1. health and fitness
2. disease
3. aids and hiv

A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER - SPRING 2015
WALK4HEARING, Saturday, June 6, 2015 at Long Beach Marina Green Park
Kickoff Event, Saturday, April 11, 2015 at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Costa Mesa
Ten Years of Walking
The HLAA Walk4Hearing began in 2006 with just 6 Walks.
This year, the Walk4Hearing celebrates 10 years of Walking for
Hearing Loss Awareness with 21 Walks throughout the country.
Over those years, we have brought more than 58,000 people
together for a day of fun and sharing to make hearing loss an
urgent public health issue. We've also contributed to hundreds
of local organizations that serve those with hearing loss through
our alliances. Join us this year to continue the tradition and
make this our best year yet!
RAISE MONEY.
It’s time to step up for people with hearing loss. Get your
friends, family members and co-workers together and start a
Walk team. We need as many teams as possible, so instead of
walking for your respective chapter, we suggest that people
form their own smaller teams. This helps to raise more money
as friends and family are more likely to donate to “Team Mary
Jane,” than “Team Chapter.” The funds for each team will go
to the chapter or association that is designated by that team
captain. It’s a good way to raise money for captioning, outreach, scholarships and assistive listening technology.
You may register for the Walk4Hearing at:
www.walk4hearing.org
Here is a basic breakdown of how the money is split up.
National HLAA gets 50% of the gross, 10% goes to local Walk
expenses, and 40% goes to the HLAA chapters and
alliances. It’s our job to raise awareness about the Walk,
encourage our friends, family and co-workers to register and to
The Walk will take place on Saturday, June 6, 2015 with check-in/
registration at 9 a.m. and the 5K (3.1 miles) Walk beginning at 10
a.m. There will be pre-Walk refreshments, snacks and family
friendly entertainment before and after the walk. Ronnie Adler
will be the Walk Chair
We have a National fundraising goal this year of $1.4 million and
we NEED your help to reach it. Our Long Beach goal is $60,000.
Kickoff Event
This is a fun and FREE event to get everyone motivated and fired
up about fundraising and participating. It will be held from 11:00
am to 1:00 pm on Saturday, April 11, 2015 at Maggiano’s Little
Italy, 3333 Bristol Street in Costa Mesa. RSVP by April 3, 2015
to Teri Drake at talison4@yahoo.com
Walk4Hearing Backpack
Any registered walker who raises $500 or more at the time of their
walk will receive the Walk4Hearing backpack on the day of the
Walk. You must attend the Walk to pick up your backpack.
Backpacks will NOT be mailed. Team totals and donors do not
qualify.
Description of backpack: 600D polyester
with honeycomb accent. Large main compartment features front zippered pocket with
organizer, side mesh pocket for water bottle
(water bottle not included), and front D ring for
keys. Adjustable, padded shoulder straps and
top grab handle. Front pocket. Kid Friendly.
12" L x 7" W x 17.5" H. Colors: Black/Purple.
Captioning your Smartphone
Attention Walkers! Remember to bring your SmartPhones with
you to the Walk because we will be streaming live CART to
web-enabled smart phones. All pre-Walk speeches will be
captioned on your iPhone, BlackBerry*, Droid, or iPad.
On Walk day all walkers who have their smart phone can go
to www.quickcaption.com. There on the website homepage will
be a large purple Walk4Hearing icon. Simply click the icon,
click the "CC" icon next to your Walk location, real-time
captioning will be enabled and displayed on your smart phone.
There will be information cards with instructions available at the
registration/check-in table on Walk day. This great service is
provided by QuickCaption.
*To view the captions on the BlackBerry, you will need to
be running the BlackBerry OS version 4.6 or higher, enable
JavaScript, and set the browser type to BlackBerry. Then open
the live event with the BlackBerry browser.
Driving Directions to Long Beach Marina Green Park
Keep in mind that you are going to “Shoreline Village.” Take
the 710 south to the city of Long Beach. Go past the 405
(intersects the 710 from both north and south). Proceed on the
710 going south. When you get near Willow Street or Pacific
Coast Highway start bearing to the left lane where soon you will
see an overhead sign that says "Aquarium", "Convention
Center". Go past the 6th Street Exit, and keep to the right lane.
This lane will take you right onto Shoreline Drive. Stay on
Shoreline Drive (go past the Queen Mary exit). Turn right on to
Shoreline Village Drive. The Walk4Hearing will be on your left
at Marina Green Park.
Parking. The best place to park is at Shoreline Village,
right across the street from the Walk start line. It is $2.00 every
20 minutes, with an $8.00 maximum. Shops and restaurants
validate.
Metered parking is adjacent to the Marina Green start
line. It has a two hour limit. You must repay every two
hours. It is $6.00 for 2 hours, 75 cents for 15 minutes. The
meters take Master Card and Visa credit cards or exact change
(one dollar bills or quarters).
Interested in volunteering or becoming more involved with the
Long Beach walk or have questions, please contact Ronnie
Adler, at radler@hearingloss.org.
California has a NEW and second Walk. The San Diego
Walk4Hearing will be Sunday, October 25, 2015 at Crown
Point in Mission Bay, 700 Corona Oriente Road, San Diego,
CA. Their goal is $25,000. The Walk Chairs are Syndi Lyon,
slyon22@gmail.com and Emma Cobb, elcobb99@yahoo.com.
Now we need a Third Walk in Northern California
2 The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Dear HLAA-CA Members,
Officer elections took place at the February
HLAA-CA annual Board of Trustees
meeting. I am humbled and honored to
serve as the new HLAA-CA President, and
I am delighted to welcome Gail Morrison
as new Vice President and Lynne Kinsey as new Secretary.
Furthermore, I would like to recognize our Treasurer, Jeffrey
Chess, who has been tirelessly serving as treasurer since 2009,
and I am ecstatic that Ann Thomas and Debra Rogers have
joined the board. Our last president, Jim Montgomery, who has
been actively serving HLAA-CA for over 25 years, and Ram
Kakkar will both continue as trustees on the board. Northern
California Chapter Coordinator Janel Edmiston, Southern
California Chapter Coordinator Nanci Linke-Ellis, and HLAA
National Board of Trustees member, Margaret Wallhagen, ex
officio, will also continue in their positions.
With gratitude and admiration, I would like to thank Board
Member Emeritus, Don Senger, for his over 30 years of boundless dedication to HLAA-CA. Don co-founded and was first
president of HLAA-CA. While Don Senger is semi-retiring, he
will still be available to advise the board.
We would like to thank Captioner Carilyn Cipolla for
transcribing the meeting.
We are also very grateful to Bob Zastrow for looping the
meeting and for checking the meeting room beforehand. Bob
travels as a volunteer across Northern California looping various
chapters’ meeting rooms.
During the board meeting, a new HLAA-CA four-year strategic
plan was approved. In December of 2014, a survey was sent to
all California chapter leaders and officers, HLAA-CA board
members and officers, and HLAA National and had 40
respondents. The new HLAA-CA plan was developed based on
the results of the survey and the HLAA-CA’s mission statement.
The plan ranked the importance of each goal, and teams were
created to accomplish each goal.
The next board meeting will be on Saturday, October 24, 2015,
in San Diego, the day before the San Diego Walk4Hearing.
We would love for you to be actively involved with our organization and appreciate your support. We welcome members
outside of our board to attend our meetings and to participate in
the various strategic initiatives. Please contact me at
zjawadi@hearinglossca.org if you have any questions.
I look forward to serving you.
