Volunteer Cause

'Cause I said so... (get it? wordplay)

I'm a member of the Hearing Loss Association of America, Manhattan Chapter. (Our national HQ is in Bethesda, Maryland, and we have over 200 chapters around the country and all members are volunteers.) This organization is very important to me because I actually have a hearing disability. Some people who meet me don't even realize that, which is testament to how well my cochlear implant works and how much I'm able to lip-read. (Perhaps more on that hearing device in another blog posting. Also, in case you're wondering, the monkey in this picture has nothing to do with this topic.)

I'm the new editor of our chapter's newsletter, called the News and Views (yes, I'm thinking of trying to get that very un-original name changed). My premier issue was published in Sept. 2008, and is online at our Web site, www.hearingloss-nyc.org. I urge you to check it out. (Go to "chapter news" on the left, then scroll down to News and Views.)

You may not know how many people actually do suffer from hearing loss: at least 31 million in the U.S., and the number is growing because of the high proportion of aging 'baby boomers' as well as the prevalence of soldiers returning from war with hearing damage and head injuries. Not to mention the fact that many people disregard the controllable factors that put them at increased risk of developing hearing loss: exposure to loud noise, smoking (wow, reason #4,683 to stop!), and diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure).

So, by the way, if you also have hearing loss, or know someone who does, encourage them to visit the national Web site (www.hearingloss.org) and our local Manhattan Chapter. We're devoted to improving awareness and education about this "silent disability," and we advocate for benefits like more accessible technology.