February 2012 -  Edited by LaVonne Stocco

 

Audiologic Rehabilitation:  What’s New and what it Might Do for You – February 15, 2012 at 1:30 p.m.

The featured speaker will be Dr. Theresa Chisolm, Chair, Department of Communi-cation Sciences & Disorders, University of South Florida.

The meeting will be held at the North Sarasota Library Meeting Room, 2801 Newtown Blvd.  Refreshments will be served following the program.

 

Young Hearing Group (YHG) – February 28, 2012  

Michele Guilford, Supervisor, Florida Vocational Rehabilitation Services, will present Vocational Rehabilitation:  how it may assist you in employment.

Meeting will take place at the Sarasota Herald Tribune, 1741 Main St., Sarasota in the Conference Room at 6 – 7:30 p.m.  (Meet in the lobby next to front reception).

For more information contact Alexander Magnus Boakes by phone: 786-457-6205 or by e-mail: alexboakes@msn.com

 

Are you coming to the BIG meeting? 

A HLAA statewide meeting will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. at the Waldemere Fire Station Hall, 2070 Waldemere Street in Sarasota.  HLAA Executive Director Brenda Battat will present “How HLAA is Addressing Your Hearing Needs, Access and Rights.  In addition, Pat Kricos, Past President of the American Academy of Audiology, will discuss “Let’s Loop Florida. How Hearing Loops Can Transform Your Community.”

All Florida chapter members and the public are invited to attend this special event.  You are also encouraged to become a HLAA member because much of what HLAS offers to the community comes from national advocacy programs by HLAA.  Now is your chance to show your support for HLAA.  Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for this special event.

 

Meet HLAS Member Dave Anderson

 Dave Anderson grew up in West Chester PA, a western suburb of Philadelphia.  His hearing loss was first detected in 10th grade and an evaluation at Johns Hopkins revealed it may have been from scarlet fever at age 5 or possibly a genetic permutation of a family RP gene (retinitis pigmentosis) which is an eye disease.  There are no other cases of hearing loss in his family.

 Dave attended Virginia Tech on a Navy scholarship for naval architecture and graduated in 1964.  His career with the Navy in Washington DC progressed without use of hearing aids until he was about 25 years old.  Despite his hearing loss, Dave had an active career with the Navy as Ship Design Manager working on most of the modern surface combatants since the mid 60’s.  His job included chairing many large meetings and making presentations in auditoriums to large groups.  The communication aspects of his work became much more challenging toward the end of his career because of the lack of available assistive listening devices.  

 Dave was also a volunteer fireman for many years and later was a fire captain as well as driver/pump operator.  He stopped volunteering when his hearing loss became a concern because of safety issues.

After retiring in late 1997, he came to Sarasota for five years as a snowbird and started living here full time in 2002.    Dave’s reasons for choosing Florida were the outdoor activities that are offered - tennis, golf, biking, hiking, fishing and kayaking.  Dave met Kelley here and they were married in 2005 

Dave read about HLAS in the local newspaper and decided to give it a try.  He was really impressed with the knowledge that various members had.  It did much to improve his quality of life and help improve the communication concerns that all hearing impaired share. 

Since his hearing has further deteriorated he has gone through the process of evaluation for a cochlear implant and hopes to start that process later this year.  Dave says, “I am grateful to the many members of HLAS that have helped me with that decision and answered all the questions about alternative options, vendor choice and so forth.  HLAS has also been a tremendous help in making me aware of various assistive listening devices used in homes and automobiles.”

 

Welcome New Members

Leslie Guinn                                       Larry Klepper                         Anthony Iannone

Bob and Kathy Modrcin                    Dr. Kenneth J. Perhai                       Terry Rawson

Linda and Paul Yoder                       Shirley S. Ziesche

 

Hearing Loop Updates at Sarasota Venues

Asolo Theatre – No, should be installed by Jan 31

Alderman Oaks Retirement Community  -  Yes

Caragulio's Restaurant  -  Yes

Ear Research Foundation  -  Yes

First United Methodist -  Yes

Glasser Schoenbaum Human Services Cen­ter - Yes

North Sarasota Public Library - Yes

Owen's Fish Camp - Yes

Sarasota Opera – No, date for installing to be determined

Sarasota Orchestra - Yes

Selby Auditorium, USF - Yes

Florida Studio Theater (Gompretz Stage) - No, installation to be delayed by renovations

Florida Studio Theater (Keating Stage) - No, should be installed by Jan 31

The Players Theater - Yes

Unity Church of Sarasota – No, should be installed by next week

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall – Yes

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe  -  Installation  date to be determined

Whole Foods Market, Cash Register #1 – Yes

 

New HLAS Editor

Beginning with the March 2012 HLAS Bulletin, HLAS member Richard Williams will be the new editor.  Please submit announcements, articles, etc. before the end of each month to Richard at RNW1976@aol.com   Thank you Richard for volunteering to do this.

