Every year, the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Walk4Hearing brings hope and empowerment to thousands of participants with hearing loss, their families and supporters in 20 communities across the nation. The events raise funds and awareness for hearing loss programs and can be very moving for walkers and participants. But for Mark Robinson, 64, of Birmingham, Alabama, the 2019 Walk4Hearing in Washington, DC, brought a significant revelation.

Mark’s daughter Lindsay is program coordinator for Hearing Industries Association (HIA), an HLAA Hear for Life corporate partner. While visiting her, he attended the Walk, and had his hearing screened at the on-site mobile trailer provided by the Lions Community Outreach Foundation—with unexpected results. The exam showed a slight loss in the lower frequency range and significant drop-off in the high frequencies. Later, Mark followed up with an audiologist, who confirmed the earlier outcome.

Mark recalls, “I suspected that I may have had mild hearing loss, but the results were far worse than I believed. This came as no surprise to my wife and family, who had been frustrated for years when I missed what they said. I also noticed that my hearing difficulty caused me to hold back from conversations in crowds and restaurants, which was extremely unlike me. Over time, hearing loss changed my personality from a gregarious person into someone quiet and hesitant.”

An avid music fan and rock guitarist, Mark attributes his hearing loss to attending thousands of live rock and heavy metal concerts over six decades from a very young age without ear protection.

“I killed my own ears,” he admits. “Having been involved with rock music for most of my life, both as a concertgoer and as a performer, I like my music loud and fast. Back in the ’70s and ’80s, no one cared about equalization, and they always had the sound turned up to ‘11.’ Nowadays, I wear heavy duty ear protection when I attend festivals, so I don’t cause further damage.”

Noise-induced hearing loss is an increasingly prevalent global issue for all ages, particularly among youth. According to the World Health Organization, unsafe listening practices may be a risk factor for more than 1 billion young adults and half of young people aged 12 to 35. The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) estimates that nearly 30 million American workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels daily.

Following his diagnosis, Mark was fitted with hearing aids that have made a big difference in his life and relationships. He has been able to resume his normal activities and is once again able to understand and participate in conversations with friends and family members at home, church, and other venues.

He says, “It might be an overstatement to say that the HLAA Walk4Hearing saved my marriage. But I know my wife was getting so tired of repeating herself and facing me so I could understand her. Now, wearing my hearing aids, we can interact more naturally; I can once again take my bride out to dine and talk at a nice restaurant. I can even go to a movie with my children and enjoy the experience with them. As a result, I no longer feel left out of my family’s life.”

Mark encourages anyone who suspects they may have a hearing loss to attend a Walk4Hearing event and to have their hearing screened, whether on-site (if available) or at an audiology clinic.

“Find out if you are a candidate for hearing assistance. Don’t be stubborn like I was and miss out on your life or family because you can’t hear, when you can do something about it!”

Join HLAA at a Walk4Hearing event this spring or fall and be part of HLAA’s community of support in action. We’re breaking down barriers to hearing health and empowering people with hearing loss across the U.S. Together, we can bring hope to hearing loss. 

Join or Donate to a Walk to bring hope to people with hearing loss in your community. 

• Find a Walk4Hearing Near You
• Register for a Walk
• Step Up for Hearing Health

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If you or someone you know has a hearing loss, visit hearingloss.org for resources and to find a local chapter, or a Walk4Hearing near you.

For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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HLAA is a member of the World Hearing Forum of the WHO. We like to think we’re part of the collective players on the world’s stage who make an impact.

On March 3, World Hearing Day appears on the world’s stage. According to the World Health Organization’s World Hearing Forum, World Hearing Day started in 2007 known as International Ear Day. In 2016 it was renamed to its current name of World Hearing Day, where people across the globe take note to pay attention to hearing health. Each year, March 3 is set aside to raise awareness on how to prevent hearing loss and promote ear and hearing care across the world.

