HLA CA Fall 2009.pub - Hearing Loss Association of America

Fall 2009
THE HEARING LOSS CALIFORNIAN
California Newsletter of Hearing Loss Association of America
2009 CALIFORNIA WALK4HEARING
November 8, 2009 at Long Beach Marina Green
The Hearing Loss Association of California (HLA-CA) will
join the national effort led by the Hearing Loss Association of
America (HLAA) to help end the stigma of hearing loss by hosting
the 2009 California Walk4Hearing.
The 5K event will kick off on Sunday, November 8 at 10 a.m.
with registration starting at 9 a.m. Walkers will enjoy an approximately three mile stroll along the harbor with views of Shoreline
Village and the Queen Mary.
“The Walk4Hearing is a great opportunity for individuals,
families, companies, and groups to step up and raise awareness of
hearing loss in Southern California,” said co-chair Mary Clark.
“There are a variety of ways people can get involved: walking to
raise funds; organizing a team of walkers as a team captain; sponsoring a walker or team; volunteering during the planning process
or the day of the event; or making a donation.
Hearing loss is the nation’s most prevalent yet often invisible
disability and is growing not only among those over 50 but, increasingly, among young people as well. The Walk is a fun and easy
way to support our family, friends, and co-workers who struggle
with this challenge on a daily basis.”
One Chapter – One Team – One team captain
The Walk4Hearing in Long Beach in 2009 (W4HLB) is using a
simplified model for the fundraising this year. The concept of
Teams is one of the core elements of the Walk4Hearing program,
but since we have such a large and diverse geography we have chosen to adopt a “one chapter – one team – one team captain” approach for this Walk.
Here’s how it works: When a “Team” signs up on the
Website they can set a goal for fundraising. The team can get
credit for the funds raised on line under the chapter they name.
In the past, individual members of chapters were asked to create their own teams, and to recruit others to create their own
teams. Our experience has been that this approach might have
been intimidating to some folks, so they didn’t get involved.
Our approach for 2009 is an experiment, so we appreciate your
help in trying it out.
This year, instead of asking every individual to create
their own team, we are asking each chapter to create their own
team. One person is named as the Team Captain, and they will
receive all of the necessary fundraising materials, and will be
invited to the Kickoff event. This will allow for everyone in a
chapter to use the same fundraising goal and their donations
will all be credited to their own chapter. (They will receive a
25% share of the funds they have raised after the walk totals
are completed.) The money can be credited to the team (or
chapter) in several ways:
• Donations made on line using a credit card will be credited
based on the chapter identified in the credit card donation
(See How to donate online below.)
• Donations collected by cash or check by chapter members,
or other team members are collected and put in the Walk
envelopes to be turned in on the day of the walk, or mailed
to the walk Treasurer, Evelyn Keolian, 203 South Madison
Ave., Apt 5, Monrovia, CA 91016. Instructions for sending
in the donations will be included on the Walk envelopes.
• Donations can be collected on the day of the walk, and are
also collected in the Walk envelopes and credited to the
team identified on the envelope
If you know of a business or employer who would like to create their own team, and credit your chapter, they can do that
easily as well. If you know of an audiologist or employer who
would like to participate in the Walk, it is easy to create their
own team, and if you are their sponsor, you can have their donations credited to your team by having them identify your
chapter (team) as their affiliate. The Team Captains of these
teams are also eligible for invitations to the Kickoff Event.
Our hope is that this will help create a more inclusive
method of fundraising, and everyone can get involved. It is not
necessary to be present at the walk to create a team, and raise
funds for the W4HLB. Here are a few suggestions for raising
funds for your “team”:
• Have a bake sale at one of your chapter meetings.
• If you take a lipreading class, see if the others in your class
would like to donate a few dollars towards the walk.
• See if some folks where you work might be interested in donating for the W4HLB.
Every opportunity we take to raise awareness of the Walk, raises
awareness of the Hearing Loss Association of America, one of the
cornerstones of the purpose of this walk. We can each become
advocates when we help people become aware of the organization
that is seeking to become “The Nation’s Voice for People with
Hearing Loss”. The funds we raise help make that possible at the
National level, as well as at our own local level.
Kickoff Event
Our Kickoff Event will take place Sunday, September 27,
2009 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. It will be held at Buono’s Italian
Restaurant at 250 West Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach which has a
beautiful view of the Harbor from the patio. It is about a half mile
from our Sunday, November 8, 2009 Walk4Hearing, Long Beach
Marina water front location. It was named one of the 4 best
Pizza/Pasta places in Southern California.
Team captains and sponsors will be invited. You will have an
opportunity to meet many of our Walkers, learn how to establish
and develop your teams (you’ll hear it from the pros!), and listen
to wonderful speakers, while dining on great food in this beautiful
setting. Prepare to be inspired!
• Questions? Contact Diane Rott, [email protected], 626331-7547
• Watch your California website http://www.hearinglossca.org
for updates, sample letters, FAQs, directions, etc.
• Watch the national website http://www.walk4hearing.org/ for
a list of all walk sites and money raised to date
The walk will take place rain or shine, and light refreshments will
be served before, during and after the walk. Volunteers who
would prefer to help man a table or help with registration, are also
welcome, and will receive t-shirts as well. Don’t be left out of
what promises to be a memorable day! Join us! Walk with us!
How to donate on line at the www.hearingloss.org website.
Click on the Walk4Hearing box on the upper right, then select the
Long Beach CA walk (at the bottom).
The screen for the Long Beach CA walk will offer you
three ways to get to the list of teams.
• You can click on “Make a gift”
• From there you can search for a walker (i.e: Mary Clark)
• or a team (i.e: “Orange County Walkers” )
• Then the thermometer will show up and there is another
“Make a gift” button. Follow the instructions for using
your credit card.
• You can get to these same selections by using the menu across
the top labeled “Find a walker or team”
• You can also use the “stop” option on the scrolling list on the
right side of the screen to stop the scrolling when you see the
“Orange County Walkers”, for example
• You can click on the “Make a gift” box and follow the instructions for using your credit card
OR
• You can register to walk as well by following the steps for
“Join a team” which requires more information that will be
used to track the walkers and funds raised.
