Your Spring 20243 Issue of HLAA-PA HearSay

Volume 23 Issue 1 Spring 2024

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Support and Advocacy
since 2001
for Pennsylvanians
with Hearing Loss

Nancy's Message
State Happenings
Hearing Effort
Conference
Caption Glasses at Arden
Sponsors
Donors
About HLAA-PA

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Note: This issue of HearSay is designed for screen reading.
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Sponsors

The Nation's Voice for People
with Hearing Loss

Note:
Images outlined in red are clickable links.

Recent Donors
to HLAA-PA

PA Walk for Hearing
Carolyn Meyer
in honor of Ann Klein's birthday
(Joe Meyer Memorial Fund)

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@hlaapa

DISCLAIMER

Opinions expressed in HearSay are those of the authors. Mention of goods and services in articles and by sponsors does not mean HLAA-PA endorsement, nor does absence suggest disapproval.

To reach readers of HearSay, contact
Dale Long
Sponsor Coordinator
(long@hlaa-pa.org)
for information.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!

Assist the HLAA-PA State Director by serving on the Advisory Council or one of its committees. The Council meets periodically at locations convenient to its membership. But committees conduct most of their business by e-mail and occasionally meet in various parts of the state. If you think you would like to serve on the council or any of its committees, please contact one of the state leaders listed here:

State Director:
Nancy Kingsley
(kingsley@hlaa-pa.org)
Editor: HearSay and HLAA-PA Website:
Don Groff
(groff@hlaa-pa.org)
Advocacy:
Nancy Kingsley, Chair
(kingsley@hlaa-pa.org)
Sponsor Coordinator:
Dale Long
(long@hlaa-pa.org)
Outreach Coordinator:
Carolyn Meyer, Chair
(meyer@hlaa-pa.org)
ALD Demo Kit:
Bill Best, Chair
(best@hlaa-pa.org)
Chapter Coordinators::
Mike Miles,Eastern PA
(miles@hlaa-pa.org)
Dale Long, Central PA
(long@hlaa-pa.org)
Teresa Nellans, Western PA
(nellans@hlaa-pa.org)

HearSay Articles

HLAA-PA welcomes articles of interest to the hearing loss community for publication in HearSay, as well as suggestions for topics. Send e-mail to editor@hlaa-pa.org

Message from Nancy

by Nancy Kingsley
State Director

As of January 25, a bill was expected to be introduced in the Pennsylvania House that proposes centralizing state disability programs in a new Department of Disability Rights, Employment, Accessibility, and Mobility (DREAM), which would have funding and the power to promote regulations. The prime sponsor is Rep. Jessica Benham (D), who has two disabilities, autism and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Her cosponsors are Reps. Dan Miller (D) and Jason Ortitay (R).

If the bill is passed, the department would include the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Office of Developmental Programs, the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services, the Bureau of Disability Determination, the Bureau of Early Intervention Services, and the Accessibility Advisory Board.

Maryland’s Department of Disabilities is the model for this proposal, which was first offered in the last session under a different name by Reps. Miller and Ortitay, who have both sponsored other disability-related bills.

State Happenings Carolyn

by Carolyn Meyer
Outreach Coordinator

STATE HAPPENINGS

Rays of sunshine! How welcome after the dreary days of winter gloom. Chapters are busy planning meetings and informal gatherings. Picnics are on the horizon as we get closer to summer. Members and families are planning a trip to the HLAA convention in Phoenix, AZ. Time to make plane and hotel reservations to take advantage of early registration.
Early Bird Registration is now open for the HLAA 2024 Convention!

As HLAA’s 40th annual convention and our first-ever resort-style event, this year’s gathering in Phoenix promises to be a brand-new experience! We invite you join us at the luxurious Sheraton Grand Resort at Wild Horse Pass, June 26–29, 2024. We know you’ll love this gorgeous setting for all of our exciting events.

Hear engaging keynote speaker Shanna Adamic at the General Session.
Explore The Emotional Side of Hearing Loss at the Research Symposium.
Celebrate and connect at the lavish Welcome Back Bash and HLAA Awards.
Learn about a wide range of topics in our educational workshops.
See product demonstrations of the latest technology for people with hearing loss.
Walk through the Exhibit Hall featuring cutting-edge tech and hearing health industry professionals. Free Exhibit Hall-only passes are available.
Enhance your chapter or state organization at the HLAA Leadership Training.

Go to hearingloss.org/programs-events/hlaa-2024-convention/ to register or for additional information on pricing and accommodations.

CHAPTERS IN THE NEWS

The MontCo chapter has scheduled their HLAA picnic for Sunday July 21 at Fort Washington State Park at the familiar MHL-3 pavilion. Last summer they had a record turnout from people in many local chapters. Guests brought their favorite dish for all to share. Their next meeting is March 5. Several MontCo members have recently attended a play at the Arden Theatre in Philadelphia and have tried the new Epson smart captioning glasses. The theatre has 12 pairs for guests to try, so do ask when you arrive. They seem to be comfortable and a good option for attending performances that are difficult to hear. See Don's report below People’s Light theater in Malvern had them several years ago but these are a newer version. Several HLAA members were involved in the trial of the older version years ago. MontCo Chapter leaders have mentioned that they have some new younger members attending meetings so this is exciting to hear.

