Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 5:30 – 7:30 PM
(Socializing at 5:30; program begins at 6:00.)
Editor’s Corner – Elizabeth Stump
Strategies for Dealing With Hearing Loss in
the Workplace
Welcome to the April 2010 issue of
the HLAA‐Manhattan News & Views!
SPEAKER: Marcia Finisdore
One of the most stressful environments in which to
deal with hearing loss can be the workplace.
MEETING LEADER: Anne Pope
Answering the phone and barely hearing the caller,
talking to co‐workers with loud noise in the
Location
background, straining to follow along during
MUHLENBERG LIBRARY BRANCH meetings — these are just a few of the routine
209 West 23rd St. activities that people with hearing loss encounter
(between 7th and 8th Ave., closer to 7th) while working in an office. Most people assume
3rd floor—elevator available everyone else’s hearing is ‘normal,’ so I often find
myself having to tell someone that I have hearing loss
NOTE: Assistive listening help is provided at our and need the speaker to repeat their words. One of
meetings through live CART captioning and a room loop the most frustrating challenges for me is the inability
for those whose hearing aids have a T‐coil. Headsets are to follow along in group conversations the entire
also available.
time; so for work meetings, I try to sit near the main
speakers, and I let them know ahead of time that I
need to see their faces in order to understand their
speech.
I must say that despite all the cons to hearing loss in
the workplace, the one major pro is the ability to
‘turn off’ my hearing completely at my own leisure.
With one switch on my cochlear implant (CI), I can
go from hearing pretty well to hearing zip. So when
the office hubbub is too much to handle, or when I
need to clear my mind of all distractions in whatever
environment I happen to be in, I can make a hasty
retreat into a world of silence by turning my CI
processor off. I freely admit that I relish this
Next Month’s Meeting: Tues., May 18, 5:30 PM opportunity throughout the day!
Topic: Music Perception and Cochlear Implants
Speaker: Jaclyn B. Spitzer, Ph.D. At our April Chapter meeting, Marcia Finisdore will
be speaking to us about hearing loss and
employment issues. Marcia is past president of
HLAA, a bilateral CI recipient, and hearing loss
2
advocate. CHAPTER PLANNING COMMITTEE
See you at the Chapter meeting on April 20 ! th
HLAA Manhattan Chapter Phone Number: (voice)
(212) 769‐HEAR (4327)
Join the Planning Committee on the first Tuesday of
each month to help plan programs & events.
Barbara Bryan
barbarabryan@usa.net
Mary Fredericks, Secretary
(212) 674‐9128 maryfreder@aol.com
Help the Chapter Go Green!
Would you like to receive N&V by e‐mail only Joe Gordon, Chapter Advocacy Consultant
rather than receive a mailed version to help us cut NYJGordon@aol.com
down on paper consumption and save money? It
costs about $8 a year to provide one member with Toni Iacolucci, NYC Walk4Hearing Co‐chair;
10 issues — that’s more than half of one’s annual Advocacy Committee Chair
dues. Please notify HLAANYC@aol.com to make giantoni@nyc.rr.com
this change. The Manhattan Chapter thanks you!
Elizabeth O’Leary, Treasurer
EOL321@aol.com
HLAA E‐news: Do you subscribe? It provides Anne Pope, Immediate Past President, HLAA Board
HLAA latest news every other week electronically. of Trustees; NYC Walk4Hearing Co‐chair
To sign up go to: atpop24@aol.com
www.hearingloss.org/membership/Sen.asp
Susan Shapiro, Scholarship Committee Co‐chair
sdshappy@aol.com
Dana Simon, Liaison for NYPL
dana2cat@gmail.com
Elizabeth Stump, Chapter Newsletter Editor
ElizabethMStump@gmail.com
Diane Sussman, Posters and Flyers
dlsuss@optonline.net
Chapter Advisors:
Quick Stats:
Barbara Dagen, Newsletter Committee
*An estimated 75% of 18‐ to 30‐year‐olds who go to
nightclubs and concerts may experience tinnitus, Ellen Semel, Advocacy and Events Advisor
according to a recent article in the Journal of Clinical
Professional Advisors:
Nursing. For most people, this tinnitus is temporary
and disappears in hours or a few days. Yet the more
Josh Gendel, Technical Director, Center for Hearing
you listen to loud sounds, the louder your tinnitus and Communication (CHC)
usually becomes, and the longer it lasts. Tinnitus is
often a warning of actual or impending hearing loss. Laurie Hanin, Ph.D, CCC‐A Exec. Director, CHC
85% of people with hearing loss also have tinnitus.