Sincerely,
Zina Jawadi, HLAA-CA President
February 20, 2015
The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015 3
MANAGING HEARING LOSS: GRADUATE SCHOOL
By Chandra Shpak
Generally, one potential resource located would lead to a link to
another resource, which would lead to another link on another
website, and so on and so forth.
This distinct lack of resources and tools strongly motivated
me to develop and document my own personal toolbox, that not
only allowed me to survive my BS and MBA, but to subsequently graduate at the top of my class for both degrees.
(Note: I participated in the MBA Program from
Pepperdine University ’14; this is my personal account of the
MBA program, incorporating characteristics from the JD
program as well. These two programs are said to be the most
intensely interactive graduate programs; thus, other graduate
programs may differ in their levels of required interactivity.)
Eight Step Hearing Loss Management Guide
GMAT? Check! GRE? Check! LSAT? Check! MCAT?
Check! Hearing Loss?
No matter how much a hearing impaired individual prepares,
strategizes, and organizes for graduate school, hearing loss seems
to never have a solid plan of action that it abides by. There is
never a resource or guide that can thoroughly and realistically
prep you for the everyday nuances and hourly variances your
hearing decides to confront you with. Some days, your hearing
simply takes on a life of its own entirely, making a marketing
class sound like a course on Chinese archaeology.
Contributing to the pressure of this dilemma, the format
between undergraduate and graduate courses is significantly
diverse, with graduate classes placing continuous and intense
social interaction, debate, and discussion at the forefront of
grading consideration. Competitive graduate programs within the
United States emphasize critical thinking skill sets, effective
application of said skills, and sharing of experiences wrapped up
inside of often colorful debates. The emphasis on participation
points, accounting for up to seventy percent (sometimes more) of
the entire course grade, intensely tests the average student’s
ability to listen, analyze, interpret, and process information, and
generate high quality feedback and response. Now…let us add
hearing loss into that equation…
Besides a graduate student’s grade point average being a
pertinent factor in continuously remaining in the graduate
program, an individual’s performance in class (i.e. their overall
social interaction combined with the student’s perceived
charisma) is a strong determining factor in the student’s ability to
secure job referrals post-graduation and ultimately defines their
immediate financial outlook the first five years after graduation.
As this may sound as an exaggeration, it is certainly not. The
adage of “it is not what you know, it is who you know” is
absolutely accurate, particularly from a MBA and JD standpoint.
So how do you develop your personal toolbox to enhance
your ability to compete with students who do not wear hearing
aids? Where do you search for resources? Does the disability
office or your audiologist provide materials?
Unfortunately, throughout the entirety of the BS and MBA
programs I completed, I was unable to find one single piece of
material that assisted in formulating my present strategic outlook
towards higher level education hearing loss management.
4 The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015
Step One: Syllabus Assessment
Universities tend to be quite proactive in the reveal of course
syllabi prior to the beginning of the trimester/semester, as
professors generally expect students to require time to secure
considerably costly course materials. This provides hearing
impaired students with the advantage to assess the allocation of
participation points towards the overall grade and decide
whether or not it would be wise to enroll in a specific course that
may grade intensely on a social interaction basis. If you do not
have access to the syllabus prior to the start of the course, locate
a student of the specific course and professor from the previous
trimester/semester and ask them for their syllabus. Professors
very rarely make significant alterations in grading allocations
between sessions.
Step Two: Professor Assessment
The assessment of the individual professor should occur as
objectively as possible, using resources such as
RateMyProfessor and Yammer as tools that merely assist in
providing a well-rounded perspective. For example, on
RateMyProfessor you may find a multitude of students
complaining about excessive physical assignments that account
for a vast majority of the overall course grade—well, this may
certainly work in your favor. The goal here to get a feel for the
professor: are they an individual who is going to understand
your needs, be solution-oriented, have an optimal lecture style,
and offer fantastic quality course content? The aforementioned
combination is ideal and in my experience, the majority of
professors that were available within my program. However,
this may certainly not always be the case or even a majority of
the case for others. A suggestion on how to get a feel of the
professor’s nature is direct correspondence with the individual
prior to the course start to test your level of comfort and see if
there is a mutual positive student/professor fit present.
An important note is to not sacrifice quality professors due to
your hearing loss. There are professors that will certainly
change your perspective for the rest of your life and without this
encounter, you are missing out on a life you should be living.
There have been three times that I took the considerably more
hearing required intensive course over the lesser because I just
knew that I would be missing a large piece of my education if I
did not. Do not be afraid to challenge yourself!
Step Three: Class Room Layout
The four typical class room layouts are
displayed in Exhibits A-D. Exhibit A
displays a focused one on one discussion
that arranges the audience around these
individuals in a circular format. In placing
yourself in the most optimal positioning to
hear all of the vocal content, remember to
choose a seat that allows you to see both of
the mouths of the individauls in the center,
in addition to the rest of the group present.
Exhibit B is an incredibly
common format in graduate
level courses; in the MBA
program specifically, a vast
majority of coursework is to be
completed within an assigned
group. To encourage
interaction between group
members, professors commonly
require groups to sit with each
other each class. My seating
recommendation is that one
should be seated at the outer
back seat of the group table.
This placement is a result of
subsequent interaction and classroom discussion that will take
place during the course. It is the point of maximum exposure to
your fellow classmate’s mouths and is the closest point you can be
to everyone at the same time while still hearing them.
Another common
seating format in
undergraduate and
graduate level
courses is featured in
Exhibit C, the straight
rows across the class.
Generally the
professors who utilize
the Socractic method, the method that requires the highest interactivity, also require this seating arrangement, which may seam
like an opposing concept to the hearing impaired individual. Upon
choosing your placement in this scenario, you should choose to sit
at one of the outer corners of the front desk row. This seat will
allow you to pivot to the rows behind you and look directly at
individuals speaking during the subsequent course discussions.
The last common classroom seating chart in graduate school is
displayed in Exhibit D, the wraparound. In the professor’s mind,
this seating chart would be
absolutely ideal for the hearing
impaired student because you
could physically see everyone
in the class discussion. However, depending on the size of
the class, seeing does not
translate to hearing due to
distance. The most optimal
seating position recommended
is the second to front seat on either the left or right desk rows.
This allows you to see each individual in the classroom in
addition to attempting to decrease the distance between you and
your classmates as much as possible in this scenario. In my
opinion, accounting for a larger class size, this is certainly the
most difficult classroom layout to navigate.
Step Four: Personal Alliance:
Your personal alliance(s) are arguably the most important
aspect of your personal toolbox and overall hearing loss
management strategy. These alliances consist of four to five
individuals that you are particularly close friends with (if
possible) and whom you see and communicate regularly with
multiple times during the week. Before each course trimester/
semester, your alliance should strategize and coordinate your
course schedules so you are in the same classes and groups.
Depending on your or their deviation from the program “track”,
you may require multiple alliances to accommodate these
differences.
Within each class, one should correspond with their alliance as
much as possible. Although this may seem an opposing
concept, there are multiple non-verbal tools you can utilize to
instantly contact your alliance, even if you are not seated next
to them. Some of these methods include e-mail, instant
messaging, texting, and handwritten note exchange. Arrange
this beforehand with the alliance member that continuously
pays the most attention in class and is intuitive as to what information you may have missed. In addition to this continuous
in-class correspondence, I would suggest having weekly after
class casual meetings that allow you to ask questions and catch
up on course content you may have missed. In my experience,
these meetings generally took place in a social restaurant atmosphere that would allow us to speak loudly; however, you may
prefer a much quieter setting for your group communication.
