We Won the Hamilton Relay
Community Leader Award!

HLAA-WA is the proud recipient of the 20204 Hamilton Relay Community Leader Award! Thank you, Hamilton Relay!

Thank you also to Walt Bowen for nominating us, and to our dear friends, including Bob Leroy and Cathy Knight, who endorsed and recommended us.

This award recognizes strong leadership and volunteerism within the hearing loss and Deaf communities

We’re planning an award ceremony with Hamilton Relay’s Jhaynehl Fortaleza. Stay tuned for details.

Your Thoughts on Advocacy, Programs, and More from Our Survey

If you took the time to complete our survey, THANK YOU!

Some highlights of your replies…

• You’re making the ASK: Most of you (75%!) are taking charge of your hearing loss and asking for hearing accommodations. Congratulations!
• Insurance help is important: Only 30% of you say you have adequate insurance coverage for your hearing aids.
• You want to get social: You’d like to join other people with hearing loss at a movie, live theater, or music event — with captions and an assistive listening system, of course.

Read more results on our blog.

We’re Uniting to Improve Hearing Loss Programs and Services Across Washington

Our voices are louder when we come together, and that’s what we’re doing now and into 2025.

We’re working with other hearing loss and Deaf communities to help get more resources for people with hearing loss, get more community-based hearing care, and help solve the ASL interpreter shortage.

Read more on our blog.

New Website, Chapter Portal from HLAA Headquarters

The folks at our national HLAA office have debuted a new website. We like the fresh colors, easy scrolling, and readable layout and text.

Chapter leaders and key volunteers, take note: The new website also features a chapter portal. You’ll find important news, updates, resources, and tools. Check the upper right-hand corner on the new site to register.

Need help using the new chapter portal? Register to attend this webinar on November 13, 2024, at Noon Pacific.

Join the Open Caption Movie Club

A new group aims to email you weekly updates of captions in your area. We aren’t sure when they’ll have Washington State ZIP codes ready, but we signed up anyway.

You can sign up here — it’s free.

More Captioned Movies Coming to the OTHER Washington

More open-caption movies are now available in Washington DC, thanks to the Open Movie Captioning Requirement Amendment Act of 2024.

The new rules are a little complicated. Essentially, theaters with three or more screens must offer captioning for three screenings in the first two weeks of a film’s release, including during peak weekend hours.

Do you think we can implement a similar law here in Washington State?

More on the New Air-Pods-As-Hearing-Aids Option

Will AirPods hearing aids be a real option for people who really need hearing help?

The New York Times explores that question and others too, including why sales are lower than expected for OTC hearing aids — even though good evidence shows they work well.

Barbara Kelley, HLAA Executive Director, is quoted in this article: “When Apple makes a splash, it pushes the idea of hearing health into the mainstream.”

This should come up for you as a gifted article, but you may need an NYT subscription to read it.

All Cell Phones Will Soon Be Hearing-Aid Compatible

Thanks to a new FCC requirement, all mobile phones sold in the U.S. will be hearing-aid compatible over the next two to three-and-a-half years.

HLAA has long advocated for the need for phone accessibility, and the national organization helped bring about this new regulation.

Read more about the rule and about advocates David and Reba Saks, who helped lead the way decades ago. They saw the need for change, and they took action to make it happen.

Enjoying Music When You Have a Hearing Loss

Music can sometimes sound different when you have a hearing loss and are using a hearing aid or CI. But there are things you can do to hear your favorite tunes more clearly and find joy in them once again.

Read how in this article from hearing loss advocate Shari Eberts in Psychology Today.

Get In-Person Support for Your Hearing Loss

• November 16, 2024, Bellingham: Northern Washington (Whatcom County): This award-winning group meets the third Saturday of each month, 9:30 – Noon at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, 2600 Lakeway Drive, Bellingham. In November, Pastor Jana Schofield will discuss bridging hearing gaps within the church and hearing loss in her family. Everyone is welcome.
• December 1, 2024, Panorama Senior Living, Lacey. This group generally meets the first day of the month. Contact Carolyn Odio for confirmation and details: Carolynodio@gmail.com
• December 13, 2024, Renton: Our free Renton support group meets the second Friday at 1 pm at the Renton Senior Activity Center, 211 Burnett Avenue North, Renton. No need to register; simply check in at the front desk. This group is led by our award-winning HLAA-WA Secretary Glenda Philio. A hearing loop is available, and everyone is welcome.

Virtual Hearing Loss Support Meeting
HOPE, December 4, 2024

For this meeting, the HOPE crew will discuss communication challenges and solutions during the holiday season.

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 ask questions, and also to simply relax, listen, and spend time with people who understand what it’s like to live with hearing loss.

Read the notes from the October HOPE meeting with guest speaker Dr. Larry Medwetsky here. Dr. Medwetsky talked about the latest advances in hearing aids and other devices, including split processing, streaming options, and feedback canceling.

