JUL:AUG 2013 E-Newsletter - Hearing Loss Association of Florida

HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, FLORIDA STATE ASSOCIATION 

ISSUE NO. 40! JULY/AUGUST 2013 

Hear Ye, Hear Ye 

A Convention in the City of Roses 

Eight hundred HLAA members gather in Portland 

Ask anyone who has ever attended 

an HLAA Convention and 

they will tell you 2013 was one of 

the best ever! Portland was gorgeous 

and so friendly. Residents 

even apologized for the hot 

weather. 

It truly warrants the title of 

“The City of Roses.” Many of the 

blossoms are the size of saucers 

and run the gamut of rainbow colors. 

It was a sad-sweet time when 

we took time to say goodbye to 

Brenda Battat 

Brenda Battat. After almost 25 

years, the last five as Executive 

Director, she will enjoy welldeserved 

time for herself and her 

family. Husband Joe, especially, 

will have time to cherish more 

special moments with her as will 

her children and grandchildren. 

Under Brenda’s administration, 

the Walk4Hearing has grown immensely, 

finances are on a more 

stable footing, partnerships with 

other organizations have increased 

Continued on page 3 

Will you Walk4Hearing? 

STEP UP for people with hearing loss! 

Saturday, November 9, 2013 

Metropolitan Park • Jacksonville 

Kickoff Brunch, San Jose Country Club Jacksonville 

Saturday, September 21 

Register here. Go to Jacksonville Walk 

www.Walk4Hearing.org 

Check out our Facebook page and LIKE us. 

www.facebook.com/Walk4HearingJacksonville 

Questions? Email judygmartin@bellsouth.net 

JoAnne DeVries, Sarasota 

will Walk4Hearing 

Floridaʼs Voice for Hearing Loss • www.hla-fl.org • www.facebook.com/HLAAFlorida



BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

Hearing Loss Association of America, 

Florida State Association 

• www.hla-fl.org 

Judy G. Martin, Jacksonville 

judygmartin@bellsouth.net 

904-778-2265 

Theresa (Tess) Crowder, Tampa 

tmt.tess@verizon.net 

813-814-7736 

JoAnne DeVries, Sarasota 

941-320-8825 

jdv.devries8@gmail.com 

Richard Herring, Riverview 

rhmann@tampabay.rr.com 

813-677-2192 

Brad Ingrao, Tampa 

bingrao@e-audiology.net 

(813) 420-0980 

Flo Innes, Sarasota 

a4bh@msn.com 

941-349-3057 

Joseph Nadeau, Miami 

joe@jenadeau.com 

305-666-7100 

PRESIDENT 

James Diaz, Oviedo 

combobulated@earthlink.net 

407-489-7531 

STATE CHAPTER CO-COORDINATORS 

Trustees 

UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS 

Saturday, October 12, 2013 - Tampa 

Saturday, February 1, 2014 - TBA 

Edward Ogiba, Sarasota 

ed@groupefo.com 

941-706-4312 

Lynn Rousseau,Gainesville 

HLAFlorida@aol.com 

352-331-9808 

Don M. Shaffer, Plant City 

advocman4hi@yahoo.com 

813-719-3074 

Richard Williams, Lakewood Ranch 

RNW1976@aol.com 

941-907-0136 

PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR 

James Forstall, Tallahassee 

jforstall@ftri.org 

888-292-1950 X230 

ACCOUNTANT 

Don Powell, Gainesville 

Florida State Association 

The opinions in this issue 

are those of the authors and 

not of HLAA. Inclusion of a 

product does not mean 

HLAA endorsement nor 

does exclusion of a product 

mean disapproval. 

Attention Florida 

Residents 

Join HLAA Now 

We hope you agree that there is 

nowhere else where people with 

hearing loss can benefit from a 

national advocacy presence, a 

website with reliable, organized, 

and archived answers to questions 

about hearing loss and assistive 

technology, the Hearing Loss 

Magazine, with credible, current 

information, over 200 local support 

chapters and 14 state organizations, 

discounts to annual 

national conventions and many 

regional conferences. 

If you are a member of Facebook, check us out. You can add news and 

photos of your chapter, send announcements of events or share hearing 

loss news of general interest. You can follow us on Twitter or join our 

Yahoo group. 

www.facebook.com/HLAAFlorida 

twitter.com/hlaflorida 

health.groups.yahoo.com/group/HLA-FL/ 

All issues of Hear Ye, Hear Ye 

will be posted on our website 

only. If you are on our mailing 

list, you will receive an 

email when it is available. If 

you want to subscribe, unsubscribe 

or are getting duplicate 

notices, please use 

this link to tell us: 

HearYeHearYe2006@gmail.com 

You Can Help 

We publish six electronic newsletters (November, 

January, March, May, July and September).Circulation is 

800. All editions are posted to the website and remain 

there. 

Advertising rates for the e-newsletter are $150 for a 

full page, $85 for a half page and $50 for a quarter page. 

Chapter leaders, please forward the link for this newsletter 

to your members or you may send us their e-mail 

addresses. 

