Listen!UpAPRIL, 2015

“AFTER HOURS” MEETING, TUESDAY, APRIL 14 AT 6PM

With Daylight Savings Time, the After Hours meetings are now in daylight!

The Chapter’s “After Hours” meetings are designed for members and visitors who work or otherwise unable to attend the daytime Chapter meetings.

It is a great opportunity to bring a friend or spouse who is interested in improving his or her hearing or in better understanding the issues a person with hearing loss deals with everyday.

In addition to the program, our peer mentors take your questions.

Adult refreshments are provided in an informal evening meeting get together.

The next meeting is April 14 at 6:00 PM

“After Hours” meets at the Center for Arts and Cultural Alliance at 1226 Tamiami Trail.

The topic in April will be “Ototoxicity and Hearing Loss”, a discussion on how certain medications affect our hearing and balance system.

SEE MORE

The presentation will be led by Tatiana Yero, PharmD, BCPP, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, LECOM Bradenton School of Pharmacy.

The hosts are Trustee Dr. Lindsey Nalu and member Bob Leonard

FOURTH ANNUAL HEARING TECH EXPO IN PICTURES

A few of the many volunteers and exhibitors on the Expo

SEE MORE

Over 40 Exhibitors of the latest technology, innovation and devices to take back your life!

Five stimulating seminars on the latest in cochlear devices, improving communication, looping, tinnitus and hearing in noise.

Scene & HeardHLAS COMMUNITY NEWS BITESEVENT CALENDAR

APRIL EVENTS

Wednesday, April 8, 20151:30 PM to 3:00 PMChapter Meeting“Protecting Yourself From Scams”Sgt. Neil Scully, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office 3:00 PM – Refreshments and Social TimeNorth Sarasota Library Meeting Room 2801 Newtown Blvd., Sarasota

Tuesday, April 14, 20156:00 PM to 7:30 PM -- HLAS “After Hours”“Ototoxicity and Hearing Loss”, A discussion on how certain medications affect our hearing and balance system.Tatiana Yero, PharmD, BCPP Assistant Professor, LECOM Center for Arts and Cultural Alliance 1226 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

Tuesday, April 21, 20157:30 PMPlayers Theatre “You Should Be So Lucky” 838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

Saturday, April 25, 20157:00 AM to 1:00 PMDowntown Sarasota Farmers Market Free Hearing Screenings

Tuesday, April 28, 20154:30 PM—Private Eyes Movie Club Hollywood 20 Theatre 1993 Main Street, Sarasota

MAY EVENTS

Wednesday, May 13, 20151:30 PM to 3:00 PMChapter Meeting“Better Speech and Hearing Month”, Jennifer Dunbar, Speech, Language and Hearing Pathologist 3:00 PM – Refreshments and Social TimeNorth Sarasota Library Meeting Room 2801 Newtown Blvd., Sarasota

Saturday, May 23, 20157:00 AM to 1:00 PMDowntown Sarasota Farmers Market Free Hearing Screenings1920 State Street, Sarasota

Tuesday, May 26, 20154:30 PM--Private Eyes Movie Club Hollywood 20 Theatre 1993 Main Street, Sarasota

SAVE THE DATE

June 24-28, 2015HLAA National Convention Union StationSt. Louis, Missouri

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

At our recent Hearing Tech Expo we continued the process of building a collaborative partnership with like- minded organizations. Why is this important?

The mission of HLAA-Sarasota/Manatee is to open the world of communication to people with hearing loss through information, education, support and advocacy. By working with local organizations we better recognize opportunities for growth/change; mobilize larger groups of people and resources to create change; build trust among collaborators; and develop opportunities in ways for our organizations to work closer together to advance our mission.

Our HLAA founder Rocky Stone stated “Together means hearing impaired and hearing people, working to alleviate the plight of millions of others who suffer from hearing loss. Together means hearing impaired people and members of the hearing health delivery system working toward solutions to individual problems relating to hearing loss.”

