Lines of Communication

Sound Advice by Ruth D. Bernstein Ruth Bernstein, Consumer Advocate Recently, I attended a New York Philharmonic Town Hall with real-time captioning (i.e., Communication Access Realtime Translation or CART), introducing Jaap Van Zweden, the orchestra’s new Music Director, in conversation with President and CEO Deborah Borda. If you are surprised by the availability of CART at the Philharmonic, I’ll tell you how that happened and why the Hearing Loss Association of America, NY

Sound Advice by Ruth D. Bernstein (with CHC’s Terrence Williams) Ruth Bernstein, Consumer Advocate There is nothing I like better than getting an unusual gift I can share with a lot of people. I received two such special gifts when I attended the Broadway Accessibility Summit: Community Event, at New World Stages at West 50th Street on Tuesday, November 24, 2017. The Summit was convened to demonstrate the GalaPro app to people with hearing loss and other disabilities. The ap

You’re invited to walk with the CHC Hikers September 24th as we support the 10th Annual New York City Walk4Hearing! It’s a terrific event presented by our friends at the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and benefiting the HLAA national and local chapter as well as select partner organizations, including CHC. Our Mobile Unit will be on hand to provide free hearing screenings from 9 am to 12 pm. See HLAA’s press release below for complete details. Join the CHC Hikers

Project CART New York Foundation for Senior Citizens, Inc., offers a DFTA-funded transportation program for adults 60+, including those in wheelchairs? It’s called Project CART, which stands for Community Arranged Resident Transportation. We think it’s a service Manhattan seniors could really benefit from so we’re helping to get the word out. Project CART is a free program but a $1.00 donation per ride is suggested. To schedule a ride or request information, call (212) 956-08

Sound Advice by Ruth D. Bernstein Ruth Bernstein, Consumer Advocate I have a history as an advocate for people with hearing loss which goes back many years. In the process of advocating, I’ve learned many lessons, a few of which I want to share with you in recognition of Better Hearing and Speech Month. Lesson One – Coping with hearing loss is a 24/7/365 business. It is an integral part of life. I’ve chosen to make advocacy one of the priorities in my life because I have been

Purchase your All-Star Raffle tickets today! Be eligible to win great prizes while you support the programs and services of the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC). Tickets are $25 each or five for $100. Winners will be announced April 19, 2017 at CHC’s Comedy Night. You don’t need to attend the event to win. Buy raffle tickets online » All-Star Raffle Prizes Bandstand – Two tickets to a captioned performance of Broadway’s new musical sensation Bandstand. Donated by Th

Sound Advice by Ruth D. Bernstein Happy Valentine's Day! Although this article is about my love affair with an iPhone, the information is useful for most smartphones. People with hearing loss appreciate being able to communicate without using their ears. Smartphones make that easy by providing visual and tactile options. I’ve had an iPhone since May, 2012. I had no intention of getting a smartphone because I couldn’t hear on the cell phone I had and phones in general were a c

Sound Advice by Advocate Ruth D. Bernstein Ruth Bernstein, Consumer Advocate One of the challenges of having a hearing loss is you can’t always anticipate the situations where you may need help and the kind of help you want in advance. I’m fortunate because I’ve learned how to ask for help and do so all the time. On the morning of Halloween, 2016, my friend Wendy and I met at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where I volunteer on alternate Thursdays, distributing and collecting

How  educational support can benefit your child with hearing loss CHC’s Dana Selznick, M.A., M. Ed., with a client As CHC’s Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, my role is to offer guidance and support services to help children with hearing loss and auditory processing disorder (APD) reach their full academic potential. At this time of year parents often ask me, “What can I do to help my child succeed in school?” My to-do list has three essential items: Advocacy Education

Sound Advice by Advocate Ruth D. Bernstein This is a much-requested travel tips blog post from the Sound Advice series by Ruth Bernstein, originally posted in 2011 and updated in 2013. Ruth’s other travel posts include: TSA PreCheck: How I Got with the Program » Hearing Loss Advocacy makes for a Wonderful Trip to Israel » Ruth Bernstein, Consumer Advocate Traveling rates high on the list of stressful situations for people with hearing loss. There are so many “need to hear” si