 

 

 

   January 2012 -  Edited by LaVonne Stocco

 

How to Communicate in Noisy Situations – January 18, 2012 at 1:30 p.m.

 

Learn how to communicate at parties, restaurants, and family gatherings.  Listening to one person speak while another is also speaking can be tough on our ears, but there are easy tactics you can use and helpful tips you can get from other members to help you hear.  The speaker will be HLAS member Joan Haber, Peer Mentor 

The meeting will be held at the North Sarasota Library Meeting Room, 2801 Newtown Blvd.  Refreshments will be served following the program.

 

Free Lipreading Lessons Offered by ACE

 

ACE (Adult & Community Enrichment) at Sarasota County Technical Institute (SCTI) is again offering free lipreading lessons taught by Betsy Rogers. This class helps the student communicate by focusing on the visual clues of the spoken message, the movement of the lips, tongue, facial expressions and gestures. The lip reader observes the natural flow, rhythm and phrasing of speech. This course is for all levels. The class is first come, first served - 20 students maximum.

The class will start on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 from 10 am to 12 pm and end on March 14, 2012. Classes will be held in Portable D-1 at the Sarasota County Technical Institute, 4748 Beneva Road, at the corner of Proctor and Beneva.

Registration begins on January 2, 2012 at 8 am for walk-in registrations only at ACE office Portable I - 1, and phone in registrations can be made starting at 1 pm by calling 941-361-6590. Walk-in and phone-in registration continues until classes start or are full.

Enter SCTI Campus via the westernmost entrance off Proctor Road. Drive across the large parking lot. ACE offices are located in the last two portable buildings across from the Criminal Justice Academy. Normal office hours at ACE are 8 am to 4 pm. 

For more information call the ACE office at (941) 361-6590 or visit their website at:

www.ace-sarasota.com

 

Meet HLAS Member Joan Haber

 

Joan has a progressive hearing loss which began in her 30’s and left her completely deaf over a period of 25 years.  Today, with the help of two cochlear implants, she can hear again.  Her journey of self advocacy began in 1992, which coincided with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which helped eliminate physical and communication barriers that prevented people with disabilities from participating fully in community life.  She was the first person to establish a disability office at one of the state universities in California, a move which enabled her to go back for her degree.

In 1997 Joan moved to Sarasota and became involved with our chapter writing the chapter newsletter and serving on the Board of Trustees as Secretary.  In 1998, she attended her first Hearing Loss Association of America convention, in Boston, an event which had a profound effect upon her desire to learn all she could about her hearing loss and how to help others.  From 2000-2006, she served as a Board Member of the national organization of HLAA.  From 2004 to 2010, she was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Florida Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and served as its chair for 4 years.  She served 9 years on the Sarasota Citizens with Disabilities Advisory board.   Currently she serves as a peer mentor with the Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Sarasota and Venice.  She is a strong proponent of assistive technology and the self help philosophy upon which our organization is founded.

She and her husband, Steven, reside in Sarasota and their hobbies include golf, bridge and traveling.

 

Welcome to our New Members in December 2011

 

Nancy Cabral             Eleanor Kahn             Eunice Schrotenboer 

 

Noise Induced Hearing Loss

 

Every day we experience sound in our environment, such as the sounds from television and radio, household appliances, and traffic.  Normally, we hear these sounds at safe levels that do not affect our hearing.  However, when we are exposed to harmful noise – sounds that are too loud or loud sounds that last a long time – sensitive structures in our inner ear can be damaged, causing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).  These sensitive structures, called hair cells, are small sensory cells that convert sound energy into electrical signals that travel to the brain.  Once damaged, our hair cells cannot grow back.

Practice good hearing health in everyday life:  Know that noises above 85 decibels can cause damage;  wear earplugs when involved in a loud activity;  be alert to hazardous noises in the environment;  protect the ears of children who are too young to protect their own;  make family, friends and colleagues aware of the hazards of noise.

Researchers have helped to identify some of the many genes important for ear development and hearing; they have also been studying the possibility of using gene therapy to regrow hair cells in mammals.  In addition, they are investigating a potential way to prevent NIHL after noise exposure, by using antioxidants to significantly reduce hearing loss.  Researchers are now testing the ability of nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, to prevent NIHL in military personnel and college students.

Please make a New Year resolution to protect your hearing from loud noises!

 

Source:  National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.  For more information go to:   www.nidcd.nih.gov or phone: 1-800-241-1044

 

 

 

 

December 2011 Bulletin – Edited by LaVonne Stocco  

Holiday Meeting and Party - December 21, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.

Learn how to manage your hearing loss at holiday events with large gatherings using holiday communication strategies.

Following the rap session, we will enjoy entertainment by soprano soloist Hope Brynes and pianist Fulton Lewis presenting The Songs We All Love.  The Sailor Circus Jugglers will perform for us as well.

The meeting will be held at the North Sarasota Library Meeting Room, 2801 Newtown Blvd.  Refreshments will be served following the program.

