Holiday Party
Our annual holiday party will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 16 at the River Road Country Club, 2930 Upper River Road (see directions below). Please contact Hazel Tucker (502-241-9165 VCO or TTY or and tell her what you will bring for the potluck dinner and whether you are bringing any guests. We will have a silent auction again this year, so please bring some items to donate and plan to do a little shopping while you party. We will have plenty of room to display the items. We will again have at least one item to raffle off. Dress is "casual dressy"—no coat and tie. Just be comfortable. Directions: From downtown Louisville take I-71 North to the Zorn Avenue exit. Turn left at the end of the ramp, then turn left onto River Road. Go approximately 100' and turn left into the entrance to the River Road Country Club. There is a parking lot at left. Come to the front doors, and one of our committee will be there to greet you.
From Indiana, take either I-64 or I-65 to I-71 in downtown Louisville. Take I-71 North to the Zorn Avenue exit. Turn left at the end of the ramp, then turn left onto River Road. Go approximately 100' and turn left into the entrance to the River Road Country Club.
From the East End, take I-71 to the Zorn Avenue exit. Turn right at the end of the ramp, then turn left onto River Road. Go approximately 100' and turn left into the entrance to the River Road Country Club.
There is a parking lot to the left. Come to the front door, and one of our committee members will be there to greet you. --- Hazel Tucker
Thanks: To Karen Lichtefeld for arranging to have our Christmas Party at the River Road Country Club and to the members of the Social Committee who are coordinating this event.
Other Dates to Remember
- Please note: We will not have a speaker's meeting in December. We also will not have our monthly informal dinner at Piccadilly Cafeteria.
December 14 The 7:30 p.m. performance of "A Christmas Carol" at Actors Theatre will be sign interpreted. Buy tickets at the box office, 316 W. Main St., or call 584-1205 or 584-1321 TDD or FAX 561-3337. Tickets can be purchased online at www.actorstheatre.org. Be sure to mention that you need sign interpretation when you order your tickets. December 17, 21, and 22 Those who have a K Card can purchase $5 tickets to the Louisville Ballet's presentation of "The Nutcracker" on these three dates. Each performance is at 7:30 p.m. The Kentucky Center's K Card program is designed to allow people with disabilities to purchase tickets to selected performances at a low price in order to determine which type of performances they can enjoy despite their disability. The performances are mostly ballet, orchestra concerts, and children's plays. These performances are not captioned or sign interpreted but some of our members, particularly those with cochlear implants, may be able to understand/enjoy them. Tickets must be purchased at the Kentucky Center box office (inside at the counter), and you must have your K Card with you when you make your purchase. Each K Card holder may purchase two tickets to each performance. To get your K Card, contact Stacy Ridgway or call the Access Hotline 502-562-0111 (V) or 502-562-0140 (TTY).
December 18 PNC Bank Broadway will present a captioned performance of "On the Record" at 8 p.m. at the Louisville Palace. For tickets, call 583-4555 or purchase in person at the box office, 625 S. 4th St. Tickets can also be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet (including most Kroger stores) or online at Ticketmaster. Be sure to mention that you need captioning when you order your tickets.
Captioned Movies No captioned movies are currently scheduled.
Sign Language Practice Group Do you want to learn sign language as a back-up to your hearing aids? Please tell Paula Esterle (502-339-8037 V. if you are interested in our sign practice group. We will not meet again until a sufficient number signs up. When meetings resume, we will meet on the first, third, and fourth Mondays of the month. (No meeting on the Monday before our Tuesday Speaker's Meeting.) Please note: This is not an ASL class. This is members helping members to informally learn basic sign and to practice skills. There is no text and no formal instructor. We meet at Harvey Browne Presbyterian Church, 311 Browns Lane (near Shelbyville Rd.) at 7 p.m. in Room 216 (on the northeast corner of the second floor).
Treasurer's Report Expenditures for November totaled $41.65. Our balance as of November 30 was $1,339.65.
Hearing Assistive Technology (HAT) On November 15, Derbytown President Ed Schickel made a HAT presentation to the Frankfort Chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). The Local Cable access videotaped the program to be aired in the Frankfort area.
