Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 5:30 – 7:30 PM
(Socializing at 5:30; program begins at 6:00.)
Editor’s Corner – Elizabeth Stump
Assistive Listening Devices
Welcome to the May 2009 issue of
SPEAKER: Josh Gendel the HLAA‐Manhattan News & Views!
MEETING LEADER: Joe Gordon Did you know that May is Better Hearing and Speech
Month? Take the opportunity to encourage those
around you who have a possible hearing loss to get a
Location
hearing screening. (Does the person have trouble
MUHLENBERG LIBRARY BRANCH
hearing what someone else is saying in another
209 West 23rd St. room, or trouble communicating in a social setting?
(between 7th and 8th Ave., closer to 7th) Do they have any ringing in their ears?) Free
3rd floor—elevator available screenings are available at the Center for Hearing
and Communication (formerly the League for the
*Taxi looping project after the meeting! See page 7. Hard of Hearing) on Tuesdays, 12‐2 PM, and
*The A/C will be turned on in the building starting Thursdays, 4‐6 PM, at 50 Broadway, 6th Floor. E‐mail
May 15. This is a heads up to bring a sweater! appointments@chchearing.org or call (917) 305‐7766
to reserve a screening.
NOTE: Assistive listening help is provided at our
meetings through live CART captioning and a room You can also find an audiologist near you by
loop for those whose hearing aids have a T‐coil. contacting The American Speech‐Language‐Hearing
Headsets are also available. Association (www.asha.org or (800) 638‐8255). For
hearing loss facts and worksheets for kids, visit the
Better Hearing and Speech Month section of the
Go Green! American Academy of Audiology’s Web site here:
Would you like to receive www.audiology.org/resources/consumer/BHM/Page
N&V by e‐mail only rather s/default.aspx#wallpaper.
than receive a mailed
version to help us cut down This month’s Chapter meeting will be our annual
on paper consumption and presentation on Assistive Listening Devices. Josh
save money? Please notify Gendel, the Director of the Assistive Technology
HLAANYC@aol.com to Center at the Center for Hearing and
make this change. Thanks! Communication, will speak about hearing assistive
technology. Questions and answers will follow. (The
building’s A/C will be turned on starting May 15, so
Next Month: Tues., June 2, 5:30 PM you may want to bring a sweater.)
This Will Not Be A Regular Meeting—High School Once again N&V is featuring an “Ask the Expert!”
Student Scholarships Reception Instead! Come column, courtesy of NYU Associate Clinical
support the Chapter and the student winners! Professor of Otolaryngology Dr. Paul E.
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Hammerschlag. Turn to page 4 for the scoop on CHAPTER PLANNING COMMITTEE
hearing aids for people with acoustic neuromas. Join us on the first Tuesday of each month to help plan
Thanks to members who submitted questions, and programs & events.
keep them coming!
HLAA Manhattan Chapter Phone Number: (voice)
See you at the chapter meeting on May 19th! (212) 769‐HEAR (4327)
Barbara Bryan
barbarabryan@usa.net
Barbara Dagen, Newsletter Committee
bdagen1@verizon.net
Mary Fredericks, Secretary
(212) 674‐9128 maryfreder@aol.com
Captioning at NY Baseball Stadiums Joe Gordon
NYJGordon@aol.com
The new Yankee Stadium has been declared a
“model of accessibility to people with disabilities.” In Toni Iacolucci, NYC Walk4Hearing Co‐chair
compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act giantoni@nyc.rr.com
(ADA), the stadium boasts free assistive listening
Shera Katz, Web Site Coordinator
devices; captioning in centerfield and on video
sherakatz@verizon.net
boards in right and left fields, as well as on
televisions throughout the stadium; home‐game Anne Pope, Immediate Past President, HLAA Board
schedules and other print materials in Braille or large of Trustees; NYC Walk4Hearing Co‐chair
print; 506 wheelchair spaces, 530 companion seats, atpop24@aol.com
and 490 designated aisle transfer seats; wheelchair
lifts in both the home and visiting dugouts; 16 public Ellen Semel
elevators that service all seat locations; accessibility at (212) 989‐0624 ellen13@rcn.com
every entrance, in bars and lounges, and in
Susan Shapiro, Treasurer
restrooms; electrical outlets at guest services booths
sdshappy@aol.com
and many seating locations for re‐charging
wheelchairs and other medical equipment; and Dana Simon
allowance of service animals. dana2cat@gmail.com
Thanks to Ed McGibbon for representing HLAA at Elizabeth Stump, Newsletter Editor
Yankee Stadium accessibility meetings, said Joe ElizabethMStump@gmail.com
Gordon, Chair of the HLAA‐NYS Captioning
Committee. For additional information or questions Diane Sussman
about accessibility at Yankee Stadium, contact dlsuss@optonline.net
Yankees Disabled Services at (718) 579‐4510, (718)
Advisory Members
579‐4595 (TTY), or disabledservices@yankees.com.