Subscribe (or unsubscribe) to our electronic edition 

by sending an email to 

HearYeHearYe2006@gmail.com 

! Floridaʼs Voice for Hearing Loss • www.hla-fl.org • www.facebook.com/HLAAFlorida ! 2



Convention Continued !om page 1 

greatly, and the search for affordable hearing aids 

was intensified. There is not enough room to write 

about all she has done. We will miss you, Brenda. 

Anna Gilmore 

Hall 

The Convention was also 

a time for welcoming our 

new Executive Director, 

Anna Gilmore Hall. She 

was able to get a small 

taste of what we are like 

when everyone greeted her 

warmly. She took on her 

new duties on July 8. You 

can read more about Anna on the HLAA website: 

www.hearingloss.org/content/new-hlaa-ed 

Since I was to co-moderate a workshop for State 

Coordinators from around the country, Tom and I arrived 

early in the week on Tuesday afternoon. We 

traveled from PDX (Portland International Airport) to 

the Doubletree using the MAX Light Rail Service 

which travels all over Portland. What a treat. It picked 

us up right outside the baggage area and deposited us 

across the street from the hotel. The half-hour ride gave 

us a chance to relax and view Portland through the 

windows. (Jacksonville could use one of these!) 

The workshop for State Coordinators went well. 

For the last three years, Debbie Mohney, Coordinator 

from Colorado, and I, have led this roundtable discussion. 

She and I are always amazed how we come away 

from this event energized and having learned so much 

from our colleagues. Later that evening, the traditional 

“Florida Party,” hosted by Flo Innes and Lynn Rousseau, 

HLAA-Florida board members, was as popular as 

ever. Even a few out-of-Florida people were there. 

Thank you, ladies. 

The next day, the Convention began in earnest. Out 

of the corner of our eyes, though, we began to see 

some strange strangers wandering through the halls. 

After a little investigating, it seems that a Leaky.Con 

event was being held in the Oregon Convention Center. 

For those who don’t know, this is a conference hosted 

by the Harry Potter fan site. Imagine! Five thousand 

Harry Potters fans vs 800 HLAA members. They certainly 

added a lot of positive energy and noise to the 

Convention site. Fun! 

The workshops ran from Thursday through Saturday 

and covered innumerable and varied subjects on 

advocacy, assistive technology, hearing aids and cochlear 

implants, relationships and communication, and 

state and chapter development. There was something 

for everyone. The presenters were impeccable in their 

knowledge. If you would like to get an idea of the 

large number of workshops, you can go here: 

www.hearingloss.org/content/2013-schedule 

The exhibit hall was the dream of every one who 

ever searched for options to increase their hearing understanding. 

You can see the list of those companies 

w h o h e l p u s e v e r y d a y o f t h e y e a r , 

24/7:www.hearingloss.org/events/convention/exhibitor 

-list-and-floor-plan. 

The Opening 

Session began Thursday 

night, with Howard 

Weinstein as the 

keynote speaker. He is 

the inventor of solarpowered 

hearing aids 

and does much of his 

work with third-world 

countries in which 

residents cannot even 

afford minimal fees for 

batteries. 

Other guests included 

Jacob Landis 

who is pedaling cross 

country stopping at 

Howard Weinstein 

baseball parks along 

the way to raise funds 

for kids who cannot 

afford cochlear implants 

www.jacobsride.com/jacobs-story/ and the 

president of IFHOH, the International Federation of 

Hard of Hearing People. She 

announced that the they 

would hold their 2016 World 

Congress in Washington, DC 

to coincide with the HAA 

Convention! That was exciting 

news! 

Friday morning was the time 

set aside for the Research Symposium on the latest developments 

in hearing rehabilitation research. Subjects 

covered were Diabetes and Hearing Loss; Approaches 

to Tinnitus Management; Progressive Tinnitus Management; 

Approaches to Auditory Rehabilitation 

(Computerized Auditory Training and Group Aural 

Rehabilitation. Our brains were overflowing when we 

left, but with very helpful information. Friday night 

we boarded a shuttle or the light train and headed to- 

Continued on page 4 




Convention Continued !om page 3 

ward the 

World Forestry 

Center. 

It was closed 

except to our 

HLAA members 

and it is 

here where 

we had our 

dinner. The 

scenery was 

i n c r e d i b l e , 

the food and 

wine delicious 

and the 

museum 

something to 

r e m e m b e r. 

Portland by night Those who 

c h o s e t o , 

could take a 

ride on a vertical, chairlift up to a simulated canopy. 

No one got stuck! 

Saturday night at the Farewell Banquet we gave 

our blessings and good wishes to Brenda Battat as 

she starts a new journey in her life. Good music and 

a terrific video presentation sped her on the way. 

Sunday morning rounded out the week with the 

Awards Breakfast. Aimee Ivey, from Jacksonville, 

brought home the award for 

Chapter Website. As our 

chapter’s webmaster and 

secretary, she works hard to 

keep the site current and 

accurate. Aimee is the 

webmaster for the HLAA- 

Florida State Association as 

well. She is innovative in 

her thinking by implementing 

new ideas and reacting 

positively and quickly to 

Aimee Ivey 

emails, suggestions and new ideas. Congratulations, 

Aimee for the work you are doing on behalf of people 

with hearing loss in Jacksonville and the state of Florida 

. 