 

Welcome to our New Members in November 2011

Selma Kestelman                 Fay & Sam Kaplan               Millie Headdy

Jerry & Micki Sellman           Kathleen Combs                   Kenneth Safran

 

Looping the Players Theatre - submitted by Frank Stocco

At last Tuesday’s performance of “It’s A Wonderful Life” at the Players Theatre, several HLAS members and at least one of the theatre’s volunteers were under the impression that a loop assistive listening system was in place and operating. After checking with Jeffery Kin, the Players Artistic Director, I learned that although the Selby Foundation had approved a grant for installing a loop system, the date for doing so had not been determined yet. I will track developments regarding installation of the loop and let our members know when it is in place and operating. In the mean time, if you have T-coils in your hearing aids or cochlear implants and would like to have amplified sound to better understand what is being said onstage, borrow one of the theatre’s FM assistive listening devices (ALDs) and plug a neck loop into the receiver. If you need a neck loop, our chapter has several that can be loaned out for a performance. All you have to do is notify me to bring one to the theatre. For those of you that do not use a hearing aid or implant, an ALD comes with an ear bud. Be aware that the receiver will only work if you have it turned on and the theatre’s sound system is broadcasting dialogue or music.

 

2011 Chapter Donations to the Players Theatre and the Van Wezel Foundation

The Board of Trustees authorized our chapter to make donations of $250.00 to the Players Theatre and $100.00 to the Van Wezel Foundation as a token of appreciation for inviting our group to participate in their community outreach programs. The estimated value of the tickets we will receive through their programs this season is $3600.00 from the Players and $1750.00 through the foundation. The organizations have expressed their appreciation and acknowledged that our support helps them continue their efforts.

 

Meet HLAS Member Susan Mitloff

Susan was born and raised in Rochester NY.   She attended Cornell University and remained in Rochester to teach in primary school for kids with special needs.  There she met her husband Norm, who was employed by the city. They have two sons and a granddaughter. 

Susan contracted Meniere’s disease, which is an inner ear disorder that affects balance and hearing.    

25 years ago she started losing her hearing in her left ear and awoke one morning completely deaf in that ear. Also, hearing in her right ear had begun to fail.

In 1996 Susan and Norm retired in Sarasota.  Not wanting to leave her profession she started tutoring while she could still hear partially with her right ear.  She also joined HLAS where she learned from another member, Joanne Bauer, about the First Sound program at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.  Susan applied and accepted a volunteer position in the Mother Baby Unit and NICU at the hospital. 

After undergoing the necessary training, she now screens the hearing of newborns, which is mandatory in Florida.  Two tests are given.  The first is a simple ear test that can measure the infant’s audible response using a small probe inserted in the infant’s ear. The vast majority pass and no further testing is required.  If necessary, a second test is given of the whole auditory system.  If additional testing is required, other arrangements are made.  In all of the aforementioned steps the parents are usually present and Susan’s hearing loss in this regard is comforting and reassuring to them during testing.

Susan has two cochlear implants and is a frequent participant in studies involving cochlear implants at the University of South Florida Department of Speech and Communication Disorders

 

President’s Message

As HLAS members, we have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. One of our blessings is we will have 30 looped venues for the New Year. We will be the only city in the US where more than a couple of theatres are looped, as all our major playhouses in the two counties will have the system. This is significant as when most of the theatres in European cities like London accepted the loop, churches, businesses and other organizations across the community followed suit. We are aiming to foster that pattern here with the hopes of transforming Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice each to be one of America’s first hearing-friendly cities.

I am especially grateful for our many members who are committed to supporting others with hearing loss and to promoting our cause in the community. We are indebted to them, our generous benefactors and each looped venue for supporting our needs.  Please express your gratitude by thanking each of them every opportunity you get. My warmest wishes for a happy holiday season to all…Ed Ogiba

 

Humor of the Month – If Only It Were So Easy!

 

“The ringing in your ears---

I think I can help”

 

 

 

Our Sincere Best Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday Season!

 

 

                                     November 2011  – Edited by LaVonne Stocco  

Monthly Meeting November 16, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. - Loren J. Bartels, M.D., FACS

 Dr. Bartels, of the Tampa Bay Hearing & Balance Center, will speak about the causes and treatment of Tinnitus.

The meeting will be held at the North Sarasota Library Auditorium, 2801 Newtown Blvd. and refreshments will be served following the program.

 Decibels and Dollars – Part 2 Excerpts from Article in Hearing Loss Journal - By Brad Ingrao

 Addressing Feedback - At their very basic core, hearing aids are miniature public address systems.  Just like the PA at a county fair, if the microphone and speakers get too close, the amplified sound loops through the system again and again until you hear a high pitched squeal.  In hearing aids, this occurs when the sounds delivered into the ear escape, usually through a vent, and then re-enter the microphone.

