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December 2022 e-Newsletter

ALERT

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In this e-News

  • You’re Invited for Holiday Cheer with Friends

    Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. MST
    Where: January Coffee, Boulder, CO

  • (PAST EVENT) Zoom Presentation - Michele Linder ‘Hospital Experiences
    Recorded Mtg, transcript and Gifts for the HoH


  • Over the Counter Hearing Aids Hit the Market October 17, 2022


  • Denver International Airport Accessibility

  • Colorado Disability Rights Lawsuit Alert -A Denver disability lawyer was excluded from jury service because he’s deaf. Now he’s suing the court.

  • Ally’s Act URGENT ACTION ALERT
    It’s Important to contact representatives again in October!
    We need your help to request a hearing this year!
    Please write send in your support to his office and House Energy and Commerce (HE&C) Committee members.

  • HLAA Communication Access in Health Care
    Please connect your medical providers to the national program with provided letter/email template. This is a work in progress to improve communication with your medical providers, clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, etc. We need your help!

  • Celebrating 1 Year Anniversary of On-Screen Movie Captions in Colorado- See All Participating Colorado Movie Theaters hosting Open Caption Movie Screenings.

  • SURVEY - How are the scheduled Open Caption Movie programs in Colorado working out for you? Take the survey and let us know!


  • Sign the Open Caption Movie petition

  • Colorado Hearing Loop Project & Telecoil Info


  • Become a Member/Renew Membership

  • HLAA 2023 Convention - June 29-July 1, 2023 New Orleans!

You’re Invited for Holiday Cheer with Friends

DATE: Sun, Dec. 11, 22 START TIME: 12:00 END TIME: 2:00

WHERE: January Coffee
ADDRESS: 1886 30th St Suite B, Boulder, CO 80301 Driving Directions Facebook Website

MENU: https://january.coffee/menu

What’s the best thing about a Holiday get-together? Friends and good company!

We can’t wait to see you! All members and non-members are welcomed!

(Past Event) November Presentation (Zoom Meeting)
Hospital Communication for People with Hearing Loss
with Michele Linder

To learn more about captioning advocacy:

Questions email: Michele Linder at michelelinder@hearinglosslive.com

This expands the choices for millions of Americans who need hearing help, but there are many questions as this important story hits the news, HLAA has an important opportunity to be part of the conversation in the media, and with people in need of hearing help.

Resources

HLAA has information including a Tip Sheet to help you decide if OTC is right for you.
Learn more at
hearingloss.org/OTC. The page will be updated as we learn more, and we’ll be posting other materials as events develop.

Main Points

  • OTC means millions of American adults with mild to moderate hearing loss will soon have more choices in hearing aids, and the ability to get them without seeing a doctor or hearing care professional first.

  • HLAA – the leading voice for the growing number of Americans with hearing loss – calls the step a win for millions of adults who have hearing loss and may have been waiting to get the help they need.

  • HLAA advocated for consumer protections including clear labeling on cell phone connectivity.

  • Forty-eight million Americans have hearing loss, and most never get diagnosed or treated. Cost and stigma are common barriers, even though untreated hearing loss is linked with other serious illnesses, isolation, and cognitive decline.

  • HLAA hopes this new class of devices could inspire some people to treat their hearing loss sooner.

  • This is an exciting step, but it’s still important to remember there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to hearing loss. For many, a hearing care professional will still be a part of an effective treatment plan.

  • HLAA also urges all Americans is to get their hearing checked, and not to wait to get treated, no matter what option you choose. HLAA provides ongoing advocacy, resources, and support to empower people with hearing loss.

  • HLAA is urging consumers to check for a return policy before choosing a device, since it’s important to have adequate time to assess and adjust to any hearing aid.

For more information on this important topic, check HLAA’s News Clips and Newsroom.

Denver International Airport Accessibility

The Denver International Airport has established an accessibility committee in order to learn what accessibility measures can be improved at the airport. Disability groups being represented range from the National Federation of the Blind, Colorado Center for the Blind, Alzheimer’s Association, Autism, adult caregivers, etc.

On September 8, two members of the Outreach and Consultative Services team, Katie Cue and Luke Adams joined one of the two tours. Feedback was shared with the airport regarding accessibility for the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind communities. The committee has indicated a willingness to gather more feedback from other stakeholders regarding airport accessibility.

Contact outreach.ccdhhdb@state.co.us if there is any feedback to be shared. All feedback will be compiled and shared with the committee.

The Denver airport shared three programs that may be of interest to stakeholders with disabilities:

A Denver disability lawyer was excluded from jury service because
he has hearing loss.
Now he’s suing the court.

