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April 6, 2021

Welcome!


At the HLAA Washington State Association, we help people with hearing loss live their best lives.

In this E-news...
  • New UW accessible technology program 
  • The Captions-On bill on its way to the governor's desk
  • Our new page on financial resources to help you buy a hearing aid
  • Our next HOPE meeting April 7, 2021
  • Costco's new telecoil-enabled hearing aids
  • High-tech hearing devices causing confusion, overwhelm
  • Survey on tech accessibility
  • Webinar: Living and Loving with Hearing Loss
  • Turning on on live Zoom captions
  • Hearing-friendly programs online at the Seattle Rep

If you have news to share, ideas, questions, or comments, kindly email us directly: webmaster@hearingloss-wa.org.
Washington State Hearing Loss News

UW Leading Development of Accessible Technology

 
UW CREATE logo with icon of person with prosthetic arm holding a lightbulb and Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences, University of Washington
 
Imagine watching a teacher in a classroom and seeing her speech appear as real-time captions near her face. 

As part of the University of Washington's inclusion and accessibility programs, a project by Jen Mankoff and Aashaka Desai seeks to do just that. Aashaka recently submitted her proposal "Microsoft AI for Accessibility Education" to the Microsoft AI for Accessibility Program. Aashaka is a PhD student at the University of Washington, where she's studying how technology can make the world more accessible to people with disabilities. 

Professor Jen Mankoff advises Aashaka and leads the Make4All Group, which uses data science and technologies like 3D printing to design more inclusive products. Make4All is part of the UW's new CREATE: Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences. CREATE is a cross-disciplinary consortium of faculty from several UW schools and colleges. These researchers will study and partner with industry to innovate and design accessible technologies. Launched with a $2.5 million investment from Microsoft in 2020, CREATE also hosts workshops and a monthly webinar series on accessible technology.

Follow UW CREATE on Twitter (@UWCreate) and join their community to follow their exciting work.  

Olympia Advocacy Update: Captions-On Bill Call to Action

Photo of a classic white building with rotunda, blooming cherry trees in foreground, bright blue sky in background

  • The amended Television Captions-On Bill  (Senate Bill 5027) passed the Washington State House unanimously on April 5, 2021! Next, the bill goes to the governor's desk.

    If you wrote and called in support of the bill, thank you!

    Call to action: Please send your state legislators a quick note or call to thank them for supporting this inclusive, no-cost, hearing-friendly bill.
Find Your Legislators Here
Next Hope Meeting Tomorrow, April 7, 2021
 

 

Connect with others with hearing loss, ask questions, share experiences, and gain support and information, all in a friendly, safe, facilitated space at our next HOPE meeting. Free, captioned, and open to everyone.

Our HOPE Crew hosts these valuable and enjoyable Zoom meetings the 1st Wednesday of each month at 4:00 p.m. We’ll be looking for you!
Register for the April 7, 2021 HOPE Meeting
Hearing Loss in the News
High-Tech Devices and Apps Offer Many Solutions, But Can Be a Hard Sell
 

Options for treating hearing loss are more plentiful than ever, but the stigma of hearing loss remains. And the number of choices can lead people to feel overwhelmed. Personalization, situation-specific hearing help, apps, machine learning, and even artificial intelligence can bring hearing help to many people, but others aren't yet confident about learning complex new devices.

Julie Jargon explores this issue in this Wall Street Journal article (available to subscribers only). Julie is looking for feedback from readers, so we encourage you to share your thoughts with her (julie.jargon@wsj.com).
Survey: The Accessibility Of Everyday Tech
 
Photo of hand holding black Sharpie pen checking the box next to a blank face. Two other options, one smiling, are available to check.
 
Cars, emergency alerts, video games---how hearing-accessible are these everyday technologies, really? This survey from Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI) and David Poland at Gallaudet University wants to find out.

The survey takes five to ten minutes to complete and will help TDI decide its advocacy priorities. The survey is anonymous, but the results may be shared with Congress, the FCC, or others. People with hearing loss are heartily encouraged to fill out the survey.

