HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, MONTGOMERY COUNTY CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

MAY 2009

Montco Chapter Officers:

President:DonnaPenman,phone:610-292-9003or610-279-0905;Emailaddress:pen447@verizon.netorpenguin2@tmail.com

Treasurer:KathyHarral Secretary:LauraSkwirutAssistiveTechnology:DonGroff

Newslettercommittee:DianaBender,email:bender@hla-pa.org,andDonGroff

Meetings:1^stWednesdayofeachMonth,exceptJulyandAugust:Jeanes’ Library,4051JoshuaRoad,LafayetteHill,PA,7:00 – 9:00p.m.

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2009 Regional Picnic Saturday Aug. 15

HLAAGenerationXChapterishostingthe10thAnnualSoutheasternPennsylvaniapicniconSaturdayAugust15thfrom12noonuntil6pm.ItwilltakeplaceatourtraditionalpicnicareainRidleyCreekStatePark,Pavilion11B.LastyearMontcoChapterservedasthehostchapterandallwhoattendedenjoyedthefoodandgoodcompany.Thecostremainsat$6perperson,$10perfamily,togetherwitharequestthatallguestsbringadishordrinkstoshare.Formoreinformation,pleasecontactDonnaorMelissaPardobyemailatmelred78@yahoo.com.

DATE: Saturday August 15th (12pm-6pm)
PLACE: Ridley Creek State Park, Pavilion 11B

2008 HLA-PA Award Brunch, Sunday, Nov. 22

HLA-PAwillpresentthe2009MarciaFinisdoreAwardforAdvocacyatabrunchonSunday,November22,2009from11to2pmattheConshohockenMarriottHotel.Formoreinformation,contacttheorganizersataward2009@hla-pa.org.ThisisagreatchancetomeetwithformerMontcomemberswhonolongercometooureveningmeetingsandmembersofotherlocalchapters.TheroomwillbeloopedandCARTwillbeprovided.WehopetohaveformermemberPegAdamuccidoabooksigningforhernewchildren’sbookonhowtocommunicatewithagrandparentwhoishardofhearing.

ConsumerReportsreportsonhearingaids!

The HLAA national office has been working for several weeks with a research team from Consumer Reports (CR) to fine tune the report which CR is preparing. CR will be taking a different approach than they usually use when evaluating products. Rather than ranking or rating the different brands of hearing aids as they usually do with products, which they said is impossible, they will be emphasizing the evaluation and fitting process. HLAA has reviewed a draft of their consumer check list for what to look for when purchasing hearing aids that they plan to post to their website in support of their report on hearing aids due to come out in their June issue. They have incorporated many of the items from HLAA’s own consumer check list for purchasing hearing aids and are giving HLAA credit in the article and online. This will be very good exposure for HLAA.

News from our National Office

Anne Pope, former president of the HLAA Board of Trustees, will represent HLAA at the Clarke School for the Deaf Commencement on Saturday, June 13th in Northampton, MA. Anne will be meeting with Clarke alumni an graduates as well as CEO, Bill Corwin, who is interested in collaborating with HLAA on our national Walk4Hearing. Clarke has a local school here in Bryn Mawr and will send a team to the Pennsylvania Walk4Hearing on September 26. Clarke is now offering aural rehabilitation for adults following CI surgery. Bill Corwin will address the HLAA Board at their meeting in Nashville.

Walk4Hearing: September 26, 2009

The PA Walk4Hearing will take place on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009 at Pavilion 11B in Ridley Creek State Park. We hope all the Montco members will join with the Montco Marchers and walk for hearing. A Kickoff Party will be held on Sunday August 8 at the Edgemont Country Club in Edgmont, PA. For more information about the walk or the kickoff contact Donna or Diana.

Quote for the Month

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.

Confucius

Newsletter Hiatus

The Montco newsletter will be taking the summer off. Look for the next issue at the end of August, announcing our September meeting. Hope you all have a great summer!

NextMeeting:SummerCopingSkills

Donna Penman will lead the group in a rap session on how to survive the summer with a hearing loss. Vacation time often means having to use your best listening skills to understand unfamiliar people in unfamiliar settings. Or sometimes, just too many people being present at once! Come and share your past experiences on how to best deal with these situations.

Your newsletter editor will not be able to join in the meeting because she and her family are hosting relatives from Germany for 2 weeks. Although I am fluent in German, it initially takes awhile for me to get back into the language, while my German cousin likes to speak at a fairly rapid rate. I hope to make the point that I need him to speak just a little more slowly than usual, while my brain works on understanding what he has to say. I have also noticed that my speechreading skills are not as good in German as they are in English. This is most likely due to lack of practice I assume.

Please join us on

Wednesday,

June 3, 2009,

 

downstairs in the Jeanes’ Library.

The meeting will start promptly at 7 pm, and a business meeting will follow the presentation.