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PRESIDENT'S REPORT
by Katherine Bouton
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We are beginning to plan for next year’s monthly chapter meetings, and we’d love to hear your suggestions for topics and/or speakers. We have ten meetings a year, from September to June. Some topics are perennials: We try to have one program a year devoted to hearing aids and one to cochlear implants. Our December meeting is devoted to music, sometimes with a brief performance. We’re always interested in scientific and technical advances. This year we hope to have a program on the new Bluetooth assistive listening technology called Auracast. All meetings are on Zoom.
Here is a link to the programs page on our website. It’s a good source of inspiration for future program ideas. Please email me directly at katherinebouton@hearinglossnyc.org if there’s a topic you’d like us to consider. Ideas don’t have to be fully thought out, and you don’t need to suggest speakers unless you want to.
Meanwhile, mark your calendars for our three remaining chapter meetings this spring: April 16 (Captions), May 21 (Diversity), and June 18, when we announce our annual Albert B. Chen Scholarship award winner.
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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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April 16: Captioning, the universal tool for people with hearing loss. Audiologist Tina Childress will talk about 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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FEBRUARY MEETING RECAP
What's New in Hearing Aids,
Including Over-the-Counter
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The speakers—audiologists Barbara Weinstein, an educator and a former professional advisor to HLAA-NYC, and Thomas Powers, a hearing health industry consultant—talked about prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. | |
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Dr. Weinstein began her talk by noting that OTC aids signify a new path to care for people with hearing loss. She pointed out that physicians do not routinely screen for hearing loss, and that stigma and financial issues have led to underutilization of prescription hearing aids. “Only 20 to 25 percent of people who can benefit from hearing aids get them,” she said, “and the more time between the onset of hearing loss and initiation of hearing aid use, the more difficult it is to adjust.”
According to Dr. Weinstein, many people turn to OTC hearing aids because prescription hearing aids are too expensive. Indeed, OTC aids came on the market to make hearing aids more accessible and affordable.
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Dr. Powers said that OTC hearing aids are intended for adults at least 18 years old with mild to moderate hearing loss. If you have difficulty hearing at meetings, restaurants, and other noisy settings, as well as on the phone, you could be in that mild to moderate hearing loss group.
OTC aids can be purchased at retail stores like Best Buy; stores that sell phones, some pharmacies, and online directly from the manufacturer. According to the speakers, about a quarter of hearing care professionals and audiologists sell OTCs. As per a survey, about half of audiologists said they would provide some level of support for OTC users, including how to get it in your ear, batteries, and counseling.
Dr. Weinstein pointed out that the FDA required OTC hearing aid manufacturers to include clear, easy to read instructions on the box. It should explain who the device is appropriate for, indicate when a user may need to see a health care professional, and include the manufacturer’s contact information.
Prescription hearing aids can only be obtained from a licensed health care professional who can program the device to your level of hearing loss. Prescription aids are available for all levels of hearing loss and for people of all ages. If you’re unsure how to proceed in your hearing health journey, Dr. Powers recommends going to the website betterhearing.org, which has a hearing screening tool. He added, “Or an audiologist can do a basic hearing test, and then you'll know exactly where you are.”
To watch a captioned video of this meeting on YouTube, click here.
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MARCH MEETING RECAP
Succeeding in the Workplace with Hearing Loss
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The program was facilitated by Carolyn Ginsburg Stern, Director of Outreach and Strategic Initiatives at the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC). The panelists were corporate lawyer and deaf disability advocate Vanessa Kelly; Laura Friedman, a Citigroup Senior Vice President for Communications and People Strategy; Maria Laghi, who retired in 2010 after a long career as an arts administrator, including 15 years at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; and CHC Audiology Director Dr. Michele Distefano.
During her opening remarks, Carolyn said, “For us, workplace means anyplace where work is conducted regularly, whether it’s paid work, volunteering, or community service.” The panelists then talked about their experiences in the workplace with hearing loss, including the emotional aspects, if and when to disclose a hearing loss to managers and colleagues, coping strategies, and how to get accommodations.
