23April2015

National disgrace
Its an administrative bungle, implemented in haste, with no
care or responsibility for the effects on Veterans and their
families. Australians who live with a hearing loss as a result
of their military service have lost their right in civilian life to
receive a proper level of hearing services.

West Wing pioneer

Leah Katz-Hernandez is the new White House receptionist.
She is also Deaf.

Improved speech perception, cognitive

function in older adults
Hearing impairment is associated with cognitive decline.
Cochlear implantation that uses direct electrical stimulation of
the auditory nerve has proven successful

Newborn screening recalls

New Zealands National Foundation for the Deaf regards
screening failure to be an inevitable consequence of
inadequate funding.

We acknowledge the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their

continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them
and their cultures, and to elders both past and present. We acknowledge the
challenge that faces Indigenous leaders and families to overcome the unacceptably
high levels of ear health issues among first Australians.

National disgrace: Changes to Veterans hearing

health entitlements
Australians who live with a hearing loss as a result of their military service have lost their
right in civilian life to receive a proper level of hearing services.
As a result of a review of military compensation arrangements, Veterans with long term
hearing needs have been switched to a Repatriation Health Card.
The White Specific Treatment card, as it is known, was intended to streamline services and
payments, however it also introduced changes to the level of hearing aid technology that a
Veteran could receive without payment.
Until recently, eligible Veterans could receive aids to suit their individual hearing needs.
Now that these Veterans have been issued with a White Specific Treatment Card they
receive their hearing services under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program.
Under this Program, Veterans receive only a base-level hearing aid at no cost. To access
the correct level of technology to suit their individual hearing needs they must now make a
personal payment to bridge the gap. In a typical case, the top-up is $4,000 each time the
Veterans hearing aids are replaced.
Veterans spokesperson Geoff Griffiths said, Veterans were not consulted or informed of
the changes in the level of hearing devices they would receive when they were issued with
the White Specific Treatment Card.
Its an administrative bungle, implemented in haste, with no care or responsibility for the
effects on Veterans and their families, Mr Griffiths said.
While Veterans who volunteered to fight for this country have lost their entitlement,
government employees and contractors will continue to receive fully funded top up hearing
aids.
It is indefensible to show such disregard for Veterans who were prepared to make the
ultimate sacrifice for their country, Deafness Forum chairman David Brady said.
How can it be explained to defence personnel and their families that Australia will not
adequately support them if they sustain a life-long hearing disability in the service of their
country?
Deafness Forum asserts that it is symptomatic of ignorance of the importance of hearing
health. It calls on the government to make Hearing the next National Health Priority.

New White House receptionist is a West Wing

pioneer: 'Deaf people can do anything'
Anyone wanting to speak to the president must stop by her desk first. Leah KatzHernandez, 27, is the new White House receptionist.
She is also deaf.
Its a fantastic opportunity and also to show that deaf people can do anything, she said
through an interpreter, who is provided for her at work.

With a desk just steps away from the Oval Office, Katz-Hernandez is usually the first to
greet anyone from world leaders to White House staff members who has an
appointment with the president or his top-level aides. She also oversees the White House
guest book and the Roosevelt Room, the West Wing meeting room, and is responsible for
collecting cell phones before meetings with the president.
Katz-Hernandez is defined by her accomplishments, not her disability, said Josh Earnest,
the White House press secretary. "She represents us very well," he told NBC's Peter
Alexander.
The Connecticut native was born deaf to two deaf parents a Jewish, social worker
mother and a Mexican-American father who put himself through college and earned a PhD.
"It is a great responsibility to be here as a deaf person and I feel very proud of the
opportunities that have been given to me," she said.
By Eun Kyung Kim TODAY NEWS http://www.today.com/news/new-white-housereceptionist-west-wing-pioneer-deaf-people-can-2D80574114

