Washington State Hearing Loss News
Save the Date for Our Annual HLAA-WA Members Meeting
Our annual all-members meeting is November 12, 2022. The meeting will be virtual (online) again this year. We’ll welcome two special guests from ODHH, Earnest Covington III and Maggie Campbell.
Live-captioned and ASL-interpreted, and always free. Everyone is welcome. Stay tuned for more details.
Diana Thompson, HLAA-WA Star, Talks with AgeWise King County
Our Senior Advocacy Leader Diana Thompson sat down with Sariga Santhosh to talk hearing loss advocacy in a recent AgeWise King County blog post.
Thompson has worked closely with several groups on behalf of HLAA-WA and people with hearing loss. Get to know her and her work better in this terrific article. Thank you, AgeWise King County!
In-Person Support Meetings Now Happening in Renton
We’re excited to announce that Renton in-person support meetings are now back!
Led by HLAA-WA Secretary Glenda Philio (pictured left), the Renton support group meets the second Friday of the month at the Renton Senior Activity Center at 211 Burneett Avenue North. The room is looped. For more information, visit the “Find a Support Meeting” page on our website.
What Are Hearables, Anyway?
They’re not exactly hearing aids, but they help you hear: hearables are an emerging–but confusing–category of hearing technologies. They’re a cross between smart wireless earbuds and traditional hearing aids–essentially, a microcomputer that fits in your ear canal.
Learn more about when, where, and how a hearable might help you hear better on our new website page,”What Are Hearables?”
Hearing-Friendly Events Coming Up at MOHAI
Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) is hosting three in-person hearing-friendly programs in October and November.
At these events, ASL and CART (live captions) will be available:
- History Café: AI, Data, and Automated Inequity on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 6:30 pm
- History Café: How Comics Frame History on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 6:30 pm
At the following event, CART will also be available:
- Syvilla Fort: Keep the Fire Burning on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 1:00 pm
Next HOPE Meeting
November 2, 2022
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 related.
Facilitated by a caring, compassionate HOPE Crew, these monthly virtual meetings are free, live-captioned, and open to everyone with hearing loss and their friends and family.
National Hearing Loss News
Now (Really!) in Stores: Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids
On October 17, 2022, after a years-long wait and much effort from consumers and advocates, some types of hearing aids can be offered over-the-counter.
In an interview with the New York Times, HLAA Executive Director Barbara Kelley mentioned that time will be needed to navigate the “new frontier.” Price points all over the map, anywhere from $199 a pair at Walmart in a few states, to $799 a pair at Walgreens, to $1,299 for a CRE-E10 from Sony.
Before you go to buy an OTC hearing aid, read the tip sheet and the shopping guide from HLAA headquarters. Treating hearing loss is important, but hearing aids aren’t one-size-fits-all devices. Read more about prescription hearing aids on our “Hearing Aids 101” webpage. Note: We believe that it’s a good idea to make your first step be an appointment with your audiologist.
Webinar: “What Did You Say? A Conversation About Hearing Loss”
Get your hearing loss questions answered at this free webinar from AARP. On October 27, 2022, at 3:30 pm Pacific time, Dr. Frank Lin and Dr. Nicholas Reed, authors of the new AARP book Hearing Loss for Dummies, will talk about how you can address your hearing loss. Registration is required.
Scientists Discover Key Mechanism in How We Hear
Scientists at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) have mapped an important part of our inner ear that’s responsible for our hearing. Worms (!) were involved in the research. Read more in this OHSU article.
Cochlear Implants: What’s New? What’s Next? Watch the HLAA Research Symposium Video
If you missed the HLAA cochlear implant research symposium at the 2022 convention, you can watch the recorded version on YouTube.
The symposium presenters talk about potential candidates for CIs, what’s involved in treatment, and how CIs have changed and will change further in the future.
How Hearing Loss May Be Linked to Dementia
Hearing loss has long been linked to dementia. How and why might that happen? Find out in this AARP article.
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.