Subject: HearingExchange News Vol. 4 Welcome to the fourth edition of HearingExchange News! You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to it at HearingExchange.com. Feel free to forward this to friends, family, doctors or anyone else you think would be interested. Subscription and removal information are at the end of the newsletter. AOL Users: Please copy and paste the links into your browser. ---------------------------------------------------- IN THIS ISSUE: * What's New * News & Articles * Message Boards * Poll Results * Get Involved ============================================================ " " " " " " " " " " " W H A T ' S N E W " " " " " " " " " " " HearingExchange has added several exciting, new sections. New to our site are the Featured Site, Featured Book, Polls, Book Store and Awards areas. The Featured Site spotlights a website we feel offers significant, useful information or products for people dealing with hearing loss and related issues. Our first Featured Site is the Listen Up Web http://www.listen-up.org. The Listen Up Web is of particular interest to parents of deaf and hard of hearing children. Offering comprehensive information and resources for communication options, IEPs, special education laws, organizations, services, products and much more - it is a must-see site. Our Featured Book is called "Hear Again" by Arlene Romoff. After a progressive hearing loss left her profoundly deaf, Arlene received a cochlear implant. "Hear Again" chronicles her first year of adjustment to the new sounds her implant has given her. If you are considering a cochlear implant, read this book. It is an engaging and insightful account of one woman's experience. A portion of the proceeds supports the League for the Hard of Hearing in New York, a non-profit agency offering support and other services to people with hearing loss. Go to http://www.lhh.org/catalog/hearagain.htm to order your copy. Our current poll asks what your favorite section of HearingExchange is. Please tell us yours so that we can continue to make improvements to the site. Go to http://www.HearingExchange.com and vote in our new Poll section today! See the Poll Results section below for past poll information. Visit the new HearingExchange Book Store at http://www.hearingexchange.com/bookstore/index.htm. We already have a diverse selection of books including a children's book, books on cochlear implants, communication choices and inspirational books. Let us know what you think! HearingExchange now offers awards to websites that offer valuable information for people with hearing loss, parents of deaf and hard of hearing children or the professionals who work with them. Do you know of a website or organization that deserves an award? Go to http://www.hearingexchange.com/awards.htm and submit them to us for consideration. HearingExchange extends a warm welcome to our newest expert! Dr. Pat Chute has joined our wonderful panel of experts. Formerly the director of the Cochlear Implant Center at Lenox Hill Hospital and Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, both in New York, Dr. Chute is currently an Associate Professor at Mercy College. She has been active in the field of cochlear implants since 1979. Submit your questions related to cochlear implants, implantable hearing aids and rehabilitation for children and adults by going to: http://www.hearingexchange.com/experts/expert_8.htm ============================================================ " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " N E W S & A R T I C L E S " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " Did you know there are over 7,000 Federal civil service leadership and support positions in the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government that may be subject to noncompetitive appointment; e.g., positions such as agency heads and their immediate subordinates, policy executives and advisors, and aides who report to these officials? Are you a deaf or hard of hearing individual who may be qualified for one of these jobs? The Consumer Action Network is setting up a Nominating Committee in an effort to boost the number of people with hearing loss appointed during the Bush Administration. Find out more here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/articles/henews-0105a.htm How's the weather by you this winter? The Weather Channel is now offering 20 hours per day of closed captioned weather forecasts and reports. One year ago, The Weather Channel first offered just 5 hours per day of captioning. Read more about their extraordinary effort to provide us with important weather information at: http://www.hearingexchange.com/articles/henews-1229.htm Is your special needs child in a mainstream school? Lisa Simmons offers terrific tips for parents to increase effective communication and participation between parents and schools. Go to http://www.hearingexchange.com/articles/article-1214.htm to read her article, "Parents & Schools: Partners in Education." More great News & Articles can be found at http://www.hearingexchange.com ============================================================= " " " " " " " " " " " " " " M