Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 5:30 – 7:30 PM
(Socializing at 5:30; program begins at 6:00.)
Editor’s Corner – Elizabeth Stump
Hearing Loss & Relationship Skills
Welcome to the February 2010 issue
SPEAKER: Mary Kaland, Ph.D.
of the HLAA‐Manhattan News & Views!
MEETING LEADER: Anne Pope There’s nothing like the prospect of Valentine’s Day
to begin thinking about personal relationships —
those shared with spouses, siblings, friends,
Dr. Mary Kaland is a clinical psychologist with 20
colleagues, neighbors…you get the picture.
years experience assisting patients with various
Valentine’s Day is a wonderfully inclusive holiday
disabilities and medical conditions. She has a
that everyone can participate in, because each one of
special interest in individuals with hearing loss, as
us holds certain relationships dear to our hearts. And
she herself is a late‐deafened adult who utilizes a
in case we don’t wear our hearts on our sleeves as
cochlear implant.
often as we should in daily life, Valentine’s Day is the
one designated day of the year during which we
Dr. Kaland will present some case studies for
have the honor and responsibility to express our love
discussion on the topic of coping with hearing loss
and gratitude.
in relationships.
There are countless quotations out there that
Location
essentially say, “Let love be your greatest aim.” It’s a
MUHLENBERG LIBRARY BRANCH motto to live by not just in February but year‐round.
209 West 23rd St. And it’s also imperative that we speak up about our
(between 7th and 8th Ave., closer to 7th) hearing loss year‐round— to our friends whenever
3rd floor—elevator available we struggle during daily conversations and to the
manager at the movie theater in order to request
NOTE: Assistive listening help is provided at our captioned films, for instance.
meetings through live CART captioning and a room loop
for those whose hearing aids have a T‐coil. Headsets are At this month’s Chapter meeting, the topic is
also available. managing hearing loss in relationships. When
someone in a relationship has hearing loss, it can take
extra effort, compassion, and patience to make that
connection work. Many of us struggle in group
settings where there is too much background noise
and likewise feel left out because there are too many
competing conversations to follow; we shut down
during social events because asking the speaker to
repeat himself every few words is embarrassing. But
the reality is that if you don’t express yourself right
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there and then, you have missed an important CHAPTER PLANNING COMMITTEE
opportunity to widen the lines of communication,
educate individuals, overcome stigma, and help not HLAA Manhattan Chapter Phone Number: (voice)
just yourself but others with hearing loss. (212) 769‐HEAR (4327)
This Valentine’s Day, reflect on how hearing loss
Barbara Bryan, Chapter Social Activities
figures into your relationships; then think about what
barbarabryan@usa.net
you need to do in order to surmount the obstacles
hearing loss poses and thereby enrich your Mary Fredericks, Secretary
connections with others. Lastly, consider how you (212) 674‐9128 maryfreder@aol.com
can become a better advocate for hearing loss
awareness in all your relationships. Advocating with Joe Gordon, Chapter Advocacy Consultant
love as its aim is a step toward making every day NYJGordon@aol.com
Valentine’s Day.
Toni Iacolucci, NYC Walk4Hearing Co‐chair;
See you at the Chapter meeting on February 16th! Advocacy Committee Chair
giantoni@nyc.rr.com
Shera Katz, Web Site Coordinator
sherakatz@verizon.net
Elizabeth O’Leary, Treasurer
EOL321@aol.com
Anne Pope, Immediate Past President, HLAA Board
of Trustees; NYC Walk4Hearing Co‐chair
atpop24@aol.com
Help the Chapter Go Green!
Would you like to receive N&V by e‐mail only Susan Shapiro
rather than receive a mailed version to help us cut sdshappy@aol.com
down on paper consumption and save money? It
Dana Simon, Liaison for NYPL
costs about $8 a year to provide one member with
dana2cat@gmail.com
10 issues — that’s more than half of one’s annual
dues. Please notify HLAANYC@aol.com to make Elizabeth Stump, Chapter Newsletter Editor
this change. The Manhattan Chapter thanks you! ElizabethMStump@gmail.com
Diane Sussman, Posters and Flyers
dlsuss@optonline.net
Chapter Advisors:
Barbara Dagen, Newsletter Committee
Ellen Semel, Advocacy and Events Advisor
Professional Advisors:
Josh Gendel, Technical Director, Center for Hearing
and Communication (CHC)
Next Month’s Meeting: Tues., March 16, 5:30 PM
Laurie Hanin, Ph.D, CCC‐A Exec. Director, CHC
Topic: Coping With Hearing Loss in Medical
Settings
Joseph Montano, Ed.D., Director, Hearing & Speech,
Speaker: Jody Gill, director of Hard‐of‐Hearing Weill Cornell Medical College
Services at NYU Medical Center
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WHAT YOU MISSED IN JANUARY big factor in applying remedies. Someone constantly
Mary Fredericks in group situations needs different accommodations
than someone living a quieter, more casual life.