Paws with a Purpose The Paws with a Purpose folks will start taking applications for assistive dogs after January 1, 2005. Call PWP at 502-897-3131 on or after January 1 to request an application. It will still take another year to receive a dog as it is a two-year training program. Applicants will be put on a waiting list on a first call basis. --- Louise Wisdom
CapTel NewsThe Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (KCDHH) is now saying that CapTel distribution will begin in Kentucky this month. If you want a CapTel phone and need an application, call KCDHH at 1-800-372-2907 (V/TTY). KCDHH has also told us that if you are eligible for Veterans Administration benefits, or have a hearing-impaired spouse who is, you can get a CapTel phone through the VA (see below for more information). CapTel is also available in Indiana. Contact Bob Stuckey or 502-899-3218 TDD or Reva Kruer. or 812-923-5378 TDD/V.
Free CapTel for Veterans, Federal Employees, and U.S. Tribal Members CapTel service by Federal Relay is available in all fifty states and the District of Columbia for qualifying active and retired Federal employees (civilian and DOD), veterans, and U.S. Tribal members. Sprint is distributing a limited number of free Federal CapTel phones each month (subject to change at any time). To obtain a free Federal CapTel phone, go to Free Captel to download and complete the appropriate application form.
SHHH National Convention (June 30-July 3, 2005) Register online Register for the 2005 convention in Washington D.C. For all you early birds, now is the time to get a place in line at the SHHH national convention. Can't wait to eat burgers and potato salad surrounded by a menagerie of pandas and primates? Sign up now for the barbeque at the National Zoo, just a short walk from the historic Omni Shoreham hotel. A super saver registration form is available online now. SHHH members who sign up by December 15 will receive a discounted registration of $185. Those who do not have an internet connection can call the Bethesda office at (301) 657-2248 to request one by mail. Thanks, and see you in Washington!
University of Louisville Research The University of Louisville Program in Audiology is conducting research on audiologic rehabilitation in adults with hearing loss who wear hearing aids. Audiologic rehabilitation involves training in speechreading (lipreading, auditory listening, and communication strategies. Most people with hearing loss do not use all of the strategies available to them to improve their listening. As part of a research program, FREE group audiologic rehabilitation classes will be offered. The following characteristics are necessary for research subjects:
- Ø Participants must be between the ages of 55 and 75
Ø Participants must wear two hearing aids with at least six months experience.
Ø Participants must have normal or corrected vision of at least 20/40.
Ø Participants must not currently have active ear disease (i.e. ear infection).
Ø A few other screenings will be performed at the first visit to determine if the prospective participant will qualify for the study.
If you have any questions, or if you are interested in participating, please contact Jen Leddy at 502-852-3990 or Jen Leddy.
- Responding to a worldwide problem, the Lions Affordable Hearing Aid Project (AHAP) has developed a low cost, high quality hearing aid. Approximately 150 Million people have a serious hearing loss that interferes with basic communication, education and employment. The cost of quality hearing aids (frequently over $2,000 in US dollars) has made hearing improvement out of reach for low-income people in countries like the United States, but even more so in poorer, developing countries.
Lions Club International Fund (LCIF) teamed with Project Impact to develop and produce a low cost and high quality hearing aid. The aid, which costs about US$100, is assessed to perform at least as well as aids that sell for US$2000. The behind-the-ear, digitally programmable aid has successfully passed clinical trials and FDA approval as well as European certification.
The low cost hearing aid is only available through Lions Clubs in partnership with audiologists. As of October 2004, more than 600 people in Mexico, India, Michigan and Washington have been fitted with the AHAP hearing aid.
For more information contact your local Lions Club or see Lions Club International Fact Sheet: Lions Club
A major legislative win for the reporting and captioning professions took a big step closer to reality in November when the U.S. Senate passed S. 480, the Training for Realtime Writers Act, by unanimous consent.
The last-minute efforts of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) to move the companion bill forward in the House of Representatives were not successful in the closing moments before adjourning for the Thanksgiving holiday. The House will be back in session briefly in December, so the opportunity remains for the House to consider the bill before the current Congress concludes.
