PEGGY JOHNSTON, CO-DIRECTOR 
404 S. Oak Street
Durand, MI 48429
Tel: 989-288-4546
jklbmc@yahoo.com​​

SHARON POPLER, CO-DIRECTOR
3640 E. Bath Road
Morrice, MI 48857
Tel: 989-634-5748
​gma4hugs@hotmail.com

DEAF AWARENESS
POSTERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!

We now have reprints of four of the previous Deaf Awareness Posters. Contact me if you wish to have posters, etc.

American Manual Alphabet: This poster is one that we did not have to reprint. This poster could be used in schools, churches, libraries, Grange Halls or anywhere that people come in contact with deaf or hearing impaired people. For example, our Grange delivered Dictionaries to a third grade classroom, along with Deaf Awareness items (one being the Manual Alphabet poster) and in one of the thank you’s we received, one of the students had learned the alphabet. Another third grade teacher had her students do their spelling words in sign language. There are many possibilities with this.

Your Noisy World Could Get Silent: This poster is a chart that shows the potential hearing hazard of the loudness of sounds combined with the length of exposure to sound and how it can create a permanent hearing loss. Preventions are suggested on this poster. It shows the decibels of many electronic devices that we are in contact with everyday.

Pledge of Allegiance: This poster could be placed in schools, Grange Halls, libraries, etc. An idea that can be used is to do parts of it at each of your Grange meetings until everyone can sign it.
Do You See the Signs: (of hearing loss) This poster could be placed in church nurseries, day care centers, pre-schools or wherever adults can view them. It is a poster to make parents aware of what an infant to 12 months should be able to do, from 12 months to 2 years, from 2 years to 4 years and 5 years old.

Grange Deaf Awareness: Awareness – communication is key to qualify of life – hearing loss is permanent- early detection and treatment is essential, etc. Education – educate the public with printed material, video programs, classroom instruction, special equipment, information, programs. Prevention- hearing protections used, hearing testing, newborn hearing screening, personal education.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 GRANGE NEWS

​Michigan School for the Deaf Christmas Party
December 15, 2023

​Thank you to Lynn at MSD, 
to Ted & Helen Mudd, Tricia Eidsmoe, Randy & Joanne Cebulski, Linda Bula, Evelyn Ward, Dale Moore, and all of the interpreters and helpers from MSD. Couldn’t have done it with out you all.​
MARCH/APRIL 2024 GRANGE NEWS

​​ The long and cold winter months are here, and we need to take preventative measures to make sure we don’t have problems with our ears and our hearing aids. Moisture buildup and middle ear infections are usually more prevalent in cold weather, and hardware and performance of hearing aids can often be impaired when exposed to water and wind. Taking these measures can save you from problems down the road.
  1. Clean or suction debris from any exposed areas on you aid, and double check the receiver, battery contacts, and microphone ports.
  2. Properly remove any earwax from your ear canal.
  3. Keep your hearing aids dry. Consider getting a dehumidifier, which is a specialized drying canister for hearing aids. Store your hearing device in this canister overnight with the batteries taken out and the battery doors left open. If you don’t have a dehumidifier, remember to regularly remove your hearing aid batteries and clean everything with a dry cloth.
If your hearing aids get wet, note these emergency tips,
  1. Immediately wipe them dry, remove the ear mold if your aid has one, and take out the batteries.
  2. Dry the battery compartment using a Q-tip or a safe cleaning tool.
  3. Place your hearing aids in a dehumidifier or Ziploc bag with silica gel packets
  4. Let your devices sit for 24 hours.
Keep your ears dry.
  1. Water is the number one culprit for ear infections, which, if left untreated, can cause inflammation and temporary hearing loss. Cases of extreme cold can also aggravate certain preexisting conditions like exostosis ( a bone spur located in the ear canal ).
  2. Wear outdoor gear to protect your ears and prevent water damage of your  device. When outdoors, wear wrist and forehead sweatbands to help intercept moisture. Earmuffs help safeguard your ears and hearing devices against snow and freezing temperatures. When in a noisy area, particularly with loud snow blowers or snowmobiles, wear over-the-ear protection instead of in-the-ear varieties that have a tendency to trap liquid in the ear.
  3. Give extra attention to children with hearing loss. In winter months, children are more prone to ear infections, which can aggravate any existing hearing impairments. Be mindful of any middle ear infection symptoms such as irritability, pain, loss of balance, trouble paying attention, or increased hearing difficulty. To help prevent infections and buildup of moisture-related bacteria, clean your child’s ear mold with an audiologistapproved cleaning agent.
Did you know?

Hearing impaired is the general  term used to describe any level of hearing loss.

​​Hard of Hearing, describes a person who has problems hearing and who communicates by listening speaking and lip reading.

Deaf/Deafness describes profound hearing loss many deaf people communicate with some form of sign language while some are able to speak most of the time a combination of the two is used.
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We will be looking forward to seeing you and discussing Deaf Awareness with you on April 20th.

​Peggy and I hope you're enjoying these Winter months and are preparing for Spring
NEED DEAF AWARENESS POSTERS???

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