Our speaker was an old friend of SHHH/HLAA,
Michael Bergen, Director of the Speech and Hearing
Center at Brooklyn College; he works with students,
faculty and clients. He gave a very understandable
PowerPoint presentation on the anatomy of the ear Metropolitan Calendar
and basics of audiograms.
As we all know, the ear is composed of the outer,
middle and inner areas. Conductive hearing loss Thursday, February 4: Center for Hearing and
(CHL) occurs in the outer or middle ear, possibly due Communication Cochlear Implant Support Group
to impacted wax (wax is essential to lubricate the 50 Broadway, 2nd Floor; 5:30‐7 PM
ear), a perforated eardrum, ear infection. This loss *For more information, call (917) 305‐7820
can often be remedied. Sensorineural hearing loss or e‐mail aflores@chchearing.org.
(SNHL) relates to the inner ear; some causes are February 14: Happy Valentine’s Day!
genetics, hair cell loss, ototoxic medications, noise Tuesday, February 16: HLAA Chapter meeting
exposure. This type of loss is generally not Sunday, March 14: Daylight Savings Time begins
reversible. There are other, less common, types of Tuesday, March 16: HLAA Chapter meeting
HL, such as mixed, retrocochlear (growths), central
auditory processing. Hearing Loss Association Convention 2010:
—June 17‐20, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
On an audiogram, loudness or intensity is measured —There is a discount for first‐time attendees.
in decibels. Frequency or pitch is measured in Hertz —Veterans of OIF and OEF who have hearing loss
(cycles per second). The normal speech threshold are offered complimentary registration (e‐mail
(the softest level that a person hears at a particular convention@hearingloss.org for more information).
frequency) is 25 dB. Generally, hearing loss can be —For more information on the annual convention, go
categorized as: to www.hearingloss.org/convention/index.asp.
• Mild (26‐40 dB HL) —You can also visit the HLAA Convention Blog:
• Moderate (41‐55 dB HL) http://hlaaconvention.blogspot.com/.
• Moderately severe to severe (56‐90 dB
HL) *It’s not too late to send in your application for one of
• Profound (greater than 90 dB HL) the two Rocky Stone Endowment Scholarships
being offered to help fund an HLAA member who
Other tests might include Immittance (a probe is has never been to a convention in the past. The
placed in the ear to measure the flexibility of the deadline is March 1. For more details, visit
eardrum; it can determine fluid in the ear, whether www.hearingloss.org/convention/2010Convention/2
there is a perforation and other CHL issues), and 010RSScholars.asp.
HINT (hearing in noise test).
Why should hearing be tested? Untreated hearing
Captions Search on Hulu
loss can adversely impact:
• Mental health In case you haven’t yet heard of Hulu.com, this Web
• Social skills site provides TV and video programming. Many of
• Relationships its shows are captioned. Recently the site launched a
• Self‐esteem search feature called Captions Search that allows
• Achievement in school and on the job viewers to search for words contained within the
• Income captioning text — thereby enabling them to locate a
particular segment of a show. Find Captions Search
Mr. Bergen urged us to be proactive – ask the under the new Captions tab on any show or video
audiologist all the questions we have. Lifestyle is a
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page for any program with captions, at Hulu.com. Noisy New York City
Send the site your comments at feedback@hulu.com.
How loud is too loud? Those of us with hearing loss
National HLAA News: are particularly sensitive to loud noises and places in
the city, but many people without hearing loss
*HLAA announced that over $1 million was raised remain oblivious to the harmful effects and hearing
from the 2009 Walk4Hearing™ program! The goals damage incurred from noise exposure. A January 4
of the program are to increase awareness about article in the online NY Post (www.nypost.com) may
hearing loss, minimize the stigma associated with be the right wake‐up call.
hearing aids and cochlear implants, and raise funds
to expand services for people with hearing loss and Hear the World, a global initiative by Phonak to
their families. increase hearing loss awareness, conducted a survey
More than 4,000 walkers participated in 21 cities of the noisiest public places in NYC. (Places like
throughout the U.S. Congratulations to all involved nightclubs, concert venues, and the airport runways
— our Chapter included!— for their persistence and were not included in the survey.) Noises over 85
decibels are particularly unsafe, according to experts.
dedication!