Amy McCarthy
Lois O’Neill
The new Mets stadium, Citi Field, now provides
Robin Sacharoff
captioning, as well. For more information, go to:
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/ballpark/news.jsp.
Professional Advisors:
Josh Gendel, Technical Director, Center for Hearing
and Communication (CHC)
Laurie Hanin, PhD, CCC‐A Exec. Director, CHC
Joseph Montano, Ed.D., Director, Hearing & Speech,
Weill Cornell Medical College
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WHAT YOU MISSED IN APRIL help: omni‐directional microphones pick up sounds
Mary Fredericks from all around; directional mics emphasize sounds
coming from in front of you but they do not rid the
Our April 21 meeting was special: the Chapter’s co‐ environment of noise. The newest trendy thing is
founder Joe Montano came to talk to us about Bluetooth connectivity, but this provides a narrower
hearing aids (and our other co‐founder Kiki Smith bandwidth than the hearing aids. (Phonak’s I‐Com
was in attendance). Dr. Montano is Assistant device is a Bluetooth receiver, as is the Oticon
Professor/Director of Hearing and Speech at Weill Streamer.) Just because something is new doesn’t
Cornell/NY Presbyterian Hospital. He has also mean it’s for you. Some people expect hearing aids
published Adult Audiological Rehabilitation, the first to solve every problem. But they don’t, and other
textbook of its kind. He understands that people with technology can help: T‐coils, FM systems, audio
hearing loss need more than just hearing aids, so his loops, to name a few examples.
focus is on rehab.
Another way to go is with self‐help therapy: LACE
Joe mentioned different brands of hearing aids, but it (Listening and Communication Enhancement) is a
is his belief that the brand does not matter as much as software program of 20 sessions to use on your
what the hearing aid does for you. An audiogram computer, involving training for degraded speech
gives only limited information, essentially whether (rapid speech, competing voices, loud noise). Get this
the hearing loss is sensorineural (in cochlea or from your audiologist or at www.neurotone.com.
beyond) or conductive (middle ear), and also “Seeing and Hearing Speech” is another computer‐
whether the loss is mild or severe. But it does not tell based program, basically speechreading training; this
the audiologist how the loss affects you. Why do is available from www.sensimetrics.com.
people get hearing aids? Mainly due to
communication problems at home, work, school, and More independent research on hearing aid
in noisy environments. But why don’t they get them? performance is needed. Most research is done by
The stigma attached to hearing loss: “I must be old hearing aid manufacturers; while it is good, it is not
(and there is a negative perception of aging in this unbiased.
country). I don’t want people to know. If I need
fixing, then I must be broken.” Hearing aid
manufacturers are now addressing these issues with Our condolences to
new marketing tactics, directing them to younger, Chapter member
more athletic populations. Hollace Goodman,
whose father passed
In determining who is a candidate for hearing aids, away in April.
these are the factors to be considered: motivation (do
you want the aids or is someone else pushing you);
self‐assessment (how well do you function with your Success in College
hearing loss); acceptance (of your hearing loss);
financial (do you need a basic analog or a digital Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss is a common gift
model with all the bells and whistles); cosmetic (do for high school graduates. But
you want to show your hearing loss or keep it secret). here’s another one, specifically
Many companies have different “platforms” – entry‐ for teens with hearing loss who
level aids, mid‐range, and top of the line. As Joe said, are about to make the transition
the guts of those hearing aids are essentially the from high school to college (or
same. As they get more expensive, we can do a little those already in college): “Hard
bit more. But as far as quality hearing goes, you will of Hearing Students in Postsecondary Education: A
get excellent help even with an entry‐level aid. Guide for Service Providers,” developed by the
Postsecondary Education Programs Network. Get it
Recent developments include transposing online here:
frequencies, feedback reduction, open fit, multiple www.pen.ntid.rit.edu/newdownloads/resources/docu
microphone arrays, and automatic features. Hearing ments/other/pepnet_resources.pdf.