2 The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
By Mary Clark
The Hearing Loss Association of America held its national
convention in Nashville TN this year. The Gaylord Opryland
Resort & Convention Center was a huge venue, and we were
not the only convention going on at the time. In fact, we were
the smallest of the three. The resort had almost an “old town”
feel to it with several themed areas, each with shops and restaurants, and one with a water feature where you could take a boat
ride! You didn’t need to leave the convention center to get
away from the commotion if you wanted, but many did take
advantage of the excursions to Grand Old Opry, and other
planned events. There was an outlet mall within walking distance, with more restaurants and shops.
The convention began on Thursday for most people, but on
Wednesday was a State Leaders meeting which I attended. It
went for half a day, and was very informative. I have no doubt
it was more informative for the newer state leaders, and chapter
coordinators than for some of the ones who have been doing the
job for even a little while. This was primarily a training session, so the information was mostly related to the functions at
the state level. I want to mention this, since we will always be
looking for new members for the Board of Trustees, and I want
to be sure you understand that this kind of opportunity exists if
you are uncertain about looking at that role. The Chapter Coordinators from around the country play quite different roles from
state to state (where there ARE coordinators) with some being
mostly active at the state legislature level, and less with development of new chapters. We are fortunate for such a large
state; we have two state chapter coordinators, one each for
Northern and Southern CA. Cindy Jagger from northern CA
was able to join us for the second day of the State leaders’
workshops. Diane Gross from southern CA was not able to
attend the convention this year. One of our board members and
past president, Marilyn Finn, is our tireless advocate in Sacramento, and she needs all the support we can give her! Please
listen carefully when you receive emails requesting support for
issues at the state level from your chapter coordinators or other
board members.
The format for the convention changed a little this year
from prior years. In the past, the banquet (dinner) was usually
on Saturday night, but this year it was on Friday night, in favor
of letting people attend the special event at the Grand Ole Opera
on Saturday evening, WHICH WAS CAPTIONED!
There were quite a few new topics for the workshops, and
I commend the convention planners for seeking out new and
younger speakers. I attended one on Social Networking and
learned a lot about using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and
other on line networking tools.
What was evident everywhere was a renewed emphasis on
not only attracting younger people, but with the young peoples’
scholarships, and special events, they were in evidence from the
Karaoke night after the Opening Session, to the banquet, to the
special talk given by a returning Iraq veteran who has suffered
hearing loss along with his head injuries.
I met a number of young people, both from California and
outside California. The energy was noticeable. I think my
overall impression of the state of the health of the organization
can be best summarized by the enthusiastic young people and
the efforts to appeal to them.
.
This doesn’t mean that the organization does not value its
legacy and the members who have brought us to where we are
today, beginning with the self help model begun by Rocky Stone.
The vision now is to become a fully viable non profit organization
focused on the world of hearing loss. The tag line for the organization back when I joined in the early 1990’s was “education,
support and advocacy”. I see there is a fourth item in our tag line
now – information. In this information age, with a much faster
pace of change, HLAA is positioned to become the nation’s voice
for people with hearing loss as they never have before.
To illustrate this shift, I want to point out several things that have
been either spearheaded or sanctioned by the national office.
If you want to see the first hand reports from the HLAA Convention in Nashville, check out the Convention blog at: http://
hlaaconvention.blogspot.com/.
•
•
•
•
•
Correction to Summer 2009 column.
In our last newsletter we mistakenly credited the development of
a new brochure for the Hearing Loss Association of California
to Don Senger, when it was actually two members of Don’s
chapter, Ann Thomas and Debbie Sharp who should have received the credit. Our thanks and apologies to Ann and Debbie
for the error.
Whistles
Remember this offer? Due to popular demand, a new
batch of whistles was imprinted for sale at the HEAR2009 conference that was cancelled. These are imprinted as follows: “Be
Heard” Hearing Loss Association California Conference
2009. These whistles make wonderful handouts or giveaways
For another report on the convention, check out the HOH-LD for your chapters. With each “handout” comes the opportunity
to remind everyone of OUR responsibility to make ourselves
Yahoo group run by Larry Sivertson in San Diego. Every
heard in a disaster scenario.
year they have very thorough reports from the convention,
Update on whistles! The whistles offer from our last newsand are a godsend, if like me, you can’t get to everything you
letter
has been very popular. Due to postage increase, the diswanted to. Go to Yahoo, select “groups” and search for
count
that was offered has been discontinued. The offer is made
HOH-LD News and sign up for the messages that come out
for
batches
of 20 whistles at $1.25 each ($25) which includes
once a week.
the
postage.
This is still a terrific opportunity.
The National office sponsors monthly web chats on all sort of
Make
check
payable to HLA-CA and send to Harriett
topics. Log on to the hearingloss.org website, and check
Porch,
23871
Willows
Dr. #382, Laguna Hills, CA 92653. Inthem out. They are free, and very informative.
clude
your
name,
chapter
and mailing address. For larger orThe recent article in Consumer Reports “Hear well in a noisy
ders,
call
Harriett
at
(949)
472-8278
world” was very professionally done (no, they do not rate
hearing aids) and quoted Brenda Battat, a contributor for the
article, who was quoted in a section regarding follow-up.
Hearing Loss Association of America was the first of only 4
references listed “for more information”.
Newly posted on the HLAA website is “Employment Toolkit” that was done with the help of the HLAA-Manhattan
Chapter. I have not studied it yet, but from glancing at it, this
is a huge benefit in an age with 10% unemployment! I’ll
report on this toolkit in a future newsletter, since this is a
topic near and dear to my heart.
HearingLossNation is the discussion site sponsored by the
HLAA National office that targets the 18 to 35 year old population.
Aren’t you proud to belong to an organization that is leading the
way for people with hearing loss? We in California also have the
opportunity to do things that other states only dream of. Because
we have a State Association, with our own funds (meager though
they are at times!) we have sponsored chapter leadership workshops (and more are coming), state conferences, and have played
the role of the “host” chapter for the Walk4Hearing in both northern and southern California, raising funds for HLAA National,
with the chapters receiving significant financial benefits from
their share of the funds raised.