Our collaboration with like-minded organizations continues to grow and our Hearing Tech Expo was a wonderful opportunity for HLAA-Sarasota/Manatee to build relationships with some of our local organizations. A few of the organizations that participated in the Expo and shared their mission were: CCDHH-Community Center for Deaf & Hard of Hearing-who is generously donating office space for our organization (more info to follow soon on this!!); ALDA-Association of Late Deafened Adults; CCI–Canine for Independence; Florida Guide Dogs for the Deaf; Veteran Services; FCCDHH-Florida Coordinating Council of The Deaf and Hard of Hearing; FLAA-Florida Academy of Audiology; and the Sarasota Tinnitus Support Group (next meeting April 17 – 2-4PM at Silverstein Institute).

As founder Rocky Stone stated “Together. The word has a nice sound to it - and important implications.”

JoAnne DeVries, President HLAA-Sarasota/Manatee

Website - http://hlas.orgFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/Hearing.Loss.Association.of.Sarasota

MEMBERSHIP NOTES

RENEWALS AND NEW MEMBERSHIPSOur memberships are dual memberships in both the HLAA and the HLAA Sarasota/Manatee Chapter. Veterans are free!

The cost is $35 for an Individual membership, $45 for a Couple. .

Among the many functions of HLAA National is the lobbying for people with hearing loss to have equal access in public venues. Note—your renewal notices will come from HLAA in Bethesda, if you do not get one, please let us know.

If you have any questions on Membership please feel free to contact Anne Taylor at membership@hlas.org. Membership applications can be found at the Chapter website, http://hlas.org.

Welcome new members:

Joe Buck, SarasotaDon Engles, University ParkRobert Maynard, SarasotaRonnie Olson, NokomisDuane Pazyck, Bradenton George Robinson, Sarasota

:

HLAA-SARASOTA/MANATEE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Our Volunteers turned out “big-time” at the Expo

Our members have responded with the many volunteer hours needed to have a successful Expo, Thank You!

HLAA-Sarasota/Manatee hosts monthly meetings, organizes social events and participates in community outreach. We always have a need for volunteers for the Chapter meetings, such as membership assistance, 50/50 raffle and social hour. We have a special wish list for a Graphic Artist, a Grant Researcher/Writer and a Telephone Chair.

The Chapter is active in Outreach at the Farmers Market, Health Fairs, public events and knowledgeable members are encouraged to assist us. There are so many ways you can make a difference.Please contact Anne Taylor at membership@hlas.org if you can pay it forward with your time to help educate and advocate for the 135,000 community members with hearing loss.

Meeting UpdateUPCOMING MEETING PREVIEW, PRIOR MEETING RECAPUPCOMING MEETINGAPRIL CHAPTER MEETING

How not to set yourself up to be the next victim of a crime”

· What is it that we do in our daily lives that makes us more vulnerable to criminal activity?

· Learn the most up-to-date methods of keeping yourself safer from the Identity Thieves.· Find out what resources we have to strengthen our resistance to the way these criminals work.

Our presenter will be Sgt. Neil Scully of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. He has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 1981, and is presently in command of the Crime Prevention Unit. Sergeant Scully is responsible for the Business Crime Prevention programs and the operation of the Citizen’s Patrol/ Neighborhood Watch Programs for the Sheriff’s Office as well as the Sheriff’s Volunteer program

. April 8 at 1:30 PMNorth Sarasota Library Meeting Room

2801 Newtown Blvd. Sarasota

Meeting supported by hearing loop and CART

Refreshments will be served following the program.

MEETING RECAPMARCH CHAPTER MEETING RECAP

Dr. Lesley Ericsson, AuD and Professional Education Manager at Widex presented an interactive session for help with hearing loss.

She spoke about the Widex Speech Enhancer Feature; the stress and annoyance of ringing in the ears: Widex Zen Therapy that can reduce the distress and distraction from tinnitus; and how wireless BiCROS hearing devices and Frequency Shifting technology are able to recapture these important sounds.

“AFTER HOURS” MEETING

Reminder! Our cover story featured After Hours for April 14 at 6 PM.

“After Hours” meets at the Center for Arts and Cultural Alliance at 1226 Tamiami Trail.

The topic in April is “Ototoxicity and Hearing Loss”, a discussion on how certain medications affect our hearing and balance system.