The Chester County chapter reminds us of their most worthy “HELP4HEARING PROJECT” involving used hearing aids collection. To date, in less than a year, they have received over 150 used hearing aids which were sent to several agencies to be refurbished and dispensed to underserved applicants. Some also went to Rotary organizations. If you or someone you know are no longer using a hearing aid and would like to donate it to a person with a hearing impairment in need of a hearing aid, please send it to the Hearing Loss Association of America – Chester County Chapter at this address: HLAA Chester County P. O. Box 1371 West Chester, PA 19380 Contact information: (484) 402-4907 Email: hlaachesco@gmail.com Website: www.hearinglosschesco.org This hearing aid collection is in alliance with HLAA Chester County, Sertoma-Hearing Charities of America, and the Hearing the Call organizations. If you find you need hearing aids and believe you may qualify, please submit a form on the organizations’ individual website below: hearingcharities.org/contact/ or Hearing the Call

The Lancaster chapter is moving to a new venue at Landis Homes and will meet on Tuesday March 12 at this location. Our webmaster, Don Groff, may be involved with supporting the AV functions at their first meeting.

THE HLAA SE PA ONE DAY CONFERENCE IN WAYNE, PA

We are all looking forward to the Conference April 13, 2024 with two excellent speakers and a chance to renew old acquaintances from other chapters.
WHERE: St David's Episcopal Church, 763 South Valley Forge Road, Wayne, PA 19087.
TIME: 9:30 -3PM. $35.00 per person (includes continental breakfast and buffet lunch)
ACCESSIBILITY: hearing loop, real-time captioning (CART), ASL interpreters. The building is wheelchair accessible.
The conference is sponsored by a generous grant from the Louis N. Cassett Foundation, HLAA All Generations, Chester County, Montgomery County Chapters and Philly BuxMont Hearing Loss Support Group. Exciting keynote speakers are HLAA Executive Director Barbara Kelley and Dr. Tina Childress, pediatric audiologist and advocate. Come prepared to ask questions! You don’t want to miss this informative day! So register now. The cost is $35 per person.

REGISTRATON AND DEADLINE : APRIL 5, 2024
Download the form HERE
Or send the following to Mike;
Name(s) _________________________
Chapter ________________ (if applicable)
Address __________________________
Email address _____________ Phone ____
Questions, please contact Mike at: mikemiles_19087@yahoo.com. Provide the above information; write check for $35 per person. The check should be written out to “All Generations Chapter of HLAA” and send by April 5 to: Mike Miles 1333 Argyle Road Berwyn, PA 19312

AWARDS

Applications are being received for these HLAA-PA awards:

THE JOE MEYER MEMORIAL GRANT AWARD: application due April 1, 2024.
Application form in .docx .pdf

THE DIANA BENDER HLAA NATIONAL CONVENTION AWARD application due on May 1, 2024.
Application form in .docx .pdf

THE MARCIA FINISDORE AWARD FOR ADVOCACY : application due May 1, 2024
Application form in .docx .pdf
Please check to see if they apply to you or someone you know.

HAVE A GREAT SPRING FILLED WITH SUNSHINE AND FLOWERS!

Hearing Loss and Listening Effort

Fifteen percent of American adults have some degree of hearing loss. To put that into perspective, approximately 37.5 million people are missing parts of conversations or missing sounds that make them feel more connected to and safe in their environment. Hearing loss can be thought of as a word puzzle for the brain. It is as though certain letters of words are omitted. For example, for people with age-related hearing loss that impacts the high frequencies (pitches), it is as if the person’s brain is filling in a puzzle that is missing sounds like /f/, /k/, /s/, /sh/, and /th/. It is obvious how tiring that can be when sustained over a long period of time.

Increased listening effort related to hearing loss is a result of the brain needing to allocate more resources to hearing and understanding the message. When this occurs, other components of speech processing, like attention, are negatively impacted, making it more difficult to retain the message. This may require the listener to request repetitions and can mimic memory concerns like those seen in people with dementia. The recruitment of other parts of the brain to listen also causes fatigue. Not only does fatigue cause feelings of chronic tiredness during the day, but it can also disrupt sleep patterns and provoke or exacerbate mental health concerns like anxiety and depression. Interestingly, the degree of hearing loss does not appear to impact the degree of fatigue a person experiences. For example, a moderate hearing loss does not equate to a moderate sense of fatigue. This means that across the range of hearing loss (mild to profound), the fatigue caused by listening effort can be the same.

Hearing aids and cochlear implants are the gold standard treatment options for hearing loss. Though research thus far on the reduction of listening effort with the use of hearing aids has proven to have mixed outcomes, some studies have found a benefit. The increased access to sound, the location of hearing aid microphones, and the features used to improve speech understanding in noise, all reduced listening effort. Hearing aids not only decreased subjective and objective listening effort, but improved memory recall as well. Studies have also shown that bilateral cochlear implant users who achieve speech understanding scores similar to their normal hearing peers were found to exert a comparable amount of listening effort.

