fox valley chapter news...to use the accessible facility at uuf. pick up a copy of the sept. issue...
TRANSCRIPT
September Chapter Meeting & Program
Monday Evening, September 12, 2016
5:30 HOPE Discussion Group
6:30 Social Time
7:00 Meeting & Program
Program: What’s New in Hearing Aids & Assistive
Technology that Adds Value to Them?
Presented by: Erin Krueger AuD
Dr. Krueger practices at Audiology &
Hearing Aid Centers at ENT Specialists of
Wisconsin.
She will share information about the latest technolo-
gies available in hearing aids and in assistive devices
that work with them.
She will also provide information about what’s new
on the horizon...long life and rechargeable, batteries,
coupling hearing aids with ’hearables’, and about po-
tential new medical treatments for hearing loss.
Fox Valley Chapter News Volume Issue 6 ~ September 2016
HLAA Works Hard for People With Hearing Loss FCC Adopts Landmark Agreement to Improve Access to Hear-ing Aid Compatible Cell Phones and Wireless Devices 08-10-2016 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted new rules to ensure people with hearing loss have full access to wireless devices. The FCC noted, the action taken “will modern-ize existing hearing aid compatibility rules while maintaining the balance between fostering accessibility and promoting innovation and investment.” FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler said “The FCC reconfirms its commitment to pursuing 100 percent compatibility within eight years.” (65% within 2 years, and 85% within 5 years are goals.) HLAA was intimately involved in the collaborative effort that led to the groundbreaking consensus letter signed by industry representatives: Cellular Telephone Industries Assn. (CTIA), the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA), the Telecommunica-tions Industry Association (TIA), and consumer organizations: HLAA, Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. (TDI), and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Join HLAA in the Fight for Affordable Hearing Health Care In June 2016 the National Academies of Sciences issued a groundbreaking report, Hearing Health Care for Adults: Priori-ties for Improving Access and Affordability. The recommenda-tions accurately reflect the needs, concerns, and frustrations that consumers face when making hearing health care decisions. HLAA is the only consumer organization to serve as one of the sponsors of the report.
Implementation of the report’s 12 recommendations could change the face of hearing health care, but….
HLAA can’t do it alone.
WHAT HLAA IS DOING HLAA has created a campaign to spread the word about the re-port to everyone who has an interest in or is touched by hearing loss in anyway.
WHAT YOU CAN DO 1. Go to HLAA’s Change.org campaign at: http://chn.ge/29W3ykd where you will find information about the campaign and links to the report.
2. Sign on to the campaign 3. Share the link on your social media feeds such as Face book and Twitter, tell your friends, tell your doctor, tell your co-workers, tell everyone! Numbers matter.
Couple Affected by Acquired Hearing Loss Needed to
Participate in Graduate Student’s Research Study
Be part of an important case study that explores the use of
art therapy within a couple dealing with acquired hearing loss.
Do you or your partner have acquired hearing loss?
Have you noticed a decrease in communication since the
development of the hearing loss?
If you answered YES to these questions, you may be eligible
to participate in an art therapy research study.
The purpose of this research study is to explore the effective-
ness of communicating through art making to increase levels of
closeness between partners. Participants will have the oppor-
tunity to engage in a new creative activity that may potentially
increase relationship satisfaction.
This study, which consists of two 90 minute sessions sched-
uled one week apart, will be conducted in a private meeting
room in Appleton Public Library, and will be scheduled at the
participants convenience. If you would like to participate in this
study, please contact Sharon Johnson at: [email protected]
Chapter meetings are held at
the Unitarian Universalist Fel-
lowship in Appleton. Address:
2600 Phillip Lane. (Just off of
E. Calumet St.) Map available
at: www.fvuuf.org
NOTE: HLAA is not affiliated
with UUF or any religious
group. We appreciate being able
to use the accessible facility at
UUF.
Pick up a copy of the Sept. issue of Nature’s Pathways Magazine. It includes an article about hearing loss & HLAA.
NPM is available, free, at many outlets. Let us know what you think about this kind of outreach.
WARNING: Hearing Loop Fever is Highly Contagious…
Proceed at Your Own Risk!!! By Christine Klessig, Delegate 2016 HLAA Convention
The Dupont conference room at the Washington Hilton Hotel was woefully undersized for the first ever
HLAA “Loopers” Get Acquainted Meeting on June 24, 2016. Hotel staff brought in extra chairs and ex-
panded the accordion walls twice – to no avail. It was still standing room only.
What was all the commotion about in the Dupont Room at this year’s national convention? HLAA mem-
bers across the country all wanted a digital copy of the new “Get in the Hearing Loop Toolkit”. Created by
Juliette Sterkens, Au.D. (the National Loop Advocate who lives in Oshkosh, Wisconsin) and Steve Frazier
(Loop New Mexico), the kit guides chapters in establishing local looping campaigns.