When your chapter is approached about helping with the
Walk4Hearing this November in Long Beach, think back to what
this organization has done, and what a bright future we have in
store by being the nation’s voice for people with hearing loss.
I look forward to seeing you at the Long Beach Walk4Hearing, if not before.
3 The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009
The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009 4
The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009 5
THE LISTENING STUDIO
real-life listening situations
Note: the League for the Hard of Hearing (for 99 years) is
now the Center for Hearing and Communication.
Listening Studio. The Center for Hearing and Communication announces the opening of the Listening Studio, a breakthrough innovation for people with hearing loss, unique in the
world of audiology. The center offers state-of-the-art hearing
testing and hearing aid fitting, speech therapy and a full range
of services for people of all ages with hearing loss.
The Listening Studio is an audio and video installation
acoustically designed to simulate an array of real-life listening environments. Working in this unique setting, audiologists at the Center for Hearing and Communication provide
people with hearing loss the opportunity to maximize the benefit they obtain from hearing aids by experiencing a variety of
real-life listening situations
Instead of using beeps, tones and word lists — the more
typical way to determine how well a new hearing aid works —
the test conducted at the center uses sounds that might be heard
in New York: cellphone chats, office discussions, the rumble of
Midtown traffic.
For example, three men swap political views after an election, a busy Manhattanite politely brushes off an out-of-town
friend over the phone, a couple has a passive-aggressive exchange about what to order for dinner.
The conversations, which grow progressively more complex, involving multiple and off-screen speakers, are triggered
by tapping keys on a keyboard. The backdrop is interchangeable, so the same conversation can be set in a marsh in Montauk, an apartment on the Upper West Side, a noisy restaurant,
the city streets, or on a subway platform.
The Listening Studio, which cost $90,000 to create, was
financed by private donors, Steven and Shelley Einhorn. Ms.
Einhorn is a client and a board member at the center. She uses
a hearing aid, and like many other users, had long complained
that her device was not fine-tuned for daily life.
The Listening Studio is a collaboration between POD DESIGN+MEDIA and Perlin Studios in conjunction with the
Center for Hearing and Communication.
The Listening Studio is a room equipped with a 52-inch
plasma screen and five speakers, and lined with a shell made of
102 interlocking wooden slabs. It contains a 5.1 surroundsound system, 16 HD videos on a flat screen monitor and a
custom musical keyboard which serves as the testing interface.
The installation/test consists of immersive video and audio
environments. These environments contain a series of conversations that switch backgrounds and ambient audio in real time.
These environments challenge the spectator/patient to listen
closely and try to understand the conversations.
The test is intended for hearing aid users or cochlear implantees, so that they may test their hearing in varying situations. They may choose to have their hearing devices adjusted
based upon their results. The test is open to the public as well,
and will be available for anyone to experience as a spectator/
patient.
Mr. Perlin created eight scenarios, performed by volunteers, inspired by his experiences living in New York. He was
6 The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009
looking for New York situations, trying to find those things that
only happen when you have eight million plus people crammed
together.
Ms Lafargue, director of audiology at the center, said: “We
would fit people for hearing aids here and they would come back
two weeks later and we’d ask, ‘How’s your hearing aid?’ And
they would say, ‘Horrible. I hear you fine in this sound-treated
room, but not out in the world.’ There are no tests in simulated
listening spaces that are predictive of how people will do in the
real world. The Listening Studio will bring us very close.”
See http://www.lhh.org.
HOUSE EAR INSTITUTE Sings
The Tahoe City CI Blues
CI researchers and CI companies just had a 2009 Conference on
Implantable Auditory Prostheses at Lake Tahoe. Our own CI
researchers from the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles did
a fantastic musical tribute to CI "lab rats"--The Tahoe City CI
Blues, apologies to Johnny Cash. LOL. Enjoy!
I hear that pulse train coming,
Coming down the line.
Got 58 more trials
But I’m not going to whine.
I’ll push that stupid button the whole live long day.
Got me living like a lab rat but I’m doing it for the pay.
Tell me which one’s louder
Which one’s higher in pitch
All this constant guessing
Makin’ me dumber than a switch.
I try to tell the doctor but he won’t hear my call
It’s like trying to tell the difference ‘tween two mudclots hittin’
the wall.
They told me it gets boring that I might lose my mind
Pay me ten bucks an hour to make it seem more kind
But they zapped a man in Reno just to watch him fry
These docs can get so reckless, makes me hang my head and cry
I used to be a deaf man
But then they made me hear
But little did they tell me I’d be doing it year after year
Listening to these pulses going in and out my ear
I’m giving back to science while I’m making some doc’s career.
Some day in the future when I am dead and gone
They’re gonna cut my head wide open
Try to see just what went wrong.
I tried to tell them nicely but they wouldn’t heed my cry,
All this psychophysical testing made me shrivel up and die.
See the captioned youtube video. Google, Youtube Tahoe
City CI Blues.
The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009 7
TED.com, Captioned Videos
Subtitles, Transcripts
I’ve always wanted to go listen to Speaker Series, but they
were not captioned. Then I found TED.com, 400+ videos of
speakers. All of the talks feature closed captions in English,
many feature subtitles in various languages and a full transcript
can be read. Oh, joy! Here are some of my favorites:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sylvia Earle, Protect our Oceans
Evelyn Glennie, How to Listen
Majora Carter, Environmental Justice
Jose Abreu, El Sistema in Venezuela
Paul Stamets, Fungi, Mycology
Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia
Ann Cooper, School Lunches
Sir Ken Robinson, Schools kill creativity
Robert Thurman, We can be Buddhas
Jill Bolte Taylor, Brain research
Pilobolus, Dance
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. TED
started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from
those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever
broader.
The TED mission: Spreading ideas.
We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we're building here a
clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from
the world's most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other. This site,
launched April 2007, is an ever-evolving work in progress, and
you're an important part of it.