HLAA Colorado supports Spencer Kontnik, an attorney specializing in disability discrimination litigation, and the Colorado Cross Disability Center to bring justice to Mr. Kontnik's discrimination experience and set a better stage for others in the future. We encourage Coloradans to support this lawsuit, especially the deaf and hard of hearing who seek equal communication access to courtrooms and legislative hearings.

Read full story: Spencer Kontnik and the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, a nonprofit advocating for disability rights, ask the Denver County Court to acknowledge that it violated the law.

Watch the CCDC page for updates on the case.

Follow on CCDC Twitter

Follow on CCDC Facebook

Action Alert
from
Melissa Tumblin
Founder of
Ear Community
and
Author of
Ally's Act, H.R. 477 and S. 41

Congressman McKinley Loses W.VA Primaries but YOU are encouraged to write requesting a hearing THIS year.

We Ask for Your Help
Email His Office & 13 HE&C Committee Members

Please email every representative again in October!

QUESTIONS about this Action Alert?
Email:
Melissa Tumblin

You can copy and paste from this section Chairman Frank Pallone's contact information

E-mail Legislative Assistant, Jake Freed at:
jake.freed@mail.house.gov
ph: (202) 225-4671

address: 2107 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515

We would like to encourage people to continue writing to the (13) representatives listed, but please write to Chairman Frank Pallone, the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Please share with Chairman Frank Pallone why Ally's Act, H.R. 477 is important to you and why this legislation matters to you and that you are hopeful this bill gets a hearing this year!"

Ally’s family with Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse at Ear Community Summer Picnic 2022

HLAA-Boulder & Ear Community, Ally at HLAA Boulder Summer Social 2021

Ally, the girl who started this grassroots movement. Congressman McKinley & Melissa Tumblin.

If you want BAHAs and CIs to be covered by private insurance companies from birth to age 64 -
We need your help now!

With the new Over the Counter Hearing Aids news, are you overlooking the importance of this article about Ally’s Act? Cochlear implants(CI) and Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA) are the only other tools to help us hear.

Do you know this bill can help the following people save money:

  • With 90% of children are born to hearing parents, this bill would give parents more affordable options if hearing aids do not work.

  • If you are wearing hearing aids and you have progressive hearing loss, you may become a cochlear implant recipient.

  • People do survive cancer treatments but sometimes lose their hearing from the treatments and may become cochlear implant recipients.

  • Some people become deaf with a sudden blow to the head or congenital disabilities that do not show up until later.

  • People who already have a CI or BAHA.

If you or someone you love is approved for a cochlear implant or parents choose the BAHA option for their child to hear, many private insurers do not cover these operations and devices. Plus, when getting a CI or BAHA, people do not even consider the upcoming costs for the rest of their lives every five years; the devices need costly upgrades.

If your insurance plan does not cover BAHAs or CIs, you can spend tens of thousands of dollars in your lifetime for just one device, and many opt to be fitted with a device on both ears, doubling the costs.

Do you want to help to ensure anyone who acquires hearing loss from birth to age 64 can afford these devices? Please write senators on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to request a hearing for Ally’s Act this year. To see the history of Ally’s Act and where you can take action by sending emails to request a hearing this year please click here.

Thank you!

HLAA Communication Access in Health Care
How to Invite YOUR Healthcare Providers
to Connect with
HLAA
Communication Access in Health Care Program

Do you or have you had problems communicating to anyone in the health care medical field about any of your healthcare issues due to your hearing loss and lack of effective communication in person, over the phone, or patient portal?

To begin having better communication between providers/provider's staff/hospitals and patients with hearing loss, please be a PART OF THE SOLUTION. Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) is asking providers to get involved to find solutions for effective communication between patients and/or patient’s companions with hearing loss and healthcare providers.

The
HLAA Communication Access in Health Care program's goal is for the audience to learn about the unique accommodations certain hospitals from around this country have for people with hearing loss. Be sure to check out HLAA Communication Access Health Care: HLAA Communication Access in Health Care embraces a diverse group of stakeholders invested in the delivery of health care: providers, medical systems, public health researchers and patients. Together, we collaborate toward the common goal of effective communication for people with hearing loss and their companions in all medical encounters.

Now is the time for you and your chosen healthcare companion to begin a congenial conversation with hospital personnel in their local hospital/medical systems and all your medical providers to bring awareness to hearing loss. This conversation is for the mutual benefit of both healthcare settings and individuals of the hearing loss community.

Please share this news widely with hearing health advocates within your chapter, with your local hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, ADA coordinators, patient advocates, and medical providers that would benefit from connecting with this program. We created an email template you can copy, personalize, and paste to send to your provider here.

Questions:
Email the program's Strategic Team
at healthcareaccess@hearingloss.org

Open Caption Moviegoer Survey

This survey is for Colorado residents only.

Please take the survey even if you have not attended an OC movie.