In other good news, the omnibus appropriations bill that Congress passed last weekend includes funding for some court reporting programs. NCRA has been working with 40 schools to obtain earmark funding. This is the fifth year that at least some reporting schools have been included in the appropriations funding. A report will be issued on which schools will be included and how much funding will be distributed after a review of the appropriations bill is complete and the successful and unsuccessful schools are notified.
S. 480 was introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) last year. The House version, H.R. 970, was introduced by Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wisconsin). Through grassroots contacts and visits on Capitol Hill, NCRA members and staff have garnered broad, bipartisan support in both houses. The Senate bill had 44 cosponsors going into the vote, and the House bill has 131 cosponsors.
"This is a very exciting achievement," said NCRA President E. Duane Smith. "The problem that these bills address is important to the deaf and hard of hearing community and to the reporting and captioning professions, and I'm proud that we have gotten this far in the process. With continued effort, we will be in a good position to make our case for passage in the House of Representatives."
Deaf Student Sues for CART
A deaf student has sued the Nevada state university system, saying that the refusal of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) and the Community College of Southern Nevada (CCSN) to provide her with Computer-Assisted Real Time (CART) captioning services resulted in her getting low grades. The student told the "Las Vegas Journal" that she wanted "services improved to allow these deaf students to have the better opportunity to excel at their education." According to newspaper accounts, note-takers hired by the school could not keep up with the lectures, missed classes or quit, and could not provide her with an adequate outline. The student, who is 34, graduated from CCSN but dropped out of UNLV after the school refused to provide her with CART services.
Local News, Weather and Emergency Captioning
The following letter was sent to the "Lexington Herald-Leader" after WKYT Channel 27 refused grant money for captioning:
- For those of you who get the "Lexington Herald-Leader," lately there have been half or full page ads of Channel 27 boasting its 28-year run of being rated number one as the most watched news show. Reading and hearing about it made me cringe. Why?
It all began during this past Labor Day week-end when an e-mail was forwarded to me by a friend who had received a message from a captioning company seeking letters supporting proposed grant money to make real-time captioning possible, especially emergency weather updates. A good example is the time we had tornadoes last May. There was no captioning on any local TV programs. While the cable weather channel offers real-time captioning, it only focuses on the entire country, while giving updated local weather every eight minutes. This captioning company reported that a news director from WKYT(Channel 27) had asked that the station be included in a funding proposal for real-time captioning from the USDOE (U.S. Department of Education).
Those who wrote to the company to support the proposal felt that there was a huge need for real-time captioning. The response was immense and very enthusiastic in support of the possible grant.
Like many of you, I was enjoying Thanksgiving with my family. We were celebrating many things, including the captioning company's award of three closed captioning grants from the USDOE, one awarded to our very own Channel 27(WKYT)! Unfortunately, the celebrating ended abruptly when I received word that WKYT had decided to DECLINE the award. Both the captioning provider, and those of us who sent letters of support, are disappointed.
The captioning company's real-time captioning has proven very effective during the recent problems experienced by West Palm Beach, FL residents, who received 70 hours of almost non-stop real-time captioning related to Hurricane Frances coverage. The Florida TV station was able to provide these necessary updates and warnings to persons who are deaf and hard of hearing because they were already set up with the special phone lines, pagers, and equipment needed for real-time captioning.
So the deaf and hard of hearing population in our community receive NO real-time emergency weather alerts. Many lives, which could have been protected, continue to be in jeopardy. Small weather warnings on the upper right corner of the television screen do not provide details about the emergency.
The difference between prepared text and real-time captioning, in local news, is significant. Local news groups tell stories of today's events by typing much of it ahead of time. Usually, it is not even word for word. National news, on the other hand, provides real-time captioning for live programming. (Feature stories are often prepared ahead of time.)
By law, all new TV sets are able to provide closed captions. No longer is a decoder required for this service, except on older sets or those under13 inches. As our population ages, more of us are losing the ability to hear and will be able to benefit from these services.
