Peace Corps memories, donated hearing aids

July 2024

Roger visits Viña del Mar in Chile, where he got his wish to see the Pacific Ocean.

Two oceans and a continent hold Peace Corps memories

By Roger Ponds

This spring I went on an amazing trip to South America, where I toured that beautiful continent and reunited with several of my fellow Peace Corps volunteers and some of our local hosts from our time in Paraguay 30 years ago.

I left Denver on May 7, flying first to Miami, to catch an all-night flight to Santiago, Chile, then spent three days in Chile's capital city, visiting sights like Plaza de Armas, and the hills called Cerro San Cristobal and Cerro Santa Lucia. I wanted to see the Pacific Ocean, so I took a bus from Santiago to Viña del Mar; since I live in Littleton, I don’t often get to see the ocean.

I then took a 26-hour bus ride to Buenos Aires; the ride itself was an amazing experience, seeing the fall colors (in May) of the countryside outside of Santiago, and then going up and over the Andes Mountains, and seeing all that snow up in the mountains. The roads up and over the Andes are full of switchbacks, what locals describe as caracol, kind of like a snail. What an amazing experience it was to visit Buenos Aires, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with its ultra-wide streets, magnificent parks, statues, and monuments. Downtown is the Avenida 9 de Julio, said to be the widest street in the world. Then there is the ever-present obelisk, which is the most distinctive landmark of this magnificent city.

I took a ferry across the Rio de la Plata, going from Buenos Aires to Montevideo, Uruguay's capital city, and got to see the Atlantic Ocean as well.

Growing up with hearing loss

I was born with a 50-percent hearing loss (or 60-decibel loss) in both ears. I attended a special education school in Lakewood during my early childhood. I was one of the first hearing-impaired students ever to attend Columbine High School, where I graduated in 1979. I graduated from Metropolitan State College (now University) in 1987 with a degree in finance and worked locally in that field, but after meeting with a recruiter at the Peace Corps office in Denver I decided to apply. With my finance degree and accounting experience, I was placed in the Small Business Program. Because I took two years of Spanish in college, the Peace Corps decided that I would be best off serving in Latin America. I served as a business advisor to the savings and loan cooperative in Santiago, a small town located in the departamento (province) of Misiones, in southern Paraguay. I also taught English, as a secondary project, at the local colegio (high school).

I used to have to explain—in Spanish—to Paraguayans and other South Americans about my hearing impairment and yes, I learned more new words in Spanish while doing so.

The 30-year reunion

From Montevideo I went on to Asuncion, Paraguay's capital city, another 21-hour bus ride. Now I was getting close to where I did my Peace Corps service. I took another bus to the town of Aregua, where I attended Peace Corps training in 1992. I was able to track down two old friends from my training group, Mark Fennelly and Darla Close, so we had our 30-year reunion there.

Another bus ride took me to the site of my actual volunteer service. Quite a few people in Santiago were very happy (and surprised) to see me, and I was absolutely amazed to see how much Santiago had changed in the past 30 years, since I finished my service there in 1994. I learned during my visit to Asuncion that the Peace Corps shut down worldwide in 2020, due to the pandemic, and then resumed operations in 2022.

After almost a week in Paraguay, I headed to Mendoza, Argentina. The trip took me through the countryside, from the Argentine Chaco to the farm country of west central Argentina. It was an amazing experience to see fall colors in western Argentina on what was Memorial Day in the USA.

Snow, hail and home

As my journey was nearing its end, I had to leave for my return flight to the U.S. from Santiago, Chile.  After passing more fall colors, the bus climbed the Andes Mountains, to the Argentina-Chile border, where there were tons of snow at some 3,000 meters (more than 9,000 feet). I never saw so much snow in my life as I did that day. This area serves as a major ski resort during the South American winter months of June to August. After passing through customs, we descended down the Andes Mountains, on a winding road that curves and bends on the way down to Santiago.

After one more night in Chile, I left on the return flight to Miami, then to Philadelphia for a connecting flight to Denver. But the trip was a long way from over: The layover at Philly extended to eight hours, and then, on arrival in Denver, we were stranded on the runway for three hours, while crews cleared the area of large hail from a surprise storm that struck May 30. A friend picked me up and I arrived home in Littleton at 2:30 the next morning.

As I wrote to friends when it was over, “Wow, what a trip!” <>

Roger Ponds is Denver Chapter Treasurer.

Roger joins former Peace Corps volunteers Mark Fennelly and Darla Close for their 30-year reunion  in Aregua, Paraguay.

Donated hearing aids bring ‘amazing transformation’

By Dusty Jessen

Saturday, June 8, was a beautiful day at Columbine Hearing Care in Littleton. Twenty-four volunteers, including 10 audiologists and two audiology students, came together to give the gift of hearing to 14 lucky recipients through Hearing the Call-Colorado. A desperate mother made the dangerous journey from Venezuela to the U.S. to allow her 9-year-old daughter to hear for the first time. A 96-year-old woman can finally hear her family, be included in conversations, and be treated with the dignity and respect she deserves. A 19-year-old student can now hear the professors and follow her dream of earning a college degree and becoming a school teacher.

