Hearing Aid Tax Credit - progress report

WASHINGTON, DC, January 26, 2010 Hearing Aid Tax Credit legislation
in the House of Representatives (H.R. 1646) shattered previous
co-sponsorship records when Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) became the 113th
Rep. to co-sponsor the bill on January 21. Less than a year after
introduction, the legislation surpassed co-sponsorship totals achieved
in the Republican-majority 109th Congress (ending in 2006) and the
Democratic-majority 110th Congress (ending in 2008) – both of which
peaked at 112 co-sponsors at the conclusion of each full two-year
session. With the remainder of 2010 left for the 111th Congress, tax
credit supporters are hopeful that the bill will be considered as part
of any health reform proposals that emerge in the coming months or
major tax legislation that must be considered in either 2010 or 2011 to
address numerous expiring tax provisions.

The bi-partisan Hearing Aid Tax Credit was introduced by Reps. Carolyn
McCarthy (D-NY) and Vern Ehlers (R-MI) to provide assistance to some of
the 32 million people who need a hearing aid to treat their hearing
loss. Medicare expressly excludes coverage of hearing aids as do most
private insurance policies, and as a result, cost is cited as a
prohibitive factor by two thirds of the people who do not treat their
hearing loss. If enacted, H.R. 1646 would provide a $500 tax credit per
hearing aid for children and people age 55 and older. While hearing
aids can treat 95% of all hearing losses, only 22% of those who could
benefit from them actually use them. Rep. McCarthy notes that “this
bill would provide some assistance to people who need hearing aids to
reach their full potential, and it would do so in a fiscally
responsible way.”

HIA’s Chairman, Jerry Ruzicka, points out that “affordability of
hearing healthcare – not just the hearing aids themselves but
importantly the professional testing, fitting and training that makes
them perform at peak – is a concern. HIA brought together
manufacturers, professionals, and the consumers who depend on our
technology, and we all agreed that a tax credit for hearing aid
purchases is the best way to improve access. The unity behind our
legislation is one of its key strengths.”

In fact, the Hearing Aid Tax Credit is actively supported by most
hearing health organizations including the Alexander Graham Bell Assn
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell), Academy of Doctors of
Audiology (ADA), American Academy of Audiology (AAA), American Speech
Language Hearing Assn (ASHA), Hearing Industries Association (HIA),
Hearing Loss Assn of America (HLAA) and International Hearing Society
(IHS).

Working as a coalition and in partnership with Congressional champions,
the hearing health community has worked to focus attention on the
importance of hearing health and the burdens associated with the lack
of financial assistance for treatment. “Access to hearing technology,
coupled with early identification of hearing loss, is absolutely
essential for children to learn to listen and talk," said Catherine
Murphy, Director of Communications & Public Affairs for AG
Bell. "Parents of children with hearing loss shouldn't have to
sacrifice other essentials in order to give their children access to
hearing devices they desperately need. We thank those members of
Congress who have supported this important issue."

In addition to coalition efforts on Capitol Hill, local AG Bell and
HLAA chapters have hosted events for Representatives in their districts
to demonstrate the importance of this legislation to voters. In
addition, more than 30,000 letters have been sent to Congress since
2008 by people visiting http://www.hearingaidtaxcredit.org/. Brenda Battat, executive director of HLAA, notes that she is “delighted that
HLAA members have played a key role in reaching this new milestone.
They have hosted joint events in California, Maryland, Michigan,
Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin for Representatives who are
supportive of financial assistance for people who need hearing aids.
Many other HLAA members have written letters and paid visits to their
representatives which have paid off in gaining such strong
Congressional support.”

Chris Gustafson, BC-HIS, ACA, President of the International Hearing
Society, saluted the achievement of this milestone. "Reaching this new
threshold for the Hearing Aid Tax Credit is tangible evidence that
lawmakers are increasingly recognizing the importance of improving
access to the benefits of amplification for their hearing-impaired
constituents. IHS is pleased to be working jointly with providers,
patients, and manufacturers in support of this legislation." The
participation of IHS member hearing health professionals has been
instrumental to the success of the Congressional events in various
states.
-Lise Hamlin, HLAA Public Policy and Advocacy



Smile-Hugs,
Danielle

To all the people that wear Hearing Aids...

I was thinking I wish HEARING AIDS where like Cochlear Implants in a way because wit a CI you dont have earmolds you just put it behind your ear and "YOU CAN HEAR". Thats one of the reasons why I like them. My earmolds were expensive when I purchased my aids 4 months ago.I had to switch them a few times. They are constantly itchy im assuming its because of the ear molds. I dont have itchy ears when the aids are out. Its only when earmolds are in. I have no choice but to wear the aids because I have to hear whats going on. I tried different sets of earmolds but its getting costly. Ear molds arent covered and they are $200.00 NONREFUNDABLE!!! So how many pairs am I going to go through....

