Washington State Hearing Loss News
Guest Speaker on Tinnitus at Our January HOPE Meeting
Mark your calendars for January 3, 2024, to join our HOPE crew and learn about tinnitus from Dr. Megan Nightingale.
You can register anytime at this Zoom link. Remember, all our HOPE meetings are free, captioned, and open to everyone.
Next HOPE Meeting: Wednesday, December 6, 2023
What assistive technology can help during a family Thanksgiving dinner? How long will it be before I hear better with my new cochlear implant?
These are two of the topics we discussed together in our last HOPE meeting.
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.
Note: You can read summaries from past meetings on our blog.
National Hearing Loss News
HLAA Honors and Helps Veterans with Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is a very common disability among servicemembers of all ages. In fact, HLAA was founded by a veteran with hearing loss, Rocky Stone, in 1979. Today, HLAA carries Rocky’s work forward, building a community of support for these American heroes. Please share these resources with veterans you know who may need help.
- HLAA’s Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter meets monthly via Zoom. Caregivers are welcome, too. This chapter is sponsored by Starkey.
- Complimentary HLAA membership for veterans.
- Complimentary convention registration.
Remember, the VA provides hearing care and hearing aids to veterans with hearing loss.
Gratefully, we tip our hats to our veterans.
New Study: Hearing Aids May Reduce the Risk of Falls
We’ve been saying this for a while, and here’s another study that’s saying it, too. Hearing loss increases your risk of falling, but wearing hearing aids can reduce the risk.
This NPR story explains, including the dose-response relationship between hearing aid use and falls.
For details on the science, read the original study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Support People with Disabilities While You Shop This Season
Hoodies, leggings, coffee, adaptive t-shirts, makeup brushes, facial serum, and more: Check out these cool gifts made by people with disabilities. The list is curated by the folks at DisabilityIN, a workplace accessibility organization.
Hearing Loss Advocate Katherine Bouton Talks Cochlear Implants
More and more people are thinking about and even receiving cochlear implants (CIs). In her latest blogpost, hearing loss advocate Katherine Bouton shares her experiences with her CI. Spoiler alert: She loves it.
Hearing Loops & Telecoils Spotlight
A Plethora of Tools Available for Hearing Loop Advocates
So you’d like to advocate for hearing loops in your neighborhood, but you aren’t sure where to start? Or you’ve begun the process, but you’re stuck?
The HLAA Get in the Hearing Loop program (GITHL) offers a TON of tools to help you know what to do next, how to overcome objections, and figure out your next steps.
- A toolkit that includes fact sheets, brochures, best practices, posters, logos, promotion tools, a sample RFP, and even a Powerpoint presentation template.
- A two-part toolkit handbook to help you know where and when to use items in the toolkit. Part 1 is here, and part 2 is here.
- A 50-page advocacy guide to cheer you on, direct your efforts, and get you to the finish line.
And much more.
Feel free to reach out to the GITHL team if you have questions: GITHLinfo@hearingloss.org.
Happy Thanksgiving!
This week and all year round, we’re grateful to YOU, or members, supporters, and donors.
With your help, we help empower people with hearing loss all across Washington State, providing tools, education, and information they need to thrive. Thank you!
HLAA-WA does not endorse any technology, nor does exclusion suggest disapproval. We support the full spectrum of hearing technologies for everyone. As an all-volunteer run organization, 100% of every dollar donated is directed to our programs. HLAA-WA is an IRS non-profit 501(c)(3) organization; all donations are tax-deductible as allowed by relevant IRS code.