E S S A G E B O A R D S " " " " " " " " " " " " " " Have something to say? Say it on our Message Boards! Please remember that HearingExchange offers forums that welcome all modes of communication. We kindly ask that our members refrain from making derogatory, disrespectful or otherwise disparaging remarks to other members or about particular forms of communication or assistive device choices. Do you have tips on teaching children how to focus in school? A member in our Parenting forum needs help with her hard of hearing first grader. Offer her your advice by going to the Mainstreamed Hard of Hearing Boy thread at: http://6412.community.everyone.net/commun_v3/scripts/topics.pl?NodeID=164669&ClientID=225387 Ever wish there was a guide for parents considering a cochlear implant for their child? One member in our Cochlear Implant forum is planning to put one together! Help her as well as other families by adding your wish list. Tell her what types of information would be helpful during this critical decisionmaking time. Add your comments in the Parents Who Have Implanted Their Child thread at: http://6412.community.everyone.net/commun_v3/scripts/topics.pl?NodeID=164667&ClientID=225387 Have you had stapedectomy surgery? Was it successful? A member in our Late Deafened forum is seeking others' experiences. Add your comments by going to the last page of the Welcome section at http://6412.community.everyone.net/community/scripts/topics.pl?NodeID=164670&ClientID=225387 Post your questions and comments on our Message Boards, you do not need to register. Topic specific forums include: Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Parenting, Cochlear Implants, Special Education and Late Deafened. Check them out at http://6412.community.everyone.net/community/scripts/directory.pl ============================================================= " " " " " " " " " " " " P O L L R E S U L T S " " " " " " " " " " " " Our first poll was a "Tell Us Who You Are" poll. 46% responded that they were a person with hearing loss. 19% said they were a parent of a deaf or hard of hearing child. 3% were teachers of the deaf and another 3% weighed in as interpreters for the deaf. 26% said they were none of the above. If you replied as none of the above, email us and tell us who you are, we'd love to "hear" from you! The second poll inquired what types of assistive device our HearingExchange community members used. 57% said they wear hearing aids. 21% of respondees are cochlear implant users. 21% replied that they do not use any type of assistive device. Be sure to participate in our current poll, "HearingExchange Favorites." Let us know what you prefer at HearingExchange. Go to http://www.HearingExchange.com to register your opinion! ============================================================= " " " " " " " " " " " " G E T I N V O L V E D " " " " " " " " " " " " Do you work with deaf or hard of hearing children or adults? Do you want to? Visit our free Employment Board! Post your resume or list an open position at your organization today. Go to http://www.hearingexchange.com/jobs/ Like to write? HearingExchange is currently accepting article submissions. We encourage you to participate by submitting your original articles, tips or ideas for articles. Articles should be 500 words maximum. Visit this page to read more about submitting your work: http://www.hearingexchange.com/article_submissions.htm Are you hosting an event of interest to the adults, parents or professionals who deal with hearing loss? Looking for workshops or seminars on this issue? Visit our Event Calendar and browse around. Be sure to click on the actual date of an event to read more about it. Post your events by clicking here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/events/calendar.cgi Are You an Expert? We Need You! We're currently seeking qualified experts. If you're an expert or know someone who is, please send us their email address or have them contact us at mailto:info@hearingexchange.com. We need experts in the fields of Speech Language Pathology, Otolaryngology and Parenting. All experts must have experience with hearing impaired adults and/or children. Our Resource Directory is growing! We now have 140 links related to hearing loss for you to review. Go to http://www.hearingexchange.com/resources/ when you're looking for organizations, assistive devices, hearing aid manufacturers, listservs and much more. Use our Add a Link feature to refer great links you have found. We will review and post them promptly. ============================================================ We encourage you to distribute this newsletter to interested friends, family, professionals and discussion lists. Your input is always welcome at HearingExchange. Send us your comments, suggestions and any news related to hearing loss. Looking forward to "hearing" from you, Paula Rosenthal, Founder & Editor HearingExchange - Exchanging Ideas & Information on Hearing Loss http://www.HearingExchange.com To subscribe to this newsletter simply click here - mailto:HearingExchangeNews-subscribe@listbot.com