What do you think?? Dont you wish that hearing aids where like CI'S. I deafinitely do... but its too late to go that route maybe oneday something like that will be available for us.

If not then I'll consider the CI later on at this time I cant get it if I wanted to because of my illness. Thats why I ended up aids to avoid surgery. Luckily I can hear well with the aids.Its not 100%, but its something. I cant live without them at this point.

For the constant itchy ears I used DERM OTIC which must be perscribed by an ENT. I use it helps somewhat but not 50%.

Whats your opinion about this???


Smile-Hugs,
Danielle

HOW TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR HEARING...

Two people emailed me today asking me HOW TO PROTECT THEIR HEARING so with all the information from past HLAA meetings, from my knowledge and from my audiologist. I decided to come up with a few facts that I have learned which was very helpful to me.

- Sounds is LOUD* enough to DAMAGE* hearing if it causes rining in the ears or your ears feel " STUFFY or MUFFLED" after the sound is turned off. Avoid these sounds beacuse they can PERMANENTLY DAMAGE YOUR HEARING FOR GOOD!!!! Many of you dont think it true but it is.

- keep hearing protection/earplugs handy to place in the ears in noisy environments to protect your hearing.

- You should have your hearing tested every year if you work in LOUD ENVIRONMENTS ( for those without hearing loss) to assure that they are not developing a hearing loss.

I was told by my Audiologist... NO MATTER how old or young you are, too much exposure to loud noise can permanently damage your hearing. whether its a screech of a chain saw, the sudden blast of a hunting RIFLE** or the roar of a lawn mower, exposure to loud sounds can cause PERMANENT HEARING LOSS!!! By avoiding these situations GO BUY YOURSELF A PAIR OF EARPHONES OR EARPLUGS. IT HELPS!!!

Hearing protection is very important and many of you dont think it is that is why I wanted to take the time to explain how dangerous LOUD NOISES can be.

SO PLEASE PROTECT YOUR HEARING!!!!!!!

Thanks for Reading, I hope this helps.

Smile-Danielle

Movie Theatre Captioning

Have you been to the movies lately?

AMC, Loew's, Clearview Cinemas offers Open Caption movies for us!!!!

CaptionFish is a new website that shows all the available Rear Window Captioning and Open Captioned in your area. Its been out quite sometime for those of you that didn't know.

Here are some websites you can checkout:

www.captionfish.com

www.fomdi.com

www.movietickets.com ( this place only shows Rear Window Captioning)

www.fandango.com ( only shows Open Captioned)


For each website all you have to do is click on the links above and type in the search box ( once your on the website) what zip code you live in and movies will appear.

What is the Difference between OPEN CAPTION AND REAR WINDOW CAPTIONING???

OC- ( OPEN CAPTION) is Captions that are visible without using a set-top decoder or a TV with a built-in decoder chip. When a video is open captioned, the captions are permanently part of the picture. Its on the big screen in the movies.

Rear Window Captioning- ( RWC) You are given a translucent plastic reflector that fits in the cup holder of your seat and you can adjust it so that it reflects the reverse captions from the back wall so you can see them.


Hope this Helps!!!

Smile- Danielle

Seven Tips To Better Communication For the Holidays

Recently,I had the privilege to meet Arlene Romoff at a Hearing Loss meeting. She is an amazing woman who happens to inspire me. She is also the author of the book called Hear Again- Back to Life with a Cochlear Implant . I couldn't put her book down. I felt like I knew her my entire life. Arlene and I had the same exact hearing loss. Arlene is working on her second book which is about her second cochlear implant. She is now Bilateral.

Arlene wrote Communication tips for all of us who are hearing impaired back in 2008 in the Hearing Loss Association of America magazine. It is also posted on the website.

I wanted to share with you all these great tips! These tips really helped me understand what I have to do in order to communicate better this year. This Christmas will be the first that I will be hearing many new things and people!!! I never heard what Christmas is all about. I am so excited!!! The best gift ever this year is these aids. I cannot live without them they saved my life.

Seven Tips To Better Communication For the Holidays


I hope you all find this helpful as it did for me and I wish you all a Wonderful Holiday!!!


Smile-Hugs,
Danielle

17 Misconceptions about People with Hearing Loss

I got this wonderful email from a friend of mine named Janice who happens to be a fantastic advocate for those of us with hearing loss. Thanks Janice so much for always helping us!!! Here is what she wrote in a Magazine.