Listening effort can have significant implications for a person’s social and emotional well-being. Although this is a topic that requires a greater amount of research with more standardized methods, there is potential that assistive listening devices (like hearing aids and cochlear implants) can help to mitigate listening effort and in turn improve a patient’s quality of life.

Amanda McVey, AuD
Clinical Audiologist

Resources
Axel Winneke, M. S. (2018, October 17). Spatial noise processing in hearing aids modulates neural markers linked to listening effort: An EEG study. AudiologyOnline. https://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/listening-effort-and-eeg-as-23858

Hughes, K. C., & Galvin, K. L. (2013). Measuring listening effort expended by adolescents and young adults with unilateral or bilateral cochlear implants or normal hearing. Cochlear implants   international, 14(3), 121–129. https://doi.org/10.1179/1754762812Y.0000000009

Hornsby, B. W. Y., Davis, H., & Bess, F. H. (2021). The Impact and Management of Listening-Related Fatigue in Children with Hearing Loss. Otolaryngologic clinics of North America, 54(6), 1231-   1239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2021.07.001

Ohlenforst, B., Zekveld, A. A., Jansma, E. P., Wang, Y., Naylor, G., Lorens, A., Lunner, T., & Kramer, S.   E. (2017). Effects of Hearing Impairment and Hearing Aid Amplification on Listening Effort: A   Systematic Review. Ear and hearing, 38(3), 267-   281. https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000396

Quilter, M., Groth, J., & Krueger, M. (2022). ReSound ONE with M&RIE Reduces Listening Effort. https://pro.resound.com/en-us/products/support-materials/nexia-support

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021). Quick statistics about hearing. National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing

Smart Caption Glasses at Arden Theatre

Arden Theatre in Philadelphia is now offering Smart Caption Glasses at some of its performances. The glasses are an improved version of the ones introduced at People’s Light Theatre in Malvern a few years ago. My wife and I tried them out at a performance of Ladysitting recently.

There is an obvious piggy backing problem if you already wear glasses, as I do. It took some experimentation to get both to coexist. I was able to do that, but the combination is clumsy and heavy. My frames are a bit too wide to nestle inside the captioners, but I managed.
It was in October 2019 that I used the earlier version at People’s Light, and I don’t remember the details of that device, but the new version has some attractive features. A remote control the size of a deck of cards on a lanyard has a touch screen that offers easy control of features:
* COLOR: six options are available. I found RED to be satisfactory, a color often used in low-light situations.
* TEXT SIZE: nice range available.
* POSITION: easy to place above or below the action.
* BRIGHTNESS: very little effect, as far as I could determine, but it was satisfactory.
* FOCUS: very little effect, but the text seemed crisp at any setting. Holographic technology makes the text seem to be at a distance, rather than close to your eyes.
The tracking of the text was generally pretty good, with occasional gaps followed by frantic catchups. At times the text would be slightly ahead of the voices.
It seems obvious that there should be a version for those who already wear glasses, something like clip-on sunglasses. Delete the temple pieces and repurpose the nose pieces as brackets to hang the device on top of regular frames.
The glasses are made by Epson, a major producer of projectors as well as printers.

See
www.inquirer.com/arts/theater/arden-theatre-philadelphia-smart-caption-glasses-20240220.html?query=arden.

-Don Groff

Meet Our Sponsors

HLAA has a sponsorship program with platinum, gold, and silver levels. Sponsors are listed in HearSay and the HLAA-PA website for one calendar year, and we would love to include your organization. Information about becoming a sponsor is available from our sponsor coordinator, Dale Long, at long@hlaa-pa.org.

We are pleased to recognize the these HLAA-PA sponsors:

Gold Level

At the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI), experienced Doctors of Audiology provide a comprehensive array of services for children and adults, including diagnostic hearing evaluations, hearing aid and cochlear implant services, balance testing, and custom hearing protection. To request an appointment please call 215.780.3180 or visit SalusUhealth.com/PEI.

Platinum Level

Platinum Level

Jefferson Balance & Hearing Center: Physicians and doctors of audiology offer comprehensive evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation, including hearing aids, cochlear implants, implantable devices, and custom ear pieces. A musician services program provides evaluation and custom musician devices. Financing for hearing aids is available through Care Credit and the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 215-955-6760.

About HLAA and
its State Office, HLAA-PA

The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), founded in 1979, is the nation’s foremost membership and advocacy organization for people with hearing loss. HLAA opens the world of communication to people with hearing loss by providing information, education, support and advocacy. The national support network includes the Washington, DC area office, 14 state organizations, and 200 local chapters. HLAA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Hearing Loss Association of America
116 Executive Blvd., Suite 320
Rockville, MD 20852
hearingloss.org

HLAA-PA is the all-volunteer state office of Hearing Loss Association of America. We were established in 2001 to carry out the mission of HLAA for Pennsylvanians with hearing loss, their families and friends.

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