After presentations were made to the top volunteers 

of the nation, each person headed off in different 

a direction, either to return home or to continue 

their vacation. 

As each person left, the calls were heard, “Goodbye,” 

“I’ll miss you,” “See you next year in Austin.” 

Will we see YOU there in 2014? 

–Judy G. Martin 

Thank you, HLAA, for introducing us to 

this lovely city. It is indeed a rose. 

Good bye Portland. Weʼre not leaving 

on a jet plane, but leaving by the Max 

Light Rail. You were superb! 




“My grandmother started walking five 

miles a day when she was sixty. She's 

ninety-seven now, and we don't know 

where the heck she is.” 

― Ellen DeGeneres 

www.harriscomm.com 

Hear with Clarity and Understanding 

Learn how to get double duty from your 

hearing aid or cochlear implant 

Hear better in: 

• home TV rooms 

• senior facilities 

• houses of worship 

• civic centers 

• museums 

• performing arts centers 

• library meeting rooms 

• tour buses, airports and more 

Call (305) 423-9950 (1-888-728-9950) 

for more information or email 

Joe@FloridaHearingLoopSystems.com 

Visit us at: 

www.FloridaHearingLoopSystems.com 




Kickoff Brunch, Sat., Sept. 21 

San Jose Country Club 




Does Work Have to Stop When You Retire? Not If You Love 

Your Work and Donʼt Want to Stop! 

After practicing Audiology for the past 40 

years, I decided it was time to retire on May 14th last 

year. Like many retirees, I made a bucket list that included 

wonderful ideas such as Tai Chi classes, reading 

more than two relaxing and/or informative books a 

year, spending more time with my husband, gardening, 

spending time at the beach, volunteering in the Gainesville 

community, learning how to bake yummy vegan 

cupcakes, visiting my three children who live in Sarasota, 

Orlando, and Redlands, CA, waking up with no 

work deadlines, etc. Maybe not terribly super exciting, 

but I was looking forward to being able to decide each 

m o r n i n g w h a t I 

wanted to do (if anything). 

How is my bucket 

list doing after one 

year of retirement? 

I’ve attended Tai Chi 

classes every once in 

awhile (okay, four 

times in the past 

year); still hoping to 

finish reading two 

books by the end of 

May; yes, I do see 

my husband a bit 

more than I did before 

retirement; no 

Dr. Patricia Kricos 

cupcake trials yet; 

some community volunteering, such as lecturing at the 

library about hearing loss and hearing help for adults; 

and I have visited all three children. As a professor, 

how would I grade my bucket list success? At best, 

maybe a C+. But maybe in the coming year, I will 

bring my bucket list grade up a bit. In the meantime, I 

have managed to have a wonderful time during my first 

year of retirement. How so? By engaging in audiology 

and hearing loss-related work that I have always enjoyed, 

and find difficult to give up. 

Abe Lemons, a well-known college basketball 

coach from 1955 to 1990, once said: “The trouble with 

retirement is that you never get a day off.” Fortunately, 

despite my retirement, I feel that I am still able to get a 

day off when I want to, due to my self-planned commitments 

to continue working. In many ways, I feel 

my self-regulated assignments are more fun and uplifting 

than ones I was obliged to work on as an employed 

audiologist. This year’s self-endeavors include serving 

on the Advisory Board of the Ida Institute in Denmark, 

as well as on the Board of Trustees of the Hearing Loss 

Association of America. Other fun “work” activities 

have included conducting research on hearing loops 

and telecoils, teaching a course at the University of 

Iowa in the winter, attending and/or speaking at a 

number of conferences, libraries, etc., providing Living 

With Hearing Loss classes, and a number of other fun 

work activities. All in all, it has been a wonderful year 

of self-controlled work and I look forward to the next 

year ahead. James Barrie, a Scottish author and dramatist 

who created Peter Pan, once said the following: 

“Nothing is really work unless you would rather be 

doing something else.” In my case, I may be officially 

retired, but I am still working with and learning from 

folks who live with hearing loss, and enjoying every 

single bit. 

Cheers to all for your indomitable spirit and 

your devotion to helping others, 

Pat Kricos 

And thank YOU, Pat for the many years you 

have given to the Hearing Loss Association of Florida 

Board of Trustees. We’d come to expect the latest 

news from the world of Audiology, sage advice when 

asked, and experienced the warmest of friendship with 

you. Members of the Board wish you only the very 

best during your retirement. PS. We see you’ve already 

gotten involved as noted below with the Hearing Loss 

Association of America Board of Trustees. They could 

not have found anyone more appropriate. 

