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Re: External Veteran Survey
Jim Rau
Here are the "instructions" I said were needed for the survey.
Instructions:
This survey is designed to help us evaluate what accommodations VA currently offers for veterans who are deaf or hard of hearing. It also includes virtual appointments on the VVC (Veterans Video Connect) platform. We are not addressing mobility challenged or blind patients.
Communications access accommodations can be any of a wide range of things. One group of things is assistive listening devices. Some examples are pocket talker, FM and infra red audio transmission systems, and induction loops (hearing loops), or voice to text applications. Or it can be a person such as a stenographer that types voice which is displayed in text (CART), or a sign language interpreter. It can even be as simple as a white board or pencil and paper to write on.
Please select the one BEST answer for each question. |
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Event: Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting - Tuesday, March 15, 2022
#cal-invite
HLAAVeterans@hlaagroups.hearingloss.org Calendar <noreply@...>
Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting When: Where: Organizer: Carla Beyer-Smolin cbeyer-smolin@... Description: We invite VAAVC members to attend the next Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting (VAAVC) online using Zoom. Date: March 15, 2022 This will be an open meeting. We look forward to seeing you online. The HLAA Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter is sponsored exclusively by Starkey.
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Re: External Veteran Survey
Jim Rau
What is posted are just the questions for your review and input.
The instructions are not yet written and will be included with the survey when it is sent out. We are considering whether we want to address just hearing loss issues or all communication access disabilities. I will draft some instruction for the survey and forward them to Carla. We will then post them on Veterans IO and Basecamp. |
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Re: External Veteran Survey
Steve Sterry
Please see my notes in green: Veteran Communication access accommodation Question Title 1. Are you a veteran, veterans spouse, or veterans caregiver? No Question Title 2. Do you (or your veteran) receive health care from VA Yes No Question Title 3. Do you or your veteran require would you benefit from communication access accommodation? The term "communication access accommodation'' needs to be defined. Yes No Question Title 4. Have you or your veteran requested communication access accommodation from your VA facility? Examples of "communication access accommodation" need to be enumerated. Otherwise, any answer will be meaningless. Yes No Question Title 5. How was the request for communication access accommodation made? Verbally In writing Email Question Title 6. Was the request Granted Denied Ignored Question Title 7. If the request was granted was it provided not provided not provided yet Question Title 8. If communication access accommodation was provided was it Used not used did not work Question Title 9. Was VA communication access accommodation provided acceptable Yes No Question Title 10. Was getting communication access accommodation at your VA medical facility hard to get? No it was easy Had to work at it Very hard - had to get intervention Impossible
Steven C. Sterry, M.A./M.B.A. 10149 Grayling AV. – Whittier, CA 90603-2608 Phone (562) 947-2258 Email: steve.sterry@...
On Thu, Feb 24, 2022 at 3:01 PM Carla Beyer-Smolin <cbeyer-smolin@...> wrote:
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External Veteran Survey
Carla Beyer-Smolin
Hi Everyone, Question Title 1. Are you a veteran, veterans spouse, or veterans caregiver? No Question Title 2. Do you (or your veteran) receive health care from VA Yes No Question Title 3. Do you or your veteran require would you benefit from communication access accommodation? Yes No Question Title 4. Have you or your veteran requested communication access accommodation from your VA facility? Yes No Question Title 5. How was the request for communication access accommodation made? Verbally In writing Email Question Title 6. Was the request Granted Denied Ignored Question Title 7. If the request was granted was it provided not provided not provided yet Question Title 8. If communication access accommodation was provided was it Used not used did not work Question Title 9. Was VA communication access accommodation provided acceptable Yes No Question Title 10. Was getting communication access accommodation at your VA medical facility hard to get? No it was easy Had to work at it Very hard - had to get intervention Impossible Thanks for your time and input!
Best regards,
Carla Beyer-Smolin Chapter and Membership Coordinator Hearing Loss Association of America 6116 Executive Blvd, Suite 320 │Rockville, MD 20852 301.657.2248 ext. 101 | cbeyer-smolin@...│www.hearingloss.org “Like” us on Facebook│“Follow” us on Twitter Sign up for our free Hearing Life e-News
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Re: Event: Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting - 02/15/2022
#cal-reminder
Ronald Drach
Hey all!
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I have lots going on with a couple of deadlines coming up. Sorry I am going to have to miss tonight AGAIN. Hope to see everyone next month. Ron http://www.conceptscommunications.com/team/ronald-drach/ On Feb 14, 2022, at 8:00 PM, HLAAVeterans@... Calendar <noreply@...> wrote:
Reminder: Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting When: Where: Organizer: Carla Beyer-Smolin cbeyer-smolin@... Description: We invite chapter members to attend the next Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting (VAAVC) online using Zoom. Date: February 15, 2022 This will be an open meeting. We look forward to seeing you online. The HLAA Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter is sponsored exclusively by Starkey.
