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'Hears' to Life!
News, Information and Ideas on how to deal with hearing loss in a hearing world. Plus a few other topics!
By Tami Klink
Monday, May 18 2009, 07:24 AM
As you probably know by now, LLC/JSP have decided to 'improve' their website. Unfortunately, this means that there is also a new link to my columns. For those of you that have the old link 'saved' in your 'favorites' area, you will need to change it to the one below.
http://www.livinglakecountry.com/blogs/communityblogs/hears_to_life.html With this change, all of the writers on the blogs have less access to what we really grew used to working with. For instance, in my case, I was able to see how many 'hits' there were on columns. This helped me to decide which topics to go into further detail on based on the number of readers that were involved. It also enabled me to see what websites were using my material and gave me the ability to check to make sure that they were using the link and not copying what I had written. This feature is also gone. I won't even go into the frustrations that are going to occur when someone types in a word in a search engine to find articles on a certain hearing loss subject and then gets an error message when they go to the former site address. DUMB!
To email me from the new site, you will need to click on my name. I know that a lot of you send me emails vs. posting a comment and are used to seeing the 'email author' icon at the top of the page. There will be a lot of growing pains with the new site and I appreciate the patience from all of the readers during this time. If you have any questions or are having problems, please don't hesitate to let me know and I'll try and help you out. I am in the process of moving all of the columns over to the new link and if you go to the archives section, you can still access them. Have a great week! Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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By Tami Klink
Friday, May 15 2009, 06:22 AM
I know that some of you probably already know about this one since it's been around for quite a while. I recently started going on the message board of the website and I've got to tell you, there are some pretty amazing people on this thing. They are all ages and come from all walks of life. The one common denominator is that all of them have hearing loss or work with HOH.
If you are interested in joining the group, just click on the link below and register. A password will then be emailed to you. You will need to change the password given via email to your own pw once you go on the website. Then, it's up to you on what you wish to talk about/or respond to. The website administrator, Janet, has also posted some very informational topics on the homepage.
There are literally hundreds of topics on the message board from hundreds of people. Looking for an opinion on a certain brand of hearing aid, post the question and sit back to see what the responses are. Have a problem or need more information to understand something, look at the topics already on the Board and see if it's there. Looking to connect with others living the HOH life, come on in!
http://www.hohadvocates.org/index.php
Special thanks to Janet (administrator) for giving me permission to post this information. It's because of people like her that we are now able to learn more on the topics that we need help with. It's kind of like having your own personal Dear Abby....
Have a great week!
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By Tami Klink
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 04:59 AM
For all of you out there that are wanting to know how the FDA classifies products sold for hearing loss. As you can see, there is more emphasis on the labeling of these products vs. the actual regulation of them. This would explain why you see commercials on television for the devices that are selling for the most part under $100. THEY AREN'T VERY GOOD! There is no requirement for testing or product evaluation per the FDA.
Hearing aids aren't much better in the regulation department unless you are dealing with children. Once the FDA 'classifies' a product, this leads to how the insurance industry can get out of paying for it. After reading this document, I am very surprised at the lack of insight, regulation and testing for something that is needed and used by so many people. There are many gray areas where the seller can get by with what descriptions and language are used in order to get their product on the market and avoid having to go through the government safeguards (Where are they?) in order to sell a product that will supposedly improve your hearing.
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ode/guidance/1696.pdf
Add in the fact that back in 2004 a group of citizens sent a petition to the FDA to get them to eliminate the requirement that you have to have a audiological evaluation/medical consultation in order to get access to hearing aids. What do you think happened to that request? Well, the American Academy of Audiologists (9,000 strong at that point) sent the FDA a rebuttal saying that the cost of hearing aids was definitely not a factor for those of us in HOH world! They didn't want to lose the control given to them by the FDA regulations that all of us be seen, assessed, ect. by them vs. buying a product that we wanted and had researched. Here's the link to their letter to the FDA. It took a few years, but finally the FDA agreed that we could 'sign' a release form that would let us turn down this expensive and for the most part unnecessary requirement. After all, once we find out what our loss is, we really don't need to keep going back to the Doctors for them to tell us the same thing. We do need to get an audiological evaluation/hearing test before getting new aids, but paying the cost for an ENT every 3-5 years when you have already had it confirmed that your hearing loss is not caused by any disease is kind of ridiculous.
http://dev.aaa.susqtech.com/NR/rdonlyres/9A01DEEF-96F5-4F59-A0C3-2830BB197F89/0/20040127.pdf
But, lo and behold! If you are eating cheerios to reduce your cholesterol, the FDA is busy taking care of that one! Get ready for the price of Cheerios to go up after the company is forced to redo the labeling on the boxes...
http://wcbstv.com/health/cheerios.general.mills.2.1007986.html
Another great use of our taxpayer dollars....
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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By Tami Klink
Tuesday, May 12 2009, 05:27 AM
Zounds Hearing Aid Centers Files Bankruptcy
If you live in one of the states below, you may want to check and see what recourse you may have if you have bought a hearing aid at one of the Zounds stores. They are usually located in malls/shopping centers. Again, if you are going to buy a hearing aid from one of these places, it is very important that you check them out via the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints. Usually, these places only sell a few brands of hearing aids and once the store is closed, you really are stuck with having a hearing aid that no service is available for. And, if you still have one with a 'warranty', no place to send or take it to for service.
21-Store Zounds Files Chapter 11
April 3, 2009
Mesa, AZ-based Zounds, Inc. filed chapter 11 bankruptcy on Mar. 30, 2009 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona. The company operates a chain of Zounds Hearing Aid Centers in AZ, DE, FL, MA, MO, MI, NJ, OR, PA, TX and WA. The company listed between $10 million and $50 million in assets and liabilities on its petition. According to Hoovers, the company reported $15.5 million in 2007 sales.
