Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 5:30 – 7:30 PM
(Socializing at 5:30; program begins at 6:00.)
Editor’s Corner – Elizabeth Stump
Music Perception and Hearing Loss
Welcome to the May 2010 issue of
the HLAA‐Manhattan News & Views!
SPEAKER: Jaclyn B. Spitzer, Ph.D.
This issue will be the last before our Chapter’s
summer hiatus. Please note that although we won’t
MEETING LEADER: Joe Gordon be having a regular Chapter meeting in June, we will
be congregating instead on June 8th for a scholarship
Location presentation ceremony. Our Chapter will be
MUHLENBERG LIBRARY BRANCH awarding four college scholarships to high school
209 West 23rd St. students who have hearing loss. The awards are
(between 7th and 8th Ave., closer to 7th) $1,500 each.
3rd floor—elevator available
As for May’s regular Chapter meeting, our speaker
NOTE: Assistive listening help is provided at our will be Jaclyn B. Spitzer, Ph.D., who is a Professor of
meetings through live CART captioning and a room loop Clinical Audiology and Speech Pathology in
for those whose hearing aids have a T‐coil. Headsets are Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at Columbia
also available. University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She
is also a Professor in Communication Sciences and
Disorders at Montclair State University. Dr. Spitzer
has been involved in research and clinical application
of implantable devices for 27 years, focusing on
cochlear implants, bone‐anchored hearing devices,
implantable hearing aids, rehabilitation with
implants, and central auditory processing.
Dr. Spitzerʹs recent research has included the
development of a new test of music perception
(“Appreciation of Music in Cochlear Implantees”) for
cochlear implant users. At our Chapter meeting, Dr.
Spitzer will be talking about listening strategies,
musical choices, and how to improve satisfaction
with music listening. Her presentation will apply to
Next Month: SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
hearing aid users and to cochlear implant recipients.
PRESENTATION, June 8, 5:30 PM
This Will Not Be A Regular Meeting—Come
Lastly, I want you to know that this May issue will be
support the Chapter and the student winners!
my final issue as editor of the HLAA‐Manhattan
N&V. I am stepping down, due not to dissatisfaction
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with the position or Chapter, but because of CHAPTER PLANNING COMMITTEE
increased full‐time work that precludes my ability to
continue as editor of the N&V. I have so greatly HLAA Manhattan Chapter Phone Number: (voice)
enjoyed bringing you an informative newsletter each (212) 769‐HEAR (4327)
month, and I hope each issue has provided you with
handy resources and entertaining tidbits. Thank you Join the Planning Committee on the first Tuesday of
each month to help plan programs & events.
all for your feedback during the past two years!
See you at the Chapter meeting on May 18th! Barbara Bryan
barbarabryan@usa.net
Mary Fredericks, Secretary
(212) 674‐9128 maryfreder@aol.com
Joe Gordon, Chapter Advocacy Consultant
NYJGordon@aol.com
Toni Iacolucci, NYC Walk4Hearing Co‐chair;
Advocacy Committee Chair
giantoni@nyc.rr.com
Help the Chapter Go Green!
Would you like to receive N&V by e‐mail only
Elizabeth O’Leary, Treasurer
rather than receive a mailed version to help us cut EOL321@aol.com
down on paper consumption and save money? It
costs about $8 a year to provide one member with Anne Pope, Immediate Past President, HLAA Board
10 issues — that’s more than half of one’s annual of Trustees; NYC Walk4Hearing Co‐chair
dues. Please notify HLAANYC@aol.com to make atpop24@aol.com
this change. The Manhattan Chapter thanks you!
Susan Shapiro, Scholarship Committee Co‐chair
sdshappy@aol.com
HLAA E‐news: Do you subscribe? It provides
Dana Simon, Liaison for NYPL
HLAA latest news every other week electronically. dana2cat@gmail.com
To sign up go to:
www.hearingloss.org/membership/Sen.asp Elizabeth Stump, Chapter Newsletter Editor
ElizabethMStump@gmail.com
All Members Invited!
Diane Sussman, Posters and Flyers
dlsuss@optonline.net
Laurie Hanin, Executive Director of the Center for
Hearing and Communication (CHC), has invited all Chapter Advisors:
members of the HLAA ‐ Manhattan Chapter to
attend the CHC Annual Meeting on May 25. The date Barbara Dagen, Newsletter Committee
is the 100th Anniversary of the CHC. Among the
meeting’s honorees this year is HLAA, and Brenda Ellen Semel, Advocacy and Events Advisor
Battat, Executive Director, will be at the event for the
honor. There will be ALDs, CART, and an induction Professional Advisors:
loop will provide accessibility. Please RSVP if you
Josh Gendel, Technical Director, Center for Hearing
will be attending. Contact Susan King at (917) 305‐
and Communication (CHC)
7804 or at sking@chchearing.org
Laurie Hanin, Ph.D, CCC‐A Exec. Director, CHC
Details: Tuesday, May 25; meeting from 3:30 PM – 5
PM, cocktail reception at 5 PM; at the Center for Joseph Montano, Ed.D., Director, Hearing & Speech,
Hearing and Communication, 52 Broadway, 2nd Fl., Weill Cornell Medical College
NYC
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WHAT YOU MISSED IN APRIL
Mary Fredericks We often stay in less desirable jobs because of anxiety
related to interviews, new bosses, different work
Marcia Finisdore was welcomed very warmly by environments. And it is unfortunate that people with
about 45 attendees; she is a Pennsylvania resident hearing loss often retire early due to missing things
and has been active in HLAA since 1990, serving on and the resultant psychological stress. Our difficulty
its Board of Trustees for 12 years as president, vice‐ in processing information in groups often leads
president and secretary. others to think of us as inattentive or slow.