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Event: Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting - 02/15/2022
#cal-reminder
HLAAVeterans@hlaagroups.hearingloss.org Calendar <noreply@...>
Reminder: Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting When: Where: Organizer: Carla Beyer-Smolin cbeyer-smolin@... Description: We invite chapter members to attend the next Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting (VAAVC) online using Zoom. Date: February 15, 2022 This will be an open meeting. We look forward to seeing you online. The HLAA Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter is sponsored exclusively by Starkey.
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Re: More information
Ronald Drach
Thanks
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Ron http://www.conceptscommunications.com/team/ronald-drach/ On Feb 12, 2022, at 9:42 PM, Jim Rau <jimrau@...> wrote:
Dr Cliff Olson explains bone conduction headphones on his YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygGQhjCIkbo
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Re: More information
Jim Rau
Dr Cliff Olson explains bone conduction headphones on his YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygGQhjCIkbo
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Event: Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting - Tuesday, February 15, 2022
#cal-invite
HLAAVeterans@hlaagroups.hearingloss.org Calendar <noreply@...>
Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting When: Where: Organizer: Carla Beyer-Smolin cbeyer-smolin@... Description: We invite chapter members to attend the next Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting (VAAVC) online using Zoom. Date: February 15, 2022 This will be an open meeting. We look forward to seeing you online. The HLAA Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter is sponsored exclusively by Starkey.
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Re: Microsoft Team Accessibility Webinars
Ronald Drach
Jim!
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Thanks for your comments. I am very disappointed in Teams especially given Microsoft’s long standing leadership in the technology field. I am lookin forward to this. Ron http://www.conceptscommunications.com/team/ronald-drach/ On Feb 7, 2022, at 3:59 PM, Jim Rau <jimrau@...> wrote:
Thanks Ron. It is good to see Microsoft getting into the "inclusion" game. Apple has been dominating until now. And using the work "inclusion is a good thing too. The other term that is better accepted these days is "communication access accommodation". Both are a big improvement.
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Re: Microsoft Team Accessibility Webinars
Jim Rau
Thanks Ron. It is good to see Microsoft getting into the "inclusion" game. Apple has been dominating until now. And using the work "inclusion is a good thing too. The other term that is better accepted these days is "communication access accommodation". Both are a big improvement.
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Microsoft Team Accessibility Webinars
Ronald Drach
I just registered for the captioning on February 9.
Ron http://www.conceptscommunications.com/team/ronald-drach/ Begin forwarded message: From: Sheryl Rosenberg <srosenberg@...> Date: February 7, 2022 at 2:18:35 PM EST To: Hope Adler <hadler@...>, Katia Albanese <kalbanese@...>, Melissa Armstrong <marmstrong@...>, Ginevra Adamoli <ginevra.adamoli@...>, cook.geoffreyh@..., Ronald Drach <consultrwd@...>, Samantha Greenberg <sgreenberg@...>, Daniel Heumann <dHeumann@...>, Caitlin Hochul <chochul@...>, Emily Ladau <eladau@...>, Harry Lichtman <hlichtman@...>, Bill McCabe <bmccabe@...>, Rachel McGreevy <rmcgreevy@...>, Greta Menard <gmenard@...>, tessmendelson@..., Kara Moore <kmoore@...>, Rebecca Panoff <rpanoff@...>, Sarah Scanlon <sscanlon@...>, dshields@..., bobby.silverstein@..., Rebecca Skipper <rskipper@...>, Kristinjosh Vandagriff <vandagriffkj@...>, Diana Zeitzer <dzeitzer@...> Cc: Karen Herson <kherson@...> Subject: Microsoft Team Accessibility Webinars
Good afternoon!
In case you are interested, there are two upcoming webinars about Microsoft Teams Accessibility.
Using Teams with sign language interpreters, captions, and more February 9, 2022, 12:00 - 1:00pm U.S. Pacific Time Microsoft Teams is integral to daily communication at work, school, and in life. Join us to learn about the latest improvements to Teams for Deaf and hard of hearing and discover how to leverage the latest features for the most inclusive collaborative communication for everyone. You will learn how to effectively leverage captions, transcript, pinning and other features to effectively participate in meetings. We will also review best practices for adding sign language interpreters and CART to meetings.
Using Teams with a screen reader and low vision features March 9, 2022, 12:00 - 1:00pm U.S. Pacific Time Microsoft Teams is integral to daily communication at work, school, and in life. Join us to learn about the latest improvements to Teams for those who are blind and low vision and discover how to leverage the latest features for the most inclusive collaborative communication for everyone. Learn how to effectively navigate meetings, chats, and your calendar while using a screen reader.
