Consumers,
professionals and students gathered at the Holiday
Inn in Niagara Falls for the fall conference of the
New York State Association of Self Help for Hard of
Hearing People (NYSA) on October 11-13, 2002. Assistive
listening systems, sign language interpreters, and
real-time captioning were available throughout the
conference to provide communication access to all
attendees.
Nearly 28 million people in the United States have
a hearing loss -- approximately 1.5 million in New
York State. Florence Butler, president of NYSA, said:
"When people lose their hearing, or their children
or parents lose their hearing, they often have no
idea what to do or where to find the information they
need to cope with their loss. SHHH was brought to
life to help people with hearing loss find the information
they need."
The NYSA conference provided an opportunity for people
with hearing loss, their friends, family, professionals
in the field of hearing loss, and students to learn
more about the issues that surround hearing loss,
to network, and to have a great time. Sue Miller,
conference co-chair, said, "The conference was
a wonderful opportunity for people with hearing loss
to get together, to relax in an environment that caters
to their hearing needs. Not only did people learn
from the workshops, but we could also relax and enjoy
ourselves, too!"
Dr. Paul Dutcher, well-known Rochester otolaryngologist,
offered the keynote address on cochlear implants,
tinnitus, and Meniere’s disease. Two representatives
from hearing aid manufacturers spoke about the latest
hearing aid technology.
A panel of experts presented ways to advocate for
oneself when traveling, in places of worship, in hospitals,
and when involved in grassroots legislative advocacy.
On a lighter note, Beth Ann Rejonis presented a session
on dance music therapy. In addition, there was an
all day "Internet Cafe" which taught people
the basics of using computers and "surfing the
net" to learn more about hearing loss.
Special programs for parents included two workshops:
"The Balance between Disability Rights and Parental
Responsibilities" presented by Bruce Goldstein,
well-known Buffalo attorney, and a panel of parents
of hard of hearing children moderated by school psychologist
Suzanne Till. Another popular feature of the conference
was the exhibit hall with the latest in innovative
technology, including hearing aids, assistive devices,
telephones, and services. |
The Saturday
evening banquet featured a live performance by Canadian
actress and advocate Gael Hannan, who combined humor
and drama to offer a powerful insight into hearing
loss, a condition that often is difficult to describe.
A Community Leader Award was presented at the banquet
to Lisa Carling of the Theatre Development Fund for
her hard work, persistence, and dedication to providing
captioning for people with hearing loss. Theater captioning
has enabled thousands of people who would never have
been able to enjoy Broadway plays to experience the
joy of live theater just like everyone else.
A second Community Leader Award was presented to
Francesca Rosenberg, Assistant Director, Department
of Education at New York City's Museum of Modern Art,
and Leah Schroder, MoMA Access Programs Assistant.
Both women have been actively involved in making MoMA’s
programs and services accessible to individuals with
hearing loss.
(The Community Leader Award is presented to persons
who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment
to activities and opportunities designed to create
awareness or promote access for people with hearing
loss.)
In addition, the award for service to NYSA was presented
to Don Depew, who has been enormously generous with
his time and talent. He has been loyal throughout,
providing real-time captioning (CART) to NYSA since
its inception at low cost and in some cases at no
cost. His presence at board meetings has allowed all
members to participate and has given the board an
accurate record of discussions surrounding the business
transacted.
Following a short annual meeting on Sunday morning,
conferees heard from Donna Sorkin, vice president
of Cochlear America.
Rounding off the weekend's educational fare was a
research symposium titled "Protecting the Ear
from Damage Due to Drugs" presented by Dalian
Ding, Research Assistant Professor in Communicative
Disorders & Sciences at the University of Buffalo,
and Dr. Orin Kaufman, author of many articles on health
care access |
