Fri, 05/01/2012

HLA-Florida - Call for Board Applications

The Hearing Loss Association of Florida (HLA-FL) is seeking qualified individuals to serve on the HLA-FL Board of Trustees for a three-year term beginning October 6, 2012.

Who is Eligible?
All members of Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) who are Florida residents are eligible. HLA-FL is committed to assembling a board comprised of individuals with a diversity of skills, backgrounds, hearing loss, and ages. Hearing applicants with sensitivity to the needs of people with hearing loss will be considered. Ability to work with others is essential. Positive thinkers with the desire to improve the quality of life for hard of hearing Florida residents are encouraged to apply. HLA-FL members can nominate themselves for board membership or nominate another Florida HLAA member (with permission).

What is Required?
The board meets at least three times a year in locations that vary to provide equitable geographic access. Members are encouraged to attend all meetings. Costs of travel are the members' responsibility. Members are asked to take active roles on standing and ad hoc committees. Meetings are presently held on Saturdays to accommodate employed members. Major committee work occurs between board meetings and is most often transacted by e-mail or chat room, and thus, Board members are required to have e-mail access. Reimbursements of previously approved expenses on behalf of HLA-FL are available to trustees upon request.

How to Apply for the HLA-FL Board
Application deadline is August 7, 2012. Forms are available by contacting Tess Crowder.

Tess Crowder
Executive Director
Communication Access, Inc.
7809 Bay Drive
Tampa, Florida 33635

Phone & Fax:  813-814-7736
Email:  TMT.Tess@Verizon.net

Fri, 04/27/2012

Hearing-Friendly Cruise – Sign up now!

Hello HLAA members , family and friends !

Remember the great time we had on our first HLA-FL. cruise in 2007 and the fabulous time on our second cruise in 2010? Did you miss them? Well, here is your new chance to hear the sounds of the Caribbean!

The Hearing Loss Association of Florida invites you aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL)'s Independence of the Seas, sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale on December 8th, 2012, for an 8 day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. It is not too early to plan for this group cruise; in fact, $50 holds your cabin and is refundable.

Yes, start planning now for a cruise is the best vacation value anywhere and easy, too! Your "hotel" travels with you to the friendly islands of the eastern Caribbean and you only unpack once! All your meals are included and you can do as much or as little as you like.

Please note that one does NOT have to be a member of HLAA or have a hearing loss to sail with this group rate. So, invite your friends and family to come along. Please pass this info to your Northern friends or anyone who may wish for a little warm paradise in December. Plan your holiday shopping for Hanukkah or Christmas with exotic gifts from the islands ...and come home with a real Caribbean tan! A $50 onboard cabin credit is being offered to our group.

On all our past group cruises, RCCL made everything accessible to us, with captions in the live theater show times, assistive devices that worked and well-trained crew members who were attentive to our needs. Dinner was fun as we shared the highlights of our day! We even had the first HLAA meeting at sea, with CART.

The Ft. Lauderdale airport is 5 minutes from the pier and offers plenty of hotels nearby if one should wish to fly in the day before. Your ports of call are: Ft. Lauderdale; Basseterre, West Indies; Philipsburg/St.Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Labadee, RCCL's private island with water sports, BBQ, etc!

Note that the cost includes all applicable government taxes and fees. Most online prices do not cover the whole cost. Our GoTravel agent Barbara Maher accepts monthly payments so by the time your cruise vacation is ready, it is paid for!!

Contact Barbara Maher at BARBARAM@GOTRAVEL.COM to book the cruise. Put HLA-cruise on subject line. You may also call Barbara at 1-800-800-7703 x 112. Here are the prices: inside cabin: $810; outside cabin: $870; cabin with balcony: $1000. Rates are per person and based on double occupancy. A deposit of $50 per person is due at booking. The second deposit of $200 per person is due by June 15th. Final payment is due September 20th, 2012

You may contact me anytime at HLAFlorida@aol.com. Hope to see you there!
--Lynn Rousseau, HLAA Gainesville Chapter

Thurs, 03/29/2012

Manhattan (New York City) Chapter Adds Venues with Audio Loops to Their Website

HLAA’s Manhattan Chapter actively supports communication access in public places. Ellen Semel, chair of the chapter’s Hearing Loop Committee, helps lead the movement. In December 2011, she and Fred Palm of AssistiveAudio/Ampetronic presented looping technology information to the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects’ Procrastinators Day, which provides architects with opportunities to earn continuing education units.

“We presented to a diverse audience of more than 50 architects,” Ellen recounts. “Fred had a PowerPoint presentation depicting different loop designs suitable for different venues as well as an array of photos of looped venues around the world. I spoke as a person with hearing loss who enjoys the benefits of hearing loops, with the HLAA Manhattan Chapter logo on a screen behind me.”

Audio Looped Venues in New York City
The chapter has also added a page to its website about looping. Chapter Chair Anne Pope announced the move. “Thanks to the wonderful work of Toni Iacolucci of our chapter, we now have a looping NYC page on our website, including photos of two new looped venues – SAGE and Brotherhood. Hope you will take a peek.”

If you live in New York City or will be traveling there for a visit, be sure to check out the list of looped venues for your listening pleasure. Information about Looping NYC, including a list of looped venues can be found at www.hearingloss-nyc.org.

Fri, 02/10/2012

National Awards Nominations Deadline

Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Conventions are a time to honor our organizations and members with well-deserved awards. HLAA affiliates find unique and special ways to serve member needs as they reach out and make an impact. National awards acknowledge these achievements and contributions.

To nominate yourself, a colleague, an employer or your nearby HLAA Chapter, State Office or State Association, read the awards’ description and complete a nomination form included in the descriptions document. You do not need to be an HLAA member to nominate a person, company or HLAA affiliate for an award. HLAA does require that individual award recipients be current HLAA national members.

The Awards Committee will examine applications with consideration of several factors such as locality, organizational size, etc. Do not presume your achievement "would not stand a chance." Please add appropriate detail to your application and include a completed cover sheet (next page) for each nomination. Nominations that include information closely matching the award criteria stand the best chance for being selected for the award. The following categories of awards will be presented at HLAA’s Convention 2012 Awards program on Sunday morning, June 24.

AWARD NAME

• Community Service Award
• Service Award
• Employer Award
• Marcia Dugan Advocacy Award
• Spirit of HLAA Award
• Family Involvement Award
• Walk4Hearing® Award
• State Organization Award
• Professional Advisor Support Award
• Newsletter Awards – Chapter and State
• Website Awards – Chapter and State

The HLAA Awards Committee considers ongoing projects and activities. HLAA may not present awards in each category every year. The Awards Committee will not consider a previous year's recipient for the same category the following year. HLAA requires that individual award recipients be current HLAA national members. Please see the criteria for judging and use the award nomination form for each entry.

Important Dates
To be eligible for judging, applications and attachments (where applicable) must reach HLAA by e-mail to elebarron@hearingloss.org or be postmarked by April 11, 2012. If you are mailing materials, please include two copies/sets of each item printed in color. Mail applications to the HLAA Awards Committee, HLAA, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1200, Bethesda, MD 20814. Please e-mail entries when possible.

Nominators and recipients will be notified by April 30, 2012; both are encouraged but not required to attend the Convention and Awards Ceremony.

Recipients will receive their awards at HLAA’s Convention 2012 Awards program on Sunday morning, June 24.