Step Five: Reference Points
It is critical that every hearing impaired individual have an
adaptive strategy that enables them to effectively navigate
scenarios of intense social interaction, including classroom
debates, Socratic teaching methods, or general classroom
discussions. Unfortunately, due to the lack of processing time
availability in these scenarios, it can be particularly challenging,
if not almost impossible, to hear every word from every
individual in the room throughout the duration of each class.
Thus, a reference point refers to specific peers that allow you to
be re-introduced to the class conversation when you are
ultimately lost.
These specific individuals are ones whom enunciate, project
clearly, and preferably sit very close to you. They participate
on a moderate level, provide applicable emotional cues, speak
directly to relevant topics, and communicate enriching statements that you can genuinely relate to. During a period of
intense social participation, once one of these individuals speak,
it is your cue to respond directly to their statement. Your
individual reference point strategy is essential to fulfilling
participation points and showcasing your knowledge to your
peers and professor, which is critical for recruitment into
preferable class working groups, peer respect, and job referrals.
The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015 5
Step Six: Professor Collaboration
Prior to contacting the University’s Disability Office, a student
should always make every attempt to communicate, collaborate,
and attempt to formulate solutions directly with the professor.
As aforementioned, if possible, this should begin prior to the
start of the trimester/semester and at the latest the first day of
class. When approaching the professor, it is your responsibility
to communicate the extent of your disability, specific individual
needs that arise due to your hearing loss, and possible solutions
to accommodate these needs. Throughout the years of college, I
have always
offered to submit an additional written assignment of sorts to
supplement my participation points in the case of any lack of
class contribution. If there is an online portion to the course, I
would offer to double my participation in that regard. Some of
the
professors would start discussions off with me specifically to
assist in my ability to participate in course dialogs.
The most critical factor in professor collaboration is ongoing
dialogue through the trimester/semester. For example, I was
fitted for new hearing aids in June of this year and although the
quality of this equipment was absolutely fantastic, I spent a
month
absolutely overwhelmed in the classroom environment from so
much sound. As I could not process speech fast enough to
respond in the setting, I advised the professor of my conundrum
and she stated she would not deduct anything from my
participation grade for the duration of the month. However, I
have certainly had a couple professors that refused to participate
in the aforementioned suggestions and were collectively
unpleasant experiences. Leading into Step Seven, effective
collaboration and communi-cation with the University Disability
Office is critical to navigating the aforementioned challenge.
Step Seven: Disability Office:
The University Disability Office should be utilized as a last
resort or tool that provides you with resources that enhance your
learning experience. Unless absolutely critical, heavy reliance
on the Disability Office is dangerous territory, as it does not
allow you to develop a personal strategy that enables you to
navigate heavily social scenarios in other dimensions of your
life.
In collaborating with this department, attempt to introduce yourself to as many contacts within the office as possible, gathering
correspondence information from each of them. This will allow
you to choose the individual whom you are the most
comfortable with and provides you with the flexibility to
communicate with other representatives should you feel that one
individual is not effectively addressing your needs. Your next
step should be to introduce yourself directly to the Deans and
Directors of your program; ensure that these individuals know
your face and have provided you with the okay to contact them
directly if your needs require. This effectively provides you
with a bit of clout and assurance that the Disability Office will
respond to your requests.
When attempting to reach a favorable agreement with the
Disability Office, make sure that you are fully aware of the
University’s disability policy and that you have prepared a list
6 The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015
of suggested solutions that minimize the impact of your needs
on other student’s learning experiences yet provide you with
reasonable accommodations.
Step Eight: Confidence & Self-Awareness
The last, but certainly not least, step of this management guide
requires every individual to be personally accountable for their
level of confidence and their overall self-awareness. Every
hearing impaired individual should discover and/or have knowledge of their individual limitations as student (i.e. technical or
artistic minded?), limitations of their personality (i.e. do not like
to read, write, etc.), the best practices for your individual
hearing loss (personal customized toolbox), and have provided
themselves with the best hearing aids and listening devices that
they can realistically afford. If you do not make the effort to
assist yourself in enhancing your learning experience, the help
of others can only make so much of an impact.
A quite important aspect of developing one’s confidence as a
student and individual is the knowledge that they are good at
what they are do. Thus, appropriate career placement is critical
to a successful and impactful learning experience. Are your
personal core competencies being exploited in your major
choice? Are there aspects of this career path that are going to
place an excessive amount of pressure on your ability to hear?
Is this career appropriate for your personality and overall
mentality?
An additional booster of confidence is to appropriately invest in
your physical appearance. Ensure your clothing is presenting
yourself in a casual professional manner and your hair/makeup
is consistently tidy, neat, and never overdone.
Individual confidence, self-awareness, and tenacity is critical
for successful enforcement of this hearing loss management
guide and essential for the effective development of your own
personal toolbox.
If this article has been successful in assisting one individual
with their journey of higher education, then it has been more
than worth it to write it. I wish everyone the best of luck in
their adventures to come and my hope is that hearing loss will
never be a factor in your failures but always a positive
influence on your triumphs. If you have a story, account,
resource, or suggestions you would like to share, please do not
hesitate to contact me via LinkedIn or e-mail:
Chandra.Shpak@alumni.pepperdine.edu.
SUPREME COURT IS LOOPED
The United States Supreme Court has installed a hearing loop
system to enable people with hearing loss to follow the
proceedings. This decision was a direct result of the efforts of
Richard Williams, Esq, a member of the HLAA-Sarasota
FL Chapter. He has successfully argued two cases before the
U.S. Supreme Court during his career as an attorney and knows
first-hand the difficulty of hearing in the courtroom.
There is a cost savings to looping a facility as no personnel
are required to hand out the ALDs; no batteries or repairs are
needed for the ALD devices; there is no embarrassment to the
user or any hygiene issues.
The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015 7
SPEAK UP! SPEAK UP!
HEARING AID TAX CREDIT BILL-S315
$1000 TAX CREDIT for HA Purchase
THERE IS AN EXCELLENT CHANCE THIS BILL WILL
PASS. TAKE ACTION NOW!
A Hearing Aid Tax Credit Bill, giving a $1,000 Tax Credit for
the purchase of hearing aids has been reintroduced in Congress.
HR 1317 had 42 co-sponsors. It went to the Senate in January
2015 as S 315. Let your congresspersons know you support this
bill.
A $1000 TAX CREDIT is huge --- and not to be confused with
a TAX DEDUCTION.
Tax Deduction. If you are in the 25% tax bracket, a $1000
tax deduction means you will pay $250 less tax that year. If you
are in the 10% bracket, a $1000 tax deduction means you’ll pay
$100 less tax that year.
A Tax Credit is a dollar for dollar reduction in your
income taxes. If you have a $1000 tax credit, you will pay
$1000 less tax that year regardless of your tax bracket. The bill
is also retroactive to December 31, 2012. So, if you purchased
hearing aids in 2013 you could file an amended return for 2013
and receive up to $1000 ($500 per hearing aid).
This is where numbers count – the more people that express
their support, the better the chances of it passing. And you
can voice your opinion more than once. You can call, email,
write letters. The more they hear from us on this issue, the
more likely they are to pay attention to all hearing related
matters (like Medicare coverage for hearing aids and
requiring all health insurance to cover hearing aids).
This is what Mitzi Shpak wrote.
My hearing aids cost $6400 in 2011. In 2014 the same HA's for
my daughter cost $7200. The average cost of $1675 per ear is
based on what people settle for when they can't afford better
hearing aids -- that difference in quality can make a tremendous
difference with how well you are able to hear. How well you
are able to hear directly translates into how much you earn, how
well you function socially, and, ultimately, your overall mental
and physical health status. Increased health costs, one way or
another, become a public burden -- higher health insurance
premiums--- and much higher costs to Medicare.