In the old days, we fixed feedback by reducing the size of the vent, reducing the output of the hearing aid or by adding acoustic filters to the sound pathway (earmold, speaker tube, etc.) until the feedback stopped.  Today, most manufacturers include a feedback test in their hearing aid fitting software to “search and destroy” feedback.

Currently, hearing aids with automatic feedback management use one of two approaches to manage feedback:

Notch filtering systems measure the specific pitch where feedback occurs, then the Digital Sound Processors (DSP) reduces the amplification at that frequency only.  This leaves the overall amplification intact and just removes the very narrow “notch” in pitch that is causing the feedback.

The other is a phase reversal system.  Much like noise cancelling headphones seen on airplanes, phase reversal systems detect feedback and then tell the hearing aid to produce a sound exactly opposite in phase, which cancels the feedback out.  This takes a second or two, so there will still be some feedback, but they do a good job.  The more channels in a hearing aid, the more precise these automatic feedback systems can be.

 Hearing Better in Noise - In 20 years of practicing audiology, I have almost never encountered a person whose hearing aids were unable to help them hear well in a small, quiet room with carpet, drapes or no air conditioning.  On the other hand, almost all of my hearing aid patients complain that no matter how much they spent on their hearing aids, they still struggle in noisy and reverberant rooms.  People with hearing loss need speech to be much louder than other sounds in order to understand well.  A high signal-to-noise ratio is the best way to deliver improved speech understanding in less than ideal settings.

While nearly all hearing aids have some kind of noise reduction the best evidence available shows that directional microphones provide the best signal-to-noise ratio for ear level devices. The ideal solution in noise is a remote microphone connected to the hearing aid (Hearing Assistive Technology).

Nearly all current behind-the-ear hearing aids and larger in-the-ear hearing aids include or can be made to include directional microphones.  The most notable difference across different price points is how different hearing aids control the microphones in an attempt to deliver optimal signal-to-noise ratio, and therefore, better understanding in noise and reverberation.

 Control vs. Convenience - One of the buzz words in hearing aids today is “automatic.”  Some people can do very well with a fully automatic hearing aid assuming they spend most of their time listening to one or two kinds of sound in the same setting.  The more common reality is that people with hearing loss, especially well informed, proactive people like HLAA members, are out and about listening and living in many complex environments.  They need to be able to tell their hearing aids how to behave rather than the other way around.

 Let’s Go Shopping – A recent review of available products from GN ReSound, Oticon, Phonak, Siemens, Starkey and Widex found at least one product with these features:

A hearing aid priced under $1,000 includes wide dynamic range compression in at least four channels and two loudness levels, directional microphones with basic automatic operation, at least two programs, telecoil, directional microphones with basic automatic operation and feedback management.

A hearing aid priced $1,000 - $2,500 includes wide dynamic range compression in at least four channels and two loudness levels, directional microphones with basic automatic operation, at least four programs, telecoil, connectivity for volume, program control and Bluetooth gateway, feedback management, and noise reduction.

A hearing aid priced $2,500  - $3,000 includes wide dynamic range compression in at least six channels and two loudness levels, directional microphones with two or three modes of operation, four programs, telecoil, connectivity for volume, program control and Bluetooth gateway, directional microphone adjustment, feedback management, and noise reduction.

A hearing aid priced over $3,000 includes all of the features in the $2,500 - $3,000 category, except the telecoil has selectable orientation.

 

 Welcome to our New Members in 2011

 

Sherwin Welson                                Mareta & Steve Nestal                     Eileen & Howard Rayfiel

Audrey Lamb                                     Annette & Arthur Stein                      Barbara Miller

Rebecca Crane                                 JoAnne DeVries                               Jan Phyfer

Michele & Tom Grimm                     Kay Jay                                              Shirley Dzembo

Richard & Judy Williams                  Kevin Brownlee                                 Melvin Hyatt

Barbara Smith                                   Elsie King                                          Mary Milne

Al Wilson                                            Frances Brathwaite                          Theresa & Gail Sinick

Richard Wood                                   Sam Grossbart                                  Eileen Schuler

George & Arlene Hagle                    Sylvia Hudkins                                   Steven Krouse

David & Carole Munro                      Betty Petzko                                      C. Pat Kelley

 

 

Humorous Positive Aspects of Hearing Loss

 

  You find you don’t hear what you used to pretend you didn’t hear.

Your friends will trust you with a secret, but you probably didn’t hear it in the first place. 

People appreciate that they don’t have to talk about you behind your back; as long as they keep smiling while they face you.

You can't hear your partner snoring anymore.

You don’t hear airplanes when your home is under the flight path of a major airport.

You don’t hear when the teenager next door digs hard rock with 18-inch speakers.

You don’t hear when you are asked to mow the lawn, wash the car, clean the garage, take out the trash, etc.

 

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October 2011 – Edited by LaVonne Stocco

The Latest Advancements in Hearing Aid Technology – October 19, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.