Vanessa began her talk by noting, “My acceptance of my hearing loss played a huge role in my career success.” She continued, “For much of my career I did not disclose my hearing loss, mostly out of shame. Once I did, it transformed not only my professional experience, but my physical and emotional experiences as a working person. Accepting that I had a hearing loss led to my getting hearing aids and speech therapy, as well as accommodations, all of which allowed me to do my job better.” It also led to her becoming an advocate for people with hearing loss. In Vanessa’s words, “People with hearing loss are the best employees because we’re persistent, we don’t give up, and we have to be brave.”
Maria mentioned her involvement in performing arts and film organizations for which social interaction, especially in the role of fundraiser, was paramount. After she retired, Maria became a CHC volunteer. “It was then,” she said, “that I realized I had a moderate hearing loss and needed to do something about it. I winged it during my professional days because I didn’t want to be viewed as diminished, but now I’ve embraced it, which has opened a lot of doors for me.”
According to Michelle, “The audiologist’s job is to help you on your hearing journey and help you communicate better—not to sell you a hearing aid that’s going to sit in your drawer. It’s best to partner with your audiologist; tell them what you need, even if you think it’s minor.”
During Laura’s post-graduate years, her hearing loss led to difficulty finding a job. She said, “I went through phases of disclosing, not disclosing, partially disclosing, and not asking for everything I needed.” She didn’t mention her hearing loss during the Citigroup interview process. She ultimately revealed her hearing loss to her boss, asked for accommodations, and, in her words, “ended up in a unique position—working in technology and guiding Citi on how to be more inclusive to people with disabilities. I went from being afraid to having allies in the workplace—good people who have been hugely beneficial for me.” She added, “Having more technology at our disposal enhances our ability to do the work we know we can do.”
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.
Merrily We Roll Along, Wednesday, April 17, 7PM
Sally & Tom, Saturday, April 20, 1:00 PM
Jordans, Saturday, May 4, 1:30 PM
Mary Jane, Saturday, May 18 at 2:00 PM
Uncle Vanya, Wednesday, May 29, 8:00 PM
The Notebook, Wednesday, June 12 at 8:00
Mother Play, Saturday, June 8 at 2:00 PM
Titanique, Tuesday, August 6 at 7:00 PM
The Great Gatsby, Wednesday, August 14 at 7:00 PM
Breaking the Story, Saturday, June 15 at 2:00 PM
The Wiz, Tuesday, July 3, 7:30 PM
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
No Hearing Loss Stigma for Us! An Advocate's Perspective
Merriam Webster defines stigma as “a set of negative and unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something." Fortunately, I do not believe having a hearing loss is a negative, something I should hide or that slows me down. It is part of who I am—advocate, writer, artist, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. I want people to know having a hearing loss is not an impediment to life. That’s why I wore rabbit ears at the 2015 Disability Pride Parade. Read more of this post.
Katherine Bouton
Treat the Patient, Not the Audiogram
In an effort to provide better hearing health-care, the prestigious National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a three-day meeting recently. The academy had appointed a committee of 14 hearing professionals, and invited a panel of six patients to testify about their own experiences. The committee’s mandate is to examine “hearing interventions” in adults, and to establish ways to better measure the results of those interventions. Read more of this post.
Shari Eberts
LivingWithHearingLoss.com
TEDx Talk Raises Awareness about Hearing Loss Technology
Hearing loss advocacy hits TEDx! Congratulations to HLAA adviser and hearing loop advocate Juliëtte Sterkens, Au.D. Her TEDxOshkosh talk, Hearing Loss: Beyond Hearing Aids, has over 225k views on the national TEDx Talks YouTube channel and views continue to grow! In the 18-minute talk, Juliëtte explains what it is like to listen with hearing aids and details many of the advanced technologies that help make understanding speech easier in a variety of challenging listening situations. Read more of this post.
Gael Hannan
When a Stranger Sees Your Hearing Aid
Do you know that when you wear your hearing devices, you are an advocate?
And do you know that every time you’re out in public, you have the potential to change the life of a stranger that day? Regardless of your back story, you wear your hearing aid or cochlear implant sound processor because you have chosen to hear better. The technology is an essential component of your personal operating system and, once in place for the day, you hardly give them a thought. But someone else might. 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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