Christy Abrams
Tim Gaule
Would you like to learn about free equipment for the hearing impaired? If so, our hearing group invites SaddleBrooke residents to attend a presentation by Christy Abrams who is associated with the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing (ACDHH). The presentation will be on Tuesday, March 24, at 10 a.m. in the MountainView East Ballroom.
Christy is a Hard of Hearing Specialist with ACDHH. She will share information and resources for living well with hearing loss. Christy has personal insight regarding hearing loss, having lived with severe bilateral hearing loss since childhood. She is currently bimodal, utilizing one cochlear implant and one hearing aid.
Her presentation will include her personal story, the importance of communication strategies, and the emotional impact of hearing loss. Participants will receive an overview of ACDHH and the Arizona Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (AzTEDP), which provides free telecommunications equipment such as amplified phones, Bluetooth options, speech devices, and signaling/flashing/vibrating alerting devices. This equipment is provided at no cost to U.S. citizens who reside in the State of Arizona and are deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind/CVHL, or speech-impaired, regardless of income.
Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) “captions” will be provided by ACDHH. Don’t miss this presentation! This will be an opportunity to have Christy bring us up to date on Arizona-wide support programs and new developments in assistive hearing technology. She is especially good at answering questions, so bring yours!
In her role with the ACDHH, Christy is responsible for providing statewide training, facilitating the Hard of Hearing Task Force, and connecting individuals with essential information and resources to help them live well with hearing loss. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in human services and over 25 years of experience in the fields of aging and social work.
Our SaddleBrooke hearing discussion group meets on the second Friday of every month at 10 a.m. in the Catalina Room in the Mesquite building. Our meetings are a good opportunity to interact with other residents who have hearing loss. For more information about our group, contact Lyle Larson at lllarson72@gmail.com or me at tgaule@outlook.com. We typically have one or two Doctor of Audiology students from the University of Arizona in attendance who are happy to answer your questions. If you have questions about the upcoming presentation or would like to have your email added to our distribution list, contact me at tgaule@outlook.com.