The TED Conference, held annually in Long Beach, is the
heart of TED. More than a thousand people now attend -- indeed, the event sells out a year in advance -- and the content has
expanded to include science, business, the arts and the global
issues facing our world.
TED brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers
and doers, Nobel laureates, high-tech tycoons, and MacArthur
grantees who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18
minutes). Over four days, 50 speakers each take an 18-minute
slot. There are also many shorter pieces of content, including
music, performance and comedy.
There are no breakout groups. Everyone shares the same
experience. It shouldn't work, but it does. It works because all
of knowledge is connected. Every so often it makes sense to
emerge from the trenches we dig for a living, and ascend to a
30,000-foot view, where we see, to our astonishment, an intricately interconnected whole.
This site makes the best talks and performances from TED
and partners available to the world, for free. More than 400
TEDTalks are now available, with more added each week. All
of the talks feature closed captions in English, and many feature
subtitles in various languages. These videos are released under a
Creative Commons license, so they can be freely shared and reposted. In recent years, TED has spawned some important extensions.
8 The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009
TEDGlobal is TED's twin conference. It was held in Oxford, UK, in 2005, and then in Arusha, Tanzania, in 2007.
TEDGlobal is now held annually in Oxford, starting July 2009.
The themes of the global conference are slightly more international in nature, but the full TED format is maintained.
TEDIndia will be held in November 2009 in Mysore, India, celebrating and exploring the beckoning future of South
Asia.
The TED Prize is designed to leverage the TED Community's exceptional array of talent and resources. It is awarded
annually to three exceptional individuals who each receive
$100,000 and, much more important, the granting of "One Wish
to Change the World." These wishes have led to collaborative
initiatives with far-reaching impact.
TEDTalks began as a simple attempt to share what happens at TED with the world. Under the moniker "ideas worth
spreading," talks were released online. They rapidly attracted a
global audience in the millions. Indeed, the reaction was so
enthusiastic that the entire TED website has been reengineered
around TEDTalks, with the goal of giving everyone on-demand
access to the world's most inspiring voices.
The TED Open Translation Project brings TEDTalks
beyond the English-speaking world by offering subtitles, interactive transcripts and the ability for any talk to be translated by
volunteers worldwide. We launched the project with more than
250 translations, 50 languages and 100 volunteer translators. It's
Thank you, Nokia
an ambitious project (generously supported by our sponsor
Nokia) that radically enhances the accessibility of the talks -for the hearing-impaired, for those who speak English as a second language, for search engines (which can now index the full
transcript of a talk), and of course for the vast audience of nonEnglish speakers worldwide.
Today, TED is therefore best thought of as a global community. It's a community welcoming people from every discipline and culture who have just two things in common: they
seek a deeper understanding of the world, and they hope to turn
that understanding into a better future for us all.
Go to TED.com. At top, click on ‘Speakers’ or ‘Themes’.
At bottom left, click on ‘Speakers A-Z’ or ‘Themes A-Z’.
To turn on captions, look below video and click on
‘subtitles’. To read transcript, go to right of video and click
on ‘open interactive transcript’. The transcript and captions are synchronized, so that if you click on any place in
the transcript it will move the video and captions to that
place.
Audiologists, ENTs, Hearing Aid Dispensers
CI Under-Referral
Excerpted from The Hearing Review - May, 2009
Similar to hearing aids, the market penetration of
cochlear implants is surprisingly low. Many patients who fall
within the current candidacy range are never referred for evaluation for a cochlear implant. And that can present problems for
both the patient and for the dispensing professional.
Hearing aids help the vast majority of hearing-impaired patients seen in audiology clinics and dispensing offices. But, as
the degree of sensorineural hearing loss reaches the severe-toprofound range, benefits from amplification become limited.
Amplifier gain cannot be increased for greater audibility without
producing feedback, and no amount of tweaking of the signal
processing will result in higher speech scores because some patients simply have too much hair cell loss to stimulate acoustically. An alternative is stimulation of the nerve fibers electrically
via a cochlear implant.
Unfortunately, many patients who fall within the current candidacy range are never referred for evaluation for a cochlear implant.
The CI Under-Referral Problem. In a 2008 survey done
by Cochlear Americas, 594 cochlear implant recipients were
asked what health care professional referred them for their initial
evaluation. Less than half (46%) reported being referred by audiologists or hearing aid dispensers, and 20% reported they
were not referred by any professional at all. These latter individuals had to find out about cochlear implants from friends, family, the Internet, or other sources.
In another 2007 study, the average time from onset of severe-to-profound hearing loss until receiving a cochlear implant
was 12 years. However, most reported that they were implanted
in less than 1 year after they became aware that they were candidates
How Many Implant Candidates Are There? Assuming
that there are about 1 million people with severe-to-profound
hearing loss who might be considered potential candidates for
cochlear implants, the CI industry estimates that about 50,000 to
60,000 have actually received cochlear implants in the United
States, meaning only about 10% of the people who could benefit
from a cochlear implant have received one.
In another 2008 survey, Cochlear Americas asked more than
400 hearing care professionals questions regarding identification
and referral of patients for cochlear implant evaluation. Of these,
20% indicated that they believed they had not seen any cochlear
implant candidates in the last 6 months, and 55% believed they
had seen fewer than five candidates. Further, when asked how
many patients they had referred for an implant evaluation in the
past 6 months, 41% answered none, and 50% said less than five.
Thus, most believed they saw few or no implant candidates on a
regular basis, and they did not always refer even when they saw a
candidate.
Is it reasonable to believe that there are few or no patients who are cochlear implant candidates seen in an average
hearing aid practice? Some data suggest otherwise. When five
typical hearing aid dispensing offices in the United States reviewed thousands of their patient charts, they found that, on average, about 3% of the audiograms met the criteria for cochlear
implantation. So, if a practice sees 100 patients in a month, it is
reasonable to assume that about three of those patients might
receive more help from a cochlear implant than from a hearing
aid. In a long-established dispensing practice with several thousand patients in the database, there may be dozens of patients
who would be eligible for cochlear implants.