••• 

Patricia Kricos, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus in 

the field of audiology at the University of Florida. She 

graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with 

her bachelor degree, and obtained her master’s and 

Ph.D. degrees at Ohio State University. Her major 

clinical and research interests are in audiologic rehabilitation, 

especially for adults. Dr. Kricos taught at the 

University of Florida (UF) for 31 years and continues 

to conduct research and to oversee Living with Hearing 

Loss programs at UF. During her tenure as a professor 

of audiology at UF, she served for five years as 

the Director of the UF Center for Gerontological Studies. 

Prior to moving to Florida, she taught for five 

Continued on next page 




Continued from previous page 

years at the University of Akron, and two years as an 

educational audiologist in Sarasota, Florida. 

Dr. Kricos is past-president of the American Academy 

of Audiology and past-president of the Academy of 

Rehabilitative Audiology, and she served as Chair of 

Valerie Stafford-Mallis joins HLAA 

Board of Trustees 

Valerie is the Business Development Manager for 

Alternative Communication Services (ACS) LLC. 

Prior to joining ACS, she served as Health Educator 

Consultant for the Florida Coordinating 

Council for the 

Deaf and Hard of Hearing 

(FCCDHH). She is an oral, 

late-deafened adult who uses 

b i - l a t e r a l c o c h l e a r 

implants. She also utilizes 

many other types of assistive 

technology in her activities of daily living. As a person 

who lost her hearing while she was still in the workforce, 

Valerie has experienced first-hand the struggles 

faced by all persons with disabilities to maintain employment, 

independence and full-participation in 

public-life. 

Valerie conducts trainings and advises and educates 

public and private organizations on methods that 

improve communication access for persons who are 

deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, and deaf-blind. 

She has presented widely at the national, state, and 

local level to conventions, professional associations, 

continuing education organizations, employers, healthcare 

providers, law enforcement and public safety organizations, 

and businesses. She also provided subject 

matter expertise by serving on a number of state councils, 

commissions, and task forces in Florida. 

Valerie is active in the deaf and hard of hearing 

community. She was appointed to the HLAA Board of 

Trustees in May 2013 and serves on the board of trustees 

of the Sarasota Chapter. She is a member of the 

Association of Late-Deafened Adults and chairs the 

Outreach Committee. She was nominated by Communication 

Access Inc. for its 2013 Hearing Loss Advocate 

of the Year. She also supports the Humane Society 

of Manatee County. 

• • • 

the American Board of Audiology Board of Governors. 

She serves on the Advisory Council of the Better Hearing 

Institute and the Ida Institute, and as professional 

advisor for the Hearing Loss Association of Florida 

Board of Trustees. 


Lee Guidi of Palatka 


A vigorous five-mile walk will do more 

good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy 

adult than all the medicine and psychology 

in the world. ~Paul Dudley White 




Lynn Rousseau was emcee for the 

Awards Breakfast at the Convention. 

To open the event, she read 

free verse she had prepared for the 

occasion. 

ON VOLUNTEERING 

Once in a while, someone will ask me 

how long I have been doing this. 

I really can’t tell them. 

Sometimes it seems like 

forever. Sometimes, not nearly long 

enough ! 

That doesn’t matter. 

What DOES matter are those of us 

who: 

Volunteer to ~ 

Listen to concerns of others 

Sing their praises as they learn to 

accept their hearing loss 

Build a Hearing Loss chapter for 

support 

Plant a seed of self-confidence 

Volunteer to~ 

Print information to share 

Stick labels on a newsletters 

Drive to the board meetings 

Speak to eager- to- learn students , 

any and ALL age groups 

Volunteer to~ 

Serve in your community, offer time 

to 

Communicate clearly and effectively 

Make visible , the invisible condition 

of hearing loss 

~ reach out to others, their families 

and friends 

~ Educate the community. 

~ And Continue to learn new 

ways to help others. 

What DOES matter to those of us who 

volunteer is this: 

Whatever you are doing 

For those you have not yet met 

For accessibility everywhere 

For your community 

For our nation, 

~It is not just the “doing” in all your 

volunteer work, 

but rather ,the result. 


*This is what is important.* 

~It is an honor to be here to celebrate 

ALL of us who volunteer their time 

and energy to helping others. 

Let’s Begin! 

Lynn Rousseau of 

Gainesville 


FTRI and HLA-Florida to Sponsor Hearing Loss Seminars in 2014 

The one-day hearing loss seminar sponsored by 

Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc., and HLA- 

Florida originally scheduled for July in Orlando has 

been postponed until 2014. 

“It is our goal to host two seminars in 2014 to 

reach out to the hearing loss community”, said 

James Forstall, FTRI Executive Director. “The collaboration 

with HLA-Florida provides the perfect 

opportunity for FTRI to reach out to the community 

and share information and showcase assistive technologies 

available today.” 

A January seminar is planned for Jacksonville 

and a late April seminar for Orlando. For more information 

contact Michael Sutter, FTRI Outreach 

Specialist and Event Coordinator: 800-222-3448, 

ext. 238. 

Members of the Jacksonville 

Walk4Hearing Committee met in 

July at the Mandarin Public 

Library to continue planning for 

the Kickoff Brunch on September 

21 and the November 9th Walk. 

