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Sam,
I was thinking professional embarrassment too: ASHA, AAA (listserv), EAA, ARO, AAS, AFA, ADA
Might be good to do an "open letter to the audiology community" on behalf of HoH Audiologists. Essentially, it would be a very simple issue: We all do our best to accommodate our patients, and we have done such a good job with this over the last 20 or so years, that many of your patients are now your colleagues, or are in training to become them. Why is then, that the accommodations we as audiologists fought so hard for from schools, employers and places of public access are suddenly forgotten, or not in the budget of our own professional conferences?"
Something like that. Make it just about impossible for them to argue with. Then when you get an agreement to provide access, make a big deal about it and send a press release to the journals and the consumer organizations, as well as the listservs which makes it harder still for them to back out. It's all about spin, and if you spin it as if they are doing a grand and altruistic thing, they are more likely to actually follow through. Of course, you can't really trust that they will, so after you pump them up, stand by and give them a weekly poke to remind them.
Yes, I know it's sneaky, but the history here dictates that they really do not have the knowledge and experience to do this on their own. Also, the conventions are mostly about making money, so this "small" issue ends up getting bulldozed by the bigger issue of keeping the sponsors happy. Make it as difficult as possible for them to ignore you, and if all else fails, stage a very public boycott of each and every convention that can't or won't provide accommodations that are practical.
Brad
From: HOHAudiologists@yahoogroups.com [mailto:HOHAudiologists@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of satchers
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 10:54 PM
To: HOHAudiologists@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [HOHAudiologists] Re: AudiologyNOW 2008 proposal (and letter)
Hi Suzanne and Brad,
Which two list members are meeting with AAA this Fall? This comes as
new information to me, and it would be nice to have a group discussion
beforehand about what we want AAA to know.
As for the letter, the changing convention board has been part of the
problem and I agree. And I also agree that we need more teeth by
getting other professional groups involved and the public media. I can
think of a few professional organizations, but why don't you guys
start sending some names we can get involved. I'm thinking HLAA,
AGBell, NAD, AMPHL... audiology-related organizations too?
And for the discussion group??? Any takers?
Sam
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