During the May tornado alerts, my family kept me updated on TV weather coverage. But what would I do if I was at home alone? What do others do without a hearing person to assist?
Currently no TV stations in the Central Kentucky area offer real-time captioning services. Those of us with special needs are unable to access full emergency weather information. As a part of this Central Kentucky community, are you comfortable knowing our deaf, hard of hearing, and aging citizens with hearing losses will experience continued jeopardy, due to lack of services? If so, please encourage all our stations to look at providing this important service. Finances impact the service provision our TV stations can provide, but when public safety is involved, shouldn't they go the extra mile?
While you are putting on the pressure about emergency real-time captioning services, with all our local stations, please ask Channel 27(WKYT) to improve their overall services to the deaf and hard of hearing. Channel 27 is the only local station that has been unresponsive to my continued requests to turn on access to the closed captioning (CC) offered from their national syndicated programming. The station's interest in this grant gave me hope this attitude was changing. Declining the grant award raises the question, "Are we just looking at more of the same?" I, for one, will be supporting the channels that offer services to all citizens. How about you?
From Derbytown President Ed Schickel: It is time for SHHH and the Kentucky Association for the Deaf to unite and respond to these issues. We need to develop a positive plan of response. Please offer suggestions and tell me what you are willing to do to make captioning better throughout the state of Kentucky. I need specific comments about specific stations and times. If this issue is important to you, please respond.)
SHHH National ID Number: We are, for various reasons, required to keep a record of Derbytowners' SHHH National ID numbers. If you are a member of SHHH National, please give your ID number to Melanie Magruder at the next Derbytown meeting, or you can contact her at Melanie or 239-1598 TTY. You can find your number on your membership card or in the upper left hand corner of the address label of "Hearing Loss," the magazine you receive every two months. Thanks for your help! And if you are not a member of the national organization, won't you consider joining? The benefits are numerous, as you'll see below!
What SHHH is doing for you!
From the Desk of Brenda Battat, Director of Public Policy and States Development
- The SHHH mission is to open the world of communication to people with hearing loss through information, advocacy, education and support. We invite you to join SHHH members to advocate at federal, state, and local levels for better communication access.
SHHH Advocacy Issues
- § Better access to affordable hearing aids, cochlear implants and other technology for all who can benefit
§ Telephones designed to work with hearing aids and cochlear implants
§ Assistive technology and programs complying with disability rights laws and providing accessibility in public and private facilities, workplaces, and state and local governments
§ More captioned movies in neighborhood theaters
§ Improve quality of captioned TV and meeting FCC captioning regulations timetable
§ Strengthen federal requirements for accessible air travel including appropriate screening procedures
§ Roll-out nationwide a captioned telephone service
§ Improve access to and the effectiveness of hearing health services
§ Increase grant funding for the training of more captioners
§ Enhance funding for infant hearing screening programs and follow-up care
§ Strengthen standards for visual and audible fire alarms
Go to: HearingLoss.org to learn more about what SHHH is doing for you.
- 1. Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc. is THE voice for all people with hearing loss. (A large constituency gives them credibility and contacts.)
2. Information is brought to members through Hearing Loss: The Journal of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People.
3. The National Convention provides education and access to vendors and exhibitors.
4. Support through local chapters and online information.
5. Discounts on books, resource materials, convention fees and special promotions
6. Advocacy efforts
7. Surveys, courses and special events.
8. Fellowship and support.
9. Personal Networking. What SHHH is doing for you.
Derbytown SHHH is affiliated with SHHH National, which is headquartered in Bethesda MD. It is a volunteer international organization of hard of hearing people, their family and friends, and professionals who want to develop an acceptance of the needs of hard of hearing people. SHHH is a non-profit, non-sectarian, educational group devoted to the welfare and interests of those who cannot hear well but are committed to participating in a hearing world. Meetings are free and open to the public and take place at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the Louisville Free Public Library, 301 York St., Louisville KY, where parking is free after 6 p.m. Occasionally we meet at other places or at other times for different activities. On those occasions, you will be notified of the change through this newsletter. Real time captioning is used at the meetings.