Learn more and sign up to attend at https://sway.office.com/X0w6OiF9638N7Mb7
Best, Sheryl
Sheryl Rosenberg Communications Manager Concepts, Inc. 240-499-6118
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Re: More information
Jim Rau
Approving a guest speaker is not up to me. If it were I"d ask for more information. I think a discussion with Don, David, and Carla would be in order to talk about inviting a presenter.
The disadvantages of the Dome that I see are that the sound would not be corrected to our prescriptive hearing aid settings and environmental noise would be a problem. They are most likely adjustable for base/treble and volume, but I doubt for much else. Maybe they have more capability. I simply don't know. That's why I'd ask for more information. Right now I listen to music from my iPhone transmitted directly to my hearing aids. It sounds good to me, but I'm a musical illiterate and have a profound hearing loss so I have no credibility at all. Jim |
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Re: More information
Ronald Drach
Jim! Thanks for the feedback. You know a heck of a lot more about this than I do. I understand and share your skepticism. I am on the Board of Speech to Text Captioning and shared this with them. Here is one response I received. Hey Ron, These bone conduction headphones are pretty cool! Sound can be transmitted a variety of ways, e.g. sonar, bone conduction, acoustically, etc. With these, sound is transmitted conductively through bone (skull). I have participated in some research at ASU about music and haptics, 'feeling the sound', which is another way to perceive sound. Their price point
($450) is steep, but it's a new product and we will see if it is
successful. Thanks for sharing! Jim! Would you be willing to have him do a presentation at an upcoming meeting? Thanks again
We're underway with our campaign, "OneSound", specifically impacting the deaf and hard of hearing space. We have an exclusive event planned for Saturday, February 26th. The location is being solidified but it will be between Mozzeria or Kitchen Cray in D.C.. Then weeks later we'll follow up with a preorder campaign for all the folks in the community who would like to be the first to own a pair of Dome Headphones.
Here are all the video assets for the OneSound campaign that starts to tell the story. If you want to share, feel free.
Dome x Gallaudet Trailer: https://domeaudio.vids.io/videos/069dd7be1f1dedcf8f/dome-x-gallaudet-university-trailer
Dome x iYellow: https://domeaudio.vids.io/videos/d39dd6be1012e0c25a/dome-audio-x-iyellow-group-part-1
Dome x Gallaudet Football: https://domeaudio.vids.io/videos/a79dd6b5121ce1c02e/dome-audio-x-gallaudet-football-team-part-2
Dome x Gallaudet Audiology: https://domeaudio.vids.io/videos/799dd6ba151defc1f0/dome-audio-x-gallaudet-audiology-dept
Dome Audio- OneSound: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/892162394/
Dome Audio Overview: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/289318/
We're underway with our campaign, "OneSound", specifically impacting the deaf and hard of hearing space. We have an exclusive event planned for Saturday, February 26th. The location is being solidified but it will be between Mozzeria or Kitchen Cray in D.C.. Then weeks later we'll follow up with a preorder campaign for all the folks in the community who would like to be the first to own a pair of Dome Headphones.
Here are all the video assets for the OneSound campaign that starts to tell the story. If you want to share, feel free.
Dome x Gallaudet Trailer: https://domeaudio.vids.io/videos/069dd7be1f1dedcf8f/dome-x-gallaudet-university-trailer
Dome x iYellow: https://domeaudio.vids.io/videos/d39dd6be1012e0c25a/dome-audio-x-iyellow-group-part-1
Dome x Gallaudet Football: https://domeaudio.vids.io/videos/a79dd6b5121ce1c02e/dome-audio-x-gallaudet-football-team-part-2
Dome x Gallaudet Audiology: https://domeaudio.vids.io/videos/799dd6ba151defc1f0/dome-audio-x-gallaudet-audiology-dept Dome Audio- OneSound: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/892162394/
Dome Audio Overview: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/289318/
NATIONAL BLACK DEAF ADVOCATES - This organization came to my attention yesterday and I know nothing about them. Does anyone know them? We should reach out to them and share information and offer membership.
DEAF ENTEPENEURSHIP NETWORK - As above never heard of them. I have a contact who will do an introduction for me.
I serve on the Advisory Council of Disability:IN DC Metro and they have a monthly newsletter. I can have an article about GA inserted in an upcoming issue. The article can be as long as we want and have hyperlinks to membership and sponsorship. It goes to about 800 people representing numerous large and small employers and some non profits.
Please let me know if you have any questions, thoughts, or comments.