HOPE meets the first Wednesday of each month at 4:00 pm. We hope you can join us! 

Note: Our January 2025 meeting will be held January 8, not January 1.

Toastmasters Online for People with Hearing Loss

Need a boost in confidence? Some friendly coaching to improve your speaking skills?

If so, you might like to join the Audible Talkers Toastmasters, which is specifically designed for people with hearing loss. This friendly group meets twice a month, online via Zoom, the first and third Mondays from 6-7:15 pm Arizona time. Their next meeting is November 18, 2024. Everyone is welcome.

Access the meeting at zoom.audibletalkerstoastmasters.com. Questions? Contact Christy Abrams (c.abrams@acdhh.az.gov) or Harry Wolfe (hwolfeaz@gmail.com).

Children’s Book Reflects Experiences from the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Community

Sometimes, to see your hearing loss experience — or your child’s — in print, you gotta write the book yourself.

That’s exactly what Angeliki Stamatopoulu-Pedersen did. Her book, The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, was written to help her son and other kids like him who were learning to live with hearing loss.

Fellow author Abha Sharma met Angeliki at an HLAA-WA picnic, sparking an instant friendship. She shares Angeliki’s journey and her books on our blog this month.

Hearing Loss and Falls: What’s the Connection?

We know that hearing loss, when it’s untreated, is linked to falls. But why?

In our blog this month, Ashima Verma explains the connection. and shares what you can do to stay on your feet.

Severe Hearing Loss and Grief

In this moving article in Salon, Stephen G. Bloom talks about the grief he experienced as he lost his hearing and realized it wasn’t coming back. Navigating the sudden grief of severe hearing loss | Salon.com

Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Show Similar Benefit in Recent Study

Hearing aids fit by an audiologist and self-fitting/OTC hearing aids showed a similar benefit, according to a recent study in JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery.

The researchers suggest that OTC hearing aids “may be an effective long-term intervention option for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. ”

Good news for people seeking a more affordable hearing aid.

Deaf Lit Fest Coming This Week

Check out this cool new event that features Deaf writers, literary talks, and writing workshops.

The organizers, DeafSpotlight, are looking for volunteers for will call tickets, book signing support, and set up/clean up. Note that the event will be primarily in ASL, with English voiceovers and CART for the interviews and panel. If you need an interpreter or other accommodation: info@deafspotlight.org.  

Get tickets for all or part of the event here.

Webinar with Cynthia Stewart
“Advocacy at the State Level”

Don’t miss this webinar on October 23, 2024, Noon – 1:00 Pacific time. Our award-winning legislative liaison Cynthia Stewart will address a national audience on this HLAA-hosted webinar. She’ll describe the strategies, the players, the pitfalls, and “how-to” steps toward achieving legislative attention — and victories — for people with hearing loss.

Webinar: Better Virtual Meetings for People with Hearing Loss

New research has found some strategies that can help people with hearing loss during virtual meetings. This HLAA webinar on October 28, 2024, 1pm Pacific, will feature practical strategies to help you understand and participate more effectively when you find yourself at a work or another type of meeting online.

Virtual Hearing Loss Support Meeting
HOPE, November 6, 2024

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 ask questions, and also to simply relax, listen, and spend time with people who understand what it’s like to live with hearing loss.

Read the notes from the September HOPE meeting here. The group talked about telecoils and hearing loops, finding an audiologist, and more.

HOPE meets the first Wednesday of each month at 4:00 pm. We hope you can join us! 

Get In-Person Support for Your Hearing Loss

• October 11, 2024, Renton: Our free Renton support group meets the second Friday at 1 pm at the Renton Senior Activity Center, 211 Burnett Avenue North, Renton. No need to register; simply check in at the front desk. This group is led by our award-winning HLAA-WA Secretary Glenda Philio. A hearing loop is available, and everyone is welcome.
• October 19, 2024: Northern Washington (Whatcom County): Dr. Sterling Sheffield, Associate Professor at Western Washington University, “When Hearing Aids Are Not Enough — The Cochlear Implant Option” *NOTE THE CHANGE IN SPEAKER
• November 1, 2024: The Panorama hearing loss support group, led by Carolyn Odio, usually meets the first day of the month. Contact carolyn@odio.com for more information.

Toastmasters Online for People with Hearing Loss

Need a boost in confidence? Some friendly coaching to improve your speaking skills?

If so, you might like to join the Audible Talkers Toastmasters, which is designed for people with hearing loss. This friendly group meets twice a month, online via Zoom, the first and third Mondays from 6-7:15 pm Arizona time. Their next meeting is October 21. Everyone is welcome.

Access the meeting at zoom.audibletalkerstoastmasters.com. Questions? Contact Christy Abrams (c.abrams@acdhh.az.gov) or Harry Wolfe (hwolfeaz@gmail.com).