Why then does it appear that the hearing care profession
is dropping the ball on appropriate referrals for cochlear
implants? In many cases, we believe it is due to a lack of
awareness about how cochlear implant technology has advanced
over time. Many dispensing professionals were trained at a time
when cochlear implant candidacy was limited and subsequent
performance of implanted patients was unimpressive.
These same professionals may not now have any contact
with modern cochlear implant users, and thus may not realize
that, over the past 25 years, there have been dramatic improvements in the performances of implant recipients, and a corresponding expansion of the criteria for candidacy. Most clinics
very likely have a number of patients in their practices who are,
in fact, excellent cochlear implant candidates and poor performers with amplification.
Referral Benefits for the Dispensing Practice. For those
who get paid a commission on the sale of hearing aids, the prospect of referring a patient to another clinic might not initially
seem very appealing. However, the No. 1 driver of customer
satisfaction in the dispensing office is when you are able to provide solutions to the patient's hearing problem. When hearing
aids do not solve the problem and you recommend a cochlear
implant, you become the driver of that patient's satisfaction, and
satisfied patients tell their hearing-impaired friends about your
practice.
Only a small percentage of the people you see will actually
be cochlear implant candidates, and some of these may even
return after evaluation if the implant team determines that they
are, in fact, not good candidates. So, in addition to the great
service you have performed for the individual, any goodwill you
generate by referring a patient for something as life-changing as
a cochlear implant is likely to result in more traffic to your office instead of less.
Further, about 90% of those who have a cochlear implant
are unilaterally rather than bilaterally implanted. As cochlear
implant candidacy criteria have expanded so that patients with
more usable residual hearing are being implanted, many will
continue to wear a hearing aid in the nonimplanted ear. Many
cochlear implant clinics do not have the time, equipment, or
inclination to fit hearing aids, so the audiologist/dispenser who
is proficient in both cochlear implant criteria and hearing aid
fittings may well have an advantage in the competitive hearing
aid market.
Finally, patients who get the least benefit from hearing aids
often take up the most time. Multiple reprogramming visits
might still end up in a return for credit. Even if someone does
not return a hearing aid for credit but ends up putting it in their
drawer, the result is negative word of mouth about the practice
and statements that hearing aids do not help.
There is just no incentive for a dispenser not to refer when
the patient might be better served by a cochlear implant.
The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009 9
10 The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009
Marcella M. Meyer – 1925 - 2009
Dr. Antonio De la Cruz – 1944 - 2009
Marcella M. Meyer, a prominent advocate for the deaf who
fought to expand civil rights and establish social services has
died. She was 84.
She helped found the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD) in 1969 and ran it for almost three decades. The
agency’s headquarters are housed in a former Women's Christian
Temperance Union building, an Eagle Rock historical landmark,
which includes apartments for low-income deaf seniors.
She was an activist who played a key role in establishing a
statewide telephone service that relayed messages between the
hearing and the hearing-impaired and led to the development of a
nationwide system.
She was also instrumental in opening up jury service in Los
Angeles County to the deaf and hard of hearing in 1981. When
the county balked at providing sign language interpreters for jurors, she again challenged the system, and a corps of full-time
court interpreters was formed.
When KCET-TV Channel 28 started airing a captioned version of ABC News at 11:30 p.m., Meyer said the move smacked
of “tokenism.” “Who wants to stay up that late? Deaf people are
no different from anyone else.” Her promotion of closed captioned TV in the 1970s led to its widespread adoption.
There was a Celebration of Life in June at the Greater Los
Angeles Agency on Deafness.
We will never forget her dedication toward helping people
with hearing loss. We will miss her.
Dr. Antonio De la Cruz, a renowned neurotologist at the
House Ear Institute in Los Angeles has died. He was 65.
An associate of the House Ear Institute since 1975, De la
Cruz was in the news in 2001 when he successfully performed
cochlear implant surgery on Rush Limbaugh.
As director of education at the House Ear Institute, De la
Cruz led professional training programs for hundreds of visiting
physicians in otology/neurotology surgical procedures and practices.
Fluent not only in English and Spanish but in French, Italian, Portuguese and other languages, he frequently lectured and
taught around the world.
De la Cruz served as president of the American Academy
of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 1997-98 and received the academy's presidential citation in 2004 and its Distinguished Service Award in 2007.
From 1988 until his death, he served on the review panel
for otology and neurotology for the academy's journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He also was an active member of the House Ear Institute's board of trustees since 1984.
The last of nine children, De la Cruz was born in 1944 in
San Jose, Costa Rica. He received his doctorate in medicine
from the University of Costa Rica School of Medicine in 1967
and completed his specialty training in otolaryngology at the
University of Miami Hospitals in 1973.
A funeral service and celebration of his life was held at
Church of St. Mark in Venice.
The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009 11
2009 BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTION
Deadline September 15, 2009
Notes - Nashville Convention
By Grace Tiessen
I love HLAA Conventions. For 4 days I can understand
everything, everywhere, all the time. Everything is captioned.
Restful.
This was a much livelier convention than previous ones,
with a far larger number of young people attending. HLAA gave
scholarships to 25 young people and free registration to several
veterans. There were 1150 attendees in Nashville, while in Reno
the year before, there were 650.
Karaoke. Up and coming singer, Katherine Burns, President of the Los Angeles Chapter, sang Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock
and Roll” at the Get Acquainted party. The California HLA gals
wanted to sing the Beach Boy’s “California Girls,” naturally!
But there wasn’t time. Maybe next year.
Need volunteers? Boy Scout Troop 31 received a Community Service award for helping the Rochester NY chapter at their
JOBS JOBS JOBS
Walk4Hearing.
HLAA.omnibooksonline.com is a posting of speakers’
presentation
slides. For the first time in convention history, you
Here are two job openings in the Department of Rehabilitacan
read
all
the
Convention workshops and presentations.
tion, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services. This is an opportunity
Keynote speech. Vint Cerf, PhD, vice president and Chief
to make a difference and to let your experience and expertise
Internet Evangelist for Google, talked about Google Earth,
speak for itself.