 Have you used the T‐Coil inside your hearing aid?   Learn how to get the most out of it from Dr. Vicki Moore and Dr. Autumn Riley AU.D.,CCC., The Hearing Spa.  The meeting will be held at the North Sarasota Library Auditorium, 2801 Newtown Blvd. and refreshments will be served following the program.

 Regal and Cinemark commit to full captioning

 Regal and Cinemark, the nation's first and third largest theater chains respectively, have reaffirmed their commitment to full movie captioning, and have stated that the capability will be in place by the end of 2012.

Regal's announcement came in the form of a corporate press release dated May 4. That release appears to clarify what had previously been mixed signals. While Regal officials filed a declaration in a Washington lawsuit saying that Regal planned full captioning, the official corporate position articulated in official filings with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission had been that Regal was "considering its options." Evidently, that consideration led to a formal decision to provide full accessibility for patrons with hearing loss.  The announcement appears to apply to all Regal theaters, including those that Regal operates under the Edwards or United Artist nameplates.

Regal is going to employ closed captioning, in which the captions are visible only to individuals that obtain and use a personal viewing device.  Seattle is the first market where Regal has completed installation of captioning equipment and is testing special eyewear -- glasses that project the captions on the lens itself.  Although somewhat ungainly looking, the glasses have received very positive reviews from people who have used them.

The closed captioning will substitute for the open caption showings that Regal has offered at a few locations, and which some users prefer. The trade off, though, is that instead of only a few locations and a few inconvenient show times, the closed captioning will be available every day for all showings of all movies for which captions have been prepared by the studios. The captioning capability will be introduced as part of Regal and Cinemark's conversion to digital projection, in which traditional film ceases to exist, and the movies are reduced to digital data, transmitted either over the internet or on computer discs to the individual theaters. Captions can be included in that digital package. The captions are transmitted wirelessly from the projector/servers in each auditorium to the viewing devices.

The press release also noted that Regal will partner with Captionfish, the website that lists captioned and subtitled movies around the country, and which is becoming the go to site for captioning information.

 Decibels and Dollars – Excerpts from Article in Hearing Loss Journal - By Brad Ingrao

 What Exactly is a Hearing Aid Anyway?

Modern digital hearing aids are built around tiny computer chips called DSPs (Digital Sound Processors).  These, in combination with improved microphones and speakers (sometimes called receivers) allow hearing aids to amplify a wider range of pitches with far less distortion than their predecessors.  Using computer software, they can be very finely tuned to the individual’s hearing loss and even include memories, analyzers and sub-miniature radio stations.  They automatically measure the surroundings and adjust volume and, in some cases, microphone behavior, many times per second.  All of this technology comes at a price, and anyone who has researched hearing aids knows that the range of prices is large and the choices numerous.

 About Channels

The human inner ear, or cochlea, contains tens of thousands of tiny sensory hair cells that convert sound waves into nerve impulses that our brains perceive as sound.  These are organized like a piano keyboard with each “key” being a critical band of hair cells.   When we develop hearing loss, some of the keys become less effective and sound softer and less distinct in pitch.  Hearing aids attempt to compensate for this by adding more volume.  If the added volume is provided by pressing hard on the weak keys with trained and skilled fingers, the correction will be precise and the overall sounds will be mostly satisfactory. If however, the volume is added by pounding on the keys with an open hand, the result is imprecise, noisy and generally unpleasant.

In hearing aids, the DSP’s amplifier is divided into several specific areas of pitch (frequency), each of which can be adjusted independently.  One would think that the more the better, which is true to a certain extent.  More channels do assist with some automatic features like feedback reduction, but clinical research doesn’t really bear out the need for more than five or six channels.  The location of these channels relative to your hearing loss is more important than the absolute number.

 About Compression

Since the mid-1980’s, hearing aids have attempted to correct the distortion of loudness perception inherent in sensorineural hearing loss (recruitment) by adding more amplification (gain) for soft sounds and less for loud sounds. The most effective form of this is called Wide Dynamic Range Compression (WDRC).  Nearly all hearing aids today have at least two WDRC compressors in each channel for speech level sounds and one to control the maximum loudness of the hearing aid.  Depending on your hearing loss, having more of these compression controls might allow you to hear more sounds more comfortable and accurately.  As with channels, some hearing aids use these compression circuits to assist with noise and feedback reduction.

 Multiple Memories

Most of us don’t live only in one sound environment.  As “smart” as current hearing aids are, they can’t predict everything.  In addition, certain special situations, such as listening in a hearing loop, on the phone or with an FM system require very specific hearing aid settings. Most hearing aids allow the audiologist or hearing aid provider to assign these settings to memories that can be accessed with ear level or remote controls.