According to CoStar Tenant, the company opened at least five hearing aid centers during 2008 and now operates at least 21 stores. The typical Zounds is 2,000 square feet and located at a mall. In addition, Zounds occupies 18,878 square feet of space, serving as its headquarters, at the Stapley Corporate Center in Mesa.
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By Tami Klink
Monday, May 11 2009, 10:19 AM
The name of the company (registered in Nevada as a Foreign company) is Hearing Assist, LLC. The TV ads/infomercials started in our area this week. The company has only been in business officially since April 2009. The link to the BBB in Nevada is below.
http://www.bbb.org/reno/business-reviews/hearing-aids-and-assistive-devices/hearing-assist-llc-in-reno-nv-90008981
They are calling the product, Lee Majors Rechargeable Bionic Hearing Aid. The price on the ad is $14.95. But, what you don't see is that is just the charge for shipping and handling. Once they get your credit card, it has been reported that they are charging you an additional $49.95 in three installments.
I have no idea if they work or not. But, based on the history of 'hearing aids' bought for under $100, it is my understanding that they usually don't do what they say they will and the quality is very poor.
If anyone out there has any experience with this product, feel free to comment below!
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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By Tami Klink
Saturday, May 9 2009, 07:05 AM
I know that this is a very battle weary topic, but just bear with me for a few minutes. As a business owner, I know that we have certain responsibilities and laws to ensure that all of our employees are in a safe environment. I know that if I have a hazard on my property, I can be found liable if someone gets hurt. I understand all of that. I'm also fully aware of the health hazards of secondhand smoke. With that being said....
Here's my question. When did we all become so dependent on the Government making rules and laws to justify and tell us how to live our lives or run our businesses?
We have a smoke-free environment in our business. Always have! But, we also had the freedom to decide if we wanted to do that. We didn't have someone from the Government come in and tell us that we had to do it. We just did. I've been watching the push and pull of our State elected officials the past week and what really got my attention was when the initial hearing was announced 24 hours and 35 minutes before it was scheduled to occur. The one chance for the public to come in and talk about what they thought. Based on what I have read in the local news media, it appears that deals were made and the casinos were given priority treatment in that since they are on 'sovereign lands', they would be exempt from any State laws. So, how do the smokefree activists protect those employees?
If the goal of our government is to tell us how to do things, where we can do them and who gets a free pass, what's next? Will they be conducting studies on what color I should paint my office walls in order to achieve harmony and peace for my employees/customers? Why am I paying these extremely high State and Federal taxes to have the freedom of having a business if in the long run, I'm really enslaved by the lack of freedoms to make my own decisions on how best to run that business?
I ran across the 'bible' on getting a smokefree law passed when doing a little research online this morning. http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/CIA_Fundamentals.pdf If I had known that the very organizations that I have contributed to over the years were working on taking away yet one more freedom (cigarettes are legal), I probably would have thought twice about sending them any money.
So, what's next? Will they pass a law on businesses selling alcohol? We all know the dangers of drunk driving. Maybe if we didn't have establishments that sold alcohol, we wouldn't have as many injuries or deaths from those driving after drinking. Eliminating fast food places would cut our obesity problems. After all, if you are poor and can't afford the 'good' food, we all know that there are many fast food places with 'dollar' menus. Cheap to eat and loaded with bad stuff.
I guess that what I'm saying is I'm really getting tired of all of the laws that restrict the very freedoms our country has fought so hard for. I know smoking is probably not what you think of as a freedom to fight for, but you get my drift. And, where is the opportunity to voice my opinion to my elected officials. I'm tired of getting the standard letter patting me on the head and telling me what they think I want to hear. After all, they are probably counting on the fact that we will all get tired of fighting and just give in. After all, look at what we've given them control of so far....
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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By Tami Klink
Wednesday, May 6 2009, 01:52 PM
*Note – As stated before, I recently decided to investigate what’s out there for an alternative to spending thousands of dollars on a hearing aid. These are my opinions. The company that I chose to do this investigation on has given me their full permission to write about any and all findings and I have not been compensated, gifted or given any other type of service that a normal paying customer would not receive. The staff was not told of my ‘project’ and I will be returning the BTE Hearing Aids to the company.
Well, it’s been almost 3 weeks since I started this little project. My goal was to find an alternative for those out there that simply cannot afford or don’t have the insurance coverage that will cover the cost of hearing aids/testing/fitting/ect. I’ve talked to quite a few people and have received emails from even more with their own stories on the frustrations associated with hearing loss and hearing aids. Many thanks to David Wright, President and COO of America Hears for being a willing participant and letting me come to my own conclusions.
When I first contacted him, he sent me an email with a quote in it from the early days of their company getting started. I think it sums up what all of us feel and think when it comes to the price of our hearing aids. Here is David Wright's quote, “When we first started out, I told Henry Smith, our Founder and CEO, that we could charge thousands of dollars for our hearing aids. I also said that we could include 2 round trip tickets to Europe and a 42” plasma television." Henry replied, "No, let’s just give them a great deal on the hearing aids.”
Here are the conclusions, in my opinion, of the America Hears product.
Pros:
- PRICE! When you look at how much companies/audiologists/manufacturers are charging for all of us HOH to hear and stay in the hearing world, it’s almost like buying a used car every 3-5 years. There are a lot of us out here that don’t have insurance that will cover any of this. So, when you are looking at (in my case) an average cost of $3,000 - $4,000 per hearing aid, a lot of HOH just don’t have the money to pay for these things. At $995.00 per aid (BTE Freedom LOF), this is around 25 – 30% of what it would cost me to go somewhere else. That’s a big difference!
