, click
here.
Next Webinar:
Wednesday, April 18th
6:00 p.m. - 7:00
p.m. MDT
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April 14th
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Community Room at the
Gold Hill Police Station
955 West Moreno Avenue
J
oanne is the Client Services Manager for the Colorado Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH).
She manages the Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (TEDP) and the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program. For more information about TEDP, click here.
HLAA-CS Chapter meetings are free, and all are welcome. Membership is not required to attend chapter meetings.
Free parking, refreshments, hearing loop, assistive listening devices (ALDs), and CART (live captioning) are provided.
May's Speaker
will be Patrick Rizzo
(postponed from February snow storm)
Hear his story of sudden hearing loss, and how he regained some of it back. Watch for the May Newsletter!
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There is Still Time!
Chapter Officer Nominations
are in April
If you would like to
become more involved
in our chapter, think
about
running for an office.
Officers must be HLAA National Members.
Nominate someone, or even self-nominate. More than one person can be nominated for the same office. Share your talents in, and your vision for, the chapter's future!
To find out more about our Chapter governance and Officer Responsibilities, read the
Chapter By-Laws
and
Operating Procedures
(Officer Tasks). C
lick on "Files" on the the
Chapter's Yahoo Groups page
(i
f you have not subscribed, click
here
.
Or, talk with any of our Board Members, or contact
Ann by
email.
Elections are in May. To vote, you must be a Member of HLAA National. Click here to join!
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Minneapolis June 21 - 24
Everything you need to know
is right at your fingertips!
Complimentary Registration for Veterans and their
Caregivers
who
are attending their first HLAA Convention
All plenary sessions, workshops and events
besides
West Side Story
at
the Guthrie Theater will
take place
at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
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HLAA's Magazine for
Better Hearing
March / April 2018
Are you a Member
of HLAA National?
If not, and you would like
to receive the bi-monthly magazine, click
here
to find out all the benefits
of membership!
In This Issue . . .
Message from the Executive Director
"Humans Are the Next Big Thing"
By Barbara Kelley
The HLAA Walk4Hearing Is More Than an Annual Affair, It's a Family Affair
By Ronnie Adler and Ann Rancourt
Entire families have grown stronger because of the comfort, support,
and resources the Walk4Hearing provides
In Your Ear
By Ed Kaiser
Should you have to pay through your nose to hear through your ears?
Silenced
By Mary Li
There was something about the intrigue of complete silence. There was no struggle to hear, it was peaceful
It's Not Rocket Science: Hearing Loss, Technology and Strategies for Everyone
By Brad Ingrao
The language the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses to describe and regulate hearing aids can be confusing and misunderstood
The Ultimate Smart Home Technology for People with Hearing Loss
By Lindsey Banks
Smart home technology can make life more convenient, more connected, a little safer, and a lot simpler for people with hearing loss.
Read the whole article
The HLAA Get in the Hearing Loop campaign has inspired a consumer-driven effort that stretches from coast to coast.
Read the whole article
Click
here to see all the contents.
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Let's Loop
Colorado Springs!
"I always wondered why "somebody"
didn't
do something about that.
Then I realized that
I was
Somebody
!"
One Person Can't Do
Everything; but,
One
Person Can Do
Something!
If you missed Juliette Sterkens' (Au/D./Loop Advocate) webinar, "Loops Don't Just Happen," and how to keep hearing loop initiatives going after the first one or two loops, click on her PowerPoint presentation below.
This presentation
contains some simple and practical step-by-step information and
is definitely a "must see" (even for seasoned advocates)!
-Vickie
Highlights of the Presentation:
- Benefits of Hearing Loops - loops double the usefulness of hearing aids/CIs. Nearly 9 out of 10 respondents "strongly agreed" or "agreed" hearing loop systems increased their satisfaction with their hearing aid or cochlear implant; Exceed hearing device users' expectations! "I could hear the program better than my wife!"
- See the Top Venues - a survey shows what people would most like to see looped
- Form a Hearing Loop Committee (nope - you cannot go at it alone!)
- Advantages of Loops for Providers
- Smoothing the Way...
To Get Providers Involved - We provide printed material to them that can be distributed to their patients.
To Get the Community in the Loop - Explain how hearing aids work, their limitations, and how those can be overcome. Demo - Demo - Demo - Use Sound Files to demo what it sounds like "in" vs. "out" of the loop. Bookmark hearing loop YouTube videos on your smartphone. Sound demos are worth a thousand words!