For some people, every day is a hearing day, or a hearing loss day. If you have a hearing loss, your day might start out by thinking about how you’ll negotiate that day. Will you have enough batteries to power your hearing aid or cochlear implant? Will you face a fast-talking colleague who forgets to face you when he or she speaks? Will your friends want to meet in a noisy restaurant where you already know that you’ll have to bluff your way through the night? If you haven’t taken the step to getting a hearing aid, will you be dreading when you misheard an important detail of something your spouse told you … and then be accused of not paying attention? (Yikes!)

Finally, the world has caught up to an important health issue – hearing, how to protect it, care for it, and, if possible, treat it. This year’s World Hearing Day’s theme is “Ear and hearing care for all, let’s make it a reality.” Considering the numbers of people in the world with some degree of hearing loss (more than 1.5 billion), not all countries have access to good hearing care, so this is an important global goal. However, here in the U.S., hearing health still is often overlooked in primary care screenings. For those who have regular physicals practically every part of the body is screened, tested, or probed, except for our ears. Up until three years ago, my own physician looked in my ears every year but never screened for hearing loss. Fortunately, he now screens all his patients for hearing loss.

Hearing health is finally on the world stage as a primary health concern that affects our quality of life and overall health. Here in the U.S., the FDA recently cleared over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids to be sold directly to consumers, which has not only opened the market to a new class of products, but it’s brought much-needed media and public attention to the issue of hearing loss. At HLAA, our strategic goals are to broaden our message, reach new audiences, and let people of all ages and all levels of hearing loss, that something can be done about it.

We still have a lot of work to do. Hearing aids and services are often not covered in health insurance plans and certainly not by traditional Medicare. Not all primary care providers ask about hearing on intake forms. And, in medical settings, if you request an accommodation to help you understand the conversation, you’re most likely offered a sign language interpreter, which only helps a small percentage of people, leaving out other widely used forms of accessible communication. We are working daily to change things for the better.

Since, 1979, this organization has accomplished a lot. HLAA has been a part of every piece of federal legislation involving communication access, and many involving access to hearing care over the last four decades. In 1979 there was no World Hearing Day. Now, in 2023, HLAA has been in the national media more in one year than in our 44 years of existence. We also work in partnership with hearing health care providers and the hearing industry who all have similar goals – let’s bring people along with patient-centered care and technology. We’re not in this alone.

And you’re not alone either. Being part of this diverse HLAA community can mean many different things You can be anonymous, or as active as you wish. You can spearhead advocacy in your community, or you can simply benefit from the vast resources HLAA provides to learn about hearing loss. For us, every day is World Hearing Day, and we’re here for everyone at every point in their hearing journey.

We have local HLAA Chapters across the country to meet people in their hometowns. We have free online Hearing Life e-News, to help you get critical empowering information and resources. We have free, captioned webinars on topics such as employment communication and technology. We invite you to dig into HLAA’s community of support and empowering resources, and to invite others to do the same.

This World Hearing Day, there’s one message we want you to take to heart: you’re not alone, and you can do something about your hearing loss. Help spread the word about hearing health to others. Make World Hearing Day as the day you take some action for yourself, and for the world. 

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If you or someone you know has a hearing loss, visit hearingloss.org for resources and to find a local chapter, or a Walk4Hearing near you.

For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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Festivities highlight the site of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) 2023 Convention

February 21 is Fat Tuesday, an indulgent Catholic tradition with roots in ancient Roman spring festivals. Better known as Mardi Gras, this day precedes the 40 days of Lent that start Ash Wednesday. No place on earth celebrates Mardi Gras quite like New Orleans, with its abundance of parade floats, colorful beads and king cakes throughout the Carnival season!

Affectionately known as NOLA, New Orleans is the location for this year’s HLAA 2023 Convention in June. As millions view the city’s pageantry, parades, and over-the-top Mardi Gras celebrations this week, I am looking forward to a calmer time this summer when we will welcome hundreds of HLAA members and guests to NOLA for our annual Convention—the largest event of its kind—offering workshops, social events, and technology demonstrations, all designed to empower people with hearing loss.

I love this city and am not only thrilled to be planning my first HLAA Convention here, but I’m also excited for our HLAA 2023 Convention attendees, who will get to see this historic city at a quieter time, beyond the Mardi Gras excitement! Participants will have the chance to explore the true New Orleans, as they learn and connect with people with hearing loss from all over the United States.

