In this issue, we express gratitude, share holiday and travel tips for when you have a hearing loss, and more.
A Message of Gratitude to YOU, Our Community
I wanted to take a moment to reach out personally and speak from the heart as we enter this season of gratitude.
I am deeply grateful for each of you and for the ways you show up, both for our mission and for one another. You share your experiences, lift each other up, advocate fiercely, and remind us that it’s okay to pause, to ask for what we need, and to care for ourselves. Together, we are building something powerful: a community grounded in connection, resilience, and hope.
Your kindness, dedication, and steady presence continue to inspire me more than I can express. It is truly an honor to serve alongside you and to be part of a community so rich in courage, generosity, and heart.
With sincere gratitude and warm Thanksgiving wishes,
Cheri Perazzoli
HLAA-WA President
Get Out and Enjoy Hearing Friendly Holiday Entertainment
Wanna get out and enjoy the holidays, but you aren’t sure where you’ll be able to hear?
Here’s our list of Hearing Friendly Holiday Events in 2025 in Washington State.
Online Training from ODHH
Online Training from ODHH
The Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is offering two upcoming classes to help Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.
- Introduction to Grant Writing– Saturday, December 6, 2025, 9:30 – 11:30 am, via Zoom.
- Accessing the 988 Lifeline for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People – December 11, 2025, 5:30 – 6:30 p, via Zoom
Captions (CART) and ASL will be provided.
Questions? Contact Elizabeth Luttrell, elizabeth.luttrell@dshs.wa.gov.
National Hearing Loss News
Hearing Better During Air Travel This Holiday Season
Trying to hear in airports, at check-in and gates, or on planes can be exhausting and frustrating, especially when you’re already stressed by the holidays.
HLAA offers these eight excellent tips for air travel with a hearing loss, including using airline apps and text alerts and requesting preboarding.
Your Speech-In-Noise Test Is Key to Treating Your Hearing Loss
Hearing is complex, and so is our hearing loss. We may have a normal audiogram, but still miss words in situations with competing noise, like in a restaurant.
The Speech-In-Noise (SIN) test will help your audiologist learn how well you hear in real-world daily listening situations. Learn more, including how the SIN differs from traditional hearing tests, in this article.
A Football Player with Cochlear Implants is Heading to the Playoffs
A lineman named Battle Gideons is leading the University of Chicago football team to the playoffs for the first time. He just so happens to have had cochlear implants since he was a kid.
Gideons was born with hearing loss and can’t hear out of his left ear without his CI. He follows hand signals and uses a beanie to protect his hearing devices.
Read about this rising football star in this CBS news story.
Help Shape HLAA’s Future
If you have a hearing loss, use hearing tech, or if you’re interested in hearing health and hearing advocacy, HLAA would like to hear from you.
This survey takes just 5-10 minutes, but it will help inform HLAA’s future national plans.
A Club You Really Want to Join:
The Open-Caption Movie Club
Upcoming open-caption movies in your area delivered right to your inbox? Yes, if you sign up for the Open Caption Movie Club. It’s free, and several folks have told us they find it super helpful.
Hearing Access Technology Spotlights
Webinar: Auracast & Hearing Loops: Better Together
Auracast is a promising, emerging technology that may help us hear better in public spaces. But today, how does Auracst fit alongside tried-and-true hearing loops?
Find out at this HLAA webinar.
Auracast at Million Dollar Quartet in Chicago
Hearing Loss Support Meetings & Hearing-Friendly Events
New Support Group for Parents and Caregivers of Children with Hearing Loss: “Hear Together”
Hear Together is HLAA’s National Support Group for Parents and Caregivers of Children with Hearing Loss. Led by a speech-language pathologist and an audiologist, this virtual national parents’ support group is designed to connect families and provide resources and support.
The group meets online the third Wednesday of the month from 5-6 pm Pacific Time.
Get In-Person Support for Your Hearing Loss
- December 12, 2025, Renton.
Our Renton support group meets 1-2 pm the second Friday of the month at the Renton Senior Activity Center, 211 Burnett Avenue North. A hearing loop is available. No need to register; simply check in at the desk. Free. - December 20, 2025, Bellingham: The HLAA-Northwest Washington Chapter December meeting is a Christmas potluck and white elephant gift exchange. Please bring a dish to share; coffee, soft drinks, plates & utensils provided.
The HLAA-NWWA chapter meets the third Saturday of the month, 9:30 – Noon, at Christ the Servant Church, 2600 Lakeway Drive, Bellingham, Washington. Looped and free, open to all.
Join Our Next HOPE Meeting
December 3, 2025
Need HOPE and support for your hearing loss? You’re warmly invited to come an online hearing loss support meeting. This December, we’ll share strategies for enjoying the holidays with a hearing loss.
Facilitated by a caring, compassionate team, these monthly virtual meetings are free, live-captioned, and open to everyone with hearing loss and to their friends and family.
HOPE meets the first Wednesday of each month at 4:00 pm.
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 December 1, 2025. 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).
Stay Involved with HLAA and HLAA-WA
We’re glad you’re part of our community.
What more can you do to support people with hearing loss?
The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and HLAA-WA do not endorse specific products or services,
but educate and advocate for a range of assistive technology options to help people with
hearing loss understand, connect, and stay engaged in their lives.
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.