Protect your ears, or get out of the noisy Joseph Montano, Ed.D., Director, Hearing & Speech,
environment! Weill Cornell Medical College
3
WHAT YOU MISSED IN MARCH Write down doctor/nurse names; ask for ID or have
Mary Fredericks each provider write down their names each time they
come to your room. Don’t apologize for any of this.
The beautiful weather and the planned topic You may ask for an oral interpreter, as it is often
provided one of the best turnouts we have ever easier to read one person’s speech, rather than many
had—about 45 people came to hear Jody Gill, different people. Another option is to use a dry‐erase
Director of Language, Cultural, and Disability board if communication is difficult with people who
Services at NYU Langone Medical Center, speak have accents or mustaches, for example.
about communication issues in a hospital setting.
If you find yourself in an emergency room without
Her theme in recent years has been communication, an escort, ask for a patient advocate; if there is a
not language. Effective communication is of critical problem, then ask for nursing leadership, an
importance in a hospital setting to avoid administrative nurse, or an administrator. Don’t be
misdiagnosis, improper or delayed medical afraid to go up the ladder – they have to help you
treatment, etc. Before a planned hospitalization, communicate.
become familiar with the patient advocate (or patient
representative or social worker). Ask if there is a In medical care, communication is not at the top of
deaf/hard‐of‐hearing department or specialized the list. They might be great at diagnosing and
services for people with disabilities. Let them know treating – but they don’t really talk that well. And
in advance that you will be there; ask about assistive we don’t help ourselves by just nodding our head
listening devices (e.g., pocket talkers), about phones and pretending to understand. A person’s ability to
with amplifier handsets, CapTel phones, or communicate doesn’t necessarily have anything to do
captioning on your TV set. (Sub‐acute facilities such with somebody else’s ability to hear him. If a doctor
as rehab centers and nursing homes must also is talking and the patient is nodding his head, that
provide communication assistance. Before moving doesn’t mean the patient understands. The members
from a hospital to such a facility, ask the social of your medical team are the experts for your
worker to check on available assistance.) medical care, but you are the expert in your
communication needs – educate and demonstrate.
An interesting device Ms. Gill described was an “Ubi
Duo,” which uses keyboards and screens for two or In patient‐centered care, you participate and are part
more people to communicate where there is of the team: you can make better decisions and
significant speech or hearing difficulty. Bring extra understand medication and follow‐up care. If a
hearing aid batteries and your own ALD if you have patient is communicating comfortably (whether with
one. There should be a sign above your bed alerting language or hearing difficulties), there are fewer ER
staff of your hearing loss; your communication visits and unnecessary diagnostic tests.
preference should be on your chart. Ms. Gill
suggests putting the following on your chart: We need to advocate for ourselves and educate
others. In so doing, we are paving the way for the
Patient is hard of hearing, use an ALD. next person with hearing loss. Lawsuits can get
Get patient’s attention before speaking. things done – but they don’t educate. Rather than
Establish and maintain eye contact. threaten or intimidate or act overbearing, we want to
Speak slowly and clearly but do not shout. educate.
Rephrase a misunderstood sentence.
Remember – background noise can be Visit this site from the Center for Hearing and
distracting. Communication in order to download the For
Consumers with Hearing Loss: A Kit for Better Healthcare
If you don’t understand something, ask until you do. Access:
The nursing station must know they can’t use an www.chchearing.org/news‐events/our‐blog/
intercom to respond to your call button; they have to important‐tip‐for‐anyone‐planning‐hospital‐stay.
come to you.
4
Captioning In Airports and Airplanes
HLAA has a history of advocating for visual access to
Metropolitan Calendar air travel information — they have filed comments
with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
and held meetings urging DOT to mandate
providing captioned announcement information at
Tuesday, April 20: HLAA Chapter meeting the gates and captioned in‐flight videos. While DOT
Wednesday, April 28: International Noise Awareness now requires that captioning be available on all
Day safety and information‐related videos on board, it
Thursday, May 6: Center for Hearing and still does not require captioning for in‐flight
Communication Cochlear Implant Support Group entertainment films.