Classroom accommodations for deaf + HOH With the back-to-school season right around the corner, here are CHC’s recommended tips for teachers of students with hearing loss. Understand/Get to know your student Recognize his/her unique needs – Each student will have personal preferences when it comes to maximizing hearing and ensuring optimal communication. We suggest a private meeting with the parents and the student (ages 12 and up) to try to find some common ground where you

Sound Advice by Ruth D. Bernstein Ruth Bernstein, Consumer Advocate When I started wearing analog hearing aids in 1969, there was very little technology for people with hearing loss. Forty-seven years later, technology is helping to reshape what it means to have a hearing loss. This was brought home to me when I came down with the flu and could not go to the Hearing Loss Association of America Convention in Washington, D.C. in June, 2016.  I “attended” the convention from hom

RapidSOS and the Center for Hearing and Communication collaborate to provide mobile safety and security 240 million[1] 9-1-1 calls are made every year in the U.S.; over 70%[2] are from mobile phones, which fail to provide exact location to emergency dispatchers 48 million[3] Americans have some degree of hearing loss, which can make communication with emergency dispatchers difficult Haven represents a transformation in access to emergency services – from a phone call solely d

Comedy Night 2016 is sold out. Raffle tickets on sale now! Tickets are $25 each or five for $100. Winners will be announced April 12, 2016 at CHC’s Comedy Night. You don’t need to attend the event to win. Buy raffle tickets online » iPad Air 3 – GRAND PRIZE! It’s the newest version with a release date of March, 2016. The Crucible – Two tickets to an open-captioned performance of this riveting Broadway drama featuring Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan. Donated by Theatre Dev

Sound Advice by Ruth D. Bernstein Ruth Bernstein, Consumer Advocate Although the time for making New Year’s resolutions has come and gone, I suggest everyone with hearing loss who reads this blog speak up and ask for hearing access once a month. When providers hear from us regularly, we will become visible and they will understand there are many people in the USA who want and need hearing access. People who have a hearing loss seldom acknowledge their disability. It’s easy to

Sound Advice by Ruth D. Bernstein Ruth Bernstein, Consumer Advocate On a recent trip to Ft. Lauderdale on Delta, I got TSA PreCheck without asking for it. I was delighted to discover TSA PreCheck allows you to go through a special security line that is much shorter than the regular line. To qualify for this service on domestic flights, fill in the computer form and make an appointment at the local TSA office. There are three offices in the city. The one near City Hall is the

Sound Advice by Ruth D. Bernstein In recognition of the 25th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, New York’s Mayor de Blasio declared July, 2015, ADA25NYC Month. When I read that, I realized it was a time of celebration for me too because, as someone with a progressive and now profound hearing loss, I’ve been advocating for people with hearing loss since the 1980s, first as a professional convention and meeti

Sound Advice by Ruth D. Bernstein I always look forward to summer in New York because there are so many outdoor activities to enjoy. After being confined to quarters a lot this winter, being outside will be a treat. Here are some of my favorite activities. They are free, relaxing and, in most cases, quiet, using vision as much as hearing. Enjoy these hearing accessible activities The New York Philharmonic Central Park Concert series begins with performances on June 17th and 1

Sound Advice by Ruth D. Bernstein At the Wall in Jerusalem. I went to visit my friend Cynthia in Israel a few weeks ago. Cynthia and I met in 1982, when I was working for the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in New York and she was working at the Keren Kayemeth, the Jerusalem home office for JNF across the world. Management decided to take the Directors of the JNF USA offices to Israel because many of them had never seen the projects they were promoting. Under the supervision of ou

The Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC) recognized the achievements of Hands On and the Nederland Organization in making theater and cultural events accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing. Both were honored at CHC’s 104th Annual Meeting December 2, 2014 in New York. Beth Prevor, Executive director, Hands On, accepted the Sheldon Williams Leadership Award presented by CHC Board member Donald M. Itzkoff, Esq. View Sheldon Williams Leadership Award presentation Bill R