may 2010 hlaa-manhattan news and views

8/9/2019 May 2010 HLAA-Manhattan News and Views

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News & Views

May 2010 www.hearingloss-nyc.org E-mail: [email protected]

Hearing

Loss

Association

of

America®

exists

to

open

the

world

of

communication

to

people

with

hearing

loss

through information, education, advocacy, and support.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010 5:30 – 7:30 PM

(Socializing at 5:30; program begins at 6:00.)

Music Perception and Hearing Loss

SPEAKER: Jaclyn B. Spitzer, Ph.D.

MEETING LEADER: Joe Gordon

Location

MUHLENBERG LIBRARY BRANCH

209 West 23rd St.

(between 7th and 8th

Ave., closer to 7th)

3rd floor—elevator available

NOTE: Assistive listening help is provided at our

meetings through live CART captioning and a room loop

for those

whose

hearing

aids

have

a T

‐coil.

Headsets

are

also available.

Welcome to the May 2010 issue of

the HLAA‐Manhattan News & Views!

This

issue

will

be

the

last

before

our

Chapter’s

summer hiatus. Please note that although we won’t

be having a regular Chapter meeting in June, we will

be congregating instead on June 8th for a scholarship

presentation ceremony. Our Chapter will be

awarding four college scholarships to high school

students who have hearing loss. The awards are

$1,500 each.

As for May’s regular Chapter meeting, our speaker

will be Jaclyn B. Spitzer, Ph.D., who is a Professor of

Clinical Audiology and Speech Pathology in

Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at Columbia

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

hearing aid users and to cochlear implant recipients.

Lastly, I want you to know that this May issue will be

my final issue as editor of the HLAA‐Manhattan

N&V. I am stepping down, due not to dissatisfaction

Editor’s Corner – Elizabeth Stump

Next Month: SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

PRESENTATION, June 8, 5:30 PM

This Will Not Be A Regular Meeting—Come

support the Chapter and the student winners!



2

with the position or Chapter, but because of

increased full‐time work that precludes my ability to

continue as editor of the N&V. I have so greatly

enjoyed bringing you an informative newsletter each

month, and I hope each issue has provided you with

handy resources and entertaining tidbits. Thank you

all for your feedback during the past two years!

See you at the Chapter meeting on May 18th!

All Members Invited!

Laurie Hanin, Executive Director of the Center for

Hearing and Communication (CHC), has invited all

members of the HLAA ‐Manhattan Chapter to

attend the CHC Annual Meeting on May 25. The date

is the 100th Anniversary of the CHC. Among the

meeting’s honorees this year is HLAA, and Brenda

Battat, Executive Director, will be at the event for the

honor. There

will

be

ALDs,

CART,

and

an

induction

loop will provide accessibility. Please RSVP if you

will be attending. Contact Susan King at (917) 305‐

7804 or at [email protected]

Details: Tuesday, May 25; meeting from 3:30 PM – 5

PM, cocktail reception at 5 PM; at the Center for

Hearing and Communication, 52 Broadway, 2nd Fl.,

NYC

CHAPTER PLANNING COMMITTEE

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

[email protected]

Mary Fredericks, Secretary

(212) 674‐9128 [email protected]

Joe Gordon, Chapter Advocacy Consultant

[email protected]

Toni Iacolucci, NYC Walk4Hearing Co‐chair;

Advocacy Committee Chair

[email protected]

Elizabeth O’Leary,

Treasurer

[email protected]

Anne Pope, Immediate Past President, HLAA Board

of Trustees; NYC Walk4Hearing Co‐chair

[email protected]

Susan Shapiro, Scholarship Committee Co‐chair

[email protected]

Dana Simon, Liaison for NYPL

[email protected]

Elizabeth Stump, Chapter Newsletter Editor [email protected]

Diane Sussman, Posters and Flyers

[email protected]

Chapter Advisors:

Barbara Dagen, Newsletter Committee

Ellen Semel, Advocacy and Events Advisor

Professional Advisors:

Josh Gendel, Technical Director, Center for Hearing

and Communication (CHC)

Laurie Hanin, Ph.D, CCC‐A Exec. Director, CHC

Joseph Montano, Ed.D., Director, Hearing & Speech,

Weill Cornell Medical College

Help the Chapter Go Green!