Discover NOLA

Our Convention hotel, the New Orleans Marriott, is a 4-star property conveniently situated in the midst of it all—right on glitzy Canal Street between the French Quarter and Warehouse District! Here are a few of the sites you can easily visit from there:

Canal Street – The famous Mardi Gras Parade route, also known for its streetcars, upscale fashion and jewelry stores (such as The Shops at Canal Place), and some of the country’s oldest restored theaters.

Royal Street – One-of-a-kind boutiques filled with vintage clothing, European antiques, art galleries, T-shirts, cookbooks, and more. Wandering down Royal is a fascinating exercise in people-watching, while perusing unique items you may never need but want to check out. Don’t miss Sucre, a bakery with amazing pastries, and Hotel Monteleone, with its revolving circus-themed Carousel Bar.

Jackson Square – A 2.5-acre National Historic Landmark designed in 1721, this central gathering place teems with local artists and musicians. Surrounding the Square are historical buildings and museums, including St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo and the Presbytère Museum—our off-site venue for Thursday night’s splashy Welcome Back Bash: A Taste of New Orleans! While there, attendees can view two exhibits: Living with Hurricanes – Katrina and Beyond and Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana.

French Market District – A historic open-air market, the oldest of its kind in the U.S., founded as a Native American trading post in 1791. Start off with a delicious beignet, café au lait and Mississippi River view at the 161-year-old Café du Monde, then visit vendor stalls with fresh produce, cheese, wine, candles, clothing and jewelry, and wind up at the Christmas shop, selling everything from Cajun ornaments to Mardi Gras themed nutcrackers.

Bourbon Street – A never-ending party in the heart of the French Quarter, this street is popular for its neon lights and raucous night life. If that’s your scene, check out this list of the 13 Best Bars on Bourbon Street.

Music, Museums and More

World renowned as a city of music and the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans boasts live performers on almost every street corner. The three-block stretch of Frenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny district, about a mile from the Marriott, is home to many small jazz clubs such as the Spotted Cat, Café Negril and Snug Harbor, along with countless blues, rock and reggae venues. The historic New Orleans Jazz Museum is just down the street and the Frenchmen Art Market is open nightly all summer long, featuring original art and crafts made by local artists.

In a fitting tribute to New Orleans, where music is so important to the fabric of the city, this year’s Convention Research Symposium on Friday morning is titled, “The Joy of Music/Loving Your Ears.” Topics will include protecting your hearing while making music, music perception in cochlear implant users and making music with hearing loss.

For those needing a break from the city bustle, the scenic, serene New Orleans Botanical Garden is a short Uber ride away. Check out the sculpture garden highlighting the work of Mexican American artist Enrique Alférez and the train garden with railroad cars and late-1800s streetcars on 1,300 feet of track. For history buffs, I recommend the interactive National WWII Museum and Museum and the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, which are close to each other.

These are just some of the wonderful things New Orleans has to offer. There is also the Magazine District, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, ghost tours, amazing restaurants on every corner and so much more.

See You In NOLA!

We look forward to seeing you at the HLAA 2023 Convention in New Orleans! Online Registration is open until May 26, with early-bird rates through March 31. Don’t miss our engaging Educational and State/Chapter Workshops, Awards Ceremony, Exhibit Hall, and everything else on the schedule!

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If you or someone you know has a hearing loss, visit hearingloss.org for resources and to find a local chapter, or a Walk4Hearing near you.

For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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“He’s friendly and he likes to play a lot. In In the morning when he wakes up, he jumps on our bed and cuddles,” said 12-year-old Nikki, who has a lot in common with the new puppy her family adopted a few weeks ago.

The 8-month-old Cavapoo – a cross between a Poodle and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – was named “Butter” and came from a rescue for senior and disabled dogs. This fluffy rescue pup is deaf, a condition Nikki can understand since she was born with moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears. The condition was not diagnosed until Nikki was nearly two years old.

Nikki fell in love with her new dog and told her friends that his hearing loss makes him “just like me!” But how this Merrick, New York family found this special pup in need of a home is another story.