From left, clockwise, are Gerry 

and Anita Budd; Judy Martin; 

Theresea Taylor, CART; Siobhan 

Egan; Aimee and Walt Ivey. 




HLA-Florida – Call for Board Applications 

The Hearing Loss Association of Florida (HLA- 

FL) is seeking qualified individuals to serve on the 

HLA-FL Board of Trustees for three-year terms. 

Who is Eligible? 

All members of Hearing Loss Association of 

America (HLAA) who are Florida residents are eligible. 

HLA-FL is committed to assembling a board comprised 

of individuals with a diversity of skills, backgrounds, 

hearing loss, and ages. Hearing applicants 

with sensitivity to the needs of people with hearing 

loss will be considered. Ability to work with others is 

essential. Positive thinkers with the desire to improve 

the quality of life for hard of hearing Florida residents 

are encouraged to apply. HLA-FL members can nominate 

themselves for board membership or nominate 

another Florida HLAA member (with permission). 

What is Required? 

The board meets at least three times a year in locations 

that vary to provide equitable geographic access. 

Members are encouraged to attend all meetings. Costs 

of travel are the members’ responsibility. Members are 

asked to take active roles on standing and ad hoc 

committees. Meetings are presently held on Saturdays 

to accommodate employed members. Major committee 

work occurs between board meetings and is most often 

transacted by e-mail or chat room, and thus, Board 

members are required to have e-mail access. Reimbursements 

of previously approved expenses on behalf 

of HLA-FL are available to trustees upon request. 

How to Apply for the HLA-FL Board 

Application forms are available for download 

here: Application They should be returned to 

JoAnne DeVries, 1350 Main Street, #1107, 

Sarasota, FL 34236 or scanned to her at 

jdv.devries8@gmail.com 

The Hearing Loss Association of Florida Board of Trustees 

met on June 2. The resignation of Robert Astle, as president, 

was regretfully accepted. We wish him well. Jim Diaz, as vicepresident, 

stepped up and will serve as president until the Annual 

Meeting on October 12 in Tampa at which times elections 

will be held. 

Above from left, front row: Judy Martin;, Lynn Rousseau; 

Flo Innes; and Ed Ogiba. Second row, Brandi Kent, CART; Joe 

Nadeau; Tess Crowder; Richard Williams; Jim Diaz; Brad Ingrao; 

JoAnne DeVries; Don Shaffer. 

In photo at upper right, board members listen intently to 

Jack Levine of the 4Generations Institute, a motivational 

speaker. He was well-received and everyone gave him high 

marks for his inspirational talk. 


Walt Ivey of Jacksonville 





How do you feel about 

your hearing loss? 

Reprinted from March 2011, Hear Ye, Hear Ye 

One of the many ways that HLAA offers support 

is its message board. Topics include Middle 

Ear Implants; Tinnitus; Technology Tips; Families, 

Friends and You; Employment Barriers; and 

much, much more. Recently a reader asked this 

question and it became very popular as people 

poured out their hearts. Register and join us at the 

HLAA Message Board. You won’t be sorry. 

http://www.hear4life.org/ 

• • • 

I think about being fired from my job. 

I think about the losing battle to get my job back 

again. 

I think about times when bluffing has left me feeling 

isolated and embarrassed. 

I think about my frustration about my 

inability to interact socially. 

I think of the fear of answering the 

telephone or of getting into a conversation 

that I can’t understand or continue. 

I think about my loss of independence 

and reliance on others to hear and interpret 

for me. 

I think of losing my ability to hear, enjoy 

and understand music. 

The word that pops into my brain that describes 

all of this is “humiliation”. 

Losing my hearing has been a humiliating and 

humbling experience. 

Of course I know it’s not good to dwell on negative 

thoughts. 

And I know that there are many strategies for 

lessening the impact of hearing loss. 

But equally it’s not good to live in denial about 

having hearing loss. 

The considerable practical and social difficulties 

are a daily challenge. 

The associated feelings of loss and bereavement 

are worth describing and acknowledging before moving 

on with life. 

• • • 

I feel blessed that my cochlear implant and hearing 

aid have restored enough hearing for me to be active 

again. 

I am grateful for the members in my HLAA chapter. 

Their mentoring and support has made a huge difference. 

I am thankful our chapter meets in auditorium 

which has a hearing loop system. 

I appreciate the CART support we have at all 

meetings. 

I am beholden that captions on TV are almost universal 

I am pleased that captions are becoming more 

prevalent at movies and plays 

I am encouraged that more people with hearing 

loss are speaking out for our needs 

• • • 

I often think my hearing loss is like living in a 

foreign country and not speaking/understanding the 

language since so much of the speech I hear sounds 

like some other language. 

I wonder what it is like to have "normal" hearing. 

I would love to know what that is like. I try not to 

have my own little pity party, and most of the time I 

am just accepting that, in fact, I don't hear well. 

I am thankful that I was not born deaf and was 

able to learn to speak. I am thankful that I was 

able to work until about 10 years ago and do a 

good job and am accepting that I won't work at 

a job again. 