The presentation will be led by Tatiana Yero, PharmD, BCPP, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, LECOM Bradenton School of Pharmacy.

The hosts are Trustee Dr. Lindsey Nalu and member Bob Leonard.

Loud & ClearNEWS FROM HLAA & THE WORLD

HLAA FOUNDER’S BOOK -- THE “INVISIBLE CONDITION”

Join us in a yearlong celebration of Rocky Stone, HLAA’s Founder.

To celebrate Rocky and the 35th birthday of the Hearing Loss Association of America, our Chapter will be remembering Rocky and getting to know his legacy.

In the 1987 July/August HLAA Magazine, Rocky wrote:

“The degree of trust we place in one another continues to light our darkest days. Confidence. Reliance on each others’ integrity and friendship gives new hope to thousands in HLAA. And if, because of weakness in the human condition, that trust is violated occasionally, it should reinforce our own determination to become increasingly trustworthy - in our own eyes and in the eyes of others.”

For more on the founder, see http://www.hearingloss.org/about-us/founderIn his book, “An Invisible Condition, The Human Side of Hearing Loss”, Rocky wrote: “the most pervasive physical handicap in America today is an invisible condition – hearing loss”.

LEGAL NEWS—HLAA ADVOCACY WITH THE FCC

HLAA is advocating for our rights every day. Two recent activities are outlined below:

1. HLAA is working to see the day when all hearing aids and cochlear implants link to any cell phone so well that consumers never hear the sound of annoying interference ever again. In fact, HLAA has long sought rules that would mean that all cell phones would be hearing aid compatible. The FCC asked for comments in their latest Public Notice. HLAA responded, with the help of other consumer groups, ALDA, TDI, NAD and DHHCAN. In these comments, HLAA urged the FCC to require all wireless mobile phones to be hearing aid compatible. At a time when consumers are abandoning landline phones at record rates, it simply makes sense that the FCC act to ensure that consumers with hearing loss do not have to struggle to find a phone that works well with their hearing aid or cochlear implant.

2. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held its first meeting of its newly-formed Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) on March 17, 2015. HLAA is a charter member, serving as co-chair of the Video Programming subcommittee, and as a member of the Communications subcommittee. These meetings are open to the public and streamed with captions at: http://www.fcc.gov/live

MEDICAL NEWS –THE EFFECT OF HEARING LOSS ON THE COMMUNICATION PARTNER

HLAA Board Trustee, Dr. Frank Lin, published a study that confirms what we all know, hearing loss affects the quality of life of the communication partner as well as the person with hearing loss.

In a paper published in the February 2015 edition of the Journal of the American Academy ofAudiology (JAAA), Rebecca Kamil and Frank Lin, MD, PhD, provide a systematic review of the literature about how hearing loss in older adults affects their Communication Partners (CPs). Although not surprising to HLAA members, what emerges is evidence of restricted social life, burden in communication, and poorer quality of life and relationship satisfaction.

Most of this information is taken from “Hearing Review”. A summary of the study follows.

SEE MORE

Kamil and Lin conducted a series of database searches for articles using keywords that might provide insight into the effects of hearing loss on the CPs of older adults who have hearing impairment. They also included hand-selected studies, as well as studies obtained from the references of the identified articles. Of the 1047 articles initially identified, and after culling for duplicates and outlying subject matter, they found 24 papers to include in their systematic review on this topic. All of these papers appeared in peer-reviewed journals, dealt with subjects 50+ years old, and contained specific data related to the hard-of-hearing (HOH) person and the CP that was deemed crucial by the reviewers (eg, hearing assessments, outcome metrics, etc).

A total of 16 of the studies in the systematic review found that hearing loss in an individual led to reduced Quality of Life (QOL) for the CP. Seven of the studies cited communication difficulties as a source of stress and lower satisfaction levels with the relationship, and 4 studies indicated that the CPs experienced decreased social interactions due to the challenges related to the person with hearing loss.

The systematic review revealed areas that may warrant further investigation. Two studies looked at the emotional impact of the individual’s hearing loss on the CP: one showed poorer CP emotional health while the other concluded there was no effect. Similarly, one study concluded that hearing impairment negatively impacted the CPs’ physical health and that more research in this area is needed.