HOW TO DO IT
The Hearing Health Foundation has set up a page to provide
assistance. You can support the bill by clicking on "Click here
to Write Congress Now": www.hearingaidtaxcredit.org/
action.cfm, then just fill in your address. It's a very simple form
to fill out - your zip code determines who your senators and
congressman are.
Please pass along to all of your chapter members,
family and friends.
The Hearing Aid Tax Credit would provide assistance to many
of the 36 million people who need hearing aids to address their
hearing loss. Medicare and most private insurance policies
8 The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015
expressly exclude coverage of hearing aids, and as a result, cost
is cited as a prohibitive factor by two-thirds of the people who
do not treat their hearing loss. If enacted, S 315 would provide a
$500 tax credit per hearing aid for people of all ages, or $1,000
if two hearing aids are needed. This assistance would be
critical, since 61% of all hearing aid purchases involve no thirdparty payment.
Studies indicate a link exists between untreated hearing loss and
dementia, as well as other conditions such as depression and the
risk of falling. A lack of financial assistance should not be a
barrier to hearing aid adoption.
The Hearing Aid Tax Credit is actively supported by many
hearing health organizations, including the Alexander Graham
Bell Assn for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell), Hearing
Loss Assn of America (HLAA), Academy of Doctors of
Audiology (ADA), American Academy of Audiology (AAA),
American Speech Language Hearing Assn (ASHA),
International Hearing Society (IHS) as well as Hearing
Industries Association (HIA).
ALDLOCATOR.COM
LIST your ALD. FIND your ALD.
Why The Assistive Listening Device Locator?
This site has a huge potential benefit for us. It gives us a single
central place to look for ALDs throughout the United States and
Canada. We can look by type of venue (Healthcare, House of
Worship, Theater, Universities) and by type of ALD (FM,
Infrared, Hearing Loop).
Searching for a venue is easy. Simply enter in a postal code,
address, or city and the assistive listening friendly venue options
will appear.
For this site to succeed as a valuable tool, we need to help them
keep the information current. Look at your area and see that
everything is correct and up to date. Make sure your chapter is
listed. To help with HLAA Brand Recognition list your chapter
as HLAA-Chapter name.
Listen Technologies Corporation, a supplier of assistive
listening technologies, has sponsored this locator as a public
service to the Hard of Hearing community.
Give your feedback
ALDLOCATOR is interested in feedback to help make this a
more useful resource for the Hard of Hearing community. You
can help build this locator by making suggestions of venues to
be added, or reporting problems you have encountered with
assistive listening systems. Please use the “Add a Location” or
“Report a Problem” tab to supply this information. If you have
any other comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact
the webmaster at webmaster@ALDLocator.com.
The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015 9
10 The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015
NEW Fast AuD Program in SF
University of the Pacific
The University of the Pacific is pleased to announce the
approval of a new Doctorate of Audiology (AuD) program by its
Board of Regents at Pacific’s downtown San Francisco campus.
An audiologist shortage statewide makes this new Doctor of
Audiology program critically important to both the region and
state healthcare systems. University of the Pacific’s Doctor of
Audiology program will be one of four accelerated programs in
the country and the only one in the state of California. The
majority of AuD programs are 4 years (3 years of coursework
and 1 year externship). Pacific’s program is 3 years (2 years of
coursework and 1 year externship).
The only other AuD program in California is at San Diego State
University (not an accelerated program) and graduates 8-10
audiologists per year. Pacific’s three-year accelerated program
will serve a cohort of 20-22 students per year and will draw
students with undergraduate majors in Speech-Language
Pathology, Biology, and Pre-Health. The first class of Pacific’s
Doctorate of Audiology students will begin the Fall semester of
2015.
Pacific’s new Hearing and Balance Center in downtown San
Francisco, along with anticipated collaborations with many
Northern California medical and audiology centers, will provide
student clinical experiences. The San Francisco clinic is
officially open and is seeing patients for hearing assessments
and hearing aid related services. Balance assessments will be
available this summer 2015 and cochlear implant services will
be available in the fall of 2015.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S.
Department of Labor, “employment of audiologists is expected
to grow by 37% from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the
average for all occupations. Hearing loss increases as people
age, so an aging population is likely to increase demand for
audiologists. The early identification and diagnosis of hearing
disorders in infants also will spur employment growth.
Advances in hearing aid technology and design will make the
devices more appealing as a means to minimize the effects of
hearing loss, further leading to more demand for the audiologists
who provide hearing aid services.”
University of the Pacific’s first class of AuD students are not yet
on campus, but the program’s new Hearing and Balance Center
is open and accepting new patients. Appointments can be
scheduled by calling 415-780-2001 or through the website at
www.upacifichearing.com.
The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015 11
BRAND, BABY, BRAND
NOT ME - Just Do as I Say, Not as I Do
Why is our most important face to the world, the COVER of our
magazine, NOT BRANDED. Seems self-defeating. HLAA has
fewer than 10,000 members. We should easily have 1,000,000
members. We cannot afford not to brand our National Magazine
cover, our public face to the world.
We have a magazine exchange at my gym. The magazine cover
says Hearing Loss Magazine. Walking by people wonder if it is
an AARP, AG Bell or ASHA magazine.
It needs to be seen quickly and obviously as our HLAA
magazine.
Hearing Loss Magazine BRANDED
12 The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015
RICHARD RAY APPOINTED TO FCC
THIS IS BIG!! The Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) has created a NEW COMMITTEE, the Disability
Advisory Committee (DAC). The DAC will provide advice and
recommendations to the Commission on a wide array of
disability matters and facilitate the participation of people with
disabilities in proceedings before the Commission.
The Commission received over 120 applications for membership in the Committee and selected 37. The membership is wellbalanced, with a diverse and balanced mix of viewpoints from
organizations representing individuals with disabilities, the
communications and video programming industries, the public
safety industry, trade associations, academics, researchers, and
other stakeholders.
Richard Ray, ADA Technology Access Coordinator, City
of Los Angeles, has been appointed by FCC Chairman Tom
Wheeler to serve as a member of the NEW FCC Disability
Advisory Committee. Lise Hamlin, Director of Public Policy,
HLAA, has also been appointed to this Committee.
“I am tremendously excited for the FCC’s Disability
Advisory Committee to begin its important work,” said FCC
Chairman Tom Wheeler. “This NEW Committee will provide
sorely needed expertise and recommendations from consumer
and industry stakeholders on communications and video
programming issues. We look forward to using this expertise to
improve our ability to meet the needs of consumers with
disabilities.”
The DAC will hold its first meeting on March 17, 2015,
from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, in Washington, DC. The
meeting will be webcast with open captioning at www.fcc.gov/
live. Meeting minutes will be available on the Committee’s
website at www.fcc.gov/disability-advisory-committee.
I hope Richard Ray and Lise Hamlin will take a strong
stand on Net Neutrality. The Internet, emails and texting, give
accessibility to hard of hearing people.
CHAPTER NEWS
HLAA-Silicon Valley Chapter awards $1,000 scholarships
each year to qualifying students. Over the years, they have
recognized approximately four dozen high school students. Last
year's recipients were:
 Colin Au, $1000 award, a graduate of Milpitas High School
who is enrolled at UC Santa Cruz
 Julie Brahmapurikar, $1000 award, a graduate of
Homestead High School who is enrolled at UC Santa Cruz
 Zina Jawadi, $1000 award, a graduate of Harker School who
is enrolled at Stanford University
The HLAA-Ventura County Chapter participated in the first
annual Wellness Fest at the Goebel Adult Community Center in
Thousand Oaks. They had displays for both HLAA and Let's
Loop Ventura County.
