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Washington State Hearing Loss News
Legislative Update: Additional Action Needed. New Committees Need to Hear From You. Sign in PRO (Again) to Show Support
Each time the current hearing aid bills pass one committee, they go to another committee until the bill is voted on by the entire House or Senate. Because each committee has the power to pass or kill the bills, we need you to voice your support again.
House Bill 1222 (now SHB 1222)
This bill will have a public hearing in the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at 4:00 pm. If passed, the bill will be sent to the House Rules Committee and then hopefully to the House floor for a vote.
TODAY: Let the Appropriations Committee hear your support.
- Sign in as PRO (only takes 2 minutes)
- Submit written testimony (personal stories related to school, work, and caregiving are most impactful)
Senate Bill 5338 (now SSB 5338)
This bill is now getting a second reading by the Senate Rules Committee who will decide if the bill goes to the Senate floor for a vote. THIS IS BIG!
TODAY: Ask your district senators to support SSB 5338.
- Click “Support” and leave a comment (this takes only a few minutes). Sample comment: “As a person who requires hearing aids to thrive in my personal and professional life, I am asking that you support SSB 5338. It is essential to people with hearing loss that the inclusion of hearing instruments and associated services be included in the Washington State essential health benefits. Thank you!”
For more information on these bills, and about the Washington State legislative process generally, here are the highlights of Cynthia Stewart’s January 24 webinar, including a copy of her highly helpful slide deck.
Next HOPE Meeting
March 1, 2023, 4 pm
What can you do if someone has a hearing loss, but is reluctant to get tested? How do you hear better in a senior living situation?
Our Hearing Other People’s Experiences (HOPE) meetings are a safe, welcoming space where you can ask questions from your peers about anything and everything hearing loss and hearing tech.
Facilitated by a caring, compassionate HOPE Crew, these monthly virtual meetings are free, live-captioned, and open to everyone with hearing loss and to their friends and family. You’re welcome to relax, listen, and simply spend time with people who understand what it’s like to live with hearing loss.
Hearing-Friendly History Events Coming Up at MOHAI
At Seattle’s terrific Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), don’t miss these hearing-friendly, in-person events.
Upcoming programs with both CART captioning and ASL interpretation:
History Café: Paying Tribute to Seattle’s Black Landmarks and Their Namesakes on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at 6:30pm
History Café: Creating a Hopeful Future for The Puget Sound on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 6:30pm
CART captioning will also be available at the following programs:
- Building with Purpose: Black Architects and Community Agency on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 11:00am
- Designing with Intention: Three Generations of Black Architects on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 7:00pm
Find more hearing-friendly things to do on our Events page. Remember to check back regularly, as we update that webpage at least monthly.
National Hearing Loss News
Improving Your Workplace Performance:
Webinar from the HLAA Employment Task Force
Want tips and tricks on how to navigate a fast-paced work environment when you have a hearing loss? Join this 60-minute HLAA webinar on Feb. 7, 2023, when Dr. Chad Ruffin will share both science-based and personal recommendations.
Register here.
Help Make Captions Better and Make $25
Take a moment to help Gallaudet’s Twenty-First Century Caption Metrics and Usability Project study how people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing perceive captions. Study participants earn $25. More information is available via Gallaudet’s flyer.
Hearing Loops Are Magic. Dr. David Myers Explains Why
Ask anyone who’s felt that sudden wave of happiness when they hear through a hearing loop for the first time: Hearing loops are magic for people with hearing loss.
At a recent service at his church, Dr. David Myers talks about his hearing loss and his efforts to bring hearing loops to his community, including his church, Hope Church in Holland, Michigan.
Dr. Myers takes the podium at the one-hour, two-minute mark (1:02.)
A Hard-of-Hearing Dog Called Mookie Finds a Home
With a little help from HLAA’s Ronnie Adler, a deaf Cavapoo dog named Butter found a home with a hard-of-hearing twelve-year-old named Nikki. “Butter” is now named “Mookie,” and Mookie and Nikki are best friends. You really need to read this story.
Lou Ferrigno Inspires Kids and Talks Hearing Loss
You may remember that actor Lou Ferrigno, aka the Incredible Hulk, has a hearing loss. Recently, he visited an Arizona school for kids who are hard of hearing and deaf. He encouraged them to embrace their fear and shared how his CI changed his life. This story made us smile.
Have You Experienced Broadband Access Challenges as a Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Person?
If your ability to access broadband service has negatively impacted you as a person with hearing loss or a person who is deaf, the FCC would like to hear from you.
For example, if you live in a rural area with limited broadband, you might not be able to stream captioned videos, use smartphone apps, find hearing loss support services via the Internet.
You can tell your stories and provide feedback here. Read more about the FCC’s Task Force to Prevent Digital Discrimination here.
Join HLAA and HLAA-WA
Member benefits include product discounts, reduced convention registration fees, help with the latest hearing loss tech, and HLAA’s award-winning quarterly magazine, Hearing Life. Your HLAA membership automatically includes HLAA-Washington. Dues start at $45 a year.
HLAA-WA does not endorse any technology, nor does exclusion suggest disapproval. We support the full spectrum of hearing technologies for everyone.