Google moon, Google ocean, Google Mars. For instance, Google
Applications (Form 678) are available and may be filed in
Mars is composed of pictures from different rovers that were
person or by mail with:
Department of Rehabilitation, Selection Services Unit, 721 Capi- stitched together so you can explore the planet. You can use it to
tol Mall, Sacramento, Ca. 95814. Applications are also available pretend you’re steering the rover across Martian terrain. The data
at the local offices of the Employment Development Department is already collected; Google just assembles and integrates it (data
fusion).
and at the State Personnel Board’s offices or web site
TechSoup.org distributes donated and deeply discounted
www.spb.ca.gov or Department of Rehabilitation’s web site at
technology products to eligible non-profits and public libraries.
www.dor.ca.gov.
Must have proficiency in communicating with the deaf indi- Choose from over 340 products from companies such as Microsoft, Adobe, and Symantec.
vidually and in large groups using sign language and manual
The Refurbished Computer Initiative at TechSoup offers
spelling.
offers quality, low-cost computer equipment. Backed by a 90-day
Program Manager. Deadline: September 10, 2009. The Pro- warranty, every desktop and laptop comes pre-installed with
Genuine Microsoft Windows and Office software to make setup
gram Manager of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
easy.
(DHHS) Section plans, coordinates, implements, and evaluates
Grand Ole Opry. For the first time in its 84-year history,
the Department’s programs and services to deaf, hard of hearing,
the Grand Ole Opry had captioning on its huge screens. Over
late deafened, and deaf-blind clients. The Program Manager
450 convention attendees sat in amazement as they listened to
establishes operational policies, and procedures, formulates and
determines program priorities and serves as a liaison to commu- Vince Gill, Point of Grace, Alison Krauss and others, all in a
communication accessible environment.
nity organizations and programs.
The Hearing Loss Association of California Nominations
Committee announces applications will be accepted to fill three
Board of Trustees’ positions. An applicant must be a member of
Hearing Loss Association of America and a resident of California. The term of office is three years with two Board meetings a
year in February and August.
Information for applying may be obtained online at http://
www.hearinglossca.org/html/board.htm or from Carol
Waechter, Nominations Chair, 6807 Gray Court, Foresthill,
CA, 95631, (530) 367-6776, [email protected].
Send completed applications to Carol Waechter postmarked
no later than September 15, 2009.
Coordinator. Deadline: August 27, 2009. The Coordinator,
Services to the Deaf, develops, organizes, and coordinates programs for the deaf and hard of hearing; serves as liaison between
the Department of Rehabilitation and the deaf and hard of hearing community; participates in the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of departmental policies and programs for the deaf and hard of hearing; makes presentations to
small and large groups and staff; and does other related work as
may be required.
Think about it
Hard of hearing people think they hear much better than they
actually do, because they don’t hear what they don’t hear.
12 The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009
HLAA Convention 2010 in Milwaukee, June 17-20, 2010, Hilton Milwaukee CityCenter, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Announcing some exciting news about registration for Convention 2010.
• Register for the full activity package by December 31st and
your name will go into a drawing for 3 FREE nights at the
Hilton Milwaukee City Center! (Must be used on the nights of
June 17 -19, 2010; taxes are the responsibility of the winner.)
• For first-time attendees, we are offering a registration discount! That’s right, if you’ve never been to an HLAA convention before, now’s your chance!
• Registration will open toward the end of October - it’s never
too early to start planning! Watch www.hearingloss.org for
more exciting news about our keynote speaker and research
symposium.
HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA CHAPTERS
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Northern CA Chapter Coordinator
Cindy Jagger, [email protected]
707-422-3753 V/CRS
Southern CA Chapter Coordinator
Diane Gross, [email protected]
818-515-7587
Diablo Valley Chapter-Walnut Creek
Beaumont Chapter
Barbara Tucker, [email protected]
Don Senger, 925-264-1199
[email protected]
East Bay Chapter - Oakland
Barbara Bishop, [email protected]
510-601-9828 V/TTY
Dorothy Brookover ,[email protected]
San Diego Chapter
Bill Zitrin, [email protected]
760-695-2737
Larry Sivertson, [email protected]
858-278-9630
San Fernando Valley Chapter – Encino
Phil Kaplan, [email protected]
818-368-1303
Carlsbad Chapter
Debra McClendon, [email protected]
Brian Deitz, [email protected]
Santa Barbara Chapter
Anne Szymanski, [email protected]
Claudia Herczog, [email protected]
Coachella Valley ChapterThousand Palms
Betty Weiss, [email protected]
760-343-3828
Napa Valley Chapter - Napa
707-226-9832 V
Escondido Chapter
Dorothy Wormser, [email protected]
760-747-3813 V 760-737-9149 Fax
Santa Monica Chapter
Carpool to HLA Los Angeles Chapter
Nanci Linke-Ellis
[email protected]
310-452-8700
Valerie Stern [email protected]
Peninsula Chapter - Redwood City
Raegene Castle, [email protected]
650-369-4717
Marjorie Heymans, 650-593-6760 V
Irvine Chapter
Lorraine Fanizza, [email protected]
714-669-0401 V/TTY/FAX
Simi Valley Chapter
Dan Smith, [email protected]
805-526-0
Fresno Chapter
Michele Shields, [email protected]
Sacramento Chapter
Wendy Gualderama
916-961-6477
[email protected]
San Francisco Chapter
Ronda Bonati,
[email protected]
415-705-0550 V
Marilyn Finn, [email protected]
Shasta County Chapter - Redding
Marion Peterson, [email protected]
530-365-0790 V
Silicon Valley Chapter - San Jose
Rufus Wesley, [email protected]
408-229-1041
Marjorie Iller, [email protected]
Tri-Valley Chapter –Pleasanton
Hiram Van Blarigan, 925-455-6591
[email protected]
Woodland Chapter - Woodland
Clare Childers, clarehear@sbcglobal net
530-662-5102
Laguna Woods Village Chapter
Denise Welch, [email protected]
949-770-5760
Long Beach/Lakewood Chapter Lakewood
Ellen Mathis, [email protected]
562-433-6509
Los Angeles Chapter - Pasadena
Pat Widman, [email protected]
Katherine Burns, [email protected]
Los Angeles Cochlear Implant Chapter
Diane Rott, [email protected]
626-331-7547
Mission Viejo Chapter
Lola Attinger, [email protected]
949-858-9024 V
Pril Kirkeby, [email protected]
949-855-6786 V
Northridge Chapter
Diane Gross, [email protected]
818-515-7587
Orange County Chapter – Orange
Mary Clark, [email protected]
714-694-0627
Orange County Cochlear Implant
Chapter - Orange
Jack A Belt, [email protected]
626-934-0127
Redlands Area Chapter - Redlands
Barbara Tucker, [email protected]
Where/when do chapters meet?