Ken Cluskey of the HLAA-Los Angeles Chapter has been
named as the Hard of Hearing representative to
Telecommunications Access for the Deaf and Disabled
Administrative Committee (TADDAC). TADDAC advises the
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on equipment
distribution, relay services, and policies. The Committee also
recommends strategic planning and works to develop more
effective services for Californians with specialized telephone
equipment and relay service needs.
PRETENDING TO BE DEAF
by Zina Jawadi. I conducted this experiment for an ASL class
assignment taught by ASL Stanford professor, Cathy Haas.
On a rainy Saturday afternoon, pretending to be deaf (I am hard
of hearing) and using only sign language and written communication, I asked the concierge in two hotels in Cupertino – an
upscale town in the San Francisco Bay Area – to show me a
meeting room. It was a genuine request for a meeting in
February of the board of trustees of the Hearing Loss
Association of America, California State Association
(HLAA-CA), of which I am vice president. Furthermore, I had
already inquired at other hotels, so I could compare them. I
went to two different hotels to make sure that the outcome was
not coincidental. To conceal the identity of the two Cupertino
hotels, I will call them Hotel A and Hotel B. At the end of the
experiment, I debriefed all participants to see their reactions and
explained to them the purpose of this experiment.
Experience at Hotel A
I first went to Hotel A. There was no one in line, and the
reception area was fairly empty. When I entered the hotel, the
concierge immediately greeted me. I responded by signing,
“Hello. I am deaf. I do not speak.” Instantly, he pulled out a
pen for me to write down what I was saying. When he wanted
to attract my attention, he waved his hand, so I could face him.
He also knew a couple of signs, such as please and thank you.
He was polite and courteous. Once I told him my request (to see
the conference room), he had a second employee take me to the
meeting room. This second employee was also polite but had
some slight difficulty communicating without speaking, perhaps
because he did not have a computer in front of him to type what
he could not say. Although most of my communication was
written, I signed a little bit, especially easy words, such as
“Yes,” “Oh-I-see,” and “Thank-you,” whose hand motions
imply the meaning, making the words easier to guess. Neither
employee knew the cost of the room, but I was given the contact
information of the sales manager, who would be able to assist
me.
Experience at Hotel B
At Hotel B, there was no one in line, and the reception area was
fairly empty. When I entered the hotel, I was immediately
greeted by the concierge. Although I responded by signing, it
took her slightly longer to pick up that I was “deaf.” She
continued to speak to me for a few seconds; once it occurred to
her that I “could not speak,” she was slightly surprised, startled,
and nervous. Nevertheless, she started writing to communicate
with me. Although this interaction was longer than the
transaction at Hotel A, I received more information, specifically
the cost of the meeting room and the cost of the guest rooms the
night before my meeting. When I asked her how much the
meeting room was, she started talking to a second employee,
first informing the second employee that I was deaf. The second
employee in Hotel B did not communicate directly with me.
Nevertheless, he knew all the answers to my questions;
consequently, I was able to receive the necessary information.
The first lady showed me the room and sometimes talked to me,
forgetting that I was deaf. She was slightly frustrated.
Response: Debriefing the Participants
After receiving the necessary information, I disclosed to my
participants that I am an oral hard-of-hearing university student
conducting an experiment for a class assignment. The second
employee at Hotel A, who showed me the room, told me that his
stepmother’s brother is deaf, and that his stepmother knew how to
sign. He was perceptive, telling me that he suspected that I was
not really deaf when I almost said something aloud in the
conference room. The first employee at Hotel A was the most
helpful and politest of all the members. I do not think anybody
pitied me or was impatient, but I could definitely detect the slight
annoyance and frustration of the first employee at Hotel B. After
I told them that I was not deaf, none of the employees seemed
bothered by the fact that I was not really deaf. All four
employees were curious about whether I actually needed the
conference room. The first employee at Hotel A told me that he
used similar techniques with foreign guests who do not speak or
understand English. Specifically, he pulls out Microsoft Word
and Google Translation. These techniques were useful in my
situation, perhaps demonstrating why he was the most prepared:
he understood how to communicate when there is a language
barrier. However, he mentioned that it would have been more
difficult to accommodate me if other guests were waiting for
service.
Outcome
It is reasonable to assume that in an educated, progressive area
like Silicon Valley, which also happens to be extremely close to
the heart of the disability rights movement (Berkeley), people
would be more empathetic to those with disabilities and that hotel
employees would be more equipped and prepared to handle
disabilities. Although different from my experiences as an oral
hard-of-hearing person, this experiment confirmed my daily
struggles: that even the kindest and best-intentioned people are
often incapable of communicating with and accommodating
someone with hearing loss.
Interestingly, I found these hotel employees more willing to
help and more understanding than people I encounter on a daily
basis. In general, one-time interactions are easier than daily inter
-actions, and hearing people are generally more willing to help
when accommodations do not require significant effort.
Throughout this experience, a few noteworthy observations
came to mind. First, techniques employed with foreigners, who
do not speak or understand English, can be helpful in communicating with deaf people. Second, any exposure, even if minimal,
to people with hearing loss can make a difference in empathy and
in cooperation. Third, in both hotels, we reverted mostly to written communication, which is significantly slower than spoken
communication. Fourth, the interactions at these two hotels
were briefer and more succinct than the interactions I had in
hotels the previous week in San Francisco, including the same
brand hotels as Hotel A and Hotel B, where I communicated
orally; perhaps the cumbersomeness and difficulty of the communication resulted in reduced dialogue and fewer follow-up
questions. Fifth, without hearing loss issues, small talk is made
between speakers; however, in the deaf experiment, because of
the communication barrier, only necessary questions and
responses were made, causing the interaction to be more formal,
colder, and shorter.
The most interesting statement was the connection between
communicating with non-English speaking guests and deaf
people. After I left the hotel, it suddenly dawned on me – people
with hearing loss are like foreigners in their own countries.
The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015 13
HLAA member and veteran
JIM HOGAN honored as HearStrong
Champion
HLAA CONVENTION, June 25-28, 2015
Meet us in St. Louis, Missouri
Meet Us in St. Louis. You’re invited to join us for our 30th
annual Convention in St. Louis! It’s a big year for HLAA as we
turn 35 this November and kick-off a year of commemorative
activities. It will be four days of interesting workshops plus the
opportunity to greet old friends and to make new ones. Join us
at the Opening night Get Acquainted Party.
Convention Hotel. Built in 1894, the St. Louis Union Station, a
National Historic Landmark, was once the busiest and largest
train station in the country. Even if you are not a history buff,
you will marvel at the attention to detail devoted to the
renovation and restoration of this architectural masterpiece.
Jim Hogan with Patrice Rifkind, Au.D. of Audiology Associates
HearStrong Foundation Award
On Nov. 8, 2014 the HearStrong Foundation celebrated Jim
Hogan, a veteran of the U.S. Navy as a HearStrong Champion
during a special ceremony at the 2014 Academy of Doctors of
Audiology Convention in Las Vegas. He was nominated by
Patrice Rifkind, AuD, ofAudiology Associates of Santa Clarita,
CA.
“Today, roughly 60 percent of veterans returning from Iraq
and Afghanistan have some degree of hearing loss,” said Ed
Keller, founder of the HearStrong Foundation. “By recognizing
Jim for his incredible accomplishments, we hope to inspire other
veterans to seek the hearing solutions they need to help them
reconnect to the people and things that matter most.”