“It really is fate that we got this dog! I wasn’t even looking for another dog,” says Nikki’s dad, Dave Kramer. The family already had another Cavapoo, acquired during the COVID pandemic. “We weren’t dog people before we got Shea,” says Dave of their first dog, explaining that it came about as a kind of replacement gift when his 40th birthday trip was canceled due to the pandemic.

As the Kramers were not thinking about getting a dog, more than 100 miles away, Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Walk4Hearing Senior Manager Ronnie Adler was. After the death of the Adler family dog a year ago, they decided to start the search for a new pet, and Ronnie began scouring rescue sites near her hometown in Pennsylvania. “I saw Butter and I just thought he was the cutest thing! Then I saw in the description that he was deaf, and I thought, I have to find him a home,” said Ronnie.

She and her husband agreed that a hearing dog would be safer for them, since Ronnie and her husband both have hearing loss. So, Ronnie went to work reaching out on Facebook searching for anyone who might want a new furry friend who is deaf. Ronnie knows a lot of people connected with hearing loss, as she’s managed the Walk4Hearing events across the country for 17 years now and keeps in touch with many families and friends she’s met through the Walks.

HLAA holds Walk4Hearing in 20 cities throughout the country each year to raise awareness and funds for hearing loss. Ronnie often gets to know participants and their families who return year after year to the events, designed to bring hope to people with hearing loss in their hometown communities.

“I see a lot of new faces each year, but many familiar ones too. Once you experience the magic of a Walk, you keep coming back! It’s a special bond that I feel particularly with people who return year after year,” says Ronnie.

The Kramer family has participated in the New York City Walk4Hearing for 10 years now, raising nearly $60,000 for the cause. They love that the Walks have helped to empower their daughter.

“When we first went to the Walk, we saw a place where hearing aids and cochlear implants were normal. We felt part of a community, and that lessened the challenges we were facing. We saw so many older kids with great speech, doing great things. It gave us hope of what was to come for Nikki,” said Dave.

Dave calls Nikki fearless. She plays basketball, volleyball, and her favorite sport is softball. Nikki is an honor roll student and has a host of friends she texted to share the news of their new dog, adding that this one would be extra special because of his hearing loss.

Dave says Nikki’s resilience is bolstered by the Walk4Hearing community of support the family has experienced for so many years now. They keep participating to give back to the community that made them feel connected, and to give others with hearing loss the same hope they felt. Through the Walks, Dave and Ronnie have become friends, and the two are connected on Facebook.

Dave happened to see Ronnie’s post late one evening. He said, “I was just scrolling through my feed, and I saw the post that Ronnie shared about the dog. I clicked on it, and as soon as I saw he was deaf, and was a Cavapoo, I said to myself, we have to get this dog! I was so excited that I woke my wife up to show her the picture.”

Then next morning, the Kramers filled out the application, and the rest is history. Butter, now renamed “Mookie” after the famous New York Mets baseball player, officially joined the Kramer family, now a two-dog household, just a couple of weeks later. Mookie is now fitting in nicely and is learning from the older dog, named after the Mets stadium, Shea. The Kramers have arranged for a trainer, who has experience with dogs who are deaf, to work with Mookie.

Experts say training a deaf dog can require extra patience, but animals often adjust very well. It can also be helpful to have a hearing dog in the household. Hearing loss in pets is common, and like in humans, is often not diagnosed.

“Ronnie has been as excited as we are for this dog. I can’t believe she did this for us. It really is all because of the Walk that we have Mookie! I never would have been following a dog rescue in another state,” said Dave who says he’s now trying to help Ronnie look for a dog for her family to return the favor.

If you or someone you know has a hearing loss, visit hearingloss.org for resources and to find a local chapter, or a Walk4Hearing near you.

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For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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Having hearing loss requires us to think about how we will hear everywhere we go. This can be particularly challenging in public settings like places of worship, a meeting room, or even a service counter where hearing aids alone are often not enough. Assistive listening systems like hearing loops can help you hear better in different locations — but when you’re planning your day out and about, how do you know where hearing loops are?