http://www.hearinglossca.org/html/
chapters.htm
Please join us. Meet others who are facing the challenge of everyday life with a
hearing loss. Meetings are free and informal. Bring a friend or family member.
Everyone is welcome. Hearing loss is a
daily challenge you can overcome. You
do not have to face hearing loss alone.
No chapter near you?
Our Chapter Coordinators will help you to
set up a local group.
• Northern CA Chapter Coordinator
Cindy Jagger, [email protected]
707-422-3753 V,
• Southern CA Chapter Coordinator
Diane Gross [email protected]
818-515-7587 V, text
The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009 13
RESOURCES FOR HEARING LOSS QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS
Hearing Loss Resource Specialists
Jennifer Williams, Greater Los
Angeles Agency on Deafness
(GLAD), Los Angeles 323-478-8000,
[email protected]
Pauline Strickland, Center on Deafness
Inland Empire (CODIE), Riverside
951-275-5000, [email protected]
Susan Coulter, Fresno
[email protected]
Colette Noble, Sacramento
916-359-1893, [email protected]
Sr. Ann Rooney, Burlingame
[email protected]
Bruce Harris, Berkeley
[email protected]
For Parents
Independently Merging Parents Association
of California (IMPACT)
Parent group focused on securing the best
for children regardless of methodology,
http://www.deafkids.org
Hands and Voices
Similar approach as IMPACT but nation
wide http://www.handsandvoice.org
Education
Helen Walter
[email protected]
909-849-6713
For Youth
HLAA Young Adults Group
Interactive social website
http://hearinglossnation.com
Training and Advocacy Group (TAG), Los
Angeles
A self-advocacy group for deaf/hard of
hearing children and teens.
http://www.tagkids.us
Cochlear Implants
Cindy Jagger (Northern CA)
707-422-3753, [email protected]
Darlene Fragale (Southern CA)
909-882-4680, [email protected]
Clinics
The HEAR Center
Hearing/speech therapy, Community out
reach, hearing aid dispensing. All ages,
http://www.hearcenter.org, 626-796-2016
House Ear Institute
213-483-4431, http://www.hei.org
Research on hearing loss and vestibular
disorders. Cochlear implant services.
Stanford University
Cochlear implant services
[email protected],
(650) 736-4351
http://www.med.standford.edu/ohns
Hearing and Speech Center, San Francisco
415-921-7658, [email protected]
http://www.hearingspeech.org
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital,
Stanford
Pediatric hearing loss
Jody Winzelberg AuD, FAAA
650-736-7319, [email protected]
John Tracy Clinic
Pediatric hearing loss, free services world
wide
http://www.johntracyclinic.org,
213-748-5481
Oberkotter Foundation
Pediatric hearing loss, free materials, oral
schools
http://www.oraldeafed.org
TED.com
400+ captioned videos of world’s leading
thinkers and doers
http://www.ted.com
Lyrics.com
Find song lyrics
How to get Real Time Captioning
Captioning for workshops, lectures, courts
Arlene Patton,
[email protected]
(626) 337-8331
Captioning at College
Colette Noble
916-359-1893, [email protected]
Financial Aid
Audient Alliance
http://audientalliance.org, 206-838-7194
Let them Hear Foundation, Palo Alto
650-462-3143, http://www.letthemhear.org
Career Counseling and Employment
Services
HLAA Employment Toolkit
Interview strategies; hearing loss and ADA;
communication tips; insurance coverage for
hearing aids. www.hearingloss.org/
advocacy/Employment.asp#jobtoolkit
GLAD/EDD
GLAD/Employment Development
Department
http://www.gladinc.org
213-478-8000, [email protected]
Vocational Rehabilitation provides service
for clients who meet eligibility
requirements. Assistance with hearing aids
and devices may be provided to clients who
need such devices to secure or retain
employment. http://www.dor.ca.gov
Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications
Access
Administrative Committee (TADDAC)
Philip Kaplan (Hard of hearing) Chair,
[email protected]
Sheri Farinha (Deaf),
[email protected]
Mark Finn, (Late Deafened)
California Relay Service (CRSAC)
Colette Noble (Hard of Hearing)
916-359-1893, [email protected]
Vacant, (Late Deafened)
Equipment Program (EPAC)
Brian Winic (Hard of Hearing),
[email protected]
Richard Ray (Deaf),
[email protected]
Free Telephones (CTAP)
http://www.ddtp.org/ctap
Captioned movies & videos, song lyrics
Captionfish
Captioned movies search engine
http://www.captionfish.com
14 The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009
Assistance Dogs for hard of hearing /
deaf
Canine Companions for Independence
http://www.cci.org 800-572-2275
Sam Simon Foundation
Rescues and trains assistance dogs for the
deaf and hard of hearing
http://www.samsimonfoundation.com,
310-457-5898
Other Resources
Lip reading classes
hearinglossca.org/html/lipreading.htm
Aural Rehabilitation Group for CIs,
San Diego
Mellisa Essenburg, M.S., CCC-SLP
[email protected], 858-232-5842
www.SanDiegoSpeechPathology.com
www.auditoryverbaltherapy.blogspot.com
Hearing Aids 101
Information about all brands of hearing
aids.
http://www.hearingaids101.com
Better Hearing Institute
Educates the public and medical
profession on hearing loss, its treatment
and prevention, 202-449-1100,
http://www.betterhearing.org
Living and Coping with Hearing Loss by
Sam Trychin
[email protected]
http://www.trychin.com
814-897-1194
Hearing Loss Network & Web,
San Diego
http://www.hearinglossnetwork.org
http://www.hearinglossweb.com
[email protected]
858-278-9630
Deafness in Disguise
A fascinating look at the history of
hearing devices.
http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/did
FOUNDER Howard E. “Rocky” Stone, 1925-2004. In 1979, Rocky Stone founded the organization as Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH).