- Service – I called AH 3 times with questions on the aid itself as well as programming when using their software. I was connected with the correct person quickly every time. I did not feel like they were rushing to get me off of the phone and felt like I had a team working with me. They had the same goal as I did, to fine tune as well as find an aid that would work best for me. There were no excuses from any of them when I had a complex question/problem and we worked to find a solution together. Once they received my Audiological Eval./Hearing Test, I received my aids (2) within 4 working days. The additional items that came with the aids (see list in column on Arrival of AH Aids), were much appreciated, part of the package price and enabled me to learn more about the process/set-up/programming in a user friendly way.
- Quality/Sound of the Hearing Aids – This was the first time that anyone has been able to fit me with an ‘open fit’. So, I’ve been living life the past 3 weeks being able to hear the sounds that I hear normally (I have a mid-high tone loss, but hear the low tones just like a person with no hearing loss). It was a very comfortable fit and yes, I am not looking forward to going back to my 1 year old HA’s with the ear mold. I was able to hear the sounds (birds, crickets, ect.) that I hear with my current aids and once we corrected the feedback, had no problems. With a 1 year warranty, this is pretty standard in the industry. There is an extended warranty available which I would probably do just so I don’t have to worry about repair bills (if needed) after the warranty period expired. I’ve had a total of 13 (I wear one in each ear) HA’s over the past 30 years. Some were in the ear and others (recently) were BTE. AH carries both.
- Software – Learning how to program/fine tune my HA’s was a big step for me. I really appreciated being able to put programs on the HA’s based on what environment I would be spending time in. (You can put 4 different programs on the aids that I tried out and then push a button or wave a wand over the aid to change them based on the environment that you are in). It was also fun to check out all of the levels of my aids based on my loss. And, it saved me from having to make appointment and additional trips to an audiologist since one (yes, a real audiologist) was just a phone call away. This really does give more control to the person with the hearing loss. And, it is also quite an education to see what all is involved in the programming process.
- Trial Period – 60 days! And, if you are not completely satisfied, they will give you 100% of your money back (undamaged aids and accessories). There are a lot of places out there that will charge you hundreds of dollars if you try and return your HA’s. Be sure that you read the fine print on your contract at these places before you walk out of the door.
- Repairs – In my case, if I need to send my HA’s in for repair via my audiologist, it takes at least 10 days to get them back. AH has a turn around time of approximately 3 days. There is a charge for new tubing, earmolds/open fit fittings and that can be found on their website or by making a phone call/sending an email to them.
- You have to have access to a computer/laptop with internet access. If you don’t, you will not be able to use the software to fine tune or put new programs on your hearing aids. We all know that the person that is programming our aids does not ‘hear’ sounds the way that we do. There is always going to be some fine tuning that needs to be done no matter where you get your HA’s. So, if you have the patience and are willing to learn new things, this is for you. I found that with the step by step instructions that came with the HA’s as well as the patience from the staff at AH, I didn’t have any problems with this.
- You don’t see anyone. If you are the type of person that really needs to go and see someone, this might not be for you. I compare it to having a Cadillac vs. an economy car. But, if you are looking to save thousands of dollars and have more control over your hearing needs, you will probably like this.
- You need to have an audiological evaluation/hearing test that is less than 6 months old. I know! Some places will get you in the door and start the high pressure sales technique on you or make you feel guilty about not having the training or background to do this. Keep in mind, that they are really starting to get worried about this new way of getting hearing aids. Most places know that they are probably charging you too much and they don’t like the fact that there is a company out there that is approved by the FDA, has all the licensing and professionals on staff and is still able to sell you a product that will meet your hearing loss needs for under $1,000.
- For those with a Cochlear Implant or are under the age of 18, AH will not sell you HA’s. They really do believe that this segment of the population needs to be seen in person. If you have a hearing loss that they cannot fit, they will also tell you that. You will not hear “We can help you” irregardless of your circumstances. After all, the last thing that they want is to have to deal with negative publicity or be responsible for not being able to fulfill your hearing loss needs.
- If you are not good with fine motor skills, this could possibly be difficult for you. You need to be able to work with the HA to attach different things such as fittings, software flex connectors, ect. It’s not hard, but for those that have a hard time working with small pieces; this may not be a good fit for you.
- Colors – There is a limited choice. So, if you are into the new bright colors, you will have to decide if this is important enough to go somewhere and pay for them.
There you have it! So, what am I going to do in 3-4 years when it’s time to get new HA’s? I would have to say that I will probably go this route. I like the control with the software as well as the quality/sound of the HA’s. And, being able to save lots of money has a really big influence on my decision.
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By Tami Klink
Saturday, May 2 2009, 09:40 AM
*Note: This is a series of articles on the America Hears Hearing Aid. Keep in mind that I have some strict guidelines on venturing into this area. I have not been 'gifted' anything from the company and will be returning the HA's in a couple of weeks. For more information on how all of this came about, please go to my columns titled "A little Experiment', 'Part One, America Hears' and 'Update on the arrival of America Hears Hearing Aids'.*
All that I can say is, WOW! The software that this company sends along with the hearing aids is something that I feel, finally gives the control to the person that is wearing them. I've always gone to an audiologist to get tested, fitted and programmed and there have been times when it just didn't feel like the programming was really set/adjusted to my needs. I spent Thursday morning installing the software on my laptop here at home and then 'hooking' the hearing aids up (yes, they were in my ears and on) to check out the programming options. There are so many options!