Hearing loss in the workplace has so many facets. Be open – be honest – ask for accommodations when
The first thing we should know is the law: needed – demonstrate your commitment by the
Employees of all companies and volunteers for non‐ quality of work you perform and your work ethic.
profit organizations that receive government funding
are covered by accessibility laws, unless it is an In closing, one person with 65 years of hearing loss
undue burden for the organization. (for a Disability commented, “There was one singularly positive thing
Law Handbook go to www.southwestADA.org) If a that I found from my experience being hearing
private organization does not receive government impaired. It was simply this: you find that having a
funds, it is not required to be accessible. Senior hearing loss gives you a whole lot of insight to
centers do receive federal or state funds, so are people you meet, and you meet an awful lot of very
required to be accessible. nice people in the process. I found this to be an
excellent selection process. And it’s enabled me to
Regarding employment, human resources people form very close relationships with people in the work
don’t understand what a hearing loss is, which is the force and off the job.”
reason so many want to give us sign language
interpreters. If you are ever advised not to apply for
a job because of your hearing loss, report the
organization to the EEOC (Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission). The law says if a person
with a disability is applying for a job and has all the Metropolitan Calendar
required skills, s/he must be treated equally.
Many times we are too unsure of ourselves due to
previous bad experiences. You are not required to Thursday, May 6: Center for Hearing and
reveal your hearing loss during an interview, nor is it Communication Cochlear Implant Support Group
permissible for the interviewer to ask. However, if 50 Broadway, 2nd Floor; 5:30‐7 PM
you are more comfortable talking about it, consider *For more information, e‐mail
bringing an ALD (assistive listening device) with you audiology@chchearing.org or phone 917‐305‐7751.
to demonstrate how you would handle your hearing
loss; be self‐assured – people respond positively to Tuesday, May 18: HLAA Chapter meeting
that. Remember, your skills are being hired, not your Tuesday, June 8: Scholarship Reception in lieu of
hearing loss. regular Chapter meeting
Sometimes we are afraid to reveal our hearing loss Hearing Loss Association Convention 2010:
for fear we will be hired at a lower level, or be denied —June 17‐20, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
advancement, or even lose the job. But our hearing —There is a discount for first‐time attendees.
loss becomes evident to others, sometimes causing —Veterans of OIF and OEF who have hearing loss
them to think us “deaf and dumb” – not a politically are offered complimentary registration (e‐mail
correct term but nevertheless still out there. We are convention@hearingloss.org for more information).
reluctant to ask for accommodations, but no one is —For more information on the annual convention, go
going to offer them – it is up to us to make our needs to www.hearingloss.org/convention/index.asp.
known. Most employers are compliant when asked. —You can also visit the HLAA Convention Blog:
Let them know it won’t cost them a million dollars! http://hlaaconvention.blogspot.com/.
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*HLAA attended the FCC announcement of the
national broadband plan as it relates to people with
disabilities. They intend to track HR 3101, the 21st
Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act,
and which HLAA has been supporting.
*In terms of health care reform, HLAA assisted in
The 2010 Walk4Hearing™ for NYC will be getting a specific hearing aid exemption included in
the newly signed legislation. The legislation exempts
held on October 17th!
hearing aids from the medical device tax that will be
imposed on almost all other devices not sold at
The official Walk Web site for 2010 is up:
“retail.”
www.walk4hearing.org. Visit today!
*Representatives from HLAA, National Association
for the Deaf, Telecommunications for the Deaf, and
Northern Virginia Resource Center for the Deaf and
Member Kudos Hard of Hearing Persons met with Google in order to
begin working on universal captioning of YouTube
Congratulations to member Ellen Semel, who videos. In November 2009, Google released a way to
was recently featured in an article about hearing provide automated time code for transcripts as
loss in her co‐op complex’s newsletter (Penn another way to make captioning more available on
South Community Newsletter Spring 2010 issue). YouTube. In March, they opened up auto‐captioning
to all users and have reported a surge in captioned
A warm welcome from the Planning Committee videos since then. They are looking for more ways to
is extended to new Planning Committee member get the word out and feedback. Visit the Web site at
Josephine McFadden! www.youtube.com/t/captions.
Congratulations to Suzanne D’Amico, winner of
the 2010 Rocky Stone Convention Scholarship.
Funny Bone Corner
National HLAA News
There was an elderly man who had had serious
*HLAA Board adopted a policy paper on
hearing problems for many years. Finally, he went to
employment hiring and testing: Hearing Loss
an audiologist, who fitted him with a set of hearing
Association of America Position Paper Job
aids that allowed him to hear 100%.
Qualification Testing. Go to www.hearingloss.org
for more information on the paper. A month later, the man went back to the audiologist
for his check‐up appointment. The physician said,
*Providence, Rhode Island, was chosen as the 2012 “Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be thrilled
HLAA Convention site. that you can hear again.”
*HLAA is developing a Wiki (Web site) for parents of To which the man replied, “Oh, I havenʹt told my
children with hearing loss. This initiative is being led family yet. I just sit around and listen to the
by Marcia Finisdore, past president of the HLAA conversations. Iʹve already changed my will three
Board of Trustees, and is being assisted by Suzanne times!”
D’Amico, a Manhattan Chapter member and co‐chair
of the NYC Walk.
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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]
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.
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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.