50 Broadway, 2nd Floor; 5:30‐7 PM
*For more information, e‐mail A new ally for HLAA has entered the picture: the
audiology@chchearing.org or phone 917‐305‐7751. Association for Airline Passenger Rights (AAPR,
www.flyfriendlyskies.com/index.html). AAPR is
Tuesday, May 18: HLAA Chapter meeting asking that DOT require commercial air carriers to
provide closed‐captioning on all in‐flight
Hearing Loss Association Convention 2010: entertainment. They created a petition that will be
—June 17‐20, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin sent to DOT asking for captioning:
—There is a discount for first‐time attendees. www.petitionspot.com/petitions/subtitles. Support
—Veterans of OIF and OEF who have hearing loss improved access for the hearing‐impaired and visit
are offered complimentary registration (e‐mail the site to sign the petition today!
convention@hearingloss.org for more information).
—For more information on the annual convention, go
to www.hearingloss.org/convention/index.asp.
—You can also visit the HLAA Convention Blog:
http://hlaaconvention.blogspot.com/. New York City
Walk4Hearing™
Column
College Scholarships
The Manhattan Chapter will be awarding
scholarships to high school seniors with hearing loss
for the fourth consecutive year. The scholarships are Danielle and Team Nicosia
to be used toward the pursuit of a college degree or
vocational training. Thanks to funds raised through Danielle Nicosia is one of the Walk4Hearing™ role
the 2009 Walk4Hearing™, the Chapter will make models: Unaccustomed to asking for money from
available four $1,500 awards. anyone, she put aside her reluctance in the interest of
helping the HLAA North Shore Chapter raise the
Applicants must have applied to a college or money for CART at its meetings. She drafted a letter
vocational education program, be between the ages for family and friends that netted her $3,000 the first
of 17 and 20, wear a hearing aid or cochlear implant, year (2008) and $2,500 in 2009. Her fundraising
and have a grade point average of 3.0 or better. The efforts and large team size earned Team Nicosia the
scholarship is a one‐time award given in recognition prize for “Best Returning Team” for the New York
of academic achievement, leadership qualities, City Walk in 2009.
community service, and work experience. Financial
need is not a consideration. Anyone interested in For those who missed the profile of Danielle in the
applying may e‐mail Anne Pope at atpop24@aol.com October 2008 HLAA‐Manhattan News & Views,
for an application package. Completed applications Danielle was born with bilateral sensorineural
are due by April 11, 2010. deafness (deaf in both ears due to nerve damage).
5
She had a series of operations at age two which gave The 2010 Walk for NYC will be held on
her moderate to severe hearing loss — until 2009, October 17th!
when she inexplicably woke up with no hearing at
all. Yet she did not let that stop her from leading her The official Walk Web site for 2010 is up:
team to winning “The Best Returning Team” award
www.walk4hearing.org. Visit today!
that same year.
Danielle was originally attracted to join the Walk (in
spite of never having tried anything like it before) TV Caption Survey
because she saw the logo on the HLAA Web site, and
Take an anonymous online survey to give your
HLAA had provided her with access to “people just
opinion about caption errors during TV news
like me.” The feeling of being part of, rather than
programs! Visit
different from, the society around her was enhanced
www.surveygizmo.com/s/201454/caption‐accuracy‐
when during the 2008 Walk, 20 people surrounded
metrics‐survey (now through April 12). The survey
her and walked with her because they supported her
will take 15‐20 minutes to complete, and can be filled
determination to live with hearing loss. It was “a
out in multiple visits.
great feeling,” she said.
The survey, conducted by the WGBH ‐ Carl and Ruth
Dani, as she is known within her HLAA Chapter, is
Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible
again putting together a team and working on
Media, will help the WGBH Media Access Group
fundraising for the 2010 Walk. She has expanded her
assess closed caption quality on live news
letter‐writing campaign, but has not had any luck
programming. (The WGBH Media Access Group
raising funds beyond her group of supporters from
pioneered captioning for television.)
the last two years. How she and the other team
leaders from the NYC area will succeed in a year that
If you have questions, contact Marcia Brooks and
has generous people feeling strained remains to be
Tom Apone, Project Directors at the WGBH – Carl
seen.
and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for
There is not, however, a lack of expanded outlets for Accessible Media, at access@wgbh.org.
fund usage in the North Shore area, or in the areas
covered by other Long Island teams that Dani knows:
Hearing Exchange and East End Hearing. These Special thanks to
teams would very much like to expand their outreach
Gerry Bichovsky and
to include many more people who are “just like”
Toni Iacolucci for
Dani. Making efficient use of outreach funds is
their generous
something Dani and the other team leaders are still
Chapter donations.
exploring. Their ultimate goals include incorporating
Thanks to Amy
more people who are not directly associated with
McCarthy for her
hearing loss in their groups – perhaps so they too feel ongoing dedication to
“just like” Dani. the N&V mailings.
