In this e-news, we share thoughts on the HLAA convention, the next HLAA-Whatcom County meeting, a captioned Pirates show, our next HOPE meeting August 6, Disability Pride Month, hearing loops on Google Maps, and potential hearing aids for less than $200.
Washington State Hearing Loss News
Reconnecting with Community at an HLAA Convention
Longtime hearing loss hero Bob Branigin shares on our blog why he’s attended 35 HLAA coventions, including the 2022 HLAA Convention in Tampa, Florida, this June.
Learn More about CIs at the HLAA-Whatcom County meeting July 16, 2022
What do you do when hearing aids aren’t meeting your needs? If you’ve thought about a cochlear implant, what questions should you be asking?
Tina Worman, audiologist and UW Medical Center lecturer, and Jan Hyono, CI audiologist, will speak at the HLAA-Whatcom County Zoom meeting July 16, 2022, 10:00 – 11:30 am. Join the presentation, “Beyond Hearing Aids–CIs: A Path Worth Considering,” directly at this link. Everyone is welcome. Free and captioned.
Captioned Show Coming Soon at Gilbert & Sullivan Theater in Seattle
Buckle your swashes and join the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society for a captioned performance of The Pirates of Penzance on July 28th, 2022, at 7:30pm. Seats are located in the orchestra-right section in the newly renovated Bagley Wright Theater, with a clear view to the stage and captions.
Contact Catherine Weatbrook (president at seattlegilbertandsullivan.com) to get these seats or if you have questions.
Next HOPE Meeting August 3, 2022
Our virtual (online) HOPE meetings provide caring, encouraging support to people with hearing loss and their loved ones. We empower one another by sharing information, self-advocacy skills, technologies, and techniques.
At a recent HOPE meeting, participants chatted about tech such as LiveTranscribe and PocketTalkers that can help you hear better when you’re out and about. We also shared tips on self-advocacy, like considering planning ahead, and making requests and not demands.
You’re warmly invited to attend and find HOPE. HOPE meetings are always free, captioned, and open to everyone.
National Hearing Loss News
Lipreading Mom Explains the Disability Pride Flag
Did you know there’s a disability pride flag and that the colors and design have specific meanings? For example, the diagonal band represents “cuting across” barriers, according to the wonderful Lipreading Mom in her blog post this week.
Movies to Watch During Disability Pride Month
Watching the stories of people with disabilities can help you find empathy and understanding. Kanopy offers this excellent list of movies about and by people with disabilities. For stories from the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, we’d add CODA, We Hear You: Now Hear Us, and The Sound of Metal.
You can watch Kanopy with your public library card or university login.
Hearing Loops Are Now on Google Maps
Know before you go: Google Maps now shows hearing loops as a new accessibility attribute! You can check venues ahead of time to see if you’ll be able to tune into a loop once you arrive.
You can help others by adding loop info to a venue’s Google Maps listing. Click here for instructions. Then stay tuned for more information, including videos and an information campagin.
A Hearing Aid for Under $200?
You’ve heard that over-the-counter hearing aids are coming soon to help people with mild to moderate hearing loss. A professor in Milwaukee is working on a small hearing aid that he hopes will cost less than $200. What do you think?
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.