I am thankful that I can afford (sometimes) to 

try out new technologies and am able (usually) 

to figure them out. 

I am thankful that I can see and walk. 

I hate that I don't feel good enough (worthy) to 

join, go, or be a part of whatever interests me. 

So, I guess we can all be as happy as we make up 

our minds to be. 

• • • 

As a Deaf person, I am happier than I have been 

in a long time. I have friends that completely accept 

me and don't see me as "broken". I have a language 

that will carry me through however much more hearing 

I lose. 

I'm thankful that I found an audiologist that not 

only listens to me but also makes me laugh. (and 

didn't scoff when I said I wanted earmolds with glitter!) 

Sometimes I get frustrated when I have to use the 

phone and there's someone with a thick accent I can't 

understand. 

I get angry that 72% of Deaf people are un- or 

under-employed because that number includes a handful 

of friends that are brilliantly smart and hard working 

but can't get an interview because employers don't 

want to hire an interpreter. 

Then, after angry, I get nervous that I won't be 

able to find another job if something ever happens to 

Continued on next page 




Continued from previous page 

the job I have now. 

• • • 

There is an 'inside of me' that is always alone. No 

one else can visit there. It's been like that since I was a 

kid. 

How do you feel about your hearing loss? 

Crushing at times. 

Always lagging conversations, robbed of verbal 

spontaneity. 

Fight or flight, in times of misunderstood crisis? 

Post-traumatic stress disorder? 

So much pretending, faking, bluffing, withdrawal. 

An innocent means of survival. 

Hearing loss is 24/7. I am constantly reminded 

with every conversation, sound, and puzzled face. It 

really never stops. Not even asleep at night. 

Overcoming the odds, those occasional triumphs, 

help boost morale. It's a high most others don't understand. 

And all it takes is a nod, a wink, or a pat on the 

back 

• • • 

I'm too stubborn to let my hearing loss bother me. 

Yeah, there are times that I wish I could hear better. 

There are things that I'm less likely to do because 

of my hearing loss. 

I live in the here and now. I rarely regret the past 

and rarely worry about the future. 

Life goes on. 

• • • 

Do you see yourself here? If you’d like to write to 

tell us how you feel about your hearing loss, we’ll publish 

it in the next issue – anonymously if you wish. 


Ed Ogiba of Sarasota 


Her pleasure in the walk must 

arise from the exercise and the 

day, from the view of the last 

smiles of the year upon the 

tawny leaves and withered 

hedges, and from repeating to 

herself some few of the thousand 

poetical descriptions extant 

of autumn--that season of 

peculiar and inexhaustible influence 

on the mind of taste and 

tenderness--that season which 

has drawn from every poet worthy 

of being read some attempt 

at description, or some lines of 

feeling.” 

― Jane Austen, Persuasion 




Convention Photo Gallery - Florida Edition - Part 1 

Pat Kricos, Joan Haber, Judy Martin, Jeff Bonnell 

Juliëtte Sterkens, AlexanderMagnus Boakes 

Elizabeth LeBarron, Juliëtte Sterkens, 

Valerie Stafford-Mallis 

Michael Stone, Jim Diaz, Debbie Mohney, 

Malik B. El-Amin, Ahme Stone 

These are the beautiful faces that greeted us. 

Hollace Goodman, Amy Becktell, 

Molly Corum, Dianna Attaway 




Convention Photo Gallery - Florida Edition - part 2 

Mary Lou Nadeau 

The Florida Group at the Awards Breakfast 

Jeff Bonnell 

and Flo Innes 

Andrea 

Wilson at the 

Japanese 

Gardens, 

Portland 

Judy Martin, Joan Haber, 

JoAnne DeVries 

C.A.P.U. (Cochlear America Products Users) Group. First row, 

George Ghorade (with Rover), Karen Utter, Lou Touchette, 

Judy Martin, Rosemary Tuite (with Janet); second row, Anni 

Settingsgard, Pat Dobbs, Georgia Ann May-Fleischer, Molly 

Corum; third row, Joe Nadeau, Joan Haber, Karen Keil; last 

row, Kathy Borzell (with Lady). 





Loops and T-Coils Yahoo Group 

Jeff Bonnell and JoAnne DeVries 

Sam Trychin, George, 

Lise Hamlin, Ronnie Adler 

Walt and Aimee Ivey Judy and Richard Williams Judy and Tom Martin 





Nancy Macklin with her tattoo 

Max Maxfield, Juliëtte Sterkens, Kathy Borzell, Tim 

Boyd, Rosemary Tuite (with Lady and Janet) 

Debbie Mohney and Jim Diaz 

Kelley family - Bill, Patrick and Barbara 

Walt and Aimee Ivey wait for the train to 

take them to the airport. 




Dr. Dave receives Oticonʼs Focus on People Award for Advocacy 

Dr. David Myers extended his 

appreciation with the following remarks 

at the awards luncheon. He 

has long been a friend to HLAA, 

particularly to Florida when, in November 

2007, he came to spread the 

word about hearing loops before 

they were barely known in this state. 