aids can’t distinguish speech from noise, but there is
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inner ear. If there is usable residual hearing after
surgery, a hearing aid may be of help. If the hearing
is not usable in the operated ear, and if the hearing in
Metropolitan Calendar the other ear is normal, then a bone anchored hearing
aid (BAHA) can be utilized, particularly in
Tuesday, May 19: HLAA Chapter Meeting suboptimal listening situations such as those with
Wednesday, May 27: Center for Hearing and background noise. The BAHA is a partially
Communication (formerly the League for the Hard of (surgically) implanted device that picks up sounds
Hearing) College Planning Workshop; contact Astrid on the side of the deficient ear to transmit the
at aflores@chchearing.org or 917‐305‐7820 for more acoustic energy by vibration across the skull to the
information and to register (by May 15th). functioning inner ear on the other side. The user can
Thursday, May 28: Center for Hearing and then hear and understand words in the hearing ear
Communication Cochlear Implant Support Group from the “deaf” side.
50 Broadway, 2nd Floor; 5:30pm to 7pm
*For more information, call (917) 305‐7751 If the auditory nerve is anatomically intact after
or e‐mail audiology@chchearing.org. acoustic neuroma surgery, sometimes a cochlear
Tuesday, June 2: Scholarship Reception in lieu of implant or brainstem implant might be used in
regular Chapter meeting exceptional circumstances (i.e., if the patient is
Tuesday, June 9: Center for Hearing and bilaterally deaf). Most hearing devices undergoing
Communication Golf Tournament; for more development for acoustic neuroma patients are the
information, call (917) 305‐7804 or go here: brainstem implant types to bypass the absent or
www.lhh.org/calendar/events/events_golf.html. dysfunctional auditory nerve to directly stimulate the
auditory nuclei in the brainstem or higher places
*Register for the annual national convention — and along the auditory pathway in the brain.
HLAA’s 30th birthday — occurring June 18‐21, 2009, —Paul E. Hammerschlag, MD
in Nashville, Tennessee. Go to
www.hearingloss.org/convention.
What is Advocacy for People with Hearing Loss?
*Audiologists, Speech Pathologists, CART It is securing the services and access we need to move
Reporters, take note: AAA, ASHA, and NCRA are forward with our lives; it’s educating the public to
granting continuing education credits for the the fact that there are 31 million people nationally
Nashville convention. For more information: who experience some level of hearing loss.
www.hearingloss.org.
Who advocates for what we need? WE DO! We have
written to Congress in support of hearing aid tax
credit bills, signed petitions, and submitted
comments in support of induction loops for New
York City subway booths. Were you one of the 500
people who participated in our inaugural
Walk4Hearing last October? Then you have engaged
in advocacy work, and we thank you!
We have much more to do. And the greater our
presence, the better our chances of success. Our
Ask The Expert! newly established Chapter Advocacy Committee
(AC) will focus on two general areas: 1) Work on
projects of particular interest to you that may also
Q.: Are there hearing aids for people who have lost have broad chapter appeal, such as increasing the
hearing through acoustic neuroma surgery? If not, availability of captioning in movie theaters. We will
are there any that are being developed? provide the guidance and support you need to be a
successful advocate. 2) Support legislation at the
A.: An acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor that may
local, state, and national level.
develop on the hearing and balance nerves near the
5
Each of us needs to find the way that’s most have been very promising! Our grant will enable CHI
comfortable for us to get involved. You will feel to expand this program by including more students
rewarded in terms of what you will accomplish for who can benefit from this service.
yourself and your peers. We may have lost our
hearing, but we haven’t lost our VOICE. To join the The second grant, in the amount of $12,000, will be
Advocacy Committee or ask questions, e‐mail us at: awarded to the Hearing Loss of America’s National
advocacyfirst@gmail.com. office to produce a video about HLAA’s work and
the services we provide. The video will be posted on
the HLAA Web site and copies will be made
2009 Walk4Hearing!
available to any chapter that requests it. It has the
October 18th is the Manhattan Chapter’s 2009 potential to reach millions of people all over the
Walk4Hearing! To get in the mood for the upcoming country as well as corporations and potential
Walk, watch a captioned DVD of walkers from all sponsors, hopefully translating into increased
over the U.S. demonstrating their team spirit. Visit membership and impact for our organization. The
http://hlaa.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=vi
Manhattan Chapter will be credited with funding
deo_and_info for the video. And then visit the 2009
this important project and may even be highlighted
Walk site, www.walk4hearing.org, and form a team
in the video! We will keep you posted.
to raise funds!