Why Jim is a HearStrong Champion
“I have been able to listen to and understand more thereby living
as normal a life as possible despite my vision and hearing loss. I
was able to continue working and retire from the city of L.A., I
have been able to volunteer with numerous organizations, both
veteran and community, making a real difference in many
peoples’ lives, and educating the public about people with
personal challenges. My wife and I camp, bike, hike, enter
parades and attend concerts. With the help of my FM transmitter creating a loop, I am even able to enjoy a family dinner
and join in the table conversation at a noisy restaurant or setting
the transmitter on the speaker table at a meeting or conference.
In order to make the best use of my guide dog, I need to hear
traffic pattern flows and surrounding sounds. My hearing
devices enable me to be more independent!”
Department of Veterans Affairs Award
Jim Hogan has just been honored with yet another award. He is
a longtime member of the SoCal Regional Group of the Blinded
Veterans Association and a volunteer with the Department of
Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System for the
past 12 years, and has been recognized as VA’s National Male
Volunteer of the Year.
14 The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015
One of the most popular new features of the hotel is the Grand
Hall where every evening on the hour between 5 - 11 pm a 3D
light show is projected on the domed ceiling. Watch as flowers
sway, fireworks burst and other images dance around the
65-foot ceiling of the Grand Hall lobby in a state-of-the-art
show designed specifically for this St. Louis hotel. Created by
Technomedia, an award-winning collaborator with entertainment company Cirque du Soleil, the 3D light show is the first of
its kind in the US. Hotel guests of all ages will enjoy flying
birds, an aquarium scene and other vibrant animations projected
across the historic lobby in 30 video vignettes set to music.
Opening Session Keynote Speaker, Charles A. Laszlo, PhD,
the founding president of the Canadian Hard of Hearing
Association, will deliver his speech, Advances, Obstacles and
Solutions in a Changing World, at the Opening Session. He is
a biomedical engineer with experience both in academe and as
an entrepreneur. He is professor emeritus of electrical
engineering and past-director of the Institute for Hearing
Accessibility Research at the University of British Columbia.
He is the co-founder of several companies developing and
manufacturing assistive listening devices, heart valves and other
cardiovascular devices.
BASEBALL fans. Off-site event for only $25. Route 66
Rivalry: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs at Busch
Stadium
Saturday evening banquet. Rocky Stone: Operation 35
Celebrate the 35rh anniversary of HLAA and honor Founder
Rocky Stone.
The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015 15
RESOURCES FOR HEARING LOSS QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS
Hearing Loss Resource Specialists
Jennifer Stuessy, Greater Los Angeles
Agency on Deafness (GLAD), Los Angeles
323-478-8000, jstuessy@gladinc.org
Pauline Gaeta, Center on Deafness
Inland Empire (CODIE), Riverside
951-275-5000, pgaeta@codie.org
Colette Noble, NorCal Services for D/HoH,
Sacramento, cnoble@norcalcenter.org
Sr. Ann Rooney, LMFT, Burlingame
annrooney@sbcglobal.net
Bruce Harris, Berkeley bjharris@ieee.org
Ann Thomas, Walnut Creek
AThomas@hearinglossdv.org
Lisa Mira Lawson, LMFT, Psy.D
Marriage and Family Therapist
linda.lawson21@twc.com, 310-454-5138
Valerie Stern, LCSW, Sunland
Psychotherapist - hearing loss and grief,
certified equine assisted psychotherapist
310-936-0939, www.valeriesternlcsw.com
Alison Freeman, PhD, West LA. Sherman
Oaks Psychologist - hearing loss, trauma
and crisis counseling, stress management
and teletherapy, 310–712-1200,
www.dralisonfreeman.net
For Parents
California Hands & Voices, Parent driven
Nonjudgmental support for families with
D/HoH children
Family camps, Mom’s Night Inn
www.cahandsandvoices.org
National, www.handsandvoices.org
info@cahandsandvoices.org
Parent Links, Parent to Parent Support
for families with D/HoH children
Parent Mentors are Parents of D/HoH
children, www.myparentlinks.com
Find Mentor
myparentlinks.com/Local_Parent.html
Audiologists send family to Parent Links
myparentlinks.com/Makeareferral.html
Oral Deaf Education, Oraldeafed.org
Free Parent handbook, DVD, videos
For Youth
Training & Advocacy Group (TAG), LA
Self-Advocacy group for D/HoH children
& teens, www.tagkids.us
HEAR YA NOW. Young Adults Group
Social events, online community
www.hearyanow.tumblr.com
NO LIMITS. Individual therapy, literacy,
parent education thru educational center,
National theatrical group, for ages 3-18,
All services free, 310.280.0878.
www.nolimitsfordeafchildren.org
Cochlear Implants
Cochlear Americas
www.cochlearamericas.com
Med El www.medel.com
Advanced Bionics
www.advancedbionics.com
Clinics
UC Irvine, Cochlear implant services
714-456-5853, www.ent.uci.ed
The HEAR Center, Pasadena
Hearing/speech therapy, Community out
reach, hearing aid dispensing. All ages,
www.hearcenter.org, 626-796-2016
House Ear Clinic, Los Angeles
Hearing Aids, Cochlear Implants
Ear surgery, 213-483-9930, www.hei.org
Stanford Univ, Cochlear implant services
cochlearimplant@stanford.edu,
650-736- 4351, www.med.stanford.edu/ohns
Hearing and Speech Center, San Francisco
415-921-7658, info@hearingspeech.org
www.hearingspeech.org
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford
650-498-2738, jwinzelberg@lpch.org
John Tracy Clinic
Pediatric hearing loss, low cost services world
wide, www.jtc.org, 213-748-5481
Oberkotter Foundation
Pediatric hearing loss, free materials, oral
schools, www.oraldeafed.org
Financial Aid
Audient Alliance
audientalliance.org, 206-838-7194
Let them Hear Foundation, Palo Alto
650-462-3143, http://www.letthemhear.org
Career Counseling/Employment Services
HLAA Employment Toolkit
www.hearingloss.org/
advocacy/Employment.asp#jobtoolkit
GLAD/Employment Development Dept
www.gladinc.org
213-478-8000, info@gladinc.org
Dept of Rehabilitation, (DOR)
Deaf/HoH Advisory Comm (DHHAC)
Stephanie.stansell@yahoo.com
Vocational Rehab provides clients with hearing
aids/devices necessary to secure or retain
employment. www.dor.ca.gov
Deaf/Disabled Telecomm Program (DDTP)
Administrative Committee (TADDAC)
Ken Cluskey (Hard of Hearing)
kcluskey@hotmail.com
Nancy Hammons, (Late Deafened)
hammonsn@aol.com
Vadim Milman (Deaf)
Equipment Program (EPAC)
Brian Winic (Hard of Hearing),
lovetwohear@aol.com
Free Telephones (CTAP)
www.ddtp.org/ctap
Hearing LOOP & ALDs Directory
List & Find your Loop and ALD
www.aldlocator.com
All about Loops
www.hearingloop.org
Lip Reading Classes
www.hearinglossca.org/communication
Online Videos
HLAA, www.hearingloss.org/content/videoseries-learn-about-hearing-loss
www.hearingloss.org/content/video-series
-hearing-assistive-technology
Listen and Speak, children