 “Wireless Connectivity”

The newest trend in hearing aids is to use a very short range wireless radio called Near Field Magnetic Induction (NFMI).  This is not the same as the traditional magnetic inductance used by the telecoil.  Hearing aids use NFMI to share information between hearing aids, or to send and receive information with a gateway device.  The ear-to-ear NFMI can be used to make volume and program changes happen in both ears with a single sided adjustment or to assist with directional microphone or noise reduction settings.  NFMI to and from gateway devices allow the hearing aids to interface with Bluetooth and 900 MHz telephone and audio devices.

 

Editor’s note:  Due to limited space, more excerpts from “Decibels and Dollars” will be featured in future HLAS Bulletins.

 

Humor of the Month

A husband looking through the newspaper came upon a study that said women use more words than men.  Excited to prove to his wife his long-held contention that women, in general, and his wife in particular talked too much, he showed her the study results, which stated:  “Men use about 15,000 words per day, but women use 30,000.  His wife thought awhile, then finally she said to her husband, “That’s because we have to repeat everything we say.”  To which the husband replied, “What.?”

 

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SEPTEMBER 2011 – Edited By LaVonne Stocco

 

How to Read Your Audiogram - September 21, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.

Lisa Tanner, Au.D., CCC-A, of Hearing & Speech Therapists in Brandon, FL, will speak about learning to read your audiogram which pinpoints how well you hear pitch or frequency as well as loudness or intensity.  It precisely measures the level of hearing in both ears and helps the audiologist and you to:

• assess why you have difficulty hearing certain voices or sounds

• clarify situations where you seem to hear, but don’t understand

• determine the kind of hearing aids that are best suited for your needs

If you have an audiogram, please bring it with you.

There will also be a demonstration of the new CaptionCall telephone with advanced features.  This revolutionary phone provides real time captions so you won’t miss any of the conversation while using it.  It works with any phone carrier at no extra charge. The regular price is $140, but the phone is being offered free to HLAS members.  Attend this meeting and find out if you qualify.   

For more information call Ed Ogiba at 966-8999 or e-mail at ed@groupefo.com

The meeting is being held at the North Sarasota Library Auditorium, 2801 Newtown Blvd. and refreshments will be served following the program.

 General Membership to Approve Board of Trustee Nominees

 HLAS members Kelley Anderson and JoAnne Devries, who are very active in our chapter, have been nominated to serve on the Board of Trustees.  At the September 21 meeting detailed above, there will be a vote by the general membership in attendance to approve the nomination.  Members are encouraged to attend to participate.

 What is the NOAA Weather Radio?

 The NOAA Weather Radio receives National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day.  A special-needs NOAA Weather Radio can warn hard of hearing persons of hazardous conditions by sending a signal that actives a pillow vibrator to wake individuals from sleep, a strobe light to alert individuals during waking hours or a bed shaker to shake a bed to wake individuals up.

You can buy the specifically packaged NOAA receivers for hard of hearing people at Harris Communications - 800-825-6758 or www.harriscomm.com/   Silent Call - 800-572-5227 or www.silent-call.com/   Thunder Eagle, Inc. – 888-553-2928 or www.thuneagle.com/  You may also contact Flo Innes at Advocates for Better Hearing, 922-1242 and ask if she can order the radio for you.

 Do You Need a T-coil For Your Hearing Aid?

We are offering  $300 in cash to a member to pay for a T-coil addition to their hearing aid. Marjorie Eiseman provided this generous grant in “honor of Ed Ogiba’s work to promote hearing loops”.  Be ready for the theater season at Van Wezel and apply for T-coil funding by contacting Ed Ogiba at ed@groupefo.com for a T-coil Scholarship application.

HLAS announces new Lending Library

Another new benefit of HLAS membership will be free access to our new lending library, which includes many wonderful books and helpful DVDs on managing or living with hearing loss. Watch for an upcoming special e-mail, which will list all books and DVDs in the library. The entire library collection will be on display at the September 21 meeting for members to sign out a selection.

President’s Message                                

We all will have a wonderful opportunity in the next few months. HLAS has submitted a grant proposal on behalf of nine theaters and 13 stages in town to receive a loop system, which could make theater enjoyable again for so many of us. If we support the theaters that take on this system, the rest of the community in terms of churches, pharmacies, banks and other businesses will follow.  In other markets, once the majority of theaters took on a loop, the other venues in the community followed suit.

And that is the big question.  Will we support hearing access? This fall, Van Wezel will add a hearing loop system and Player’s Theatre will invest in more captioning. All the other theaters in town will be carefully monitoring these efforts to determine if their addition of hearing access makes cents. Yes cents, because in today’s economy they will need to see some evidence that loops or captions draw greater ticket sales, as they have done in other markets.

One major hurdle to our success is that an estimated 80% of people with hearing aids in town are either not aware of their T-coils and have never used them, Here are 5 things you can do to help the cause. 1) Make sure you know how to use your T-coils. 2) This fall, support the looped shows at Van Wezel or captioned performances at Players. 3) When you go, tell the theater staff how grateful you are for their efforts. After the show, send the theater management an e-mail or letter expressing your gratitude.  4) Please tell anyone you meet who wears hearing aids about T-coils. 5) And please encourage them to come to our meetings to test drive their T-coil and complete their loop education.