You can see what the program is based on your hearing loss. American Hears sets it for you before they ship the hearing aids out. But, as we all know, just setting these programs based on your audiological evaluation/hearing test doesn't 'catch' everything little nuance you may really need. So, you make appointments with your audi to go in and continue getting things tweaked to meet your hearing needs. Not anymore! I was able to adjust the settings, change what programs were actually on the aids (installed the telecoil one!), see what the settings were at different sound levels, ect. It really does get the wearer involved in the decisions as to what will work for you.
I was still getting some feedback with the open fit option vs. actually having earmolds. So, I gave the 800 number a call and was immediately connected with one of their audiologists. Yes, a real audiologist! Keeping in mind that I was not a candidate for an open fit last July with my new hearing aids, I really wasn't expecting to get this problem solved. Wrong. After having me go to a few programs by using the software, we actually found the problem. It seems that my ear canal processes sounds a little differently than normal and when the sound is bouncing around in there, it is hitting areas in the 3K and 4K levels that no other audiologist has ever been able to pick up. After adjusting those settings, there was no feedback. Needless to say, this once again has shown me that if you have someone or something (software) to work with, most frustrations can be overcome. I've spent the last 3 days wearing the new aids with the open fit. It is amazing how much better I am able to hear conversations since I can now hear the low tones naturally without something plugging up my ear.
I've made an appointment with my audi here in the area for next week. I will be bringing my laptop, new aids from America Hears (cost $2,010.00) and my aids that I got last July ($7,000.00) to see if I can show her via the America Hears software where the problem is and finally get the open fit that back in July would not work at their office. Needless to say, I am interested in her response to a patient coming in with software that will actually program hearing aids. I'm wondering if anyone else has done this....
On a side note, America Hears will not try and work with anyone that has a cochlear implant. There is a lot more involved with this type of fitting and you really do need to go somewhere where they have the time and expertise to do it. They will also not fit children since they feel that kids should really be seen on a regular basis in person by an audiologist. For those of you that wear hearing aids with no medical problems associated with it, you may want to check this option out. And yes, they have a 60 day trial period as well as a really good warranty. If you have old aids laying around the house and don't want to donate them to one of the many places that 'pass them on', America Hears will give you up to $50 trade-in and then send them on to a charitable organization. There is a limit of 1 trade-in per hearing aid purchased.
At this point, I've pretty much decided where I will be getting my new aids once that time comes. I really like the ability to program them here at home with the telephone support if needed as well as the savings. By that time, they may even be able to work with the FM system and have Bluetooth capability. Who knows, maybe one of these days, the hearing aid manufacturers will finally realize that there are a lot of us out here that really are capable of programming and tweaking our hearing aids online with someone guiding us. The big question is, will they finally start to realize that we will not pay the thousands of dollars to have someone else do it for us. Imagine the savings our government (V.A., D.V.R, ect.) would see if they went this route? Baffles the mind....
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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By Tami Klink
Friday, May 1 2009, 09:48 PM
Eye Exams for certified working service dogs – week of May 4. Free screening eye examinations offered by Dr. Keith Collins and Dr. Heather Kaese, Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Opthalmologists at Eye Care for Animals in Pewaukee, WI. Qualified participants must register online at www.acvoeyeexam.org. A registration number for the dog will be assigned and will be required to schedule an appointment. Once registration is complete, the participant may call Eye Care for Animals at 262-754-3550 to schedule an appointment for their dogs free eye exam during the week of May 4. More information about the eye exams is available at the website listed above.
Have a great week!
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By Tami Klink
Thursday, Apr 30 2009, 06:58 AM
*Note: This is a series of articles on my testing of the America Hears hearing aids. Keep in mind that I have some very strict criteria regarding my venturing into this area. I was not 'gifted' anything by this company and will be returning the HA's in a couple of weeks. For more information on how all of this came about, please go to my columns titled 'A little Experiment' and 'Part One, America Hears'.*
Sorry for the delay in this update! Brian's Mom had a minor stroke last Friday and I just got back to Wisconsin last night. All is well and life goes on! (ha)
I must say that when I saw the box, I was wondering why it was so big. I've always picked up my hearing aids from my audiologist and left with a small case along with a few papers. This one is about the size of a shirt box. Upon opening it, I was very impressed with the packaging. You get quite a few things in addition to your hearing aids. For those of you interested, there is also more information on the America Hears website located at www.americahears.com
Below is the list of contents:
2 Hearing aids - Freedom AD with directional microphone - Processor is AD32 (32 channels) - BTE (behind the ear) - Style is LOF
2 boxes of size 13 batteries for a total of 48 Programmer/USB Cable/Programming Cord/Instruction booklets to walk you through the programming
Memory Selector Wand Dry Aid Kit Cleaning Tool with Brush Hard Case for the HA's Soft Pouch for the HA's
Repair shipping box with foam Ribbon Connectors to program the HA's Variety pack of ear tips EZ return FEDEX label Battery Holder
FEDEX box for return of HA's if service is needed Warranty/Protection plan Info. Guide General Information Pamphlet HA Pamphlet
America Hears Virtual Office Software CD Quick Start Guide Brochure and Referral Card/Program
That's a lot of stuff! I must admit that I was a bit intimidated at first. Remember, I'm used to going to an audiologist and letting them do all of the work! But, you need to keep in mind that you are literally saving hundreds (in my case thousands) of dollars by going this route. I was also chuckling a bit as I remembered all of the times I would get after Brian to read the instructions before attempting to use a new tool or put something together.