www.oraldeafed.org/movies/index.html
Captions
Captioned movies search engine
Captionfish.com
Captioned Netflix instant library
www,phlixie.com
Captioned videos of world’s leading
thinkers. TED.com
Captioned/looped theatre
Griot Theatre, griottheatre.org
Captioning Advocacy Group
www.CCACaptioning.org
Auditory Rehabilitation
Angel Sound
Online download
http://angelsound.emilyfufoundation.org
Request an installation CD via email
angelvoice@emilyfufoundation.org
i-phone/ipad application now available in
the App Store: i-angelsound
http://angelsound.tigerspeech.com/
angelsound_mobile.html
Speech Therapy
Lisa Roeder, MS, CCC-SLP, Walnut Creek
Cochlear Implant or hearing aid users
925.945.1474 roeder@speechpath.com
www.speechpathologygroup.com
Mellisa Essenburg, M.S., CCC-SLP
mellisaslp@yahoo.com, 858-232-5842
www.SanDiegoSpeechPathology.com
Aural Rehab Group for CIs, San Diego
Assistance Dogs for hard of hearing/deaf
Canine Companions for Independence
www.cci.org 800-572-2275
Sam Simon Foundation
www.samsimonfoundation.com,
310-457-5898
See Resources, Page 17
Lawyers
David Grey, david@greyslaw.com
Special education law
John Waldo, john@wash-cap.com
Captioning of movies/theatre
Gaylord & Nantais, gaylordnantais.com
Hearing Loss Claims
16 The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015
CAPTIONED LIVE THEATER
Southern California
Segerstrom Center – Costa Mesa
Saturday matinee
Nice Work If You Can Get It, March 21, 2015
Guys and Dolls, April 18, 2015
Annie, May 23, 2015
Motown, June 27, 2015
Phantom of the Opera, August 15, 2015
Ahmanson – Los Angeles
Saturday matinee
Dame Edna & Barry Humphries’ Final Farewell Tour, March
14, 2015
Cinderella, April 25, 2015
Matilda, June 27, 2015
Pantages Theater - Hollywood
Sunday matinee
Newsies, April 12, 2015
Motown the Musical, May 17, 2015
Phantom of the Opera, June 28, 2015
Annie, November 1, 2015
If/Then, December 27, 2015
Bullets Over Broadway, January 24, 2016
Dirty Dancing, February 21, 2016
The Illusionists, March 13, 2016
42nd Steet, June 19, 2016
Beautiful, July 10, 2016
Cabaret, August 7, 2016
Civic Theater- San Diego
Sunday matinee
Cinderella, May 10, 2015
Motown the Musical, June 14, 2015
Pippin, August 30, 2015
La Jolla Playhouse
Sunday Matinee
The Darrell Hammond Project, February 22, 2015
Griot Theatre of the West Valley - Encino
Sabah El-Amin, Executive Director
Sabah@griottheatre.org
www.Griottheatre.org
Hollywood Bowl
Two weeks advance notice requested
Lili Herrera, Accessibility Services, 323 850 2125
Northern California
Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Sunday Matinee
Xs and Os (A Gridiron Love Story), March 1, 2015
Tartuffe, April 12, 2015
Head of Passes, May 24, 2015
One Man, Two Guvnors, June 21, 2015
SHNSF (Orpheum, Curran, Golden Gate) – San Francisco
Saturday matinee
Newsies, March 14, 2015
The Book of Mormon, May 2, 2015
Matilda the Musial, August 8, 2015
Phantom of the Opera, September 26, 2015
Sacramento Community Theatre
Friday evening
Rain, a Tribute to the Beatles, March 20, 2015
Once, April 17, 2015
Cinderella, May 15, 2015
Sacramento Music Circus
Friday evening
My Fair Lady, June 12, 2015
Big River, June 26, 2015
Bye Bye Birdie, July 10, 2015
Peter Pan, July 24, 2015
West Side Story, August 7, 2015
HAIR, August 21, 2015
Cal Shakes–Orinda
Wednesday evening
Twelfth Night, June 3, 2015
Life is a Dream, July 15, 2015
The Mystery of Irma Vep, August 19, 2015
King Lear, September 23, 2015
Please support Captioned Live Theater for the effort they are
making to accommodate us, and help spread the word to our
hearing loss community. People with hearing loss who have
shunned live theatre, need to get back into the theatre-going
habit.
Resources, from Page 16
Other Resources
Hard of Hearing / Late Deafened Program
at DCARA www.dcara.org
Better Hearing Institute
www.betterhearing.org
Living and Coping with Hearing Loss by Sam Trychin,
samtrychin@adelphia.net
www.trychin.com
Hearing Loss Information
www.HearingMojo.com
www.hear-it.org
Hearing Loss Help E-zine
www.hearinglosshelp.com
neil@hearinglosshelp.com
Deafness in Disguise
History of hearing devices.
beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/did
The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015 17
HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
California State Association/Chapters
Find a chapter - www.hearinglossca.org/chapters
Facebook: Hearing Loss Association of America – chapter name
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Northern CA Chapter Coordinator
Janel Edmiston (CI)
916-208-8937
jedmiston@hearinglossca.org
Diablo Valley Chapter-Walnut Creek
Ann Thomas
HLAADV@hearinglossdv.org
925-264-1199
www.hearinglossdv.org
East Bay Chapter - Oakland
Janet Lyons 510-932-7978
je.lyons@comcast.net
Napa Valley Chapter - Napa
Jeannine Scott, 707-257-0509
jneen@napanet.net
Peninsula Chapter - Redwood City
Sally Edwards, 650-365-4868
info@hearinglosspen.org
Bob Hall, 650-867-5256
RHall@hearinglosspen.org
Sacramento Chapter
Janel Edmiston,
916-208-8937
jedmiston@hearinglossca.org
www.hlasac.com
San Francisco Chapter
Kenny Andrews, 707-291-9709
Kennyandrews6@gmail.com
Josephine Schallehn,
jschallehn@hotmail.com
Shasta County Chapter - Redding
Sharon Hunter, 530-242-1574
Sharon36lee@yahoo.com
Silicon Valley Chapter - San Jose
Earl Mizuguchi, 408-977-6377
earlmiz@sbcglobal.net
Maggie Iller
marjorie.iller@gmail.com
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Southern CA Chapter Coordinator
Nanci Linke-Ellis (2 CIs)
nanci@linkeellis.com
310-922-3884 cell
310-829-3884 phone
POTENTIAL NEW CHAPTERS
Culver City Chapter
Nanci Linke-Ellis (2 CIs)
nlinke-ellis@hearinglossca.org
310-922-3884 cell
310-829-3884 phone
Central Coast Chapter-Santa Maria
Noni Smyth
no_knee@charter.net
Pass Area Chapter - Beaumont
Sandi Streeter, S.Streeter@surfcity.net
Nanci Linke Ellis nanci@linkeellis.com
310-92203884
City of Orange Chapter
Marla Peoples,
marla_peoples@yahoo.com
Long Beach/Lakewood Chapter Lakewood
Bill Busch, Bill@buschfamily.org
310-540-6322
Gail Morrison, gail7go@gmail.com
562-438-0597
www.hlalongbeachlakewood.org
Los Angeles Chapter - Pasadena
Lisa Yuan, leesayuan@gmail.com
Alicia Fernandez,
alicia@blueskycreative.com
www.HLAA-LA.org
Mission Viejo Chapter
Pril Kirkeby, pwkirkeby@cox.net
949-855-6786
George Grosz, 949-455-2740
ghgrosz@earthlink.net
San Diego Chapter
Larry Sivertson,
larrysivertson@gmail.com
www.hearinglosssandiego.org
Santa Barbara Chapter
Cherie Alvarez, cheriea@hlaa-sbc.org
Jazmin Kildare, jazmink@hlaa-sbc.org
www.hlaa-sbc.org
Santa Monica Chapter
Ken Cluskey, kencluskey@yahoo.com
Maggie Whittemore,
maggie_whittemore@yahoo.com
Ventura County Chapter –
Thousand Oaks
Anni Settingsgard, hlaanni@aol.com
18 The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015
Please join us. Meet others who are
facing the challenge of everyday life with a
hearing loss. Meetings are free and
informal. Bring a friend or family
member. Everyone is welcome. Hearing
loss is a daily challenge you can overcome.