Together, we can make a difference. Let’s Loop SRQ!

Ed Ogiba

 

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JUNE 2011 – Edited by LaVonne Stocco

 

Summer Rap Session Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.

 This is an opportunity to have a discussion about individual or family concerns about hearing loss and learn from other members who have faced similar hearing issues.  Summer rap sessions are informal meetings and refreshments will be served.  Join us at the North Sarasota Library Auditorium, 2801 Newtown Blvd.

Volunteers Needed for HLAS Booth at the Sarasota Farmers Market

 If you are able to help out for a few hours at the HLAS booth at the Farmers Market on a Saturday in June, please contact Alexander Boakes at 786-457-6205 or e-mail alexboakes@msn.com  to arrange a date and time.

 Interesting Study – Why the Deaf See Better

 Losing one sense can enhance others, and now there’s a clue about why that occurs.  In a study comparing deaf and hearing cats, it was found that brain regions normally dedicated to hearing were co-opted for visual duties in the deaf animals.  Nerves normally assigned to pick up peripheral auditory cues, for example, were used to enhance the cats’ peripheral vision instead.

 Resource:  Time Magazine article by Alice Park

 

Hearing Loop Experience – by LaVonne Stocco

 About a week ago, Whole Foods in downtown Sarasota installed a hearing loop at checkout counter #1.  Recently, I decided to see if it really works and am delighted to report that the sound quality is excellent!  All I had to do was switch to the T-coil on my hearing aids, stand in front of the blue T-coil sign and…voilá, I clearly heard every word the clerk said to me.  When I questioned the clerk, he responded that there have been a fair number of customers using the loop, although not all of the customers actually said they were using it.  I urge everyone to go to Whole Foods and try this out, you will be amazed.

 

Captioning at the Players Theatre

 The Players Theatre will present three captioned plays in July.

The Foreigner – Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 8 p.m.

Undaunted – Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 8 p.m.

Over the Tavern - Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 8 p.m.

Ticket price: $18 per play or enjoy all three productions and $30 in gift certificates to Caragiulos Italian Restraurant for only $45!

Buy your tickets at the Players box office at 838 N. Tamiami Trail; call 941-365-2494; or go online to http://theplayers.org/?page_id=357   Note: Seating is reserved.

 

Humor of the Month – Communication:  The Key to Every Great Marriage!

 A man and his wife are sitting on the sofa in their living room watching TV.

The wife says:  Can you believe we’ve been married another whole year?

The man replies:  Sure…I’ll have another cold beer!

The wife sighs and says:  Remember those first weeks of matrimony!

Husband replies:  Pizza with pepperoni…sounds good!

Wife says:  ‘Course, now I have a little more around the hips.

Husband replies:  More chips?  Sure…

Wife says:  It’s still amazing how attuned we are to each other.

Husband replies:  What?  You mooned my mother?

 

HEARING AID FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR FLORIDA RESIDENTS

Alexander Graham Bell         www.agbell.org                                202-337-5221

Audient Program                   www.audientalliance.org                  888-283-4368

Hear Now                               www.sotheworldmayhear.org          800-328-8602  

Kiwanis                                  www.kiwanis.org                           1-800-549-2647

Lions Club International        www.lionsclubs.org                 630-571-5466 X615

Sertoma                                www.sertoma.org                              816-333-8300

Starkey Hearing Foundation   www.soundchoicefinancing.com      800-382-8602

Ear Research Foundation (at Silverstein Institute) www.EarRF.org   941-366-9222

 

FREE TELEPHONES FOR FLORIDA RESIDENTS

Contact Diane Vessels at CCDHH    dvessels@ccdhh.org      941-488-5709Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc   http://www.ftri.org/   800-222-3448

 

Member Recommended Top Conversation Friendly Restaurants

62 BISTRO - 1962 Hillview Avenue

BANGKOK (Thai)  Swift and Proctor

BONEFISH GRILL -3971 South Tamiami Trail - noisy during tourist season, try in May.

CAFE BACI (Italian) 4001 S. Tamiami Trail

CARAGIULO’S – 69 Palm Avenue – has portable Hearing Loop System.

DUTCH VALLEY DINER - 6721 South Tamiami Trail

HILLVIEW GRILL - 1920 Hillview Street

LAVANDA- 1938 Adams Lane

LUNA'S ITALIAN (Venice) – 1 block north of Venice Avenue and 1 block west of Hwy. 4l

MISS SAIGON (Vietnamese) - 560 N. Washington Blvd.

OCEAN - Tamiami and Siesta Drive

OWEN’S FISH CAMP – 516 Burns Court – has portable Hearing Loop System.

PINEAPPLE (Venice) – Hwy. 41 and Venice Blvd. - has rooms that are somewhat quiet.