Several studies included in Kamil & Lin’s review looked at how treatment of hearing loss via hearing aids, cochlear implants, and/or aural rehabilitation impacted the CP. They said “Overall, these interventions were associated with improvements in QOL, relationship satisfaction, communication, and social functioning for the CP.” Some areas of improvement included the ability to enjoy life, conversations, TV, group activities, and feelings toward the HOH person.

The studies also point out that hearing loss in an individual can initiate a cascading effect that may be borne more heavily by the spouse of the hearing-impaired individual (eg, becoming their spouse’s “ears” or taking on increased stressful responsibilities). Feelings of social isolation, embarrassment, and frustration can naturally carry over to the dyadic partner.

Kamil & Lin were careful to emphasize that there was a lack of homogeneity across the 24 studies’ designs, quality, methods, and outcome measures, and this precluded any opportunity for a quantitative meta-analysis. Among the most important findings is that “Studies broadly support the conclusion that hearing impairment in a person who is HOH detrimentally affects the QOL of the CP across a wide variety of metrics…and improvements are generally observed after treatment of hearing loss in the person who is HOH.”

In conclusion, they state that “…further research, clinical decision making, and health policy should account for possible cascading effects of hearing impairment on dyadic partners and CPs.”

ADVOCACY NEWS—PUBLIX LOOPS COMING TO SARASOTA AREA

HLAA members and friends—Let’s—Get—Readyyyy--to Advocate!

For the past year, Publix has installed loops at stores in Lakeland, The Villages and Sun City. The loops are placed at the pharmacy drop-off and pick-up, the customer service counter and the designated check out lanes. This was a test for response. WE RESPONDED!

Our members and the local Chapter members in those locales have made it a point to stop at those stores and thank them and write a ‘thank you”. Our advocacy has been successful!

Walgreen’s dropped a similar program in Scottsdale a number of years ago since no one thanked them or acknowledged the effort.

In the next few months, installations will take place at Publix stores at:

The Shoppes of Bay Isle, Longboat Key, andThe Venice Commons, Venice

SEE MORE

Member and Trustee Eileen Schuler recently sent a “thank you” e-mail to Publix and a portion of the reply said:

“We are testing the system through the end of this year at stores 1270 (Lakeland), 732 (Sun City Center), and 1155 (The Villages). We have the hearing loop system installed on one checkout stand, one register at the customer service counter, and at the pharmacy drop off and pickup areas at each store.

We strive every day to earn and retain your business. We are thrilled that we have passed on the Publix spirit. If we may be of future assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our customer care specialist at 1-800-242-1227. You may also contact us via email at www.publix.com/contact or write us Publix Super Markets, Inc., P.O. Box 407, Lakeland, FL 33802, ATTN: Customer Care.”

Jim Scott of Complete Hearing has been doing the Sarasota County installations and advises the installations should be completed by the first week of April. When the employees are trained and the loop system is fully operative, the Chapter will notify the membership by email and Facebook. The Chapter asks you to carry out our mission on advocacy and stop by the Venice and Longboat Key stores to thank them. Also, please but tell your hard of hearing friends to do the same.

Next on the agenda, Starbucks!

HLAA WEBINARS

HLAA conducts educational webinars for its members and constituents. There is no cost to attend webinars. All webinars are captioned and archived for access at the HLAA website. Next up--

April 15 at 8:00 PM, “Reshaping Antibiotics to Prevent Hearing Loss”

This month, Anthony Ricci, Ph D and Alan G, Cheng, M D will talk about aminoglycoside antibiotics which are the most commonly used antibiotic worldwide. They are often used in newborns suspected to have infection, and also in adults with sepsis and pneumonia. However, up to 60% of patients treated with these drugs experience some degree of hearing loss. This hearing loss is a result of the drug entering and damaging the inner ear hair cells, which do not regenerate and are essential to the hearing process.

Drs. Cheng and Ricci will discuss their research to create a safer version of this lifesaving drug, which would retain its effectiveness without causing permanent damage to the hearing mechanism.

