2003 SHHH Convention
The 2003 SHHH Convention was held in Atlanta, GA from
June 26 to June 29, 2003. Char and I were unable to attend, but Cheryl
Heppner of NVRC was there and was gracious to share here articles. Thank
you, Cheryl.
Interested in knowing who's at the convention? How about some of the
cool freebies? For some ace reporting on stuff that you don't always
learn about if you're not there, read Cheryl's SHHH
Convention Tidbits.
Dealing with hearing loss in the workplace is always a popular topic
at SHHH and other hearing loss conventions. Here's
Cheryl's report on Beth Wilson's workshop on that topic.
An always-popular topic at these conventions is how to hear better. Here's
Cheryl's report on a workshop on using directional microphones and
assistive devices to overcome noise, reverberation and distance.
Interested in the latest cochlear implant (CI) information? Here's
Cheryl's report on how a person's hearing history
influences their speech understanding with a CI.
Another interesting report from the convention is on Dr. Waldman's
presentation concerning the expanding criteria for
cochlear implantation.
Interested in the latest information on laws that affect
telecommunications access. Here's Cheryl's
report on Brenda Battatt's workshop on that topic.
The controversy surrounding cochlear implants and children seems to
be dying down as the benefits of early implantation become better known.
Here's a report on the affect of cochlear implants
on children's social and cognitive growth.
You already know that bad acoustics can make it virtually impossible
for a person with hearing loss to understand what's going on. You can
imagine how important classroom acoustics are for hard of hearing kids.
Here's a report on the Classroom Acoustics workshop.
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Editor: IT'S CONVENTION TIME!!!!! For those who haven't figured it
out, I'm a bit of a convention nut. I love seeing old friends and
meeting new ones. I also love attending the workshops, then writing up
and sharing what I've learned. I wasn't able to attend this year's SHHH
Convention in Atlanta, but Super Reporter Extraordinaire Cheryl Heppner
of NVRC was there and did her usual outstanding job of making us feel
like we were right there with her.
She's already sent a bunch of reports, which we'll be sharing over
the summer. We'll start off with a report I've titled "SHHH
Convention Tidbits", because it touches on many convention aspects
that aren't normally covered.
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Yes, I know, it's a freakish little obsession, but I always enjoy
reporting on some of the goodies you miss by not being here at the
conference with me. Besides the usual advertising circulars,
newsletters/magazines, evaluation form, tourist info, safety tips, pens,
pads, tickets, and program book, SHHH always has some surprises in its
conference bag. This year there are no little packets of aspirin or
aspirin substitute. Hmmm.
The winner of Most Interesting Item comes in an oblong black box with
red slashes on it. The red slashes contain the word "Prime".
The opened box reveals a hard plastic mini fan in translucent blue, with
a string so you can wear it around your neck, and two AA batteries to
run it. The Advanced Bionics logo is imprinted. The paper instructions
say it has a lifetime warranty. Fat chance when used around women of a
certain age, and don't ask me how I know.
Second place would go to the Starkey key chain with a red flashlight
built in. There's also an Atlanta pin, an American flag pin, and a
Survey of Health Promotion Needs for Men and Women Who are Hard of
Hearing with an envelope to return it to Villanova University.
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TTY Numbers Listed in Hotel Book - Now here's something I haven't
seen before. The Hilton Atlanta & Towers has a whole section in its
guest information book with a "TDD Directory" -- numbers for
the hotel, security, room service, assistant manager, PBX attendant, and
reservations.
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SHHH-News - A little blue paper in my conference bag says that
SHHH-News, the twice monthly updates from the Washington, DC SHHH
office, are free of charge. "Learn about projects and efforts made
to improve the lives of people with hearing loss. Understand why your
support is so important." You must sign up to receive this service.
Send a blank e-mail to SHHH-News-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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Freebies Table - Spotted on the freebies table were bright new copies
of Hearing Health magazine, the former Paula Bonillas publication that
was taken over by Deafness Research Foundation. The Spring 2003 issue
has articles on research, people (Dr. Christina Miller), tinnitus
testing, otosclerosis overview, "hybrid hearing" (wearing both
a cochlear implant and hearing aid) and much more. On the outside it
still has the look and feel of the old Hearing Health. Issues are
quarterly and you can subscribe for $24/year: Hearing Health, 1050 17th
Steet Nw, Suite 701, Washington, DC 20036 (202-289-5850). Also find it
on the web at www.hearinghealthmag.com, where there's an online
subscription area, classified ads, and surveys.
***************
SHHH Spottings - The SHHH convention press releases promised that
we'd get to see a lot of the SHHH staff, and they weren't kidding. In
short order I saw Barbara Kelley, Barbara Thomas, Brenda Battat, Terry
Portis and Dana Mulvany.