I spent the time needed to look over all of the brochures/directions/booklets, ect. Even though I'm used to working with hearing aids, I still needed to familiarize myself with how these particular brands worked. At last, I opened the box that had the HA's in it. You will need to be in an area with good lighting so that you can compare the instruction booklet pictures with the hearing aid itself. I found the button to select which of the 3 programs I would want (they beep to correspond with the number of the program that you are on once you have the HA's in your ears and turned on). I also checked to see how to remove/insert the flex connector which will be used to fine tune the programming on the HA's. They arrived already programmed for my hearing loss, but as those of you with hearing aids know, you will need to do some fine tuning. It will be nice to have the actual CD/USB Cable/Phone support from HA to do this as many times as I wish. It will also save me from having to go to the Audi's office/schedule an appointment/go without my HA's because they are not programmed to my liking.
Now, the big moment! I inserted the batteries into each aid, tried out a couple of the ear tips to see which one fit me best and put them in my ears. The biggest difference for me was the fact that there was no ear mold to block the sounds that I normally hear. The fit was very comfortable and the HA's themselves are very lightweight. I located the volumn control and turned it down a bit since I was hearing some feedback. There was no one home while I was doing this, so I had no choice but to start talking to myself (no comments please!) and turn the TV on to see what kind of job these HA's were doing. I immediately noticed that I could 'hear' the TV at a much lower volume level vs. if I had no HA's in my ears at all. This also happens with any other aids that I've had in the past.
Today, I will be contacting America Hears to fine tune the programming on the aids. First, I will be installing the software on my computer/laptop and attempting to fine tune it myself based on the directions for this that came with the HA's. Even if I do get the programming right, I still want to interact with AH staff to see how that part of the process goes.
Will update you all later after we've completed that step and I've worn them for a few days. So far, the only thing that I can see as problems would be if you don't have the ability to read the instructions, handle the small pieces of the hearing aid, have really bad eyesight and do not know how to use a computer. But, it is also always a good idea to have someone with you so that you can ask them if they are hearing any feedback and have a conversation with to see how your new HA's are working! It's a family affair....
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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By Tami Klink
Tuesday, Apr 28 2009, 02:41 PM
BILL: Amends the School Code to encourage school boards to implement American Sign Language (ASL) courses into school foreign language curriculum. Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. In provisions concerning admissions requirements, provides that ASL constitutes a foreign language for the purposes of meeting those requirements. Requires the governing board of each public university to award academic credit for the successful completion of any ASL course offered or approved by the university, which may be applied toward the satisfaction of the foreign language requirements of the university. Imposes conditions on any rulemaking authority. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.
STATUS: Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading April 23, 2009
TO VIEW FULL TEXT: Go to http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=725&GAID=10&GA=96&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=41439&SessionID=76
BILL: Creates the Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force Act. Creates the Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force. Requires the Task Force to analyze (i) programs and policies of the State to determine what changes, modifications, and innovations may be necessary to remove barriers to competitive employment and economic opportunity for persons with disabilities, (ii) State disability systems, including the mental health, developmental disabilities, veterans' assistance, workforce investment, and rehabilitation services systems, and their effect on employment of persons with disabilities, and (iii) applicable research and policy studies, innovations used in other States, and any federal policy initiatives such as customized employment, and federal funding opportunities that would increase competitive employment and economic opportunity for persons with disabilities in Illinois. Requires the Task Force to meet for the first time no later than 90 days after the effective date. Requires the Task Force to produce an annual report of its activities and recommendations and to issue that report no later than May 1st of each year, beginning May 1, 2010. Effective immediately.
House Committee Amendment No. 1 : Amends the Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force Act. In a subsection that lists Task Force members who represent State government, adds the Executive Director of the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities or his or her designee. In a subsection that list other public members of the Task Force, deletes the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities. Lowers the number of public members of the Task Force from 25 to 15. Provides that 5, rather than 3, members of the Task Force must be persons who have a disability.
STATUS: Assigned to State Government and Veterans Affairs; The hearing has been scheduled for April 29, 2009 at 409 Capitol in Springfield
TO VIEW FULL TEXT: Go to http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=655&GAID=10&GA=96&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=41124&SessionID=76
BILL: Amends the Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Central Management Services, in cooperation with the Department of Human Services, to develop and implement plans to increase the number of individuals with a disability employed by State government and to submit an annual report. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in cooperation with not-for-profit groups and community partners, to develop and implement an education and outreach campaign designed to increase statewide awareness of issues that affect individuals with a disability. Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to collect information during the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 regarding employers claims of the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit and to submit an annual report. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that a chief procurement officer may, as part of any solicitation, encourage prospective vendors to consider hiring qualified individuals with a disability and to notify them of any available financial incentives or other advantages associated with hiring such persons. Effective immediately.
STATUS: Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
TO VIEW FULL TEXT: Go to http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=40&GAID=10&GA=96&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=40231&SessionID=76
Our 2009 Statewide DEAF Finger-Spelling Bee on Friday, April 24, 2009 was a HUGE success! To view the results of the Bee, please go to our Finger-Spelling Bee webpage at http://www.idhhc.state.il.us/spelling%20bee/spelling_bee.htm Very soon, you will be able to view the (video) clip and the pictures from the event.
FYI- We will be posting a SURVEY in the next few weeks regarding our Annual Statewide DEAF Finger-Spelling Bee event to allow anyone to express their ideas or give us feedback to make next year’s Bee an even bigger success!
We look forward to next year!!
Have a great week!
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By Tami Klink
Tuesday, Apr 28 2009, 09:56 AM
Just received this from the Illinois Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. This one is for High School Seniors that have a specific hearing loss. Good Luck!
