President

My name is Myrna Kain, and currently President of the Everett Area Chapter. I was President last year and President again this year. I want to tell you, I am really proud of our group and we are very fortunate to have a large amount of people that come and volunteer for this group, we have a good support group of people, that are always anxious to help you….

I myself have been Hard Of Hearing since birth, and I have always thought that a Hard of Hearing person was all the same, since I joined SHHH…… Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc. in 1992, I was in awe of what there was to learn, and even though I wasn’t sure of what they were talking about, I always attended that same session over and over again, not only my willing to participate in many various duties for the group, such as being a Photographer, Historian, Fund Raiser, Program Director, Secretary, Vice President, and various other duties, I have enjoyed every single one of them, we had many fund raising projects we have done for several years, and was able to obtain our own FM Equipment (ALDs). This has made me a better person to Understand all the different types of Hearing Loss. The most amazing experience I have seen with people, is when they try our ALD’s for the first time, their eyes just lights up, and even more so when a person has had a cochlear implant, to know and seen the person before and after the surgery is just really remarkable.

My wish, is that we had learn this all before I joined SHHH, especially when I was in the work force, and maybe it would have been a little easier for me as for communication, that is another thing about SHHH, you get so you understand when and how to communicate better with other people, even with Hard of Hearing people, and most definitely with the Hearing World. This is where we have to be grateful that American Disability Act (ADA) also has taken affect……

And I also firmly believe in the following that I have taken out of the SHHH Journal

1. Know your rights and stand up for them……
You have a right to participate in society as fully as anyone else.

2. Be straightforward about your hearing loss……
When you meet someone, look him or her in the eye, and, if
necessary, explain that you have a hearing loss.

3. Plan ahead…………
When you plan your workday, think about what you will be doing that day.
Think about situations that are likely to arise where you might need to be, especially mindful of your hearing loss, and what you might do to prepare.

4. Educate people politely……
Be unfailingly polite and persistent in your efforts to educate people and thank them for their efforts. Most people are willing to be helpful to someone who is hard of hearing.

5. Be positive………
Many problems with hearing loss may be mitigated by being positive. Hearing loss is often referred to as “the invisible disability”. It usually is not apparent by visual inspection, and is something that most people will not know about. What people don’t know about, they can’t help.

6. Model desirable behavior………
Model the behavior in yourself that you would like to see in others. For example, speak slowly and clearly yourself, as you want others to speak to you.

7. Let People know that People, Who are hard of hearing exits……
Chances are that if someone is not hard of hearing him or herself, they know someone who is. One of the worst things about hearing loss is the sense of isolation.

8. Ask for Assistive Listening Devices (ALD’s)……
You are entitled to have ALD’s provided free of charge for your use in public places covered by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). These are just a few things we learn and understand about SHHH, a lot of the people gain some self-esteem from attending the group, and most of all, is being with people like you and me that understand.

Be good to yourself by coming to our meeting at least “one” time.