Please note that our Walk4Hearing proceeds have
also paid for the induction loop system at the
Muhlenberg Library Community Room, as well as
for this newsletter, CART access at meetings, and
other important services to our members and the
community. We hope that you will join and support
our 2009 Walk4Hearing in Riverside Park on October
18th so that we can continue to raise funds for these
Grants from 2008 Walk4Hearing wonderful programs and services!
We are pleased to announce that the Planning Protein Discovery Linked to Usher Syndrome
Committee of the Manhattan Chapter has chosen to
fund two very worthwhile projects with our 2008 A team from the University of Leedsʹ Faculty of
Walk4Hearing proceeds. Biological Sciences, in collaboration with the U.S.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, has
The first grant, in the amount of $5,000, will be discovered how to switch the myosin 7 motor protein
awarded to the after‐school program at the on and off —knowledge which will pave the way for
Children’s Hearing Institute (CHI) in New York City future studies on certain forms of hearing loss. The
(www.childrenshearing.org/home.html). Founded myosin 7 motor protein is found in the cilia (tiny
in 1983, the Institute provides funding for research, hairs) of the inner ear.
educational support, and other programs related to
the restoration of hearing for infants and children There are an estimated 40 myosin motor proteins in
with hearing loss and profound deafness. In 2008, the body, with all cells containing different types of
CHI began a pilot program of academic support and myosin. Yet the discovery that myosin 7 motor
literacy that targets low‐performing elementary protein behaves differently from other myosins is
school deaf and hard of hearing children. The exciting, the study authors said, because mutations in
students, who are referred from three New York City myosin 7 have been associated with some forms of
schools, come for homework and reading help twice hearing loss, particularly Usher syndrome. Once the
a week for an hour and a half. Tutors include key to how myosin 7 works is fully known, scientists
teachers of the deaf and bilingual professional tutors will be closer to treating Usher syndrome (an
with experience in working with children who have inherited, degenerative condition affecting sight,
literacy challenges. The students generally come from hearing, and balance; there is no cure).
families where English is not the primary language of
the parents, so there is an added challenge for the The March 2009 study is here:
parents as well as the children. The results so far www.pnas.org/content/106/11/4189.
6
New Form of Hearing Loss the full article here:
www.audiologyonline.com/articles/article_detail.as
A new gene — called SLC17A8 — has been identified p?article_id=477.
by an international team of scientists as being
responsible for a previously unidentified type of
congenital hearing loss, according to a study Book Corner:
published in The American Journal of Human Genetics
in July 2008. The type is characterized by reduced *Deaf Sentence, by David
ability to hear high frequency sounds, but the age at Lodge, is a delight for
which it appears and the degree of hearing loss
readers with hearing loss.
varies among individuals. This newly discovered It is very satisfying to identify with Desmond, a
form of hearing loss is very similar to age‐related retired linguistics professor, as he attempts to cope
hearing loss but occurs earlier in life. with his growing hearing loss, pretending to
understand all by nodding agreeably.
The good news is that it is possible to be screened for His experiences with his hearing aids and speech
the gene and the specific type of hearing loss
reading are sure to provoke memories for many of
associated with SLC17A8. Also, thanks to the gene
us. I highly recommend it! —Estelle Abrahamson
discovery, researchers may learn more about the
causes of age‐related hearing loss. Read more here: *Immediate Past President of HLAA Board of
www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_ Trustees Anne Pope co‐authored, along with
udi=B8JDD‐4T3W1P1‐ Carren Stika, a chapter on the benefits of peer
6&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort= support groups in Adult Audiologic Rehabilitation,
d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVer edited by Joe Montano and Jacqueline Spitzer, and
sion=0&_userid=10&md5=ad2aac60766d64cd9b8692 recently published by Plural Publishing
(www.pluralpublishing.com).
9016d45d0d.
The text book is the first on rehabilitation for
audiologists. Audiologists are trained to be
diagnosticians, hearing aid providers, and speech
language therapists, but don’t have the time or
information to help with rehabilitation, Anne said.