ILAA SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS PURSUING POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
The Illinois Academy of Audiology is once again seeking outstanding applicants for our 2009 Post-Secondary Scholarships. Scholarships will be awarded to two outstanding students meeting the following criteria. A $1000 scholarship will be awarded to the first place winner. A $500 scholarship or assistive listening device/hearing assistive technology kit will be awarded to the runner-up.
CRITERIA: The student must have a hearing loss that is characterized by a pure-tone average of 40dBHL or greater at 1000Hz, 2000Hz in the ear with better hearing. The student must be a high school senior who has been accepted as a full-time student at any regionally accredited institute of higher learning.
Applicants will be required to submit a completed application form and essay, along with two letters of recommendations and a current audiological report. Complete instructions and application materials in a PDF format can be accessed viz the Illinois Academy of Audiology website, www.ilaudiology.org . Click on the link for Student Resources and then click on the link for ILAA Scholarship Opportunities.
The application deadline is May 22, 2009 and winners will be selected by early July.
Questions can be directed to: awards@ilaudiology.org
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By Tami Klink
Friday, Apr 24 2009, 08:52 AM
America Hears – A new way of getting a Hearing Aid!
This is the first of 3 columns on this subject. I will be addressing the process when dealing with America Hears. I'm a very strong advocate for going to a reputable place to get your hearing aids. So, this is a really big step for me to try it this way. The 2nd column will focus more on the programming of the HA's via the computer. The final column will be a conclusion of the experience along with the pros and cons.
For those of you that read my postings regularly, you know that I don’t advertise for businesses unless I find that they truly are providing a valuable service to those with hearing loss. This is the first time that I have actively sought out a Hearing Aid Vendor and contacted them. I can’t stress enough the number of times that I have turned down ‘free stuff’, samples, ect. from companies trying to get me to write about their products.
With that being said… Here’s how all of this came about.
Earlier this week, I started checking into Hearing Aid providers/manufacturers through-out the United States. I get so many emails every week from people with hearing loss that just cannot afford the thousands of dollars that it costs to improve their hearing. It’s very frustrating to hear that a person has basically given up and resigned themselves to not hearing what is going on around them, losing their job, giving up on going out with friends and in the worst case scenarios, losing their marriage/spouse all because they can’t hear and interact with those in the hearing world.
I had some criteria that they had to meet.
- There could be no high pressure sales tactics to the purchaser. In other words, they could not call or email you repeatedly promising the sky if you bought their product.
- There could be no complaints to any Better Business Bureaus or online in Hearing Loss chat rooms.
- They had to have a trial period with a written guarantee of a full refund if you found that their product did not meet your expectations.
- They had to have genuine audiologists that you could talk to via email or phone, not just people that have a State license/permit to sell hearing aids.
- It had to be a relatively easy process.
- The cost had to be something that just about everyone could afford.
There is only one company in the U.S. that met all of these criteria. Yes, even I was surprised! That company is America Hears out of Bristol, PA. Here’s the link to their website. http://www.americahears.com/
After finding this company, I thought it only fair that I try and communicate with the President. I sent an email from the website using their 'contact us' link and Mr. David Wright, President and COO got back to me. I explained to him what I was going to do and asked him if he would be acceptable to this. Being a business owner myself, the last thing I would want anyone to do is to publicly write a negative article on our business practices or services without the opportunity for us to respond first.
Much to my surprise, he wholeheartedly agreed to send me a pair of their hearing aids and check them out to my hearts’ content. And yes, he is also fully aware that these hearing aids will be returned to him. They are not a gift to me and he didn’t make that offer either! He did not notify the staff of the company as to what would be happening and sent my request on for service so that I would be treated like any other customer. I have proof of that when I got a call today from their billing department wanting my credit card number so that they could FedEx me my new hearing aids. It was quite obvious that the person calling me had no idea that I was doing an ‘experiment’ on their product. I told her that I had already made arrangements for payment and then quickly notified my contact so that they could confirm that the aids could be shipped out. Whew!
Here’s what has transpired so far. On Tuesday, I got an email from one of their audiologists, Judy Boersma, M.A., CCC-A. She asked me to fax, email or snail mail her my hearing test/audiological evaluation so that she could look at it and decide which hearing aid would work best for me. You will need to have a copy of this from the place that you got your hearing test/audiological evaluation done at. Again, I can't stress enough the importance of going to a reputable place to have this done! If the test is not done correctly with the proper equipment, you really have no base to build on when it comes to getting your HA's programmed. They have to give you a copy if you ask for it! It cannot be more than 6 months old. After all, you want them to have the latest information so that they can get the initial programming on your hearing aid that will work best for you. There will be more on the programming aspect of this in the next column.
I faxed what she needed and within an hour, she sent me another email asking what color I would like (beige or grey) as well as what aid she was recommending to me. They will be the Freedom 32 series - here’s the link.
http://www.americahears.com/Products32.html
To my surprise, instead of sending me the ‘home’ ear mold kit, she told me that I was a great candidate for the open fit. For those of you not familiar with this terminology, right now each of my hearing aids have an ear mold that fits snugly in my ear. Unfortunately, this also blocks my ability to hear any sounds that I would normally hear. Having an open fit enables you to still hear what you can hear normally. Kind of like listening to a CD vs. a vinyl record. When I got my aids last July, they tried an open fit, but were getting too much feedback, so I'm excited to see if it really can be done.