Dr. David Myers 

Thank you, Oticon . . . for shining 

your light on our grassroots effort 

to transform American assistive 

listening. . . . 

In 1999, while worshiping at 

Scotland's 

Iona Abbey, 

I could not 

understand 

the reverb 

e r a t i n g 

words. My 

wife, noticing 

a heari 

n g l o o p 

sign, nudged 

me to turn on the telecoils in my 

new aids. The instant result was a 

stunningly clear voice speaking 

from the center of my head I was on 

the verge of tears. 

In our subsequent UK sojourns, 

I have seen hearing loops spread to 

cathedrals and churches, to auditoriums, 

and to service points, such as 

ticket windows, post offices, and all 

London taxis. 

Back home, I installed hearing 

loops in my home and office, enabling 

my TV and phone to broadcast 

wonderfully clear sound through my 

aids. 

As you well know, other technologies 

also connect people to their 

phones and TVs. Where hearing 

loops excel, and complement proprietary 

wireless technologies, is in 

public settings. And that is the focus 

of our national hearing loop movement, 

which aims to double hearing 

instrument functionality—by enabling 

aids and implants to serve as 

wireless speakers for the broadcast 

of sound in public venues. 

Thanks to a growing army of 

volunteer advocates and professional 

installers, we now have thousands of 

recently looped venues. 

· Some are small, such as New 

York City's 450 subway booths, all 

its future taxis, and likely all future 

U.S. passenger rail and subway cars, 

· Some are bigger, such as worship 

places, auditoriums, and now 

this room. 

· And some are huge, such as 

airports and Michigan State Universitys 

basketball arena. 

The advantages of these 

hearing loops include 

· their simplicity of use. 

They are directly hearing aid 

compatible, with no need to 

seek out or fuss with extra 

equipment. 

· their affordability—thanks 

to the virtually 

free telecoil. 

· their energy efficiency—with 

no hearing aid battery 

power consumed. 

· their scalability—from 

pharmacy counters to arenas, 

and, 

most importantly, 

· their universality—their 

working in public 

places for potentially any 

hearing instrument wearer in 

any country. 

So on behalf of my fellow hearing 

advocates, I encourage you who 

are hearing care providers to support 

this hearing assistance movement 

· by installing a demonstration 

hearing loop in your office, 

· by giving your patients telecoils, 

and 

· by educating both your patients 

and your community 

And I encourage you, Oticon 

and your sister companies, to continue 

supporting our effort to double 

the usefulness of hearing instruments—by 

designing and marketing 

aids with telecoils in a loop-friendly 

orientation. 

Given the support of hearing 

consumers, of hearing professionals, 

and of the hearing industry, I envision 

a transformed future . . . 

· a future with a universal wireless 

receiver—a telecoil—in virtually 

every hearing instrument, 

· a future where demand will 

grow for hearing aids, which will 

serve as customized, wireless speakers 

in all sorts of public venues, 

· a future where doubly useful 

Joan Haber, then chair of the FCCDHH, Dr. 

Dave, leading hearing loop expert, and Judy 

Martin, FCCDHH Wannabe, joined together 

for breakfast before his presentation to the 

Council in November 2007. 

hearing aids for challenged ears will 

become as commonplace as glasses 

for challenged eyes, and, therefore, 

· a future where the hearing industry 

and those it serves will all 

flourish. 

And I thank you all for collaborating 

with those of us in the hearing 

loss community to make that dream 

come true. 

–David G. Myers 

Oticon Focus on People 

Awards Luncheon 

May 16, 2013 




OUR CHAPTERS SPEAK . . . 

Chapter meetings are held: 

The second Thursday of the 

month at 6:00 p.m. 

Central Florida Speech & Hearing 

Center, Community Room 

3020 Lakeland Highlands Road 

Lakeland, FL 33803 

Contact information: 

Chapter e-mail: 

hla-lakeland@hotmail.com 

Chapter Website: 

www.hla-‐lakeland.org 

Our next mee4ng: 

August 8 -‐ Potluck 

No speakers at this 

mee4ng. We will have 

a potluck and general 

discussions. 

Upcoming Chapter mee4ngs: 

9/12/13 Earnie Roberts 

Voca4onal Rehabilita4on 

10/10 Toni Godinez 

Hard of Hearing and the 

Court System 

Other Chapter ac4vi4es: 

* Annual Elec4ons 

* Planning for Christmas dinner 

Oscar Segal speaks to 

members of 

HLA-Miami. 

Oscar Segal, President of the South Palm Beach County Chapter gave 

a presentation on the dangers of hearing loss.He covered many important 

areas and generated a lot of interest for the attendees. 

The Miami chapter had its last meeting of the summer on June 10. 

Our speakers were A.J. Sondossi of FTRI and Greg Denes of AT&T 

Relay. A.J. gave a terrific presentation on FTRI and its services. Greg 

spoke briefly on how AT&T Relay and its function in providing captioned 

telephone service with CapTel. 