The temperature in the Dupont Room climbed as participants soon realized there were not enough kits to go around –
let alone for those folks standing out in the hallway. A potential flash fire was averted when the presenters announced a
sign-up sheet for kits along with expected delivery via email in 24 hours. Whew!
State representatives with active looping campaigns were invited to describe their situations and distribute samples
of any locally produced printed material they use. As your Fox Valley chapter delegate and Wisconsin Hearing Loop Co-
ordinator, I wasted no time commandeering the microphone and announcing our upcoming:
Hearing Loop & Accessibility EXPO
Saturday, November 5, 2016 9 AM to 3 PM
Milwaukee Area Technical College (Oak Creek Campus)
$25 registration fee includes lunch and handouts
WOW!!! Did that ever get people’s attention. It seems that Wisconsin is very much cutting edge, having hosted the first
ever State Hearing Loop Conference in 2011, and now hosting another multi-state Expo about the ways and wonders of
hearing loop technology! Hearing Loop Fever officially broke out in the Dupont Room. Suffice it to say it was a feverish-
ly exciting and energizing evening for HLAA Loopers.
AND now, the 2016 Wisconsin EXPO is right in your backyard! (In Milwaukee)
AND Fox Valley chapter members who attend will be reimbursed the $25 registration fee!
AND carpooling is available to Milwaukee on November 5th! (Sign up at the September chapter meeting)
So what are you waiting for? Take this opportunity to learn all about hearing loop technology.
* Get more out of the telecoils in your hearing aids and CI’s
* Find out how loops work at home, worship, work or recreation
* Learn proper hearing loop installation
* Discover how to self-install a TV hearing loop
* Hear about advocacy and funding for hearing loops
* Publicize looped venues
The Expo will feature national and local hearing loop technology experts. Vendors will be available to answer questions
and provide demonstrations. A panel discussion will wrap-up the Expo.
Got the fever? Expo registration forms can be downloaded at www.hlaawi.org/conventions.html We will
also have them available at the September & October chapter meetings.
DISCLAIMER : The author is not responsible for hot flashes or other feverish conditions created by learn-
ing about hearing loop technology!!
Fox Valley Chapter &
the Cochlear Implant
subgroup take this
opportunity to wish
Jim Muhich well on his move to
the Madison area. Jim has been a
member of HLAA for years and is
a past treasurer of our chapter.
Best to you Jim!
HLAA-Wisconsin Annual Meeting will be held, November 4th; the evening prior
to the Loop EXPO. If you are a national member of HLAA, this is your opportunity to
vote for trustees, help establish board priorities, meet other HLAA members & to
learn more about what HLAA can do for people in Wisconsin who have hearing loss.
Your input is important to the organization’s future. Please plan to attend.
Time: 6 PM - 9 PM (light refreshments will be available)
Comfort Suites Airport Hotel in Oak Creek—Meeting Room A. A block of
rooms has been reserved for those who attend the meeting and the EXPO.
For information about the Annual Meeting or the EXPO please go to:
http://www.hlaawi.org/conventions.html will link you to all information.
2016 Chapter Sponsors
[Platinum Level ($200 or More)
About Better Care Audiology – Stephanie Long AuD Anonymous Audiology & Hearing Aid Center of ENT Specialists of WI - Audiologists; Mark Conradt, Erin Krueger, Holly Rush-Clothier, Tricia Roh, Tammy Mischka, Katie Armatoski & Cathy Dreifuerst Audiology and Hearing Services – Michael Thelen AuD Ear Nose & Throat Surgical Associates - Kristin Borgen AuD, Beth Gabavics AuD & Nicole Maxam CCC-A Fox Valley Hearing Center, Inc. - Bria Anderson AuD, Melissa Dintelman AuD, & Candy McGinnis AuD Haviland Hearing Aids, Inc. Peter Zellmer AuD, CCC-A Kyle Martel AuD Rural Audiology Services, Inc. Cari J. Cramer AuD, Becky L. Franz MS, CCC-A Ray & Betty Smith Char & Bob Van Asten Gold Level ($100 - $199)
Anonymous, Joe & Barb Bach, Judy & Larry Benish, Jim Cuene, Betsy Foley, Kevin Gossins, Doug Grant MD, Hear-ing Clinics of Wisconsin Inc.; Robert Broeckert MS-CCC-A, Jo Kintopf-Crabb, Christine Klessig, Mike Landreman, Thomas & Linda O’Connor, Marge & Vern Parker, Howard & Charlene Porter, Julie Reisinger, Juliette Sterkens & Max Maxfield, Julianna Turoski (in memory of Victor Turo-ski), Walt & Phyllis Ziemke Seeing the Word - Margo Lucas, CRC, RPR, CRI Silver Level ($50 - $99)