She also sent me a download via email on how to measure my ear for the tubing. It was very easy to do and yes, you do need another person to help you out. If you can cut well with scissors, you should have no problem doing this! The link to their step by step process is here: http://www.americahears.com/Buy.html
So, it’s now been 3 days since this process was started. I just received an email from Judy letting me know that my hearing aids are being shipped overnight via FedEx. So, I should have them tomorrow. I know that when I got my last set of aids in July 08’, it took at least a week to get them in at the Audi’s office.
The best news of all….Each BTE Digital Hearing Aid costs under $1,000. And, they have a no interest 18 month payment plan. Of course, you have to fill out a few forms to get approved for it. I did ask if there had been any problems with the recent credit crunch and so far, things are still going fine for those that have good credit and apply. And yes, there is a very good warranty.
So, I should receive these 2 HA’s sometime tomorrow. I will do my next column after a few days of trying them out as well as having any programming tweaked via their online software as needed. As those of you with HA’s know, getting new aids takes a little getting used to. No, I’m not looking forward to that, especially since I plan on keeping the relatively new ones from last July. But, if this is going to help someone out there be able to get the equipment that they need to get back into the hearing world, it’s a small price to pay! Keep your fingers crossed!
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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By Tami Klink
Friday, Apr 24 2009, 05:09 AM
Don't forget! If you live in the Milwaukee/Racine area, the HLAA Chapter meeting for that area is coming up! Details below. If you have questions, you can contact Caroline at carolinesumm@yahoo.com or Jean at szaboshhh@yahoo.com Meetings are held at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in West Allis, WI.
Hello all!
It's that time again to send you all friendly reminders! Our next upcoming meeting is Thursday, May 7th at 6:30pm at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, lower conference room. Jean will provide the updates on the progress of the HLAA WALK 4 HEARING!!!! The WALK 4 HEARING will be held at the Lake Front in Milwaukee by next year 2010!!! You don't want to miss this event!!! Your participation will be much appreciated!
For more information regarding the WALK 4 HEARING - http://hlaa.convio.net
We hope to see you at the meeting!
Caroline and Jean
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By Tami Klink
Thursday, Apr 23 2009, 10:45 AM
Just got this from the Illinois Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. They will be holding the State Spelling Bee for the D/HOH tomorrow (Friday, 4/24/09). They will have a link on their website that will take you to the event live. It will be available approximately 10 minutes before the start time of 10:00am.
So, for those of you wanting to see what one of these is like, feel free to 'join' the event via the internet!
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
What’s going on tomorrow? Do ya’ all know?? YES- It is our Annual Statewide DEAF Finger-Spelling Bee!
The Bee begins at 10:00 a.m. at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. This Finger-Spelling Bee is for any 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders with a hearing loss in the state of Illinois regardless of their communication methodologies.
The Bee will be broadcast LIVE via internet. If you would like to watch it, please go to our website at http://www.idhhc.state.il.us/ You will be able to click on the link approximately 10 minutes before the start of the Competition.
Please either come and watch the Bee or view the event via internet. Help us spread the word!!
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By Tami Klink
Thursday, Apr 23 2009, 08:54 AM
Just received this from our State HLAA President, Brenda Arndt. It appears that we have at least one Representative that has decided to back up the Insurance Lobbyists on this bill that will possibly be introduced on the Assembly Floor today. What will they think of next? If you are in favor of this bill being passed, please feel free to contact your Representatives and voice your opinions today. For those of you living in Representative Ziegelbauers' district, feel free to contact him and let him know that you are extremely surprised at his actions on taking away our children's' rights to hear.
Have a great week!
From: Alicia Boehme [mailto:aliciasidman@mac.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 10:59 PM
To: letkidshear@googlegroups.com
Subject: BAD AMENDMENT TO BE INTRODUCED ON THE FLOOR - TAKE ACTION
Importance: High
ACTION ALERT
We need your help ASAP regarding an amendment that may be introduced in the Assembly floor on Thursday by Representative Ziegelbauer from Manitowoc. THE AMENDMENT WOULD WEAKEN THE BILL AND WOULD PUT AN UNNECESSARY BURDEN ON FAMILIES.
SO, WHAT IS THE AMENDMENT ABOUT?
The amendment is not out yet, so I do not have any specifics, but Representative Ziegelbauer plans to introduce an amendment on the Assembly floor on Thursday that would require families to pay back the cost of hearing aids or cochlear implants and related services if they chose to leave their insurance plan before a years time. So, if a family carried a health insurance plan for less than one year, they could be made to pay back the costs associated with the hearing intervention.
Why is this a bad idea?
1) There is no other health condition that requires that a person pay back the cost of treatment if they chose to drop their insurance. This is unheard of and is a terrible precedence. Again, it is treating children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families in a discriminatory way, which is exactly what we are trying to get away from!
2) It restricts families from advancing in their work and life. So, if someone were offered a job that paid more or advanced their career, they would be forced to decide to pay back a lot of money to the insurance company, or forgo the opportunity to advance.
3) Representative Ziegelbauer and other Representatives who are for this amendment are concerned that families will choose to get insurance only to pay for hearing aids or cochlear implants and then once received will drop coverage causing a hardship for insurance companies. First, there is absolutely no evidence that this would occur; it is merely speculation. Second, the incentive for families is to keep insurance, not drop it. If a child receives a hearing aid and in particular a cochlear implant, there are follow-up appointments and adjustments that would keep families from wanting to discontinue treatment. Therefore, families are much more likely to keep coverage.
TAKE ACTION NOW
If you are in Bob Zeigelbauer’s District, please call him ASAP and ask him NOT to introduce this amendment and why. His district includes the city of Manitowoc and the Villages of Cleveland, Reedsville, St. Nazianz, Valders, and Whitelaw.