Hopefully this book will help turn the tide!
Hearing Aids Based on Specific Languages
In the future, people around the world with hearing
10 Misconceptions About People with Hearing Loss
loss may select a hearing aid based on the language
1. Everyone with hearing loss uses sign language and
they speak (today, aids are programmed for different
reads lips.
listening situations depending on your hearing loss).
2. Increasing the volume will enable them to
Marshall Chasin, AuD, MSc, an audiologist in
understand what is said.
Toronto, wrote, “How hearing aids may be set for
3. Hearing aids & cochlear implants restore hearing
different languages” in the Oct. 2008 Hearing Review.
to normal.
It explores differences between languages that would
4. People with hearing loss are older.
impact how hearing aids are programmed for people
5. They are stupid and unsuccessful.
in diverse countries.
6. They only spend time with other people with
Compare English with Chinese, for example. In hearing loss.
Chinese, tonal changes on the lower frequency 7. Having a hearing loss is shameful.
vowels can make a difference as to what a given 8. When they miss something, it’s OK to say, “It’s not
word means. In English, however, changes in tone do important.”
not alter what a word means. 9. They are rude and pushy.
10. They are defined by their hearing loss.
Individuals who are bilingual could ideally have a (From The Hearing Access Program. These are not
hearing aid formulated with two programs the only misconceptions that exist of course, but a
depending on the two languages they speak. Read starting point for conversation and awareness.)
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Access to the Arts in New York City
OPEN‐CAPTIONED THEATER ‐ Find captioned theater listings nationwide on www.c2net.org
Theater Access Project (TAP) captions Broadway and Off‐Broadway productions each month. Tickets are
discounted. For listings & application www.tdf.org/tap or 212‐221‐1103, 212‐719‐45377 (TTY)
*Upcoming OPEN‐CAPTIONED Shows: [See TAP for tickets]
Mamma Mia! (5/23, 2 PM); Accent on Youth (5/30, 2 PM); Desire Under the Elms (6/7, 3 PM)
OPEN‐CAPTIONED MOVIES –
For updated listings, go to www.insightcinema.org/links.html or www.regalcinemas.com/movies/open_cap.html
REGAL BATTERY PARK STADIUM 11,102 N. End Avenue–Vesey & West Streets (212) 945‐4370.
REGAL–UA KAUFMAN STUDIOS CINEMA 14, 35th Ave. & 38th St., Long Island City (718) 786‐1722.
REGAL–UA SHEEPSHEAD BAY‐BROOKLYN, Knapp St & Harkness Ave (718) 615‐1053.
REAR‐WINDOW CAPTIONED MOVIES ‐ For listings go to www.FOMDI.com. Ask for a special window
when buying your ticket. The window reflects the text that’s shown on the rear of the theater.
AMC Empire on 42nd Street. (212) 398‐2597, call Tues. afternoon for next week’s schedule
Clearview Chelsea Cinemas, 260 W. 23rd St., Auditorium 4, 212‐691‐5519. www.clearviewcinemas.com/tripod.shtml
The Bronx: AMC Cinema Bay Plaza, 718‐320‐1659.
MUSEUMS WITH CAPTIONED EVENTS & ASSISTIVE DEVICES ‐
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. 212‐879‐5500 Ext. 3561 (V), 212‐570‐3828 (TTY)
Real‐Time Captioning of lectures upon request – This service requires at least three weeks notice.
Gallery Talk with ALDs (meet at gallery talk station, Great Hall)
The Museum of Modern Art, 1 East 53rd St., Access Programs 212‐708‐9864, 212‐247‐1230 (TTY)
ALDs are available for lectures, gallery talks, & Family Programs. Infrared is available in Titus Theaters.
Mention of suppliers or devices in this newsletter does not mean HLAA‐Manhattan endorsement,
nor does exclusion suggest disapproval.
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c/o Barbara Dagen,
141 E. 33rd St. (3B)
New York, NY 10016
Please check your address label for the date of your last dues payment and, if you are a National member, there will be
an “NM” after the date. Report any discrepancies to Mary Fredericks. Thanks!
HLAA is a volunteer association of hard of hearing people, their relatives and friends. It is a nonprofit, non-sectarian
educational organization devoted to the welfare and interests of those who cannot hear well.
Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. We are a 501(c)(3) organization.