Would you like to receive N&V by e‐mail only

rather than receive a mailed version to help us cut down on paper consumption and save money? It

costs about $8 a year to provide one member with

10 issues — that’s more than half of one’s annual

dues. Please notify [email protected] to make

this change. The Manhattan Chapter thanks you!

HLAA E‐news: Do you subscribe? It provides

HLAA latest news every other week electronically.

To sign up go to:

www.hearin loss.or /membershi /Sen.as



3

WHAT YOU MISSED IN APRIL

Mary Fredericks

Marcia Finisdore was welcomed very warmly by

about 45 attendees; she is a Pennsylvania resident

and has been active in HLAA since 1990, serving on

its Board of Trustees for 12 years as president, vice‐

president and secretary.

Hearing loss in the workplace has so many facets.

The first thing we should know is the law:

Employees of all companies and volunteers for non‐

profit organizations that receive government funding

are covered by accessibility laws, unless it is an

undue burden for the organization. (for a Disability

Law Handbook go to www.southwestADA.org) If a

private organization does not receive government

funds, it is not required to be accessible. Senior

centers do receive federal or state funds, so are

required to

be

accessible.

Regarding employment, human resources people

don’t understand what a hearing loss is, which is the

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

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

reveal your hearing loss during an interview, nor is it

permissible for the interviewer to ask. However, if

you are more comfortable talking about it, consider

bringing an ALD (assistive listening device) with you

to demonstrate how you would handle your hearing

loss; be self‐assured – people respond positively to

that. Remember, your skills are being hired, not your

hearing loss.

Sometimes we are afraid to reveal our hearing loss for fear we will be hired at a lower level, or be denied

advancement, or even lose the job. But our hearing

loss becomes evident to others, sometimes causing

them to think us “deaf and dumb” – not a politically

correct term but nevertheless still out there. We are

reluctant to ask for accommodations, but no one is

going to offer them – it is up to us to make our needs

known. Most employers are compliant when asked.

Let them know it won’t cost them a million dollars!

We often stay in less desirable jobs because of anxiety

related to interviews, new bosses, different work

environments. And it is unfortunate that people with

hearing loss often retire early due to missing things

and the resultant psychological stress. Our difficulty

in processing information in groups often leads

others to think of us as inattentive or slow.

Be open – be honest – ask for accommodations when

needed – demonstrate your commitment by the

quality of work you perform and your work ethic.

In closing, one person with 65 years of hearing loss

commented, “There was one singularly positive thing

that I found from my experience being hearing

impaired. It was simply this: you find that having a

hearing loss gives you a whole lot of insight to

people you meet, and you meet an awful lot of very

nice people in the process. I found this to be an

excellent selection process. And it’s enabled me to

form very close relationships with people in the work

force and off the job.”

Thursday, May 6: Center for Hearing and

Communication Cochlear Implant Support Group

50 Broadway, 2nd Floor; 5:30‐7 PM

*For more information, e‐mail

[email protected] or phone 917‐305‐7751.

Tuesday, May 18: HLAA Chapter meeting

Tuesday, June 8: Scholarship Reception in lieu of

regular Chapter meeting

Hearing Loss

Association

Convention

2010:

—June 17‐20, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

—There is a discount for first‐time attendees.

—Veterans of OIF and OEF who have hearing loss

are offered complimentary registration (e‐mail

[email protected] 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/ .

Metropolitan Calendar



4

The 2010 Walk4Hearing™ for NYC will be

held on October 17th!

The official Walk Web site for 2010 is up:

www.walk4hearing.org. Visit today!

National HLAA News

*HLAA Board adopted a policy paper on

employment hiring and testing: Hearing Loss

Association of America Position Paper Job

Qualification Testing. Go to www.hearingloss.org

for more information on the paper.

*Providence, Rhode Island, was chosen as the 2012

HLAA Convention site.

*HLAA is developing a Wiki (Web site) for parents of

children with hearing loss. This initiative is being led

by Marcia Finisdore, past president of the HLAA

Board of Trustees, and is being assisted by Suzanne

D’Amico, a Manhattan Chapter member and co‐chair

of the NYC Walk.

*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

getting a specific hearing aid exemption included in

the newly

signed

legislation.

The

legislation

exempts

hearing aids from the medical device tax that will be

imposed on almost all other devices not sold at

“retail.”