He can be reached at:
Madison office phone: (608) 266-0315 Or (888) 529-0025
District Phone number: (920) 684-6783
Email Address: Rep.Ziegelbauer@legis.wisconsin.gov
Tell his staff your concerns, but also ask to speak to him directly. He does have a cell phone number, which you can ask for from his staff. If no one answers in his office, leave a message, but keep trying back to speak to someone directly.
If you are NOT a voter in Representative Ziegelbauer’s district, contact your Assembly Representative to tell them that an amendment may be introduced and why you want them to vote against the amendment! If you do not know your Assembly Representative, click here: http://www.legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx
OK, the more phone calls and emails and contacts we can make informing Assembly Representatives how we feel, the better! Pass this email far and wide as quickly as you can and place the calls ASAP.
Thanks!!
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By Tami Klink
Thursday, Apr 23 2009, 07:24 AM
As you all know, the cost of hearing aids is unbelievably high. Most Insurance Companies will not cover this expense (they consider it a 'cosmetic' device!). I get an ungodly amount of emails every week from those with hearing loss telling me their stories and frustrations of not being able to afford a hearing aid(s). So, they continue to stay in a very frustrating and depressing world. Imagine how hard it must be to go through life not being able to hear everything and knowing that the only thing that stands between you and being able to hear is money....
So, here's what I am going to do. I've contacted a company that sells hearing aids online. Yes, I checked them out to see if there were complaints on their products with the Better Business Bureau as well as internet chat sites. So far, I haven't been able to find anything on their products that is a big negative. I have also contacted the President of the company and in the interest of fair play, have told him what I am doing. I gave him the option of not participating and much to my surprise, he wholeheartedly agreed to be my 'guinea pig'. That right there says a lot about how confident he is in their product.
So, yesterday, I started the process by contacting them as a 'normal' client. The President agreed that I would be treated as any other client in that their staff will not know what I am doing or who I am. In the next few weeks, I will be trying out their product and then writing a series of 3 columns on the process, outcome, negatives and positives. I'm really excited about this! I feel that since I've worn hearing aids for almost 30 years now, I know quite a bit about them. I've had 12 of them and am pretty picky about how I expect them to achieve my goal of hearing better.
The hearing aids that I will be trying are priced at $995 each. Yes, they are digital and BTE's. If they are as good as the President is telling me they are, this will open up a whole new world for those with limited incomes and get even more people back into the 'sounds of life'! Imagine the possibilities! If someone can get a hearing aid, have it 'financed' at no interest for up to 18 months and have a payment of around $50 a month, that will enable a lot of people to improve their hearing without breaking their budget.
Keep your fingers crossed! More to come....
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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By Tami Klink
Wednesday, Apr 22 2009, 09:51 AM
Did you know that the New York MTA (Mass Transit Authority) is looking at looping their ticket booths so that those of us with hearing loss and hearing aids with t-coils in them can hear/transact/purchase tickets? There is going to be a meeting/hearing on this in the very near future.
So, if you reside in the New York City area and would like to see this happen, please send a letter supporting this endeavor. The information is below. The deadline for comments has been extended, so please disregard the 'end date'. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Janice. Her information is at the bottom of this posting.
Have a great week!
Dear Ms. King:
The MTA should approve the induction loops for the the subway information booths, which should be accessible for people with hearing loss. Passengers with hearing loss should be able to have communication access.
Access in a noisy setting such as in the subways is important. Induction loops allow my daughter and others with hearing loss to effectively communicate with the booth attendants by switching their hearing aids to the "T" setting. The passenger whose hearing aid has a T-coil can hear the booth attendant directly in his or her ear. No longer does the passenger have to worry that he or she will end up in the wrong location or take the incorrect subway. People will not ask the question if they cannot hear the answer. A person with hearing loss should be able to use the subways. A goal that everyone can agree is important.
We applaud the MTA/NYCTA for undertaking the installation of induction loops at all 600+ subway information booths after piloting the loops at two booths.
This will continue NYC's effort to be the most accessible city in the US for people with hearing loss.
Best,
Janice L. Schacter
Chair
Hearing Access Program
T: 212-988-8099
C: 917-975-5642
F: 212-988-0306
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By Tami Klink
Monday, Apr 20 2009, 11:55 AM
This was on the JSOnline website this morning. It appears that there are quite a few states setting these websites up for those looking for jobs. Reason? All of the Economic Stimulus Money going to each state to create those 4 million jobs. For those of you looking, the site is averaging thousands of visitors. Just click on the link to the story and the link to the Wisconsin Jobs Website will be in there. To make it a bit easier, you may want to pick a County where you are going to be looking for a job. Check the site every few days since there will be new postings based on monies being received from the Federal Government. Best of Luck!
http://www.jsonline.com/business/43281062.html
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By Tami Klink
Monday, Apr 20 2009, 11:41 AM
Everyday I get emails from readers with different questions and situations. Out of all of them, probably the story that I hear about most is how difficult it is to maintain relationships with friends, relatives, co-workers, ect. For those of you out there that are not familiar with the challenges of hearing loss, here's a link to another publication that did a story on it.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/vernonmorningstar/lifestyles/43002652.html
Recently, I contacted a few of our local news organizations to see if they were planning on 'featuring' any stories on hearing loss in May. May is National Hearing Month. So far, I still have not heard back from any of those that I contacted. I can understand that they are all pretty busy these days with the political, financial and jobless news, but when you have hearing loss, you deal with a lot of these major topics everyday in that you are constantly trying to figure out ways to stay ahead of the game and in the hearing world.
The above story gives a little more perspective on this topic.
Have a great week!
Copyright 2009 Tami Klink
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