Jim & Rhonda Bartelt Suzanne Brown, Dave & Nancy Gil-bertson, Liz Ginke, Mary Ginke, Charlie & Betsy Hansen, Elizabeth Keggi, Ione Muehlenbein (in memory of Paul Muehlenbein), Chris Prust, Joyce Rudolph, Stevie Schmidt, Karen & Thomas Schuppe, Lyle & Phyllis Sconzert, Carol Smokovich, Barb & Russ Soderberg, Gene & “T” Van Asten, Mike & Lois Vande Loo, Jerry & Phyllis Van Handel, Jan & Diane Veenedaal, Earl & Shirley Younk, Paul & Harriet Zuiker Bronze Level ($25 - $49)
Affinity Medical Group Audiology; Debra Engebos AuD Carol Burns, Rich & Janet Erickson, Donald Kunde, Janice Liebscher, Fred Lilly, Raymond R. Morris, Alice Reimer-McKee, Mary Walter, Katie Weber (in memory of ‘Butts’ Weber), Dick & Mary Wilkenson, Anonymous X 2
We are grateful to these Sponsors for their gen-erosity and support of HLAA Fox Valley Chap-ter. Their support allows us to print & circulate this newsletter, to hold regular meetings, to pro-vide information & materials to those who at-tend our meetings & much more.
Our meetings are open to the public. .
Tax deductible donations can be sent to: HLAA-FVC
Treasurer, P.O. Box 25, Menasha WI 54952-0025. The
chapter is a registered 501(c)3 non profit. NOTE: Substantial in-kind donations & services are provided by: Lorna Hamilton, Julie & John Olson, Gene & ‘T’ Van Asten, Col-
leen Van Rooy, Nancy & Dave Gilbertson, & others. who contrib-ute time, energy & mileage on a regular basis..
Chapter Leader’s Message by Julie Olson
Before I became involved in this organization I didn’t have a clue how to live well with my pro-gressive, adult onset hearing loss. I felt that life as I had known it was over. Being reclusive was easi-er than going places. I give thanks every day for what HLAA has given me, and want to share that. Trying to explain what it’s like to have poor hear-
ing is difficult. People often assume we simply need more volume, so they shout at us. That doesn’t work. What does? Here are a few things everyone with HL should know and be ready to share.
Hearing loss is exhausting. How so? Well, when one misses several common sounds in the hearing spectrum, it forces them to work harder to understand. For example, read this simple sentence: Thi entene ha ery important inor-maon in it. While we try to fill in the missing sounds to make sense of your statement, you are 3 paragraphs of speech down the line. (This sentence has very im-portant information in it.) Seriously, that’s how we hear, why we get tired & why we respond out of context.
We are not dimwitted or stupid. We may appear to be at times, because when you are “3 paragraphs of speech down the line”, you have probably changed the subject too. We are lost. If we respond to the previous topic, which we have finally figured out, we are probably out of context. Please forgive us. And, if we ask you to repeat something, please do. Thank you.
While we use hearing aids or have cochlear implants, it doesn’t mean our hearing loss has been corrected. We still struggle in noisy settings, and we still have to work hard to stay involved in conversation, but yes, they do help in the right environment if we use them well.
It is demoralizing for us when you talk around us or an-swer questions that were directed at us as if we are not even there. If we struggle with the question, please help clarify the question so we can provide our own answer.
It helps when the speaker speaks a bit slower and makes sure we can see their face when they talk. You will need to get our attention before conversation begins. You may have to repeat or even rephrase something we missed. Please take time to do that. Understand that this frustrates us as much as it frustrates you.
Admitting hearing loss and being open about it helps, but for some, that takes courage. We are far better at hiding our hearing loss than we are at asking for support. Let’s stop being that way. We, who have hearing loss benefit when we open up to learn about skills and technologies that can help us. Other people with hearing loss, who have become good copers with a good knowledge of what helps and what doesn’t are what HLAA is all about.
Come to our meetings to learn with us so we can learn from you!
HOPE Discussion group is a good place to start. Come talk
about ‘it’ with others who get it! Chapter meeting programs are educational. Come listen in
a setting where you can hear, thanks to technology. The Annual meeting of HLAA-Wisconsin & the upcoming
Hearing Loop Expo in November are places to meet others who want to hear better, and who are doing something about it. Consider attending them.
For those who believe that making a difference comes be-
cause people get involved in effecting change….there is room on the chapter and state boards for you!!!