*Representatives from HLAA, National Association

for the Deaf, Telecommunications for the Deaf, and

Northern Virginia Resource Center for the Deaf and

Hard of Hearing Persons met with Google in order to

begin working on universal captioning of YouTube

videos. In November 2009, Google released a way to

provide automated time code for transcripts as

another way to make captioning more available on YouTube. In March, they opened up auto‐captioning

to all users and have reported a surge in captioned

videos since then. They are looking for more ways to

get the word out and feedback. Visit the Web site at

www.youtube.com/t/captions.

There was an elderly man who had had serious

hearing problems for many years. Finally, he went to

an audiologist, who fitted him with a set of hearing

aids that allowed him to hear 100%.

A month later, the man went back to the audiologist

for his check‐up appointment. The physician said,

“Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be thrilled

that you can hear again.”

To which the man replied, “Oh, I havenʹt told my

family yet. I just sit around and listen to the

conversations. Iʹve already changed my will three

times!”

Funny Bone Corner

Member Kudos

Congratulations to member Ellen Semel, who

was recently featured in an article about hearing

loss in

her

co

‐op

complex’s

newsletter

(Penn

South Community Newsletter Spring 2010 issue).

A warm welcome from the Planning Committee

is extended to new Planning Committee member

Josephine McFadden!

Congratulations to Suzanne D’Amico, winner of

the 2010 Rocky Stone Convention Scholarship.



5

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),

[email protected]. 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.

Access to the Arts in New York City

obody’s Perfect Kids’ Play

Based on the children’s book by

Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney,

Nobody’s Perfect is a new musical

about 4th grade girls and hearing

loss. It will be shown on May 8, at

2 PM, at the Skirball Center for the

Performing Arts at NYU. The

performance will be performed in

spoken English and American Sign

Language, and will also provide open captioning. Go to

http://artsedge.kennedy‐

center.org/nobodysperfect for

more.

HLAA Webinar

Topic:

“Help for Tinnitus”

Guest Speaker:

Michael D. Seidman, MD., FACS

Date & Time:

May 20 at 5:00 PM

To join the Webinar, go to:

http://hearinglossassociation.acr

obat.com/hlaa/

Mention of suppliers or devices in this newsletter does not mean HLAA‐ Manhattan endorsement,

nor does exclusion suggest disapproval.

Free Hearing Checks

The CHC is offering “100 Days of

Free Hearing Screenings”: before

December 31, 2010, get a free hearing

screening. The screenings are

conducted by the CHC’s

audiologists. CHC Office: 50

Broadway; screenings by

appointment only, every Wednesday

(12‐2 PM)

and

Thursday

(4

‐6 PM).

Call 917‐305‐7766. Mobile Hearing

Test Unit: check the schedule online

at www.chchearing.org/free‐

hearing‐screenings.



6

c/o Mary Fredericks

520 E.

20

th St.,

#8E

New York, NY 10009

FI RST CLASS MAI L( DATED MATERIAL)

Please check your address label for the date of your last dues payment and, if you are a National member, there will bean “NM” after the date. Report any discrepancies to Mary Fredericks. Thanks!

Manhattan Chapter Annual Membership Application Please complete and return this form, with yourchapter dues of $15 (payable to HLAA-Manhattan)for the period September 1, 2009, to August 31, 2010Send to: Mary Fredericks

520 East 20th St. (8E)New York, NY 10009

NAME (please print)_____________________

ADDRESS/APT_____________________________CITY/STATE/ZIP________________________PHONE (Home or Work?)_________________E-MAIL ADDRESS_______________________

SEND A NEWSLETTER BY E-MAIL YES NO MEMBER OF HLAA NATIONAL? YES NO HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT US?________________________

ADDITIONAL DONATION_$_______________TOTAL ENCLOSED_$____________________

HLAA Membership ApplicationPlease complete and return this form, with your duespayment of $35 for a one-year membership(including subscription to Hearing Loss Magazine)

To: HLAA Membership, 7910 Woodmont Ave.Suite 1200, Bethesda, MD 20814.

NAME (please print)

ADDRESS/APT_________________________________________CITY/STATE/ZIP________________________PHONE (Home or Work)__________________E-MAIL ADDRESS_______________________

ARE YOU NOW A MEMBER OF HLAANATIONAL? YES NO (receiving Hearing Loss Magazine)?______IF YES, I.D. No.________________

ADDITIONAL DONATION_$_______________TOTAL ENCLOSED_$____________________

HLAA is a volunteer association of hard of hearing people, their relatives and friends. It is a nonprofit, non-sectarianeducational 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.

may 2010 hlaa-manhattan news and views

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