Ron
Ron Drach, President Drach Consulting 240-413-3183 http://www.conceptscommunications.com/team/ronald-drach/
http://www.facebook.com/drachconsulting
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ronald-drach/4/a6b/357
· · · ·
Ron Ron Drach, President Drach Consulting 240-413-3183
On Thursday, January 27, 2022, 03:58:54 PM EST, Jim Rau <jimrau@...> wrote:
The information they provide is conspicuously devoid or any technical description. It still looks to me like it is a bone conduction system which is not at all new. We all receive a bone conduction a test at our visits to our audiologists, so we've all experienced it. Bone conduction is an effective system but ambient environmental noise will interfere with the audibility of the system. Therefore it will not help us to hear in a noisy place. And for most of us noisy environments are our most challenging places for hearing/understanding. If it is transmitted by bluetooth most of our hearing aide will connect to that already. If your hearing aids do not connect to bluetooth tell the VA that you want new hearing aids. Sorry for my skepticism but I simply need more information before I can become interested in the products shown on the videos. If this is a bone conduction via bluetooth system I'm not very interested. If it is something else - maybe. I really would like more information. Jim |
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Re: More information
Jim Rau
The information they provide is conspicuously devoid or any technical description. It still looks to me like it is a bone conduction system which is not at all new. We all receive a bone conduction a test at our visits to our audiologists, so we've all experienced it.
Bone conduction is an effective system but ambient environmental noise will interfere with the audibility of the system. Therefore it will not help us to hear in a noisy place. And for most of us noisy environments are our most challenging places for hearing/understanding. If it is transmitted by bluetooth most of our hearing aide will connect to that already. If your hearing aids do not connect to bluetooth tell the VA that you want new hearing aids. Sorry for my skepticism but I simply need more information before I can become interested in the products shown on the videos. If this is a bone conduction via bluetooth system I'm not very interested. If it is something else - maybe. I really would like more information. Jim |
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More information
Ronald Drach
I believe I mentioned I was contacted by the developer of this new initiative and have been in an email exchange with him. He would like to speak at one of our meetings and it might be interesting. Please let me know what you think and I will get him scheduled. I have connected him with HLAA and hope he will exhibit and or sponsor the upcoming convention. Is anyone planning on going? I am tentatively going depending on COVID. I am high risk so being very careful. I had some initial questions and they are attached.
"We're underway with our campaign, "OneSound", specifically impacting the deaf and hard of hearing space. We have an exclusive event planned for Saturday, February 26th. The location is being solidified but it will be between Mozzeria or Kitchen Cray in D.C.. Then weeks later we'll follow up with a preorder campaign for all the folks in the community who would like to be the first to own a pair of Dome Headphones. Here are all the video assets for the OneSound campaign that starts to tell the story. If you want to share, feel free. Dome x Gallaudet Trailer: https://domeaudio.vids.io/videos/069dd7be1f1dedcf8f/dome-x-gallaudet-university-trailer Dome x iYellow: https://domeaudio.vids.io/videos/d39dd6be1012e0c25a/dome-audio-x-iyellow-group-part-1 Dome x Gallaudet Football: https://domeaudio.vids.io/videos/a79dd6b5121ce1c02e/dome-audio-x-gallaudet-football-team-part-2 Dome x Gallaudet Audiology: https://domeaudio.vids.io/videos/799dd6ba151defc1f0/dome-audio-x-gallaudet-audiology-dept Dome Audio- OneSound: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/892162394/ Dome Audio Overview: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/289318/
Ron Ron Drach, President Drach Consulting 240-413-3183
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Hearing Aids for Veterans and Military | Starkey
Ronald Drach
I saw a post on FB about Starkey's 2-Way Audio and asked if it was available through the VA and they referred me to their site. I haven't looked at it but may pursue this through my VA audiologist. Any thoughts?
Ron http://www.conceptscommunications.com/team/ronald-drach/ |
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Re: DOMEAUDIO
Ronald Drach
Jim! Thanks for the feedback. One of the questions I asked him was about various venues and distance a voice will carry. Hoping for a call on Friday and will get back to everyone
On Wednesday, January 19, 2022, 05:47:35 PM EST, Jim Rau <jimrau@...> wrote:
Yes Ron. It worked. Looks like a bone conduction system to me. I’ve experienced bone conduction system meant for motorcycling and it was OK in a normal room but with road noise it was unusable for me. The advertising looks good though. But most advertising exceeds the performance of most products. On Jan 19, 2022, at 2:42 PM, Ronald Drach via hlaagroups.hearingloss.org <consultrwd=yahoo.com@...> wrote:
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Re: DOMEAUDIO
Jim Rau
Yes Ron. It worked. Looks like a bone conduction system to me.
toggle quoted message
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I’ve experienced bone conduction system meant for motorcycling and it was OK in a normal room but with road noise it was unusable for me. The advertising looks good though. But most advertising exceeds the performance of most products. On Jan 19, 2022, at 2:42 PM, Ronald Drach via hlaagroups.hearingloss.org <consultrwd=yahoo.com@...> wrote:
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