Reading Material
List of films featuring the deaf and hard of hearing
HLAA National has Position Papers on a wide range of important topics.
Read about their advocacy work on hearing aids and insurance coverage.
Medicare coverage and Hearing Aids has a recent update.
Ototoxicity: How Medication and Other Chemicals May Affect Your Hearing
From betterhearing.com—Did you know some medications and chemicals may cause damage to your hearing? Here's what you should know about ototoxic effects and how to mitigate them.
Sound of Metal movie has been nominated for 6 Academy Awards.
The protagonist, a drummer, experiences sudden hearing loss. This is his story. LINK to a review
A giant of medical science tells the story of the invention of the bionic ear. After watching his father struggle with hearing loss, Graeme Clark overcame obstacles and opposition to bring the gift of hearing to profoundly deaf children and adults.
Starting with compelling personal testimonies from his patients, Clark charts his lifelong quest to "fix ears." He chronicles his research accomplishments and medical advances, and he recounts his battles to overcome the ridicule of peers, his tireless efforts to procure funding for his work, and his reliance on the religious and ethical values that guided his investigations.
To scientists, he commends his commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, the importance of prioritising the needs and safety of patients, and the key role of effective partnerships between academia and industry.
For everyone, he demonstrates the importance of family, education, supportive colleagues, and life purpose exemplified by his deep Christian faith.
Graeme Clark questioned authority, challenged the prevailing wisdom, and rejected the status quo. His knowledge, skill, conviction, and doggedness resulted in the first recreation of a human sense. An inspiring journey of determination, enterprise, and faith.
NEW BOOK
I Want to Fix Ears: Inside the Cochlear Implant Story
by Graeme M Clarke. ...the scientist who discovered "the bionic ear".
Remarkable insights from a remarkable scientist and admirable person. Inspired by the challenges faced by his father, Graeme Clark dedicated his career to providing the gift of hearing to profoundly deaf children and adults. Starting with compelling personal stories from his patients, Clark charts his inspirational journey to "fix ears." He chronicles his research accomplishments and medical advances, and also recounts his battles to overcome scientific scepticism, his tireless efforts to procure funding to support his work, and his reliance on the religious and ethical values that guided his investigations. For scientists, he conveys his commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, the importance of prioritising the needs and safety of patients, and the key role of effective academic-industry partnerships. For us all, he emphasises the importance of family, education, supportive colleagues, and, perhaps most importantly, life purpose.
Coping Help from HLAA during Corona virus pandemic.
Hearing loss is isolating enough and now we are further separated with the stay-at-home orders. HLAA is creating online resources and adding free captioned webinars and support sessions to help our members and constituents through this crisis.
"Facemasks are a Challenge to People with Hearing Difficulties."
Article by Kevin Munro. Link
Challenges And Solutions For The Hard Of Hearing In The World Of Remote Work Link
New Books: "Volume Control" by David Owen
Publisher's Summary
The surprising science of hearing and the remarkable technologies that can help us hear better
Our sense of hearing makes it easy to connect with the world and the people around us. The human system for processing sound is a biological marvel, an intricate assembly of delicate membranes, bones, receptor cells, and neurons. Yet many people take their ears for granted, abusing them with loud restaurants, rock concerts, and Q-tips. And then, eventually, most of us start to go deaf.
Millions of Americans suffer from hearing loss. Faced with the cost and stigma of hearing aids, the natural human tendency is to do nothing and hope for the best, usually while pretending that nothing is wrong. In Volume Control, David Owen argues this inaction comes with a huge social cost. He demystifies the science of hearing while encouraging listeners to get the treatment they need for hearing loss and protect the hearing they still have.
Hearing aids are rapidly improving and becoming more versatile. Inexpensive high-tech substitutes are increasingly available, making it possible for more of us to boost our weakening ears without bankrupting ourselves. Relatively soon, physicians may be able to reverse losses that have always been considered irreversible. Even the insistent buzz of tinnitus may soon yield to relatively simple treatments and techniques. With wit and clarity, Owen explores the incredible possibilities of technologically assisted hearing. And he proves that ears, whether they're working or not, are endlessly interesting.
Link for interview with author.
Life After Deaf: My Misadventures in Hearing Loss and Recovery
by Noel Holston (Author). Nov 2019
After waking up to sudden hearing loss, Noel H. searched for a cure, until finding cochlear implants as the solution to help him be a part of the hearing world. Going through an entire bionic journey, Noel decided to write a book, Life After Deaf, where he told his hearing loss journey in his own words.
Curated Music for those with Hearing Loss- Hear Music Again
https://www.facebook.com/hearmusicagain
Listen to Internet radio for people with hearing loss- Rock
https://www.hearmusicagain.org/listen-to-whra.html
Classical-
https://www.hearmusicagain.org/listen-to-whma.html
Hearing Review Article.pdfCognition and Hearing Loss Article (Jan 2021). LINK
Free subscription to Hearing Health Magazine (publication of the Hearing Health Foundation)
hhf.org/subscribe to receive a free subscription to their Quarterly magazine or download from their website.
Latest Issue for viewing & download
The inspiring and moving memoir of a young woman who is slowly losing her sight and hearing yet continues to live life to its fullest potential.
Even a darkening world can be brilliantly lit from within.
Born with a rare genetic mutation called Usher syndrome type III, Rebecca Alexander has been simultaneously losing both her sight and hearing since she was a child, and she was told that she would likely be completely blind and deaf by thirty. Then, at eighteen, a fall from a window left her athletic body completely shattered.