Our next meeting is scheduled for September 9, 2013. Our guest 

speaker will be Scott Rinehart of Cochlear Americas. Scott will present 

new information on middle and inner ear implants. 

Come join us at: 

A. D. Barnes Park. • 3401 SW 72 Ave. • Miami Florida 33155 

Located at the corner of Bird Road and SW 72 Ave. 

Joe Dashiell, President 

Phone 305-213-4092 Email info@hla-gm.org • www.hla-gm.org 

Take the word DISABILITY and by removing the 

D-I-S and exchange the Y for I-E-S the word becomes 

ABILITIES. 

We can then examined the ABILITIES that we do 

have, and then by adding the prefix P-O-S-S and 

changing the A to I the word becomes POSSIBILI- 

TIES, we then can focus on this to help us lead a fulfilled 

productive life. 

So we can ask ourselves today, where is our focus? 

What prefix are we adding to the front of our 

ABILITIES? 

Merv Daniels, HLAA Orlando Chapter 




We welcomed Dr. Drew 

Horlbeck on Tuesday, June 18 as 

our guest speaker. He was introduced 

by Catherine Swanson, a 

speech language pathologist, our 

contact and friend at Nemours 

Children’s Clinic. HLAA- 

Jacksonville members appreciate 

all she does for us. 

Dr. Horlbeck came out of the 

Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel 

where he treated both adults and 

children. He now focuses on pediatrics. 

He went on to tell the 

amusing story of how he joined 

the Infantry, then went to the 

University of Illinois still owing 

time to the Army, ended up in the 

Air Force, attended medical 

school AV-Med Cal, Johns Hopkins, 

and University of California. 

He said only in 

America can you 

start in the Infantry 

and end up at Johns 

Hopkins. 

Dr. Horlbeck 

reported that 40 

cochlear implants 

have been done so 

far this year, more 

than is normal. He 

spends about 25% 

of his time at the new medical 

center in Orlando. Patients come 

from Savannah to Vero Beach, as 

well as from the west coast of 

Florida, Naples and Tampa. He 

went on to explain the process 

beginning with newborn hearing 

screening. In this country, 33 babies 

are born with 

hearing loss every 

day, the majority of 

them to hearing parents. 

To function in a 

hearing society, the 

children will need 

specialized education, 

social services 

and other resources. 

The goal, at Nemours, 

which is explained 

to every parent, 

is that every child child be 

mainstreamed by first grade. If 

the child is older when implanted, 

however, expectations must be 

realistic. 

After listening to the doctor 

and seeing his PowerPoint, members 

left the meeting having had 

an excellent overview of the services 

offered by Nemours. 

At every meeting - the third 

Tuesday of the month except 

July, August and December, we 

have speakers who present on 

hearing loss subjects. Please join 

us. You won’t be sorry you attended. 

Most of us are hard of 

hearing and have much experience 

and many ideas to help you 

live better with hearing loss. 

First meeting on Wednesday 

September 11 

Andrea Wilson 

HLAA Broward County Chapter 

Leader 

ahwilson2011@gmail.com 

MEETING SCHEDULE, 

September to May 

Saint Lucie County: 

First Thursday of Month, 6 p.m. • 

Grace Lutheran Church 

555 SW Cashmere Blvd. • Port St. 

Lucie, FL 34986 

Indian River County: 

Third Saturday of Month, 10:30 a.m. • 

Indian River County Main Library • 

1600 21st Street • 

Vero Beach, FL 32960 

Subscribe to the 

HLAA-Treasure Coast 

newsletter Sound Waves of the 

Treasure Coast. Subscribe by 

contacting tcfhla@live.com 




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The Hearing Loss Association of 

Sarasota hosts Summer Rap Sessions 

that allow anyone in the community 

to get feedback on individual 

questions and concerns about 

hearing loss. These workshops are 

designed to offer guidance and support 

from experienced mentors and 

provide effective ways to improve 

hearing and listening skills. The 

next and last session is at 1:30 p.m. 

Wednesday, Aug. 14, at the North 

Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown 

Blvd. in Sarasota. 

• HLAS After Hours (formerly 

the Evening Group) meets Tuesday, 

August 20 @ the ABH Center at 

4221 S. Tamiami Trail. "Demystifying 

the Hearing Aid Purchase" will 

discussed by Dr. Noel Crosby. 

• Free Hearing Screenings at the 

Sarasota Farmer's Market on Saturdays, 

July 27 and August 24. We are 

there every 4th Saturday of the 

month. 

To learn more, call 706-4312 or 

visit the association's web site. 

www.hlas.org 

Advocate for Quality Captioning 

Inclusion Universally 

Join CCAC (freemembership): 

www.ccacaptioning.org 

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Broward County 

Andrea Wilson 

ahwilson2011@gmail.com 

Central Florida 

Muriel Raine 

352-751-3464 

murhlaacntrfl@aol.com 

Jan Sharp 

352-751-4532 

fjs4532@embarqmail.com 

Clearwater 

Debbe Hagner

JUL:AUG 2013 E-Newsletter - Hearing Loss Association of Florida

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