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HLADE Mission
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Linda's Sound-Off:Have you ever gotten an unexpected email or call from a good friend asking if they can come for a visit? Well, HLADE did!Recently, Toni Barrient, National Chapter Coordinator of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and Brenda Battat, Deputy Director of HLAA contacted us and said they would like to visit us in Delaware and visit they did! It was wonderful having our national office staff come and meet with HLADE Board and members and exchange ideas! We are so thankful they came to visit! Some HLADE members had never met anyone from national and so new relationships were formed. Whenever people with hearing loss come together, there is instant understanding, commadarie and yes, a warm gathering of old and new friends that feels like you are part of a special family! When people are members of any organization, like HLAA, they ask, but what do we get from membership in the national association? Well, the answer is there are many benefits, some seen and unseen! Of course, you can go on the HLAA website and for $25 - a dinner for two out, you can get all these benefits: Hearing Loss Magazine, the best consumer magazine on hearing loss loaded with information on all aspects of hearing loss, articles by consumers and experts and much more! Voting privileges to choose who will lead HLAA, Chapter membership contacts, local support groups that provide information, education, social activities and help with coping strategies, discounts when attending regional and national conventions, HLAA Bookstore discounts, access to 24/7 message boards, chat rooms, list serves and forums on hearing loss and member discounts with Harris Communications, Costco, National Car Rental, Alamo Car Rental, Best Western Hotels, Sound Aid Hearing Aid Warranties and more! But really, you get more than that-you become part of a special group of people who are trying, just like you or someone in your family to live and work actively and successfully with a hearing loss. You have our national staff, most of whom have a hearing loss, working hard each day to advocate for laws and regulations that enable you to pick up a phone and hear, see a captioned movie at a theatre, have CAPTEL, get help with a new hearing aid or cochlear implant, do fund raising to help more people with hearing loss and much more! Staff works every day to open the world of communication to people with hearing loss in Delaware and beyond. So, if you are one of those who hasn't opened their wallet to join national HLAA, why wait-join a great organization for just $25 and soon you may be hearing from a new friend with hearing loss too! You can go to our membership page to join! Yours in advocacy, LINDA Linda S. Heller, M.A.C.C.C.A. State Coordinator 
ASK THE EXPERT!
HLADE receives many questions about hearing loss via phone, email, and our listserves. |
| "I am a 57 year old female with a history of chronic ear infections and have had several tubes put in my ears over the years. Each time after I had tubes put in, I could hear fine for awhile and then my ears would "block up" again. I just recently had tubes put in again. Do you think I will ever have a time when my ears won't keep needing tubes and my ears won't keep blocking up?" |
Dr. Brian Kung's Answer:
You likely have had problems with your Eustachian tubes all of your life. The Eustachian tube is a tube that connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx (back of the nose).
If the Eustachian tube is not functioning correctly, the middle ear will be subject to negative pressure and fluid can accumulate that has no way of escaping unless pressure is equalized using a tympanostomy tube.
After tube placement, the eardrum will tend to extrude the tube after 6-18 months, and if Eustachian tube function remains compromised, fluid and/or negative pressure will continue to build until the tube is replaced.
If you have not had your nasopharynx directly examined, you should, as sometimes, a tumor or mass in the nasopharynx can cause Eustachian tube problems.
If your nasopharynx is free of abnormalities, there are different types of tubes that can last longer than 2 years.
More recently, physicians have been using tubes that can be anchored into a piece of your own cartilage and placed. These tubes tend to last much longer and do not need to be replaced for over 3 years at a time.
Unfortunately, your ears will likely need ventilation (tubes) permanently.
Lucklily, you haven't developed the more severe consequences of chronic Eustachian tube dysfunction, such as erosion of your hearing bones and cholesteatoma (skin that gets drawn into the middle ear from chronic negative pressure--this can continue to grow and become infected, leading to chronic drainage from your ear and erosion of important structures for hearing and balance in the middle ear and inner ear).
Dr. Brian Kung is an otolaryngologist with Limestone Medical Associates, 1941 Limestone Rd, Wilmington, DE 19808, Telephone: 302-998-0300
Thanks Dr. Kung for being our expert this month!
LOOKING AHEAD: SAVE THE DATE!
APRIL, 2007, SPRING HEARING LOSS ACADEMY CLASSES SPECIAL FLYER TO BE SENT OUT SOON! NEW SIGN LANGUAGE AND HEARING LOSS CLASSES!
June 2007, American Association of Musicians with Hearing Loss Music Conference & Festival conference for more information on this Conference and Music Festival. If you wish to attend, please respond to conference@aamhl.org by May 1.
Regional Hearing Loss Association of America ConferenceOctober 5 - 7, 2007
Hilton Harrisburg & Towers
One North Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101 717-237-6427
Conference description: This will be the first Hearing Loss Association regional conference of Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, the 4 states which comprise Region II of the Hearing Loss Association of America governing board.
The conference is designed to give participants the opportunity to explore new hearing technologies and to learn more about coping with hearing loss. The conference will attract attendees from several nearby states, as well as from the four sponsoring states.
Linda Heller is a conference co-chair.
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BRING A FRIEND TO HLADE EVENTS!
NEW HLADE HEARING LOSS ACADEMY CLASSES
FORMING IN DOVER!
So if you're interested, please email hlade@comcast.net or call (302) 292-3066. HLADE will teach classes at any location across the state if there are 10 or more people who want to know more about hearing loss, sign language or any other subject with hearing loss!
News You Can Use
Airports and Tanning Salons?
