Major Survey Findings Discussed on Telephone News Briefing, Thursday, February 13, 2014, 12noon - 1:00 p.m. EST.
WHAT
There are 33 babies born with hearing loss every day in the United States. These children and their families face significant barriers to receiving the services they need according to a new survey released by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell). The survey findings will be revealed on a telephone news briefing on Thursday, February 13, 2014 from 12noon to 1:00 p.m. featuring Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A, FAAA, LSLS Cert. AVT, AG Bell president, and Meredith K. Sugar, Esq., AG Bell president-elect.
In September 2013, North Highland, a research organization working with AG Bell, talked to approximately 1,000 parents of children with who are deaf and hard of hearing. The researchers asked the parents about the financial impact and barriers, access to quality information, emotional and support services, individualized education plans, and school options.
The survey respondents identified and discussed the barriers they faced, and they also noted important progress in achieving goals. These challenges and successes are identified in AG Bell's Family Needs Assessment Survey report through charts, graphs and bulleted points. These challenges will be revealed and discussed in more detail on the telephone news briefing featuring Dr. Goldberg and Meredith Sugar.
WHO
Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A, FAAA, LSLS Cert. AVT, AG Bell president
Meredith K. Sugar, Esq., AG Bell president-elect
A local family who will share their experience (invited)
WHEN
Thursday, February 13, 2014, 12noon-1:00 p.m. EST
CONTACT
To RSVP in the telephone news briefing, receive the toll-free number, and the survey graphs and charts, contact Sheri Singer, sheri.singer@verizon.net, 703-346-7111. Web-based realtime captioning will be provided for access. For more information about the Family Needs Assessment and AG Bell, contact Susan Boswell, sboswell@agbell.org, 202-204-4687.
About AG Bell Association
The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) helps families, health care providers and education professionals understand childhood hearing loss and the importance of early diagnosis and intervention. Through advocacy, education and financial aid, AG Bell helps to ensure that every child and adult with hearing loss has the opportunity to listen, talk and thrive. With chapters located in the United States and a network of international affiliates, AG Bell supports its mission: Advocating Listening and Spoken Language for Individuals who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing! Visit ListeningandSpokenLanguage.org
About Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A, FAAA, LSLS Cert. AVT, AG Bell President
Dr. Goldberg is a Professor at The College of Wooster in Ohio and serves a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist at the Cleveland Clinic’s Hearing Implant Program. Dr. Goldberg is a world leader in the assessment of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school-age children and adult who are deaf or hard of hearing, and provides auditory-based (re)habilitation with patients who are recipients of unilateral or bilateral (both simultaneous and sequential) cochlear implants. Co-Author of Educational Audiology for the Limited Hearing Infant and Preschooler: An Auditory-Verbal Approach (Pollack, Goldberg, & Caleffe-Schenck, 1997), Goldberg is the author of numerous research articles and is an international/national/local presenter in the areas of cochlear implants, auditory-verbal therapy, speech-language-auditory assessment, educational audiology and counseling.
About Meredith K. Sugar, Esq., AG Bell President-Elect
Meredith Sugar is an attorney with Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP in Columbus, Ohio. Her practice is focused in the area of business and finance, succession and estate planning, and tax planning for individuals, corporations and partnerships. She frequently advises high wealth individuals on how best to structure and implement wealth transfer and estate planning vehicles such as GRATs, dynasty trusts, family limited partnership and limited liability companies. She also represents estates and businesses in IRS audits. In addition to her estate planning and tax practice, Meredith also advises business owners regarding structuring complex transactions, entity formation, succession planning and other corporate needs. She has developed a special focus on representing business owners who are involved in the development and installation of renewable energy facilities and frequently collaborates with members of the firm’s environmental, energy and regulated Industries practice. She resides in Columbus, Ohio with her husband and four children, one of whom is a cochlear implant recipient.
Web-based captioning will be provided for access to the telephone news briefing.