Lives were changed this day—not just the lives of those served, but also the lives of every volunteer privileged to see the amazing transformation that happens when a person can hear again. Recipients arrived at the event feeling shy, nervous, and isolated. But they left feeling happy, hopeful, and connected.

Pay it forward

Hearing the Call-Colorado is a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides access to quality and affordable hearing health care for qualified individuals across the state. Eight audiology practices support this initiative through quarterly hearing aid fitting clinics. Once a year they all come together for a large community event like this one, hosted by Dusty Jessen, AuD and Columbine Hearing Care. Hearing the Call-Colorado relies on financial support from individuals and businesses who believe in their vision that no person be prevented from full participation in life due to hearing loss. They also accept donated hearing aids of all types and ages. Please go to www.HearingTheCall.org/Colorado for more information about supporting their cause or to submit an application for free hearing aids.

Recipients pay nothing for the hearing aids and the initial follow-up care. Hearing the Call-Colorado follows the “circle of giving” model and asks recipients to pay it forward by completing 10 hours of community service or acts of kindness. This has been a beautiful part of the process as recipients use their newfound hearing ability to spread goodness in their local communities.<>

Dusty Jessen is the Denver Chapter’s vice president and audiology consultant.

Hearing the Call volunteers prepare hearing aids for donation.

Array of assistive devices on display at June meeting

At the June meeting, Denver Chapter members demonstrated various devices that can improve the effectiveness of hearing aids and cochlear implants. Among the devices people brought and discussed were the following:

• ClearSounds CLA7v2 amplified powered neckloop

• Clarity CE30 neckloop telephone amplifier

• Geemarc CL hook-3 ear hook

• Serene Innovations CentralAlert CA360! Alarm clock receiver and doorbell and bed shaker kit

• Converso Pro personal FM assisted listening device with TV streamer

• Wireless F device for t-coil or headphones/earbuds

• Williams Sound Pocketalker 2.0 personal amplifier

• Comfort Audio Duett personal amplifier

• Hearing loop systems for use with telecoils in public spaces

  

Wynne Whyman explains hearing loop configurations.

Flying will soon be easier—and safer

On May 16, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 was signed into law by President Biden with bipartisan support. This vital bill extends the FAA’s activities related to airport planning and development, facilities, equipment and operations through September 30, 2028.

HLAA has worked for years with other consumer disability organizations, including the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), to get important accessibility provisions included in the bill.

Here are some of the improvements to come:

• Accessible announcements
  Those muffled, hard-to-understand gate and safety announcements could get more accessible. Under the new law, all airport gates, counters, ticketing areas and customer service desks must be disability accessible, including captions for people with hearing loss.

• New wheelchair safety standards  
  Harrowing scenarios of wheelchair damage and injuries to passengers who are taken in and out of them could diminish as the bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to improve standards for wheelchair transport and stowage.

• In-flight entertainment captioning
  DOT is required to issue new regulations requiring in-flight entertainment accessibility, including closed captioning and video descriptions.

• Digital accessibility
  Minimum standards to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access websites, software applications and kiosks are also included.

In addition, the FAA Reauthorization Act addresses a variety of general transportation issues, such as the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), aviation workforce development and air traffic controller recruitment, aircraft and pilot certifications, guaranteed family seating policies, the elimination of hidden airline fees and hassle-free refunds to passengers for delayed or canceled flights.

Chapter to visit Nepal exhibit at Aurora History Museum

The Denver Chapter will not have a meeting in July, but we will take a field trip to the Aurora History Museum on Saturday, July 20 at 11 a.m.  The address is 15151 E Alameda Pkwy, Aurora, CO 80012.

We will visit the Mosaic of Cultures exhibit, Aurora’s Nepali Community.

This is a unique opportunity to delve into the rich and unique aspects of this community, including their distinct music, art, dance, religion and traditional foods.

We will have a guided tour starting at 11:15.  After the museum, we will go to lunch at a nearby restaurant. Our new member, Binisha Shrestha, is one of the main organizers of the exhibit.

Cliff Moers to retire as commission director

Cliff Moers will retire August 1 after 17 years as Director of the Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind. “His dedication, passion, and hard work have been instrumental in the evolution of the commission and its impact during this time,”  Mindy Gates, Deputy Director of Adult, Aging, and Disability Services, said. “

During Cliff’s time as director, the commission expanded from three employees with an annual budget of $716,920 to 15 employees with an annual budget of nearly $3 million. “Our stakeholder network has grown immensely, and many states look to us for ideas and guidance,” Cliff told HAH. “YOU all are the reason we have made such a profound, unique impact on the DHHDB communities. CCDHHDB will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Mindy will serve as interim director until a new director is found.

Looking for comments

With this Substack format, readers can reply to every issue by clicking on the “Comment” button at the bottom of the screen. Some folks like to respond directly by email, which is fine, but by posting a comment, you can be sure all other readers will be able to see it, and offer their own views. Even people who are unable to attend monthly meetings will then have a chance to be part of the discussion. Try it, and I’ll be checking regularly to see how you think we’re doing.

Paula DeJohn, editor