SEE MORE

Background:

Dr. Cheng Dr. Ricci

Dr. Ricci is moving toward more applied research and Dr. Alan Cheng is seeking to solve the problem of aminoglycoside antibiotic ototoxicity. In 2011, Drs. Cheng and Ricci published an initial paper in PLOS ONE, which showed that AGs enter the inner ear sensory cells via a mechanically-gated ion channel, novel to the sensory hair cells, which is responsible for converting sound waves into electrical signals. This and present work opposed previous theories suggesting that AGs entered sensory cells via a transport molecule. In their most recent collaborative paper they showed that they were able to temporarily disrupt the tip-links in cultured hair cells, and therefore protect them from damage by aminoglycosides. This is important work toward understanding and creating safer drugs which maintain their efficiency. They have also developed their first series of new compounds and are testing ototoxicity and antimicrobial activity. The goal is to provide a modified class of antibiotics that will no longer lead to hearing loss.

Webinars with some great topics have been archived for the past six years. To select one or more to view, link to: http://www.hearingloss.org/content/webinars

Chapter’s Vice President’s Monthly Column in The Venice Gondolier[Anne Taylor is a bilateral cochlear implant user, a Gallaudet Certified Peer Mentor for the Hard of Hearing. She is Vice President of the l Hearing Loss of America - Sarasota/Manatee Chapter and writes a monthly column. Here is last month’s column].

Plugged-InLOCAL NEWS & EVENTSCHAPTER SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED

Vinell Lacy was awarded the Chapter Scholarship to the HLAA National Convention

Last month, Scholarship Committee Chair Joan Haber stated: “It is my pleasure on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Hearing Loss Association of America - Sarasota/Manatee Chapter to award Chapter member, Vinell Lacy, our $1000 Scholarship to the 2015 National Convention in St. Louis from June 25-28. Vinell will be representing all of us as our chapter delegate and will be accompanied by many of our fellow chapter leaders. She will start out the adventure knowing quite a few people’. Joan said to Vinell, “ By the time you return, you will know 1,000 others who all share the passion and the commitment to this wonderful organization. I sincerely hope your attendance at this convention changes your life as it did mine and many others”.

READ MORE

The National Convention is an experience that immerses an attendee in education, advocacy and support. The Convention includes: An amazing educational program featuring the symposium, Employment Issues for People with Hearing Loss, and more than 40 workshops and demos presented by top-notch professionals

Vibrant Exhibit Hall with the latest technology and services for people with hearing loss Dynamic keynote address, Advances, Obstacles and Solutions in a Changing World by Charles

Laszlo, Ph.D., a biomedical engineer Special events including the opening night Get Acquainted Party (GAP); off-site event, Route 66

Rivalry: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium; Rocky Stone: Operation 35 Banquet; and the Awards Breakfast and Ceremony

Book signings by former New York Times editor and HLAA Board of Trustee Katherine Bouton, and writer, hearing loss advocate and comedienne Gael Hannan

Word has it that our President, JoAnne DeVries has been selected to receive the 2015 Spirit of HLAA Award at the Convention

The Private Eyes Movie Club now meets on Last Tuesdays.

This month, the Club will “meet” on Tuesday, April 28 around 4:30 PM at the Hollywood 20 on Main St. in Sarasota. A roundtable review--and other conversation-- follows at a restaurant within short walking distance of the theatre.

The exact time and movie will be announced to Private Eyes Members (membership is free— signup with link below) by e-mail and on Facebook.

Eileen and Doug Schuler demonstrate the Sony Glasses at the Expo

READ MORE

Good News—the Captionfish Facebook page reported:

“A quick update for all of our fans—we are delighted to be able to stay open and continue providing updates to our website where you can search for captioned movie showings near you. We are evaluating our services, including the app—stay tuned!Again, we’re grateful that we’ve been able to find a way to continue providing our top-notch captioned movie search service to all of our loyal fans!”

The webpage, http://www.captionfish.com/ , even lets you choose the theatre with the type of caption device you prefer (see below).

Of note, Hollywood 20 now offers CaptiView as well as Sony Caption Glasses. CaptiView is much improved, so the very few people who did not like the glasses now have an alternative.

