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May 10, 2005

Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awards $330,000 in Cochlear Implant Fellowships

From: Alexander Graham Bell - May 10, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Jessica Ripper
Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing
Phone: (202) 337-5220 ext. 123 Fax: (202) 337-8314
Email: jripper@agbell.org
Website: http://www.agbell.org/

AG Bell Awards $330,000 in Cochlear Implant Fellowships

Funding to expand services for children and adults who are deaf

Washington, DC, May 10, 2005 - The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) has awarded $15,000 fellowships to 22 cochlear implant centers to train professionals in the field of cochlear implants and auditory rehabilitation. The fellowships, made possible by grants from the Advanced Bionics Corporation and Cochlear Americas, will fund mentoring and educational development for professionals in the fields of clinical and research audiology, speech-language pathology, Auditory-Verbal therapy and the education of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

"Each year, AG Bell receives thousands of inquiries from adults with hearing loss and parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing seeking information about cochlear implant technology and related services," said K. Todd Houston, Ph.D., Executive Director/CEO of AG Bell. "The AG Bell Cochlear Implant Fellowship Program supports cochlear implant centers and educational programs in their efforts to provide quality services to cochlear implant recipients."

Recipients of the 2005 Cochlear Implant Fellowship are:

* Arizona Ear Center, Phoenix, AZ
* Beth Israel - New York Eye & Ear, New York, NY
* Boys Town National Research Hospital Cochlear Implant Program, Omaha, NE
* Calgary Health Region Audiology Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
* Callier Advanced Hearing Research Center - The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX
* Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center Division of Pediatric Audiology Cochlear Implant Program, Seattle, WA
* Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
* Cochlear Implant Clinic at Integris Baptist Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK
* Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
* The Hearing Center of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
* House Ear Institute, Los Angeles, CA
* Houston Ear Research Foundation, Houston, TX
* Let Them Hear Foundation of the California Ear Institute, East Palo Alto, CA
* Magnolia Speech School, Jackson, MS
* Medical College of Wisconsin - Koss Cochlear Implant Program, Milwaukee, WI

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Page 2/AG Bell Awards Cochlear Implant Fellowships

* New England Medical Center Cochlear Implant Program, Boston, MA
* St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, Chesterfield, MO
* University of Massachusetts Medical Center Sounds of Life Program, Worcester, MA
* University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, IA
* University of Michigan Cochlear Implant Program, Ann Arbor, MI
* University of South Carolina Cochlear Implant Center, Columbia, SC
* Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center Cochlear Implant Program, Nashville, TN

Fellowships were awarded to cochlear implant centers in the United States and Canada to provide professionals up to 12 months of mentored work experience with a seasoned cochlear implant professional. Fellows will work in the areas of candidate evaluation, device fitting, auditory rehabilitation, counseling and research.

The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) is a lifelong resource, support network, and advocate for listening, learning, talking, and living independently with hearing loss. Through publications, outreach, training, scholarships, and financial aid, AG Bell promotes the use of spoken language and hearing technology. Headquartered in Washington, DC with chapters located in the United States and Canada and a network of international affiliates, AG Bell's global presence provides its members and the public with the support they need-close to home. With over a century of service, AG Bell supports its mission: Advocating Independence through Listening and Talking! For more information, contact AG Bell at (202) 337- 5220 or visit the AG Bell website at http://www.agbell.org/ .

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