Happy Better Hearing Month!
In this e-news, we thank you for giving BIG, we share our blog post on navigating healthcare systems with a hearing loss, a new Barbie you’ll love, and we talk technology and books—plus lots more.
Washington State Hearing Loss News
You Gave BIG! Thank You.
Because of your kindness and generosity, we raised almost $5,000 to change the lives of people with hearing loss across Washington State during our GiveBIG campaign this year. This exceeded our $4,000 goal.
Thanks to you, we can dream BIG in 2022 and beyond.
Thank you for your support!
Governor Proclaims May as Better Hearing Month
Responding to efforts from HLAA-WA and ODHH, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee proclaimed May 2022 “Better Hearing Month” in Washington State, Thank you, Governor Inslee.
Better hearing keeps us all connected. What can you do to stay connected and to help others with hearing loss?
- Encourage everyone you know, young and old, to get their hearing tested every year.
- Read the proclamation and share it with your local leaders–your city council, mayor, and county executive–to help raise awareness about hearing loss and what they can do to support and include their constituents who live with this invisible disability.
- Share information about captions and assistive listening systems with a venue that needs to improve its hearing accessibility.
Throughout May, watch our e-news and social media for more ways you can stay connected, help others, discover new hearing technologies, and more.
Hearing Access in Healthcare: What Can You Do?
When you can’t understand your healthcare providers, your stress, confusion, and anxiety can go up—and the quality of your care and even your safety can go down.
What improvements in hearing access are coming to our healthcare systems, and what can you do in the meanwhile? Find out on our blog this week.
HOPE Meeting June 1, 2022
Our Hearing Other People’s Experiences (HOPE) meetings provide caring, encouraging support for questions and concerns you have about hearing loss, hearing aids and other tech, and much more.
Always free, captioned, and open to everyone.
National Hearing Loss News
New Book from Hearing Loss Heroines: Hear & Beyond
We often say hearing loss is a journey, but it doesn’t come with a map. Hearing loss heroines Shari Eberts and Gael Hannan have written something close to a map in their new book Hear & Beyond.
A Barbie with a Hearing Aid
To help kids with hearing loss feel included, Mattel has introduced a new Barbie who’s wearing a hearing aid.
We love the beautiful pink color! Can we talk the hearing aid industry into making real hearing aids in fun, stylish colors like this one?
Take Heart: There’s Help for Tinnitus
Tinnitus often contributes to or accompanies hearing loss, but it can be frustrating and even devastating on its own.
Tinnitus is treatable, and there are even hearing aids that can reduce the sounds.
This Healthy Hearing article by Temma Ehrenfeld explains why veterans are more likely to experience tinnitus, and how veterans can get help.
Stream Audio from Amazon Fire Cube directly to Hearing Aids
You can now stream audio from your second-generation Amazon Fire TV Cube directly to your hearing aids (called ASHA, audio streaming to hearing aids).
The Fire TV Cube also offers closed captions, a screen magnifier, and audio descriptions. Read more about the new features and find out how to set up ASHA in this Hearing Review article.
Hearing Technologies at the Consumer Electronics Show
Improvements in music listening, a hearing device drying system, and improved understanding of speech in noise are among the top new technologies presented at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022. Read Catlin Nalley’s discussion in this month’s Hearing Journal.
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.