The ranking follows:
*HLAA sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy
1. 93 decibels: F, V, B, D platform in the 42nd Street
Pelosi requesting that when the House and Senate
station below Bryant Park (as loud as standing next
conference committee begins work on combining the
to a lawnmower)
health care bill, they work to ensure that the existing
House language related to coverage of hearing 2. 87 decibels: bus stop at the corner of 42nd St. and
services and devices for children under 21 is included Fifth Ave.
in the final bill that goes to the president. The letter
also requests that coverage be expanded to all ages. 3. 83 decibels: West Side Highway
4. 78 decibels: middle of Herald Square
*HLAA attended a recognition presentation at the
FCC for its 75 years of service as the nation’s 5. 76 decibels: Times Square, near the military
regulatory watchdog for communications. The FCC recruiting station
was recognized for its contributions toward equal
access to telecommunications and media for 36 6. 74 decibels: Union Square, across from Whole
million Americans with hearing loss. Such Foods
contributions include improved relay services, TV
captioning, accessible emergency information, the 7. 73 decibels: Grand Central Terminal on the main
institution of the Disability Rights Office at the FCC, concourse at rush hour
and hearing aid compatible phones.
8. 72 decibels: Bryant Park, in the middle of the park
*HLAA attended the first meeting of a committee So what should you do to protect your hearing in our
tasked by the FCC to come up with a national noisy city? Wear your earplugs!
emergency alert procedure that takes into account
people with disabilities. To learn more, visit
Finders Keepers
www.fcc.gov/pshs/advisory/csric.
If you’re interested in finding a device that secures
your hearing aid to your clothes or glasses, check out
(Visit Brenda’s Blog for more news about national
the following list. These products are particularly
HLAA’s work: http://bit.ly/8lAJwe.)
useful for children as well as the absentminded and
forgetful who misplace or lose their hearing aids.
1. Safe‐N‐Sound (www.getsafensound.com)
2. ʺCritter Clips,ʺ ʺHuggie Aids,ʺ and ʺKids Clipsʺ
(www.listen‐up.org/haid/huggies.htm)
3. Ear Gear (www.gearforears.com)
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In honor of Valentine’s Day… hop into one of NYC’s 13,000 cabs (our city’s fleet is
the largest in the nation!), ask about the loop, and if
that cab doesn’t have one, advocate for its
installment. You’ll be doing not only yourself but
other New Yorkers with hearing loss a favor.
Inspiration Corner
To learn more about how you can become involved
in local advocacy work for hearing loss, e‐mail the
Manhattan Chapter’s Advocacy Committee at:
advocacyfirst@gmail.com.
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners who make our
souls blossom.
The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that
we are loved — loved for ourselves, or rather, loved
in spite of ourselves.
Express Yourself
Calling all creative high school sophomores and
juniors who are deaf or hard of hearing! Send in a
short story, poem, or personal reflection to the 5th SAVE THE DATE! THE 3RD ANNUAL NYC
annual Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) WALK4HEARING™ WILL BE HELD ON
SpiRIT Writing Contest, and have your chance at OCTOBER 17TH, 2010.
winning a scholarship and travel expenses to the
Explore Your Future program at RIT’s National
Technical Institute for the Deaf, or a $500 cash prize.
The deadline is March 15. For more details, visit
www.rit.edu/NTID/WritingContestNR.
NYC Taxi Loops
Remember the pilot program for induction loops in
taxis last year? After several Chapter meetings, HLAA E‐news: Do you subscribe? It provides
members were encouraged to take part in the HLAA latest news every other week electronically.
program by testing out the loops installed in a taxi. To sign up go to:
(Loop systems transmit sound directly to telecoil‐ www.hearingloss.org/membership/Sen.asp
equipped hearing aids and to cochlear implants.)
Now, the successful 18‐month pilot program in New
York City — which involved 13 taxis — has come to
an end, and the city’s taxi fleet is authorized to have Special thanks to Lois
induction loops installed. Loops are commonly found O’Neill, Madelin Alk,
in public buildings and transportation systems in Lois Beadle, Adriana
Europe, but NYC’s pilot program was the first such Celleri, Isabelle
project in the U.S. Mugavero, and Keith
Muller for their
While the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) generous Chapter
donations.
will encourage taxi owners to install induction loops,
it will be optional. The systems cost only $250 to $300
and require no maintenance. So the next time you
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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]
A View from the Bridge (2/7, 3 PM); God of Carnage (2/20, 2 PM); Time Stands Still (3/6, 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.