Cochlear
implantation
improved
speech
perception, cognitive function in older adults
Cochlear implantation was associated with improved speech perception and cognitive
function in adults 65 years or older with profound hearing loss.
Hearing impairment is associated with cognitive decline. In cases of severe to profound
hearing loss where there is no benefit from conventional amplification (i.e. hearing aids),
cochlear implantation that uses direct electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve has proven
successful and selected older patients are among those who can benefit, according to the
study background.
Isabelle Mosnier, M.D., of Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris, France, and coauthors
examined the relationship between cognitive function and hearing restoration with cochlear
implantation in older patients at 10 tertiary referral centres between 2006 and 2009.
According to a report published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery,
results show cochlear implantation was associated with improved speech perception in
quiet and in noise, quality of life and depression scores, with 76 percent of patients giving
responses that indicate no depression at 12 months after implantation versus 59 percent
before implantation. As early as six months after cochlear implantation, improved average
scores in all cognitive domains were seen. More than 80 percent of the patients (30 of 37)
who had the poorest cognitive scores before implantation improved their cognitive function
one year after implantation.
In contrast, patients with the best
cognitive
performance
before
implantation showed stable postimplantation results, although there was
a decline in some patients, according to
the results.
"Our study demonstrates that hearing
rehabilitation using cochlear implants in
the
elderly
is
associated
with
improvements in impaired cognitive
function.
Further research is needed to evaluate the long-term influence of hearing restoration on
cognitive decline and its effect on public health. "
Science Daily, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150312123514.htm

First Anzac Day anniversary, 25 April 1916

From Maccas ABC Radio National program, Australia All Over
http://www.abc.net.au/australiaallover/

Macca said: This is from Betty Leeman from Quoiba in Tasmania. She says listen to this
My great-uncle James Clark fought in the Boer War and World War I. He was disappointed
when they turned him down for World War II. He was born in Ireland in 1872. He came to
Australia and then in 1904 he married my great-aunt Marion Best in Tasmania.
He joined the 3rd Regiment Light Horse in August 1914. He was 43 years old and saw
action in Egypt, Gallipoli and many other places. He was wounded and came back to
Australia, returning again to action carrying a gunshot wound to his knee.
James Martin Clark was promoted to major and was hence called 'The Major' by the family.
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and mentioned in many dispatches.
Here's a little piece written by Major J.M. Clark DSO on the Anzacs who made their first
appearance as a unit on the march in London on the first anniversary of Anzac Day, 25
April 1916.
In April 1916 I was one of over 500 men recuperating at Montevideo camp near Weymouth,
doing light training after the Gallipoli show.
Funny how they call it the show
Although only a lieutenant at the time I had charge of the second division officers and men
called the dinkums
How good is that? They were called the dinkums.

...representing every unit in the AIF bar the infantry. I even had one man with an anchor on
his hat. He said he belonged to the naval bridging team.
I was instructed by Colonel Lyon Johnson, the commandant, to select 200 men for an
Anzac Day march in London. Every man to be of good physique, over 59, well dressed
and of good character. All had to wear spurs and leggings, emu plumes in hats, belts with
side arms so they looked like Light Horsemen. I had to drill them as infantrymen. My first
job was to size the men down from 6'2" down to 5'9". Then made each man familiar with
the man on his right so they would always fall in both correctly and quickly.
I marched my company out of camp at 7am on Saturday, 22 April for Weymouth and
entrained on a passenger train. Much to the delight of the troops the other passengers
gave them a right royal reception, sharing their refreshments with the men and listened
enthralled to tales of Gallipoli.
At 9.30am on Monday, the two Weymouth companies paraded and did a preliminary march.
At 2pm we were joined by the Abbeywood companies and marched around the roads in the
vicinity of the camp where we received instruction for the big march next day. Special
emphasis was placed on march discipline.
As we marched out of Montevideo, the
officers were issued with swords loaned by a
British unit camped in the vicinity - nice
gesture, we thought.
We received a
wonderful reception from the huge crowd
along the route.
I heard some people say, 'Why do they not
smile?' They forgot that to us it was a day of
mourning for our comrades we left behind on
the hills of Gallipoli.
When we reached Westminster Abbey, I saw Lord Kitchener and General Sir William
Robertson standing to the left of the Abbey door. They were as interested in us as we were
in them. After seating the troops and finding precarious seats with my fellow officers, we
did not have long to wait for the arrival of the royal party. His late Majesty King George and
Queen Mary, escorted I think by the Archbishop of Canterbury, passed along just in front of
the seats while the congregation of 2,000 Anzacs stood to attention. The royal party took
their seats on the left of the altar during the service. Sitting just outside the royal enclosure
were about 12 blinded soldiers and their attendants. Some had mothers, sisters or
sweethearts. Others had soldier attendants. When the service ended, their majesties
spoke to every blinded soldier. The King shook hands with them while the Queen kissed
every woman attending them. We thought it a most gracious act by Her Majesty.

