Helen Keller Services (HKS)’s Post

In 2020, I was commissioned by Arts Council England to conduct a significant piece of research looking into the Diversity of Workspace in London. After hours and hours of conversations with artists across all creative sectors both in workspace and those without a workspace we presented our findings in 2023. I'm glad to say that the report has now been made publicly available and you can access it here. It's an important piece of research for anyone creating shared workspace, for those in office environments and for people using shared workspaces in general to be aware of what the challenges are, and how each of us can be participants in improving the experience for people with protected characteristics such as pregnancy, race, sexuality, disability and religion. This research would not have been possible without the support of PRIM and their vast network and of course Arts Council England's dedication to improvement across the creative sector. Read it Here - https://lnkd.in/eRV4ZtJn

Joint Dear Colleague Letter Supports Early Hearing Loss Detection 🔗https://lnkd.in/eUQZAaBQ A joint Dear Colleague letter from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) aims to enhance collaboration between State Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C early intervention programs. Despite the presence of newborn hearing screening and early intervention programs, gaps in services for deaf or hard of hearing infants and toddlers persist. To address this, HHS and ED encourage State EHDI and IDEA Part C programs to develop coordinated care systems that include data sharing, tracking, and surveillance to ensure timely identification of hearing loss and access to early intervention services, improving outcomes for children and their families.

🔊 2/3 of all adults have it in the US - The Silent Epidemic Among Adults 🔊 Hearing loss is a widespread issue that significantly impacts our aging population, yet it's often overlooked and undertreated. Did you know that approximately two-thirds of Americans aged 70 years or older have hearing loss, but only 15-20% use hearing aids? This discrepancy highlights a critical gap in healthcare. Internists play a crucial role in identifying and managing hearing loss, collaborating with audiologists and otolaryngologists. Effective screening, prevention, and early intervention are key. Let's bring awareness to the importance of hearing health and encourage regular screenings to enhance quality of life as we age. 📚 Sources: Nieman CL, Oh ES. Hearing Loss: Diagnosis and Management. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2020. Lin FR, Thorpe R, Gordon-Salant S, et al. Hearing loss prevalence and risk factors among older adults in the United States. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2011. #HearingHealth #AgingWell #Healthcare #Audiology #PreventiveCare #hearingaid

What is #Deafblind? It means having a combined vision and hearing impairment that greatly affects your ability to access information, communicate, and get around. In honor of #DeafblindAwarenessWeek, we’re shining a light on the vision and hearing problems that can accompany #Aging—starting with these #VisionLoss research findings shared by our friends at VisionServe Alliance.👇 https://lnkd.in/e6hcMJSh

New Study Alert! Read the groundbreaking research by CHAI's Dr. Dana Urbanski, AuD, PhD, CCC-A Urbanski and Dr. Tetyana Pylypiv Shippee on unmet hearing aid needs in older adults with dementia. The study found that those living in their own homes are significantly more likely to need hearing aids compared to those in nursing homes. This insight highlights the critical need for targeted interventions to support our aging community. Check out the full study for more details! https://lnkd.in/gEygyDrX #HealthyAging #DementiaCare #HearingHealth #CHAI #Research

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care does something really interesting with their consultations, which I reckon is worth talking about today. They have a bunch of consultations that close in 2030. There's also a few that close in 2026, but the point is they are open for a really long time. Which is unusual for a consultation. And, really, they aren't consultations at all. The Department is just using the consultation format as a mechanism for allowing organisations an individuals to apply or register for licenses, devices and activities related to long-term health care (mostly as part of the Hearing Services Program). If you are working in this space, you will clearly already be across these online forms. For the rest of us, it a look at an innovative way to use the consultation format as a way of servicing particular cohorts with specialised needs. Note that I'm not putting in the closing date (which are all a few years off), or the Department (because they are all Health and Aged Care) in the list below. MAClearning Content and System Feedback https://lnkd.in/gBUpPuDu The My Aged Care Learning System (MACLearning System), is an interactive training system for care finders, manager and intake officers in the MAC workforce. This consultation is asking for feedback and suggestions on how it can be improved. #MACLearningSyste #MyAgedCare #carefinders Request for Revalidated Service (Hearing Services Program) https://lnkd.in/gPPrXpht This is an application by a hearing service provider who wants to complete a request for a Revalidated Service for a client who's  circumstances have changed significantly and this service is required before their current voucher expires. #hearing #hearingservicesprogram #hearingloss Application for a Non-Scheduled Device https://lnkd.in/gkmNUdt4 This form allows hearing service providers to apply, on behalf of a patient, for a hearing device that is not listed on the schedule of approved devices. #hearingloss #hearingaids #hearingdevices Application to Register as an Appointed Supplier https://lnkd.in/g9jqMkkH This is an application to register to become an appointed supplier for the Government's Hearing Services Program, meaning they can offer subsidised hearing aids and other devices to patients. #hearingservicesprogram #hearingloss #hearing #hearingaids There's a few more, all related to the Hearing Services Program, but I've run out of space. #consultations FTI Consulting FTI Consulting Strategic Communications #governmentrelations #lobbying #publicaffairs