Know Before You Go

Thanks to a joint effort by HLAA’s Get in the Hearing Loop (GITHL) program and Google, you can now use the Google Maps app to find out before you go if a hearing loop is available at a business or venue. At the request of the HLAA GITHL committee, Google has recently added Assistive Hearing Loop as an accessibility attribute in Google Maps. Having easy access to hearing loop locations will help millions of people with hearing loss find communication access when they venture out. GITHL is helping Google Maps add loop locations to its database, and venues can also update their profiles with this information.

Hearing Loop Benefits

Hearing loops are user-friendly assistive listening systems that offer easy, immediate, discreet communication access and universal hearing aid compatibility.

A hearing loop system transmits an audio signal directly into telecoil-enabled hearing devices via a magnetic field, greatly reducing background noise. Most prescription hearing aids and cochlear implants have telecoils, ask your audiologist or hearing instrument specialist about how to use this function.

For people without hearing devices or hearing devices without a telecoil, public venues are required to provide hearing loop receivers and headphones. Watch this video on how hearing loops work.

Google Maps Gamechanger

With Google Maps hearing loop information at our fingertips, we can easily find looped locations and plan outings, errands, and activities that are hearing accessible. Without this much needed information, we may have simply stayed home.

The new Google Maps feature is good for businesses and entire communities, too. Venues can easily promote their hearing loops and attract more customers, and more people will learn about hearing loss and communication access in their neighborhoods. And all of this combines to make advocating for hearing loops easier.

Globally, you can find hearing loops in theaters, tourist attractions, senior communities, and places of worship. Hearing loops are also appearing in airports, elevators, grocery stores, libraries, and government offices. By improving audio clarity and comprehension in places where it is often difficult to hear, hearing loops help us stay engaged and active.

“When I experienced hearing loops for the first time — seven years after I started using hearing aids — it completely revolutionized my world of hearing,” said Ibrahim (Ib) Dabo, director of Enterprise Business Systems for Global Ministries, United Methodist Church and HLAA Board member, “The clarity and proximity of speech are something I never imagined. It significantly improved my understanding of speech and increased my confidence to communicate in challenging settings.”

How to Access the Google Maps Hearing Loop Accessibility Feature

• On a smartphone, open a Google Maps listing, under the photos, scroll to the right to find the “About” tab. Then click on “About” and scroll down to reveal the Accessibility Attribute; it will be listed under details.
• On a computer, open a Google Maps listing and click on the right arrow next to the location description.

You Can Help!

Help spread the word that hearing loops are now on Google Maps. Tell your friends, family and your local venues: 5 Actions to Promote Hearing Loops on Google Map

Write a hearing loop review on a venue’s Google Maps listing or use your review to request that a hearing loop be installed. When possible, include a photo of the hearing loop sign.

For more information on hearing loops, how to use them, and how to advocate for them, visit http://hearingloss.org/GITHL.

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For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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Hearing loss is an ever-present stress requiring continual adjustment for each person, place or situation experienced on any given day. Add to that, the stress of the holidays – including family dynamics, lofty expectations, and added social pressures – and you have a perfect storm for stress, anxiety, and avoidance.

More than just hearing

Why is this such a tough time? You, first, must understand that hearing loss affects more than just hearing. It’s a communication disability that can affect how you relate to others, and your overall well-being.

I’m a psychologist, with a profound hearing loss, and I see many clients with varying degrees of hearing loss all year-round. The holidays for any person with hearing loss, can be a major stress. Without a doubt, I can say that every client of mine who has hearing loss has added anxiety when the holiday season approaches. They fret about how to navigate social events with family and friends, with some opting out altogether.

The stress of dealing with the holidays can be so overwhelming, that many of us dread the times of having to smile and “pretend” our way through conversations and meals, and we look forward to January when the holidays are finished.

Silently struggling

Let’s talk about why this would be. Holidays mean more people, more noise and more talking, which all add up to more struggling to hear and communicate. For starters, think about the difference between someone who wears glasses, versus hearing aids or a cochlear implant. Glasses are visible, hearing aids or cochlear implants are sometimes not visible. And, when they are, people often assume that wearing them means we can hear very well. When we have a hearing loss, it’s easy to be as invisible as we want. And perhaps that is exactly the problem, especially around the holidays – we are “silently struggling.”