17 Misconceptions about People with Hearing Loss
By: Janice Schacter

Misconceptions about people who are deaf or hard of hearing are common place - some antiquated stereotypes, others are just incorrect assumptions. It's easy enough to get the wrong idea as hearing loss can be an invisible disability - unlike the wheelchair that signals a mobility challenge. Whether it's a total stranger trying to make small talk in sign language or a overly slowly articulating coworker or relative, it's time we initiated the conversation that will correct misconceptions and remove the stigma associated with deafness and hearing loss. This list of the more common misconceptions there are many more - can be a good starting point for that conversation.

1 EVERYONE WITH HEARING LOSS USES SIGN LANGUAGE AND READS LIPS.
Hearing loss spans across a spectrum from mild to completely deaf and not all people with hearing loss communicate the same way. Communication depends on a variety of factors, such as the degree of hearing loss, whether a hearing aid or cochlear implant is used, the age at which the person lost their hearing, the level of auditory training received, and the nature of the listening situation. The majority of people with hearing loss do not use sign language but it is still important to those whose communication depends on it.

American Sign Language is a visual language with its own syntax and grammar that is quite different from spoken and written English. Sign language varies by country as well. A person with some knowledge of sign language is not a substitute for a qualified interpreter who is trained to transmit what is said clearly and accurately.

Some people with hearing loss read lips and others do not. Lip reading, also called speech reading, is most helpful as a supplement to residual hearing, even though many speech sounds are not visible on the lips. It does help to face the person with hearing loss when speaking. Many people can pick up visual clues even if they are not proficient at lip reading.

2 TALKING LOUDER WILL HELP A PERSON WITH HEARING LOSS TO UNDERSTAND.
Increasing the volume is only part of the solution; clarity is also important. And there is a point where increasing the volume begins to distort the quality of sound. To obtain sufficient clarity, people with residual hearing may require sound to be transmitted from a microphone directly to their ear via an assistive listening system. Sitting close to the speaker can assist the listener (it facilitates lip reading) but is not a substitute for an assistive listening system. Yelling and over-articulating does not help because these distort the natural rhythm of speech and make lip reading more difficult. A person who can hear normally cannot determine whether the sound is adequate for a person with hearing loss.

3 HEARING AIDS AND COCHLEAR IMPLANTS RESTORE HEARING TO NORMAL.
A person does not obtain normal hearing by wearing a hearing aid or cochlear implant. These are not solutions for hearing that are equivalent to wearing glasses to correct poor eyesight. Hearing aids increase the volume but only slightly enhance clarity by raising the volume in certain frequencies. The improvement a cochlear implant makes can vary from providing near-normal hearing to only gaining an awareness of environmental sounds with no comprehension of what they mean. Results depend on such factors as the individual's hearing history, length and onset of deafness and age of implantation. People with hearing loss may be able to understand and respond correctly many times by listening intently, but they can miss important information. Furthermore, it can be tiring to listen intently for a prolonged period.

4 PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS ARE STUPID, MUTE AND UNSUCCESSFUL.
People with hearing loss have the same range of intelligence as the general hearing population. People with untreated, or inadequately treated, hearing loss may respond inappropriately since they may have not heard what was said.

Some people with hearing loss can speak and others cannot; again, there are many factors at play. A person who speaks well doesn't necessarily hear well. And it can be frustrating or upsetting when others remark on how well they speak and even more so if the remark is directed to a bystander, rather than directly to the person with hearing loss.

People with hearing loss are fully employable but may need certain accommodations for effective communication, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is always best to ask the person what type of accommodation is needed.

When conversing via telephone and using a relay service, there may be delays for interpreting or transcribing. People who are not familiar with relay services may wrongly assume that the lag time reflects on the level of intelligence of the person with hearing loss.

5 PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS TEND TO BE OLDER ADULTS.
Of the 36 million people with some form of hearing loss, only 30 percent are 65 or older.

6 PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS ARE DEFINED BY THEIR HEARING LOSS.
Hearing loss is a characteristic, like the color of one's eyes. It does not define a person. The person should be listed first, for example, a person who is hard of hearing, a person who is deaf, or a person with hearing loss. (See People First).

7 HAVING HEARING LOSS IS SHAMEFUL.
This assumption at least partly explains why many people with hearing loss will not purchase or use hearing aids. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Only one out of five people who could benefit from a hearing aid actually wears one.

8 WHEN PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS MISS SOMETHING, IT'S OK TO TELL THEM, IT'S NOT IMPORTANT, OR, I'LL TELL YOU LATER.
It's frustrating to people with hearing loss not to have something repeated when they miss part of the conversation. Saying, It wasn't important compounds the frustration because now not only did they miss part of the conversation but the conversation is also being edited. The person with hearing loss wants to decide for himself or herself what is important.