A new #COVID19 pub from @UUtah researchers! Check it out: Impact of COVID-19 on newborn hearing screening (NBHS) and early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) services: A statewide analysis of differences and policy implications https://lnkd.in/gew-_BQw @UofUResearch

Behavioral optometry, also known as developmental optometry, focuses on how vision affects behavior and learning. It assesses visual skills like eye tracking, focusing, and coordination, which impact reading, writing, and attention. Behavioral optometrists address issues that hinder learning and development through vision therapy, corrective lenses, and other strategies. By considering the whole person and their environment, this approach supports better learning, behavior, and daily functioning. Learn about the important links between learning and vision with Catia Pineza #behaviour #optometry #training #gifted #diversity #inclusion #awareness #development #unique #unity #united #children #kid #parenting #Parents #childdevelopment #advice #management #professional #professionaldevelopment #inclusionmatters #diversityandinclusion #unityindiversity #diversevoices

👂👀 Deafblind Awareness Week: Understanding and Supporting the Deafblind Community 👀👂 This Deafblind Awareness Week, we shine a light on the experiences and needs of individuals who are deafblind. Deafblindness is a unique disability that combines varying degrees of both hearing and vision loss, creating significant challenges in communication, mobility, and accessing information. Deafblindness can be congenital (present at birth) or acquired later in life due to illness, injury, or aging. It affects each person differently, and the degree of hearing and vision loss can vary widely. People who are deafblind rely on a range of assistive technologies and support services to navigate daily life and maintain their independence. 🏥 At MeCare, we are committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate care for the deafblind community. Our services include personalized care plans that cater to the unique needs of individuals with deafblindness, ensuring they receive the support they need to thrive. We encourage everyone to take this week to learn more about deafblindness and how you can help create a more inclusive and supportive environment for those affected. Whether through advocating for better accessibility, supporting specialized services, or simply spreading awareness, every action makes a difference. If you or a loved one needs homecare or healthcare assistance, MeCare is here to provide the support you need. We specialize in finding the best caretakers for those who are blind, deaf, or have other specialized needs. Reach out to us at (718)-305-1995 to discuss how we can assist you. Together, let's promote understanding and inclusivity for the deafblind community. #DeafblindAwarenessWeek #UnderstandingDeafblindness #MeCareSupport #InclusiveCare #CompassionateCare

Let Us Unriddlle My Thoughts On Disability. D-I-S-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y We can examine disability in various ways. It manifests in different forms. Is it dis-use ability? Dis-sipated ability? Dis-posed ability? No matter what it may have been or what you know about it, this is the ability I'm about to talk about. Now what? A walking aid is just what it is: a walking aid. It is a tool utilized by the user to facilitate the walking experience. This experience has to be safe, effective, and efficient for the individual to achieve the purpose of movement provided the integrity of different parts of the human frame is not compromised. Movement as we know is a well-noted characteristic of a living thing. A hearing aid enables the user to hear properly. The transmission of sound waves from the speaker to a listener irrespective of the medium fulfills the purpose of communication or other audio-sensory stimuli. It does not make one a lesser human than those with good hearing. In vision loss, the context is quite interesting and intriguing. Visual stimuli to the eyes in form of light reflection travel through the lens of the eye through various processes then the optic nerve and finally at the processing center called the visual cortex located in the brain. These few words do minute justice to the reasons why we have fields like optometry and ophthalmology. Any defects before, within, and sometimes at the end are known in various forms the common eye defects like short shortsightedness, presbyopia, long-sightedness, etc. (to be continued) Dr Uchenna Ozoekwe PT, MD. a.k.a Bethany Blaze. #disability #vision #rehabilitation #publichealth #communityhealth #healthcare #physiotherapist #physician