None of us know what we would do in the face of such devastation. What Rebecca did was rise to every challenge she faced. She was losing her vision and hearing and her body was broken, but she refused to lose her drive, her zest for life, or—maybe most important—her sense of humor. Now, at thirty-five, with only a sliver of sight and significantly deteriorated hearing, she is a psychotherapist with two masters’ degrees from Columbia University and an athlete who teaches spin classes and regularly competes in extreme endurance races. She greets every day as if it were a gift, with boundless energy, innate curiosity, and a strength of spirit that have led her to places we can’t imagine.
In Not Fade Away, Rebecca tells her extraordinary story, by turns harrowing, funny, and inspiring. She meditates on what she’s lost—from the sound of a whisper to seeing a sky full of stars, and what she’s found in return—an exquisite sense of intimacy with those she is closest to, a love of silence, a profound gratitude for everything she still has, and a joy in simple pleasures that most of us forget to notice.
Not Fade Away is both a memoir of the senses and a unique look at the obstacles we all face—physical, psychological, and philosophical—exploring the extraordinary powers of memory, love, and perseverance. It is a gripping story, an offering of hope and motivation, and an exquisite reminder to live each day to its fullest.
Keynote Speaker at the June HLAA Convention, Rebecca Alexander is author of the recommeded book "Not Fade Away".
CLOSED CAPTIONING
To learn more about the importance of closed captioning, please view the following informational videos produced by IAD. (Indiana Association for the Deaf)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKaBH8uBqO0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LypR579jSow
Books and Movies for Consideration for Late-Deafened, Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Our Hearing Allies
Books and Movies for Consideration for Late-Deafened, Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Our Hearing Allies - ALDA.pdfBook recommendation "Tuesdays with Morrie." Comes as an audiobook and movie also
What You Do Affects What You Hear: NIHL is Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
March 6, 2021
Hearing loss in the services sector
Sam was an assembly line worker, a profession he enjoyed for years. When the factory installed upgraded equipment, Sam immediately noticed a high-pitched whistling sound emitted from the new machinery. At first it was distracting but, in short time, he stopped noticing. He figured he’d grown accustomed to it. During a hearing test, however, he learned that he could no longer hear that particular pitch. “It’s mild hearing loss,” his audiologist informed him, “and, in your case, it’s what is known as ‘sensorineural.’” Defined for Sam, it meant his hearing loss caused at work was the result of noise exposure. Most likely, the doctor continued, he wouldn’t be hearing that sound again.
Have you heard of NIHL?
NIHL is an acronym for noise-induced hearing loss. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), occupation-related hearing loss is the most common form of illness stemming from work-related exposures. Over 22 million workers, the CDC has reported, are affected by potentially damaging noise each year. Most concerning about those statistics is the fact that work-related hearing loss is typically undetectable…until it’s too late.
NIHL is a gradual form of hearing loss; that is, it may start as a result of a detectable noise in your environment (such as in Sam’s case above) but then it becomes less noticeable as damage begins and progresses. Many people with NIHL aren’t even aware of it until they determine to have their hearing checked. It’s only then that they discover they have lost the ability to hear certain sounds.
Are you aware of hearing loss potential where you work?
While noise exposure occurs daily even outside of a work setting, it definitely makes good sense to understand what you’ll be exposed to where you work given the amount of regular hours you’ll spend there. Researchers have long determined that sustained exposure to sounds that exceed 100 dB (decibels)—as little as only 15 minutes—can cause permanent hearing loss. A normal conversation, by the way, usually registers at just 60 dB.
For a bit of reference, here are the top ten occupations that incur the highest exposure to noise-related effects1:
· Flight crew
· Farmer
· Physical Education teacher
· Ambulance driver
· Manufacturer or factory worker
· Dentist
· Rock star or athlete
· Bouncers and bartenders
· Construction worker
· Motorcycle rider or courier
What about our veterans?
Certainly, we salute the contributions and sacrifices made by our valued veterans. One often overlooked sacrifice they’ve made for us is their hearing. As you might expect, hearing loss is the top service-related medical for military veterans. According to the Department for Veterans Affairs (VA), nearly three million veterans receive disability benefits related to their hearing loss.2
The CDC also weighs in to report that our U.S. veterans are 30-percent more likely to suffer from hearing damage and loss than are non-veterans. As expected, their hearing loss is typically caused by exposure to gunfire, aircraft, tanks, heavy equipment and explosives. These veterans usually endure hearing damage earlier in their lives than do non-veterans, then age-related hearing loss exacerbates the long-term effects.
What can you do?
Awareness is a necessary first step. If you’re in an occupation where you’re exposed to moderately loud noises (anything above 85 dB), either persistently or intermittently throughout your workday, inquire with your employer about safety measures. Thanks to the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers are required to maintain a safe work environment for all employees and are required to provide protective equipment and other measures to prevent adverse effects. If you’re concerned to exposure to noises in your environment, ask your employer about it. This will be your best preventive action to avoid hearing damage.
But what if you already have hearing damage or, worse yet, don’t know whether you do or not? Clearly, it’s time to make an appointment to have your hearing checked. A qualified audiologist can quickly assess your hearing health and can make recommendations on what you can do to combat damage. It’s an important checkup but one that many of us simply disregard.
For the health of your hearing, please consider having your hearing checked this month.
Stacey Bunes
Title IV ADA Outreach Specialist
ClearCaptions
(317)771-8890 Cell
(317)735-8965 Office
Stacey.bunes@clearcaptions.com
#WordsMatter.-clearcaptions.com
Connect with me on LinkedIn at http://linkedin.com/in/staceybunes