David, a lifelong resident of Vancouver, Washington, is a student at Gallaudet University, completing his master's degree. He's applying macro social work as an intern at TDI, an organization that advocates for policy in telecommunications, media, and technology that serves people who are deaf and hard of hearing.  
Read More About the TDI Survey
Take the TDI Survey Here
News From HLAA Headquarters

Virtual Meeting: Living and Loving with Hearing Loss
 

 
Hearing loss can present all kinds of communication challenges with the people we love, whether they're our spouse, best friend, child, or dating partner. Join this entertaining and provocative discussion on "mixed" relationships, where one communication partner has a hearing loss and the other does not.  Feel free to invite friends, family, or others who may be interested.
 
Living and Loving with Hearing Loss
Hosted by the HLAA California State Association
Saturday, April 10, 2021 
1 p.m. Pacific/4:00 p.m. Eastern
Captioned, free, open to everyone
Register For Living and Loving with Hearing Loss
Let's Talk Hearing Loss Technology

Telecoils Are in Costco's Latest Kirkland Signature
Hearing Aids

Kirkland Signature 10 Lg

If you're looking for telecoil-enabled hearing aids--and you probably ought to be--Costco's new Kirkland Signature (KS) 10.0 hearing aids have them.

The KS10s also have Bluetooth capability, noise cancellation, a built-in motion sensor, and tinnitus relief.

Remember, you need a telecoil in order to directly and wirelessly connect to hearing loops in places like the Seattle Rep, the Bellevue Arts Museum, University Presbyterian Church, retirement communities like Ida Culver and Mirabella, and thousands of other venues in Washington State and around the world.

Read audiologist Abram Bailey's article in HearingTracker for more info on the Signature 10.0 hearing aids.

Are Your Zoom Captions Switched On? Here's How.

The wonderful Shari Eberts wrote an excellent, step-by-step guide to show you how to enable live captions and a live transcript in Zoom. Read her article in HearingTracker.

We enthusiastically recommend Shari's blog, Living With Hearing Loss, for advice, support, encouragement, and tech help.

Financial Help For Hearing Aids? Yes!
Photo of woman holding tray of hearing aids; an arm is pointing at one of them.
Hearing aids can be an expensive investment, no matter how much they're needed. But financial help is out there: low-interest loans, refurbished hearing aids, donations, discounts, and other methods can help you get what you need so you can hear.

If you have private insurance, check to see if hearing aids are covered in your plan. While Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids, Washington State Medicaid does, for both children and adults. Still, many folks may need financial assistance.

To help, we've compiled a list of financial resources for people who need help paying for hearing aids. A special thank you goes to the wonderful folks at NW Access Fund for being a terrific place to get find financial assistance and guidance. 
Find Financial Help for Hearing Aids Here

Stay Home, Stay Connected

 

 
Until we can attend in-person events again, we have hearing-friendly ways to be entertained and stay connected at home. Most are live-captioned, and all have captions added in the recorded versions. We keep an updated list for you on our website and highlight one for you in each e-news.

New this issue: Seattle Rep's stages may be dark for now, but the creative folks at the Rep are creating wonderful online content that's captioned. Some programs, such as the Plays in Process, are available for purchase. Others, like Masterclass Mondays and Creative Conversations, are free. 
 
Click below for more hearing-friendly (captioned) virtual events.
Find Other Hearing-Friendly Online Events Here
Join the Hearing Loss Association of America
 
 
Hearing loss can be a lonely, isolating experience. But it doesn't have to be.

HLAA and HLAA-Washington can connect you to the people, technologies, and programs that can help you live your best life.
 
As an HLAA member, your dues help to support our hearing loss programs, boost our advocacy efforts, and help you stay connected. Member benefits include product discounts, reduced convention registration fees, help with the latest hearing loss tech, and HLAA's award-winning quarterly magazine, Hearing Life. 
 
Your HLAA membership automatically includes a membership in HLAA-Washington. Dues start at $35 for an individual. Veterans can join free for one year.
Join HLAA Now
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Note: HLAA-WA does not endorse any product we discuss, nor does exclusion suggest disapproval.
We believe each person can review and select products based on their unique circumstances and needs.
We support the full spectrum of hearing technology access.
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P.O. Box 265 
Redmond WA  98073-0265

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