“Private Eyes” free membership is limited to HLAA-Sarasota/Manatee members. First time “Private Eye” members are entitled to a free movie ticket at their first movie. To receive the notice of the movie selected, which goes out the weekend before the movie date, contact Anne Taylor. Anne uses the following email address for Private Eyes -- chrisnmitaylor@hotmail.com

PLAYERS THEATRE

The Players Theatre at 838 N. Tamiami Trail, is in its 85th season. The Players provide the Chapter with 25 tickets (up from the usual 20) for this show. The shows are, of course, looped! We like to think they upped our allocation because of our “thank yous” for the loop!

If you wish to attend “You Should Be So Lucky” at 7:30 PM on April 21, please email TheatreClub@hlas.com ..

Tickets are allocated to members (a perk for the $35 membership) on a first response basis. Also, the attendees are invited to join in a pre-show dinner at the Two Senorita’s on Main Street.

You Should Be So Lucky April 21

A delightful Cinderella Story reminiscent of the classic screwball comedies of the 1930s. Christopher, a shy, eccentric electrologist helps an elderly man –Mr. Rosenberg– when he faints in the street. Rosenberg, touched by the young man’s generous spirit, sends Christopher off to a fabulous charity ball where he meets his Prince Charming. Fates a turn when Mr. Rosenberg dies and leaves half of his fortune to Christopher.

.If you use the box office in person, thank them for the loop!!

The Theatre Club had a pre-show dinner get together at Two Senorita’s before the March 17 production of “Catch Me If You Can”.

The Book Club had an active discussionThe “Between the Covers” group met on March 24 and shared a lot of information sparked by the book entitled Listen with the Heart - Relationships and Hearing Loss by MichaelA. Harvey.Dr. Harvey’s sharing of difficulties and solution for hard of hearing was deemed very valuable and recommended to all members to read.The next meeting will be in the Fall and the book will be announced before the summer to allow plenty of time to read.

CHAPTER NEWS AND NOTES

New Chapter “Office”

The Chapter has grown and outreach efforts have brought about boxes and boxes of materials to store and for our many volunteers to use at events. The business of the all volunteer HLAA chapter has taken on daily responsibilities. The Board has recognized that storing boxes and materials in homes is not viable and that a business environment is necessary to conduct business as well.

The Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH) for Manatee and Sarasota Counties is located at 1750 17th Street in Sarasota had a small office that was not in full use and an agreement was reached for HLAA-Sarasota/Manatee Chapter to use this space—for free!

CCDHH, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, offers services and programs for deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened, deaf blind, speech impaired, and hearing individuals making communication possible for all in our community. CCDHH serves the residents of Manatee and Sarasota Counties with the main office located in Sarasota and a branch office in Venice.

By the way, if you have a bookcase that would fit into this space, let us know.

The Chapter thanks DDCHH and the foundations that support them at the 17th Street facility.

2014 Chapter Intern Moving On to Grad School

Leanne Browning, our intern over the summer in 2014, has graduated from Florida State University and has officially committed to graduate school at James Madison University in Virginia.

She wrote the Chapter in March and said: “In the Fall I will be going to James Madison University in Virginia! I hope to still be involved with HLAA in Harrisonburg, although it's such a small town there may not be a chapter-yet. We will have to find a way for me to stay in touch with you and the Sarasota chapter and keep informed"!

Chapter Board of Trustees Initiates Strategic planning

The Chapter’s Board met for a strategic planning retreat on January 15 and The Board is working to carry out HLAA’s mission with more formalized governance, active committees and best practices of not for profit boards.

These beginnings were further discussed at the quarterly Board meeting on March 10. Your Board’s committees are Governance, Fundraising, Membership, Program Services (outreach, public awareness). Non board members are welcome to serve and assist the committees in carrying out our mission of advocacy, education and support.

HLAA- FLORIDA STATE ASSOCIATION TAKES TO THE SEAS!

Florida’s HLAA Chapters have met the minimum requirements for a free cruise and are offering a FREE CRUISE to any member or friend who wishes to donate to any Florida HLAA Chapter between now and August 1. A $10 donation is suggested.