At the conclusion of the service, we then marched past Buckingham Palace, through the
Admiralty Arch, where a voice cried 'Hello Mick'. It was for Lieutenant Mick Cater of
Orange.
We dined at the Hotel Cecil in the Oak Room presided over, I think, by Mr Collins from
Australia House. While assembling the company in the street later, the late Andrew Fisher,
Prime Minister, made his appearance in a car. He was smiling and waving his hat to a
great ovation from his fellow Aussies.
We were then dispersed to various theatres, each of which had been arranged to fill all
vacant seats with Australian and New Zealand soldiers. Our next move was to Waterloo
Junction station to entrain for Abbeywood.
Just before I moved off, Major McGuy, medical officer of Montevideo camp, told me to hand
over the company to my 2IC and report to the CO. On reporting to Colonel Johnson, he
informed me that it had been decided that all company commanders and staff would have
dinner at the Piccadilly restaurant. We certainly enjoyed that dinner, which was so different
to our camp fare.
Wednesday morning, we handed back all gear and at roll call, much to my surprise and
delight, I was informed that my company was all present. It was the only company where
no men went AWOL.
Before dismissing my men at Montevideo, I told them that I was proud of them and that they
were a credit to Australia.
So ended the first anniversary of Anzac Day and the first appearance of the Anzacs as a
body in London. We made history that day.

NZ newborn screening recalls

The New Zealand national newborn hearing screening programme reviewed 14 screeners
across 10 district health boards last year which were not screening according to the
national protocol.
From July 2012, a total of 5,023 babies were incorrectly screened and 2,243 (out of 6,923
recalled) were recalled for further testing. Of these, two received cochlear implants, three
were diagnosed with moderate hearing loss and three with mild hearing loss. An
independent Australian team is reviewing the screening regime.
NZs National Foundation for the Deaf is seeking further information on the possibly lower
re-testing rates for babies in South Auckland, in case fewer infants are being routinely retested for a potential hearing problem.
The Foundation had previously raised issues about the inadequate monitoring and data
collection and is concerned at the insufficient resourcing of this vital programme. It regards
screening failure to be an inevitable consequence of inadequate funding.
The peak body in New Zealand is also concerned at the lack of a coordinated data
collection process for the screening programme and the risk this presents.
Visit the website for Australasian Newborn
http://www.newbornhearingscreening.com.au/

Hearing

Screening

Committee

Latest Advances in Menieres Research

The Menieres Research Fund invites you to a second Menieres Disease Research
Symposium to hear about recent advances in Menieres disease research.
Special guests include Mr Leo Tutt, President, Menieres Research Fund, Professor Bill
Gibson AM, Dr Celene McNeill, Dr Sally Rosengren, Dr Payal Mukerjee and Dr Daniel
Brown.
10.00am - 12.45pm, Saturday 2 May 2015
Ground Floor Lecture Area, Brain and Mind Research Institute
100 Mallett Street Camperdown NSW
RSVP essential as seating is limited. RSVP by Friday 24 April
Professor Bill Gibson AM
T: 02 9844 6800
E: wpr_gibson@bigpond.com

Troy Cassar-Daley celebrates the gift of hearing

Iconic singer and musician, and Australian Hearing Ambassador, Troy Cassar-Daley,
launched a heartfelt song, inspired by Australians who have either lived with hearing loss
and can now hear again, or are hearing for the very first time.
A song written especially for Australian Hearing, I Can Hear You Now, was performed
publicly for the first time by Troy in Sydney, attended by the Minister for Human Services,
Senator the Hon Marise Payne. It was also officially launched on iTunes. Proceeds from
the sale of the song will be directed by Australian Hearing to support young hearing
impaired people with their education.
The film clip for the song features a compilation of footage from Australian Hearing centres,
capturing the moment when someones hearing device is switched on for the first time. It
includes reactions from hearing impaired babies and children and the parents responses
when their child hears for the first time.
Troy is calling on all Australians to watch and download the song, to raise awareness about
how hearing is a gift and to take inspiration from the Australians, young and old, who have
overcome hearing loss.
To purchase the song visit www.hearing.com.au/Troysong
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necessarily reflect the considered views of Deafness Forum, or indicate commitment to a particular course of action.
Deafness Forum makes no representation or warranty about the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any
third party information. We encourage organisations to be deafness friendly. In planning meetings and events, choose
venues that have reliable hearing loops, and add real time captions and interpreters to meet the communication access
needs of the 4 million Australians we represent.