You do not have to face hearing loss
alone.
Is your chapter on Facebook?
Social networking has become the way to
do outreach, get your projects known and
recruit new members. Danny Tubbs
metromann@yahoo.com of the HLAA-LA
chapter will be glad to help you set it up.
No chapter near you?
Our Chapter Coordinators will help you to
set up a local group.
Northern CA Chapter Coordinator
Janel Edmiston (CI)
916-208-8937
jedmiston@hearinglossca.org
Southern CA Chapter Coordinator
Nanci Linke-Ellis (2 CIs)
nanci@linkeellis.com
310-922-3884 cell
310-829-3884 phone
FOUNDER Howard E. “Rocky” Stone, 1925-2004. In 1979, Rocky Stone founded the
organization as Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH). Renamed Hearing Loss
Association of America (HLAA) in 2006.
Board of Trustees
President, Zina Jawadi
HLAA Silicon Valley Chapter
zjawadi@hearinglossca.org
Vice President, Gail Morrison
HLAA Long Beach/Lakewood Chap
gmorrison@hearinglossca.org
Secretary, Lynne Kinsey
HLAA Silicon Valley Chapter
lkinsey@hearinglossca.org
Treasurer, Jeffrey Chess
jchess@hearinglossca.org
Ram Kakkar (CI)
HLAA Long Beach/Lakewood Chap
rkakkar@hearinglossca.org
Jim Montgomery, (CI)
HLAA Diablo Valley Chapter
Jmontgomery@hearinglossca.org
Debra Rogers
HLAA San Diego Chapter
drogers@hearinglossca.org
JOIN US! Membership includes national and state memberships, Hearing Loss Magazine and
The Hearing Loss Californian newsletter. Rates are $20 Student, $35 Individual, $45 Couple,
$60 Professional. For international and corporate rates, please visit www.hearingloss.org.
Please make check out to HLAA and send it to Hearing Loss Association of America, 7910
Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1200, Bethesda, MD 20814 (include name/mailing address/zip code/
email/phone) OR you can join on line at www.hearingloss.org/membership/renew.asp.
HEAR YA NOW is a network of young adults in California ages 18-40. We aim to unite young
adults with hearing loss through social events and an online community where information is
exchanged about resources, support, advocacy, and scholarship opportunities. Join our active
Facebook discussion group HEAR YA NOW: http://www.facebook.com/groups/hearyanow.
In order to join, email us at hearyanow@gmail.com with your name, brief hearing loss story,
and why you want to join HEAR YA NOW. Website: www.hearyanow.tumblr.com;
Twitter: www.twitter.com/hearya_now; YouTube: www.youtube.com/hearyanow
HLAA CREDIT CARD. Support HLAA with every purchase you make!
Apply today! www.CardLabConnect.com/hlaa.
SUPPORT ANNA GILMORE HALL & HLAA. Please join the Premier Club by giving an
ongoing monthly pledge of $20 or more. Premier Club donations help HLAA predict their
financial resources more reliably and manage their expenditures more wisely.
ITINERANT TEACHERS OF HOH/D support your graduating seniors in their transition
from high school by giving them a FREE trial subscription to The Hearing Loss Californian.
Please send student name/mailing address/zipcode/email to gtiessen@hearinglossca.org.
Ann Thomas
HLAA Diablo Valley Chapter
athomas@hearinglossca.org
FREE newsletter, The Hearing Loss Californian. If you want it sent electronically (send your
email address), if hard copy (send your mailing address) to Grace Tiessen,
gracetiessen@gmail.com.
Don Senger, Emeritus (CI)
HLAA Diablo Valley Chapter
dsenger@hearinglossca.org
FREE. Hearing Health magazine, a quarterly publication of Deafness Research Foundation.
Sign up on line at http://www.drf.org.
NoCal Chapter Coordinator
Janel Edmiston, ex officio (CI)
916-208-8937
jedmiston@hearinglossca.org
HLAA-California publishes The Hearing Loss Californian quarterly in mid February, May,
August and November. The newsletter is available through mail, and on line at
www.hearinglossca.org.
Newsletter Article Contribution Deadlines are Spring January 20, Summer April 20,
Fall July 20, Winter October 20.
SoCal Chapter Coordinator
Nanci Linke-Ellis, ex officio
(2 CIs)
310-922-3884 cell
310-829-3884 phone
nlinke-ellis@hearinglossca.org
National Board of Trustees
Margaret Wallhagen, ex officio
Meg.wallhagen@nursing.ucsf.edu
Demographics. Our database consists of 5300 records--1250 California HLAA members; 1345
California audiologists; 1350 California Hearing Aid Dispensers; Dept of Rehabilitation HoH/D
counselors; Itinerant Teachers of the HoH/D; Office of Deaf Access outreach centers; members
of the Association of Late Deafened Adults; Kaiser Permanente audiologists; members of AG Bell
Assn for the D/HoH; Costco Hearing Aid Centers; HEARx Hearing Aid Centers; Sonus Hearing
Aid Centers and others interested in hearing loss issues.
Editor: Grace Tiessen, gtiessen@hearinglossca.org
Layout: Lisa Rettino, leftylisa63@yahoo.com
Webmaster: Zina Jawadi, zjawadi@hearinglossca.org
Contributions are eligible for income tax deductions as provided in Section 501(c)3 of the
Internal Revenue Service Code.
Mention of goods and services in articles or advertisements does not imply endorsement, nor
does exclusion suggest disapproval.
Any portion of this newsletter may be reprinted or disseminated, as long as credit is given to the
individual author or to this publication.
The Hearing Loss Californian - Spring 2015 19
Non Profit
U.S. Postage
PAID
Pasadena, CA
Permit #740
Grace W. Tiessen
714 Prospect Blvd,
Pasadena, CA 91103
gtiessen@hearinglossca.org
HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
CALIFORNIA STATE ASSOCIATION
Supporting chapters throughout California
Hearing Loss is a Leading Public Health Issue
Who We Are
Hearing Loss Association of America,
California State Association
(HLAA-CA) is a state association
affiliated with Hearing Loss
Association of America. Residents of
California who join our national
organization automatically become
members of HLAA-CA.
Hearing Loss Association of America
(HLAA) is an international,
non-sectarian, educational, consumer
organization of hard of hearing people,
their relatives and friends. It is devoted
to the welfare and interests of those who
cannot hear well but are committed to
participating in the hearing world.
Hearing Loss Association of America
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1200
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 657-2248 Voice
(301) 657-2249 TTY
(301) 913-9413 Fax
info@hearingloss.org
Hearing Loss Association of America
The Nation’s voice for people with hearing loss.
Hearing Loss Association of America opens the world of communication to people
with hearing loss through information, education, support and advocacy.
The national support network includes the Washington, D.C. area office,
14 state organizations, and 200 local chapters.
Our clear, straightforward message has changed the lives of thousands of people.
Hearing loss is a daily challenge you can overcome.
You do not have to hide your hearing loss.
You do not have to face hearing loss alone.
HLAA: www.hearingloss.org
HLAA-CA: www.hearinglossca.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hearinglossca