See Anne Taylor of JoAnne DeVries at the next meting for your ticket.

Whether you win or not, you can still join fellow HLAA members from Florida for a fun pre-holiday break and a fundraiser for advocacy, education and support of the hearing loss community.

You can book with the group with $250 per person deposit is anytime until August 1st at which time full payment is due.

Some cabins may be unavailable so best to at least put deposit to hold a cabin of choice. The flyer with moire information is a click away.

SEE MORE

“LIKE” THE HLAA-SARASOTA/MANATEE FACEBOOK PAGE

Reaching for 1000 -- Invite Your “Friends” To Like This Page

The Chapter’s Facebook Page is a valuable resource for anything and everything related to hearing loss. Announcements, photos, industry information, medical advancements and much more are posted daily.

The Chapter now has over 700 users. Pictures and notices of HLAA-Sarasota/Manatee activities will be posted on Facebook. Find HLAA-Sarasota/Manatee on Facebook. Just tap on "LIKE"

https://www.facebook.com/Hearing.Loss.Association.of.Sarasota

OR http://hlas.org/ (find the link on the lower right corner of the website home page)

HLAA WEBSITES

HLAA-Sarasota/Manatee Chapter website:

Check it out! It is all new--http://hlas.org/.

Also, don’t forget our three related websites that have relevant information regarding hearing loss:

The national HLAA website is:

http://www.hearingloss.org/

The Florida Coordinating Council on Deaf and Hard of Hearing (the Governor appoints two HLAA-FL members to the Council by statute) website is:

http://www.fccdhh.org/

The HLAA-Florida Association website is:

http://hla-fl.org/

LOOPED LOCATIONSTravelling in 2015?

Stay in the loop. There is a great website that will let you know about looped locations wherever you go.

http://www.aldlocator.com/

They may not have them all but the site is a great help even when home. A MapQuest zoom on the site can bring in the locations very near to you.

Heading to Broadway this year? Use the link and MapQuest in to Broadway and 45th. Most Broadway theatres have infrared but only some are looped. Read carefully --see the example below. Call ahead before putting down you $150 and verify that there is a loop and it is operative (may only be lower floor) and thank them for the assistance in allowing you to attend the theatre again.

The link shows all the theaters and gives phone number and website. Example:

The Richard Rodgers Theatre226 W 46th StNew York, NY 10036 USA 212-221-1211Website: http://richardrodgerstheatre.com/ Device Type: Hearing Loop|Infrared Venue Type: Theater

Remember our Mission includes advocacy—a “thank you” goes a long way in reinforcing the looping of the community.

OUTREACH - FARMERS MARKET

Outreach -- Downtown Sarasota Farmers Market

Outreach Events Keep the Chapter Busy

The Chapter’s outreach program covers over 100 events a year. Please contact Dave Donnelly to “pay it forward” by attending events with our table and materials and informally offering education, advocacy and support to members of our community. “On the job” training is available at any Farmers Market day or special event. Let Dave Donnelly know if you can help HLAA- Sarasota/Manatee by contacting hla.sarasota@gmail.com .

Farmers Market -- Saturday, April 25- - 7 AM to 1 PM

Our monthly information and support booth at the Sarasota Farmer’s Marker offers an opportunity for people to learn how to address their hearing loss.

The Chapter has a permanently assigned site, 1920 State Street between Lemon and Pineapple.

There will be free hearing screening each month by one of HLAA-Sarasota/Manatee’s Pro Partners. If you have a friend who needs hearing help and cannot make one of our meetings, please suggest they visit us here.

Listen Up HLAA-S monthly newsletter offers Education, Advocacy and Support for the 135,000 people with hearing loss in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. For more information visit www.HLAS.org or call 941-706-4312. For comments or suggestions, contact editor RichardN. Williams at RNW1976@aol.com. Opinions expressed in “Listen Up” are those of the Editor or Author. Mention of goods and services in articles or advertisements does not mean the Hearing Loss Association of America or the Hearing Loss Association of America- Sarasota Chapter endorses same nor should exclusion suggest disapproval