9 PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS ARE RUDE AND PUSHY.
If a person with hearing loss interrupts a conversation, it is probably because they didn't hear the speaker, not because they are rude. People with hearing loss may position themselves toward the front of a group or in a room so that they are closer to the speaker, making it easier for them to hear and lip read. This behavior is sometimes incorrectly interpreted as pushiness.

10 PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS MOSTLY HANG OUT WITH OTHER PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS.
Hearing loss can affect anyone and does not discriminate. People with hearing loss spend time with family or friends who may or may not have hearing loss. They do not want to be relegated to special seats away from the rest of the people they are with.

11 EVERYONE WHO NEEDS AN ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM CAN USE EAR BUDS OR HEADPHONES.
Ear buds and ear bud-style headsets require people with hearing aids to remove their hearing aids. Headsets typically do not work for people who wear behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids nor for many people who have more than mild hearing loss because the sound output is insufficient.

People who have cochlear implants or T-coils in their hearing aid can receive signals directly through their hearing aid or cochlear implant when an induction loop is used. They can also access FM or infrared signals directly to their hearing aid or sound processor by using a neck loop receiver or an attachment (boot) to their aid or sound processor. The neck loop can be plugged into headphones but most one-piece headphones lack jacks.

12 THE WHEELCHAIR SYMBOL REPRESENTS UNIVERSAL ACCESS.
The wheelchair symbol does not represent people who are deaf, hard of hearing, visually impaired or who have cognitive disabilities. Using the wheelchair as a symbol of universal access makes it more difficult for appropriate access to be obtained for other disabilities, since mobility is the only disability portrayed by this symbol.

It is also important to use the appropriate hearing loss symbols to specify the kinds of access being provided. There are different symbols for interpreting, assistive listening devices and systems, and open and closed captioning (see Symbology).

Many companies provide access information under the heading of Access or Accessibility, which is preferred to terms such as Disabled Services or Handicapped Services, since the latter imply a deficiency in the person rather than removal of barriers. However, as access is not limited to mobility impairments, business Web sites, brochures and promotional materials should provide information for people with hearing loss, visual impairments and cognitive disabilities as well.

13 HEARING ACCESS ISN'T NEEDED BECAUSE IT'S SO RARELY REQUESTED.
Many people with hearing loss are so accustomed to there being no accessibility accommodations that they don't inquire about it unless it is publicized. Access, when made available and publicized, is usually used.

14 PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS READ BRAILLE.
People who are blind read Braille.

15 PROVIDING ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS IS VERY EXPENSIVE.
Hearing access is less expensive than most people think. Many solutions exist for just a few hundred dollars. Obtaining price estimates is advisable.

16 DEAF, HEARING IMPAIRED, HANDICAPPED OR DISABLED ONE IS AS GOOD AS THE OTHER.
The umbrella term for the category is people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Deaf denotes a profound loss of hearing and can also be used to refer to the community of people who are deaf and share a language, such as American Sign Language, and a culture. Hearing impaired is not a preferred term.

17 COMPANIES OR ACCESSIBILITY EXPERTS WITH NO BACKGROUND WITH HEARING LOSS CAN KNOW WHAT BEST MEETS THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS.
When hiring an access coordinator, it is critical to investigate the person's experience. A person can be an expert in one area of access, such as mobility impairments, but may not understand access issues for people with hearing loss, visual impairments or cognitive disabilities. Also, hiring a person with hearing loss does not guarantee that the person has knowledge of effective access for people with hearing loss or for the full range of hearing loss.

Janice Schacter is an accomplished advocate across the hearing advocacy and related political spectrum. She founded the Hearing Access Program in 2002. It is the only organization dedicated to helping the world's corporations, cultural and entertainment institutions, government agencies and mass transit organizations improve their accessibility for people with hearing loss.



Smile-Hugs!
Danielle

DoorBell, Fire, telephone, carbon monoxide Alerters for Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

A new friend of mine who happens to be very knowledgeable told me there are many doorbell alerters and other alerters that are on the market.I am glad things like this are out there for us.

THIS IS ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE ESPECIALLY IN CASE OF EMERGENCY'S!!!!

Here are just a few options for you.

1- TELTEX- Teltex gives a big discount to HLAA ( Hearing Loss Association of America members). This Item is a Wireless Doorbell Transmitter and Reciever.


2- SILENT CALL alerts to telephone, doorbell, carbon monoxide - and has fire alarm alert as well.

3- HOME DEPOT also has many alerters for us as well here is a Wireless Plug In Strobe for Doors with a flashing Light.

By Clicking on the Link it will take you directly to the websites!


Hope this helps.


Smile-Hugs,
Danielle