JOIN US! Membership includes national and state memberships, Hearing Loss Magazine and
The Hearing Loss Californian newsletter. Rates are $20 Student, $35 Individual, $45 Couple,
$60 Professional. For international and corporate rates, please visit http://www.hearingloss.org.
Board of Trustees
Mary Clark, President
Orange County Chapter
714-529-0218
[email protected]
Please make check out to HLAA and send it to Hearing Loss Association of America, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1200, Bethesda, MD 20814 (include name/mailing address/zip code/email/
phone) OR you can join on line at http://www.hearingloss.org/membership/renew.asp.
Remember, in order to VOTE in state elections, you must be a National member.
Carol Waechter, Vice President
Sacramento Chapter
[email protected]
Pat Widman, (CI), Secretary
Los Angeles Chapter
[email protected]
Jeffrey Chess, Treasurer
Orange County Chapter
[email protected]
Marilyn Finn
San Francisco Chapter
[email protected]
Nanci Linke-Ellis, (2 CIs)
Santa Monica Chapter
[email protected]
Jim Montgomery, (CI)
Diablo Valley Chapter
[email protected]
Sister Ann Rooney
Peninsula Chapter
650-343-0114
[email protected]
Valerie Stern, (2 CIs)
Los Angeles Chapter
[email protected]
Grace W. Tiessen, (CI)
San Fernando Valley Chapter
[email protected]
Don Senger, Emeritus (CI)
Diablo Valley Chapter,
[email protected]
Cindy Jagger, ex officio (2 CIs)
No. CA Chapter Coordinator
707-422-3753 Voice
[email protected]
Diane Gross, ex officio (2 CIs)
So. CA Chapter Coordinator
818-515-7587 V, text
ITINERANT TEACHERS OF HOH/D support your graduating seniors in their transition from
high school by giving them a FREE trial subscription to The Hearing Loss Californian. Please
send student name/mailing address/zipcode/email to [email protected].
YOUNG PEOPLE ages 28 to 35, Socialize
HearingLossNation is a non-profit online social network community designed specifically for
HoH individuals between the ages of 18 and 35. HLAA member Patrick Holkins, a Harvard University senior, moderates the discussions for young adults. Go direct to
http://hearinglossnation.ning.com OR access it thru http://hearingloss.org.
FREE trial subscription to The Hearing Loss Californian. Please send your name/mailing address/zipcode/email to Grace Tiessen, 714 Prospect Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91103,
[email protected].
FREE. Hearing Health magazine, a quarterly publication of Deafness Research Foundation.
Sign up on line at http://www.drf.org.
HLA-California publishes The Hearing Loss Californian quarterly in mid February, May, August
and November. The newsletter is available through mail, and on line at
http://www.hearinglossca.org/html/newsletter.htm.
Demographics. Our database consists of 5500 records--1250 California HLAA members; 1345
California audiologists; 1350 California Hearing Aid Dispensers; Dept of Rehabilitation HoH/D
counselors; Itinerant Teachers of the HoH/D; Office of Deaf Access outreach centers; members of
the Assn of Late Deafened Adults; Kaiser Permanente audiologists; members of AG Bell Assn for
the D/HoH; Costco Hearing Aid Centers; HEARx Hearing Aid Centers; Sonus Hearing Aid Centers and others interested in hearing loss issues.
Editor: Grace Tiessen, [email protected]
Layout: Lisa Rettino, [email protected]
Contributions are eligible for income tax deductions as provided in Section 501(c)3 of the Internal
Revenue Service Code.
Mention of goods and services in articles or advertisements does not imply endorsement,
nor does exclusion suggest disapproval.
Any portion of this newsletter may be reprinted or disseminated, as long as credit is given to the
individual author or to this publication.
[email protected]
Submissions for the Winter 2009 issue are due no later than October 15, 2009, and should be sent
to [email protected]. Inclusion and/or editing will be at the full discretion of the
Editor.
The Hearing Loss Californian - Fall 2009 15
Grace W. Tiessen
714 Prospect Blvd,
Pasadena, CA 91103
Non Profit
U.S. Postage
PAID
Pasadena, CA
Permit #740
Address Service Requested
HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA
A Hearing Loss Association of America
state association supporting chapters throughout California
Who We Are
Hearing Loss Association of
California (HLA-CA) is a state
association affiliated with Hearing Loss
Association of America. Residents of
California who join our national
organization automatically become
members of HLA-CA.
Hearing Loss Association of America
(HLAA) is an international,
non-sectarian, educational, consumer
organization of hard of hearing people,
their relatives and friends. It is devoted
to the welfare and interests of those who
cannot hear well but are committed to
participating in the hearing world.
Hearing Loss Association of America
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1200
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 657-2248 Voice
(301) 657-2249 TTY
(301) 913-9413 Fax
[email protected]
Hearing Loss Association of America
The Nation’s voice for people with hearing loss.
Hearing Loss Association of America opens the world of communication to people
with hearing loss through information, education, support and advocacy.
The national support network includes the Washington, D.C. area office,
14 state organizations, and 200 local chapters.
Our clear, straightforward message has changed the lives of thousands of people.
Hearing loss is a daily challenge you can overcome.
You do not have to hide your hearing loss.
You do not have to face hearing loss alone.
HLAA: www.hearingloss.org
HLA-CA: www.hearinglossca.org
Find a chapter near you: www.hearinglossca.org/html/chapters.htm