 

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                                MAY  2011 – Edited by LaVonne Stocco

 

HLAS Board of Trustees Meeting to be held Wednesday, May 4, 2011

All HLAS members are invited to attend this meeting and participate in discussions.  Meeting will be held in the Conference Room at the North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd.

 

Young Hearing Group will meet on May 16, 2011 at 5:30 p.m.

Join this group of young adults and professionals to socialize and network at Sarasota

Vineyard, 1528 Main Street.  For more information contact Alexander Boakes by phone:  786-457-6205 or by e-mail:  alexboakes@msn.com

 

The next monthly HLAS meeting will be on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.

Lisa Tanner, Au.D. will speak on Mapping and Programming: The Keys to Getting the Most Out of Your Hearing Aid or Cochlear Implant.

Join us after the meeting for complimentary coffee and sweets. It is a great opportunity to network and socialize with the speakers and other members.

Meeting will be held in the auditorium at the North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd.

 

Volunteers Needed

If you are able to help out for a few hours at the HLAS booth at the Farmers Market on Saturday, May 14, 2011, please contact Alexander Boakes at 786-457-6205 or e-mail alexboakes@msn.com

 

President’s Message - Our Journey to “Get Sarasota in the Loop” begins

Our reception on April 12 opened many minds and hearts within the community to supporting our quest for more hearing access. We are very fortunate to have City Commissioner Suzanne Atwell and Downtown Sarasota Alliance chair Eileen Hampshire as such visible and passionate proponents for our cause. To successfully build on this momentum, all of us will now have to reinforce our need with one consistent message. Businesses and organizations in town need to hear from each of us that hearing loops can make a difference.

It is gratifying to hear from so many members that the hearing loop system at the North Library has improved the quality of meetings for you. I encourage you to tell others, especially your audiologist and the heads of your House of Worship, about the benefits of a loop system. It is particularly important that influential leaders like audiologists support this initiative.  We need their voices for this message to register and be clearly understood across the community.

I am also grateful that two restaurants  - -Caragiulos and Owen’s Fish Camp - - have added the tabletop loop system. One enterprising couple at our reception purchased the portable unit for their use at both home and while eating out. Priced at $209, this system is something others may wish to consider getting for their own use. The device makes a huge difference for me, as for the first time I can enjoy conversation at these two popular establishments, despite all the crowd noise and loud music. I hope you will support these two restaurants with your business and letters of appreciation. 

Our chapter’s goal is to keep advocating for the use of this system among other businesses in town. We all need to keep promoting until we reach what Malcolm Gladwell calls the “Tipping Point”. It will only be when we reach sufficient penetration and support in the community, that key organizations will no longer be able to ignore the system’s value.  To follow the European success model, the institutions which had the greatest affect on converting the whole community were theaters, followed by churches and synagogues.

May is better hearing month. Please share your better hearing experiences with others in the community so everyone in Sarasota knows that the technology for better hearing is here, if we only would all embrace it.

Best wishes,

Ed

Ed Ogiba

 

The Players

Your Community Your Theatre

 

 Presents

 

 SUMMER SIZZLER SERIES

 

With Captions!

 

If you haven't attended plays because you couldn't hear or understand what was being said onstage, a new accessibilty service is now being provided by the Players - captions that are projected onto two large screens above the stage on the dates shown below.  Assistive listening devices are also available in the lobby.

 

The Foreigner 

by Larry Shue

Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 8pm

 

 

 

This award winning hysterical romp is from the creator of “The Nerd”. Laugh along as we follow a group of mismatched characters staying at a resort-style fishing lodge where a very shy man is mistaken as a foreigner who doesn’t speak English. 

 

 

 

 

Undaunted

by Bernie Yanelli   

Thursday, July 21, 2010 at 8pm

 

 

Winner of the 2010 New Play Festival!

Explore the conflict ridden life of Alexander Hamilton as his wife and son deal with the public disclosure of his scandalous affair with a troubled young woman.

 

 

 

 

Over the Tavern

by Tom Dudzick    

Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 8pm

 

Set in the 1950’s, the youngest member of the Pazinski family, Rudy, starts to question the Roman Catholic Church. All hell breaks loose when he goes up against ruler-wielding Sister Clarissa and announces that instead of being confirmed he’d rather shop around for a more “fun” religion.

Ticket price: $18 per play or enjoy all three productions and $30 in Gift Certificates to Caragiulos Italian restaurant for only $45!

 

Coupon information: May not be combined with other coupons, discounts or promotions. Minimum restaurant purchase of $30 is required. One certificate per check, per visit. Tax and gratuity are added onto the original check amount. Gift certificates are distributed as three $10 certificates, with one valid during the months of June, July, and August of 2011.

  

To buy your tickets, visit The Players box office at 838 N. Tamiami Trail (Mon. thru Sat. 10 am - 4 pm) You can call 941-365-2494, or go online to http://theplayers.org/?page_id=357  Note: Seating is reserved.