—Jane Seifert
Advocacy Corner
“Fellow Chapter members Amy McCarthy, Barbara
Bryan, and I attended a captioned performance in
March. The title was Part 3 of Horton Footeʹs Orphanʹs
Cycle. After the performance, a couple came over
to Amy to ask her about cochlear implants (CIs).
It seems the woman is losing her hearing and
is interested in finding out more about CIs. We got
into a discussion and gave them lots of information,
6
including our www.hearingloss.org Web site. When Making Music with Hearing Loss
I got home, it dawned on me that I had the February
N&V newsletters with me because Amy had just How well do you hear music with your hearing loss?
brought them to me; I could have given the couple Those of us who listen to music regularly as a hobby
we had been talking to a newsletter. And I also forgot know the challenges. But how do you function with
to tell them about our regular monthly program on hearing loss when making music is your profession?
Tuesday nights. It made me realize we should always
carry something with us when going to a captioned The non‐profit organization Association for Adult
performance in order to share our Chapter Musicians with Hearing Loss (AAMHL) strives to
information with hearing‐impaired people who don’t support and connect musicians with hearing
know about us. Amy did give them her e‐mail loss. They provide their members with online forums
address, so if they write to her she for discussion, educational experiences, and
is now armed with lots more information about the performance opportunities at local libraries. AAMHL
Chapter and can tell them.” also provides ongoing feedback to hearing health
—Ellen Semel professionals and researchers, hearing assistive
device manufacturers, and music educators in order
*To learn more about how you can become involved
in local advocacy work for hearing loss, e‐mail the to improve hearing device technology in regards to
Manhattan Chapter’s Advocacy Committee at: music performance and enjoyment.
advocacyfirst@gmail.com.
This fall, AAMHL will be doing a recital in New York
*Send in your experiences related to advocacy for City to showcase the hearing‐impaired musicians
possible inclusion in the HLAA‐Manhattan News & who live in or near NYC. The performance date is
Views! Please e‐mail the editor at September 19, 2010. If you’re interested in joining the
ElizabethMStump@gmail.com. organization or attending the NYC performance,
contact AAMHL for more information at:
www.aamhl.org.
Get in the Loop!
At the end of February, the American Academy of
Audiology and HLAA announced a collaborative
public education campaign called “Get in the
Hearing Loop.” The campaign aims to encourage
audiologists to talk to their clients about how hearing
Free Hearing Checks — Pass It On! loop technology can increase the functionality of
The Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC) hearing aids. It aims to educate the public about the
is commemorating its centennial this year by offering improved communication benefits of hearing loops
“100 Days of Free Hearing Screenings”: 100 days used in conjunction with the telecoils found in most
before December 31, 2010, for New Yorkers to get hearing aids and cochlear implants (CIs).
free hearing screenings. The screenings are
conducted by the CHC’s audiologists, and take place Hearing loops transmit the audio sound from a PA
at their office and aboard their Mobile Hearing Test system directly to telecoil‐equipped hearing aids and
Unit at various locations in New York City. CIs. The telecoil is like an antenna, relaying sounds
directly into the ear without background noise. For
CHC Office: 50 Broadway; screenings by more info.: www.HLAAbq.com/LoopNM.html.
appointment only, every Wednesday (12‐2 PM) and
Thursday (4‐6 PM). Call 917‐305‐7766. The campaign will culminate in the Second
International Hearing Loop Conference, to coincide
Mobile Hearing Test Unit: check the schedule online
with the HLAA annual convention in Washington,
at www.chchearing.org/free‐hearing‐screenings.
D.C., June 16 ‐ 19, 2011.
7
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]
Million Dollar Quartet (4/24, 2 PM); South Pacific (5/20, 8 PM); Collected Stories (6/5, 2 PM)
OPEN‐CAPTIONED MOVIES –
For updates, go to Captionfish.com or www.regalcinemas.com/movies/open_cap.html.
REGAL BATTERY PARK STADIUM 11, 102 N. End Avenue–Vesey & West Streets (212) 945‐4370.
REAR‐WINDOW CAPTIONED MOVIES ‐ For listings go to Captionfish.com or 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, 11 East 53rd St., Access Programs 212‐408‐6347 (V), 212‐247‐1230 (TTY),
accessprograms@moma.org. ALDs are available for lectures, gallery talks, & family programs. Real‐time captioning for
lectures is available upon request with three weeks notice. 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.
8
c/o Mary Fredericks,
520 E. 20th St., #8E
New York, NY 10009
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.