And lastly,
Click
here for the PowerPoint presentation. To replay the webinar, with captions, click
here.
For copies of the handouts and the links to additional (captioned) videos on looping for consumers and professionals that Juliette mentioned at the end of her presentations, they are all posted here on
this link or your convenience.
For additional resources on the HLAA website, click here.
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Former Bronco Kenny Walker talks from the unique perspective of a Deaf professional athlete on the importance of early diagnostic testing and intervention for children with hearing loss.
For Information and Registration, click here.
(
If there is interest in going, contact Ann for carpool information)
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Commissioner Vacancies
The Colorado Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH) is recruiting new members to serve on its Commission. The Commission advises on policies that direct the State of Colorado to take a course of action to meet the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) functions, mission and vision. The Commission promotes the interests of the deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deafblind constituents and ensures access to both communication and environment.
The Commission Nominations Committee is seeking at least three (3) independent, enthusiastic and committed candidates for the following Governor appointed positions:
- one member who is an auxiliary service provider (interpreter or CART provider)
- one member who is deaf, and
- one member who is hard of hearing
It is anticipated that Commissioner Marquardt may apply for a second term. You are welcome to apply for any positions, but be advised that re-appointments are common. Board duties include, but are not limited to:
- Serving a four-year term from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2022
- Monitoring the functions and performance of CCDHH
- Attending quarterly and special Commission meetings
- Preparing for Commission meetings
- Becoming familiar with the needs of your specific constituency
- Serving on a committee of the Commission
- Representing the Commission before the public, businesses and community
Commissioners receive no paid compensation for their service on the Commission, but travel expenses are reimbursed in accordance with state travel regulations.
We will accept applications until the positions are filled.
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Baseball Camp for Deaf and
Hard of Hearing Kids
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MAY IS BETTER HEARING AND SPEECH MONTH!
Hearing Expo Planned for Friday, May 11th
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again this year to offer the
latest and greatest array of
devices and service
for individuals experiencing hearing loss at a single location.
This year's event will be held at
Library 21C
(1175 Chapel Hills Drive) just north of Chapel Hills Mall
on
May 11th from
10:30 am until 2 pm.
We anticipate a wide variety of
professional hearing health and hearing device providers to demonstrate
and
offer
hands-on experience.
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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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Ann Belfiglio
- Pre
sident
Rick Rivers - Vice President
Duane Gritzmaker - Secretary
Open
- Treasurer
Pauline Weiss - Loop Colorado Springs Committee Chair
Kay Chartier - Welcome Committee Chair
Stacy Gibson - Social Committee Chair
Patrick Going - Technical Assistant
Vickie Pacheco - Website / Newsletter Editor
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We regret to announce the resignation of Bev Limbaugh from HLAA-CS. We are grateful for her many years of service. At times she has served as Secretary, Refreshments Coordinator, and for the past two years as Treasurer. Thank you Bev, for all you have done. Your hard work and great sense of humor will be missed. Best of luck in your future endeavors.
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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! Contact Us!
This is the universal symbol that identifies venues with assistive technology for people with hearing loss.
For a list of Public Venues, Churches, Entertainment 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.
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HLAA National Job Opening: Database and
The administrator oversees the daily operation of the organization's IT network and database, which tracks contributions, constituents, members, donors, advertisers, sponsors, chapter management and prospect information. For more information, click
here.
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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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for
sponsoring our
e-Newsletter!
Mention this sponsorship to
receive a discount on a pair of hearing aids!
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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The Following Posts via Elite Hearing
of
Colorado Springs
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Meniere's Disease: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, approximately 615,000 people in the U.S have Meniere's. Ménière's disease is a condition characterized by vertigo, tinnitus, and progressive deafness. There is no cure, but there are some treatments that can ease the symptoms. Read more
here.
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Wearing Earplugs with Earmuffs:
Extra Hearing Protection or Overkill?
Balancing hearing protection and overall safety is paramount.
There is also concern that
dual protection may increase accident risk
. This fear is a common concern among pilots, police, and soldiers but can be equally troubling for those in a construction or manufacturing setting. Read more
here.
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Grow Your Relationship this Spring by Tackling Hearing Loss Issues:
How to Talk About Hearing Loss
Your loved one may not be ready to tell you they have hearing loss. They may be afraid or ashamed. They may be in denial. You may need to do some detective work to determine when it's time to have the conversation. Read more here.
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