Please only submit the survey once per person.

This survey is for everyone, including deaf and hard of hearing communities and beyond, such as other disabilities and hearing people of all ages.

Take Survey

CELEBRATE OUR FIRST ANNIVERSARY
In Colorado
Open Caption Movies
Shown Regularly or Upon Request

Sunday, June 12th, 2022 marked Colorado’s 1st anniversary since Cinemark announced that all their Colorado locations would begin an On-Screen Captioning program on a volunteer basis that began on June 12, 2021. Soon Regal, AMC and several other theaters began offering OC on a volunteer basis.

Let’s all celebrate our first anniversary and go to the movies all through the winter. Continue to educate all that on-screen captioning is for everyone, not just those with hearing loss.

Due to the advocacy of the Hearing Loss Association of America Boulder Chapter (HLAA Boulder) movie theaters IN COLORADO are offering open caption movies regularly or upon request. Please let the theater know how much you appreciate open captions!

Please patronize any of the participating theaters listed at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/COMovieTheatersWithOCPrograms.

See you at the movies!

Join hands with Colorado’s efforts for open captions at the movies.
Please email us if you have any questions at
HLAABoulderOC@gmail.com.

Click here to Join our Facebook Group

Sign & Share “Movie Theaters - Open Captions (Subtitles) Are Healthier for Everyone” Petition

PLEASE SIGN SHARE THIS "Movie Theaters - Open Captions (Subtitles) are Healthier for Everyone" PETITION because not every Coloradan has a local Cinemark, Regal or AMC. We hope all Coloradans and Americans someday soon have a local theater with choices of using closed caption devices or On-Screen Caption showings.

We need both in-state and out-of-state signatures petition signatures as , but would Coloradans please speak up? Please sign and share the petition. Thank you!

Let’s Loop Colorado!

Hearing loops are the most user-friendly of the assistive listening options and the first choice for many people, offering benefits for individuals and venues alike.

Everything you need is on the website

Colorado Map with hearing loops: https://www.loopcolorado.org/looped-venues

Videos about hearing loops: https://www.loopcolorado.org/videos

And tons of resources.

Need telecoil handouts? A free presentation about hearing loops in your community? Resources to support your advocacy work? Questions?

Email: LetsLoopColorado@gmail.com

Website: https://www.loopcolorado.org

One Membership Gives Benefits of
Both HLAA National & Local Chapter News

As an HLAA member, you are part of an organization with a mission to provide information, education, support and advocacy to people with hearing loss. Through our advocacy work at the federal level, we represent 48 million people nationally with hearing loss in the United States – that includes you.

HLAA Membership Benefits

With HLAA as your
advocate for better hearing health policy to benefit the more than 48 million Americans living with hearing loss, HLAA provides a number of membership benefits and other incentives to keep you connected to our community, including Hearing Life magazine.

We also offer the following to our members to keep you informed, educated and to offer support:

  • Hearing Life e-News – Subscribe to our digital e-newsletter that features current information on hearing loss and HLAA events. Hearing Life e-News is delivered to your inbox twice per month.

  • Facebook Official Community & Support group and HLAA Online Community – Join our online community and special interest groups where you will connect to a nationwide community for support and sharing of ideas.

  • Calendar – Find out more about HLAA national and local events.

  • HLAA News and the Hear This! Blog– Subscribe to our RSS feed to receive HLAA updates, news and blog posts. See the latest news here.

  • Chapters – Chapter and state organizations offer local support for people with living hearing loss.

  • Educational Webinars and Virtual Meetings – See recordings of past webinars and meetings for more resources and support.

Please consider becoming or renewing HLAA membership today! Thank you for your consideration, and for your continued support of HLAA!

We will be honored if you choose Boulder Chapter to represent us at the state level.

Thank you!

Become a Member/Renew - Register Here

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Get Involved - We Love Volunteers!

Getting involved is a fun way to meet new friends! We would love to hear of any talents and skills you would like to offer.

Do you have news to share? We need help with advocating, a newsletter editor, ideas for virtual social games, ideas for meeting topics and help locating speakers to name a few.

We need volunteers for Open Caption movie projects and forming our Colorado Healthcare Taskforce.

Do you have questions, or comments? If you would like to find out more, just reply to this email or contact us at HLAABoulder@gmail.com.

Thank you!

HLAA Convention June 29-July 1, 2023 New Orleans!

We look forward to seeing you at the HLAA 2023 Convention at the New Orleans Marriott in New Orleans, LA, June 29-July 1, 2023. Registration and the call for educational workshops will open this fall. Follow us on social media, #hlaa2023.

Questions about the HLAA Convention? Email Amanda Watson at convention@hearingloss.org.

Want to showcase your company at the HLAA 2023 Convention?

Learn More