TV PBS program "Through Deaf Eyes", March 2lst, 9:00 PM, ET, 2 hr. documentary, inspired by the exhibit at Gallaudet U. entitled "History through Deaf Eyes". For more information go to website: www.pbs.org/wnet/soundandfury/culture/deafhistory.html
DO YOU LIKE TO TAKE PICTURES? VIDEO PHOTO CONTEST!
Images of Health and Disability 2006-2007 WHO invites photographers and video producers to participate in this annual global photo and video contest in four categories:
(1) Color photographs (digital or prints);
(2) Black and white photographs (digital or prints);
(3) Digital Art photographs (images created or drastically manipulated by computer
software or electronic filters); and
(4) short video clips.
In each category, prizes will be awarded ranging from $100 to $1,000.
Submission Deadline: March 9, 2007
www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2007/photo_video_contest/en/index.html
Can I leave my hearing aid on when going thru an airport or go to a tanning bed? For the answer- go to this link: www.healthyhearing.com/library/ate_content.asp?question_id=316
HLADE Reports
HLADE had an exhibit at the Delaware's Listening Again Conference sponsored by Delaware's Newborn Hearing Screening Committee on March 2nd at the Dover Sheraton.
Dover Support Group Leaders Rosemary Cooper and Betty Martin did a great job at the HLADE exhibit. Thanks Rosemary and Betty! If know of an event that HLADE should attend, please let us know!
HLADE is starting to gather stories of why Delaware needs a hearing aid insurance law so that health insurance companies will pay for hearing aids in Delaware.
If you would like to share a story of someone who needs or needed a hearing aid and could not get one, please let us know! Recently, HLADE has received several calls from parents of children in the schools, one 9 year old boy that needs hearing aids, and he was unable to get one as his parents can't afford it and his school would not put a hearing aid in his educational plan.
We are sure there are more stories out there, so please call us at 302-292-3066 or mail us at hlade@comcast.net and we hope to get the ball rolling to get hearing aids on children and adults who need them! Check Fact Sheet #3 too!
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Mayo Clinic On Hearing: Strategies for Managing Hearing Loss, Dizziness and Other Ear Problems by Wayne Olsen M.D. and Mayo Clinic (Paperback - Oct 1, 2003) Available at Amazon.com or your local bookstore.PARENTS CORNER
Improving Youths with Disabilities Outcomes for Postsecondary and EmploymentThe 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) called for states to set measurable targets for the progress of students with disabilities.
Together with the No Child Left Behind Act, the IDEA is holding schools accountable for making sure students with disabilities achieve to high standards.
We must ensure that all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, graduate from high school with the skills they need to successfully transition into postsecondary education and the work force.
Youths with disabilities face significant challenges both in the school environment and in their transitions to adult life.
National studies and reports have shown that, compared to their non-disabled peers, students with disabilities are less likely to receive a regular high school diploma; drop out twice as often; enroll in and complete postsecondary education programs at half the rate; and, up to two years after leaving high school, about four in 10 youths with disabilities are employed as compared to six in 10 same-age out-of-school youths in the general population.
These outcomes of youths with disabilities have spurred federal and state efforts to improve transition policies and practices.
Despite some gains, far too many youths with disabilities continue to experience difficulties in achieving successful post-school outcomes. We are making progress, but we still have work to do.
Toward that end, we share with you the Federal Register notice inviting public comment on the Notice of Proposed Priority and Definitions under the Rehabilitation Services Administrations Special Demonstration Programs Model Demonstration Projects Improving the Postsecondary and Employment Outcomes of Youths With Disabilities.
This priority is intended to improve the post-school and employment outcomes of youths with disabilities. We invite you to submit comments to help ensure that it does. The NPP is open for public comment until Mar. 19, 2007.
The Federal Register notice, including relevant dates and directions on how to submit comments, may be viewed in HTML and PDF formats at www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/proprule/2007-1/021507a.html
You may view this notice, as well as all other Department of Education documents published in the Federal Register at www.ed.gov/news/fedregister
TECHNOLOGY CORNER
Technology Update: Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee (TEITAC)
TEITAC is a federal advisory committee providing recommendations for updates of accessibility standards issued under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and guidelines under section 255 of the Telecommunications Act.
This information is now available at www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=189
Brenda Battat, Deputy Director of HLAA is a member of this committee!
Technology of the Month- Transear- for single-sided hearing loss, For more information, go to www.transear.com
LINKS OF THE MONTH
Do you dream of being on a college Board of Trustees?
The Gallaudet University Board of Trustees is looking for few good men and women......to become new Trustees. If you wish to nominate a good man or a good woman, do click on this site: http://bot.gallaudet.edu>
Want to know what legislation Delaware has on the books for hearing loss? Go to
www.delaware.gov
and go to legislative hall, legislative bill research and put hearing loss in the search engine!
Don't forget to send in your 2007 membership dues. You can download the membership form.
Know a person with a hearing loss in Delaware who has made the news or accomplished something special, then tell us!! We will feature them in the newsletter! hlade@comcast.net or call (302) 292-3066.Calling for Volunteers!
HLADE is growing! Would you like to help HLADE as a member, or a board member, office help or as a technical assistant or newsletter editor or help spread the word about HLADE?We can use all kinds of skills! Help HLADE grow and become involved with a project-it is the best way to meet new people and make a difference! Contact Linda Heller or email hlade@comcast.net or call (302) 292-3066.
Don't complain -make a change- get involved to make a difference!
If you want to share some Breaking News, email hlade@comcast.net
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