HLAA-Fox Valley Chapter
P.O. Box 25
Menasha WI 54952-0025
2016 HLAA-Fox Valley Chapter Board
President: Colleen Van Rooy: [email protected]
Treasurer: Jane Young: [email protected]
Secretary: Christine Klessig [email protected]
Programs & Cochlear Implant Group Chair: Rhonda
Clancey: [email protected]
Newsletter Editor: Julie Olson: [email protected]
H.O.P.E. Chair: Nancy Gilbertson
Member at Large: Jo Kintopf-Crabb
Support Crew: Bob Opsteen - Room Set-up, ‘’T” &
Gene Van Asten - Outreach & Fund Raising, Lorna Ham-
ilton - Newsletter preparation & phone support 920-725-
2579. Chapter e-mail: [email protected]
2016 Chapter Calendar
*September 12-Hearing Aids & Assistive Technology
*October 10—Captioned Telephones
October 17—Cochlear Implant Subgroup Meeting
November 4—Annual Meeting of HLAA-Wisconsin
November 5—Hearing Loop EXPO
*November 14-Coping Strategies in Difficult Settings
*December 12—Annual Holiday Party
This monthly newsletter serves as our meeting notice.
Please sign up to receive it. Lorna: 725-2579 or
[email protected] It can come via regular mail or e-mail.
Specific program information about topics, timelines, and
presenters will appear in each month’s newsletter.
* HOPE discussion is held each month at 5:30 PM, including
months of chapter socials and also in months when the
chapter doesn’t meet (August, January & February).
Chapter events are open to anyone interested in learning
more about living well with hearing loss. All regular meet-
ings are open captioned, and all meetings use a hearing
loop. Join us in a place where we all CAN hear!
Board Help Needed! Perpetuating this chapter should
be a goal of everyone who finds our meetings worthwhile.
Please think about how YOU might help take the pressure
off the handful of leaders. Your energy is needed. Elections
take place in November. Will you help us?
(Board members must be willing to use e-mail.)
What is a convention? According to Webster it is “a
large meeting of people who come to a place for usually several days to talk about their shared work or other interests...” What was HLAA Convention 2016? A whole lot more! Every year we talk about attending the HLAA National Convention. Only a few of us in the Chapter have been fortunate to attend. If you have never been to one, please consider going next year. Where will it be held? Salt Lake City, Utah!!!! We encourage you to because HLAA conventions are a lot more than just a bunch of people getting together. It is hundreds of people with one thing in common: hear-ing loss. Whether you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a family member who is, this is the place to be. You not only interact with people who have the same interests, but with people who are there to help you hear better: vendors from all kinds of businesses related to hearing loss; technology experts who want to tell you about devices or what is coming in the future; cochlear implant companies who you can ask whatever it is you want to know about their product. If you are thinking of getting an implant, it is a great opportunity to “compare” companies and make an informed decision; it is about high quality workshops where you can learn what other chapters are doing, healthcare advocacy programs, music appreciation with hear-ing aids, TV and video access with hearing aids, and so much more. Of course my favorite topic was well represented too – hearing loops along with assistive listening devices that work well with t-coils. It is about meeting people who understand what you live with every day. It is about networking with people who may have great sugges-tions on what may help you have better quality of life and stay con-nected with your family and friends. It is about YOU! There is no other place you can go where you will feel more “at home” or more “welcome.” You will not be able to stop smiling from the time you register at the desk until you checkout. In between there will be laughter, fun, and sometimes shared tears of frustration but with someone who “gets” what you are living with every single day. Never been to Utah? Here is your chance. If you are an HLAA member and an active member of Fox Val-ley Chapter, the chapter may be able to offer some financial assistance. Think about it. Don't miss out on another year of opportunity to have a great time. In the meantime, Christine Klessig and I brought back a variety of leaflets and brochures from various vendors. We will place them on the check-in table. Submitted by Chris Prust NOTE: Chris & Christine each received $500 stipend s from Fox Valley Chapter to help with their convention expenses.
Attend the Annual Meeting of HLAA-
Wisconsin & the Hearing Loop Expo!
Car pool sign up at the September &
October chapter meetings.
Register Now!
http://www.hlaawi.org/conventions.html
HLAA Fox Valley Regional Chapter is an affiliate of the national
Hearing Loss Association of America, Inc. This chapter does not collect
dues, and is dependent on donations and sponsorships.
Dues to the national HLAA organization are $35/year, and can be
paid to HLAA National Office, Attention: Membership, 7910 Woodmont
Ave., Ste. 1200, Bethesda MD 20814. You can also join national HLAA
online at: www.hearingloss.org.
HLAA at all levels is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
Disclaimer—HLAA does not endorse products or services. Mention of such
is intended to provide readers & those who attend meetings with infor-
mation on products or services that might be of interest, & is not a recom-
mendation or endorsement.