When we talk to someone who is wearing glasses, we don’t give much thought to what it is that they need to see. We can see the glasses – and often we know the degree of vision loss by looking at the thickness of the lenses. Whereas, hearing aids and cochlear implants are often out of sight, and most importantly, vision loss doesn’t affect one’s ability to communicate.

Take control of what you can

An essential part of dealing with hearing loss is recognizing that stress is inevitable, rather than trying to avoid it. The task is to learn more effective stress management and communication skills. One of the major factors in effective stress management is being able to recognize when we can be in charge and knowing what we can and cannot control.

Teachable moments

When I go into a social situation, I put on my educator’s hat and have two basic assumptions that underlie my philosophy for effective communication. First, I assume that most people know little, if anything, about hearing loss. Second, most of these people are embarrassed about asking me what I need to communicate. They often think that they should know what I need, but they really don’t, and that embarrasses them.

I truly believe that the more people know and understand about my hearing loss, the more effective communication will be for everyone involved. When I can provide information to them, I often spare them the embarrassment of having to ask me for what I need. When I do this, I not only lower their stress, but mine as well!

For many people with hearing loss, embarrassment and a sense of shame often prevents them from telling others about their hearing loss which often results in giving the wrong impression – being aloof, rude, or stupid. However, if one stops to really think about it, in not addressing your needs, you are really creating your worst fears. So, the question is, would you rather be seen as stupid/rude/aloof, or hard of hearing or deaf?

Making choices

So, what is one to do? The key to coping is recognizing where we have a sense of control in making choices. It helps to keep in mind what I call “the three A’s. In doing so, we can reduce our feelings of powerlessness, victimization, or self-pity.

The three A’s are avoid, alternative and/or accept.

For example, if I am invited to go to a noisy restaurant, I recognize that I may not be able to control the acoustics of a room because of the hardwood floors or the background music, but I can take charge of communicating my needs.

• I can choose to “beg off” and avoid going altogether.
• I could suggest an alternative, perhaps going to a quieter restaurant or switching to an earlier, less noisy time.
• I can just accept that I will be uncomfortable because it is important for me to be there for a friend or relative’s birthday, or other significant event.

Examples

If I am invited to go to a movie, I can avoid going altogether, suggest an alternative, like choosing a captioned movie, or just I can just accept that I will not understand everything.

A client was invited to a holiday fundraiser at a popular hotel where there would be loud music, dancing, and a speaker who she would struggle to understand. She decided to avoid going, but still made a donation to the cause, and alternately arranged to meet her colleagues and friends at a separate event.

Here are more hints to help you take control and navigate holiday events.

View our holiday hints

Hearing loss is a major stressor, and the best coping skills in dealing with stress are education and self-advocacy. I often choose to save my energy when it’s very important and have learned not to sweat the small stuff. I tell clients to mentally prepare themselves before events to educate others and be patient with yourself as you recuperate the next day. Ultimately, the more responsibility you take for your needs, the more you can enjoy the holidays! 

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For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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The holidays are a time for family members and friends to celebrate traditions, catch up, and enjoy each other’s company. Throughout the celebrations, it’s essential to create environments and opportunities that are comfortable and supportive for you or your guests with hearing loss, so that everyone can participate in meaningful and welcoming ways.

Create a hearing loss-friendly environment

Simple adjustments, that support hearing and sight, help create an environment that makes it easier to focus on communication. Some tips:

• Cut down on background noise. Eliminate background sounds such as holiday music, television or video games sounds, or appliances running during your get-togethers.
• Make sure areas are well lit. No need for mood lighting! Brighter lighting makes it easier to see people’s faces and catch non-verbal cues that help with communication.
• Keep sight lines open. Remove large centerpieces or scale back on holiday decorations that block sight lines, so that guests can see one another clearly.
• Arrange for circular seating. Smaller round tables ensure faces are visible for lipreading. Avoid sitting where you face a window or a distracting background, making it harder to see people’s faces and read lips.
• Designate a quiet area. Set aside a room or space that is free from the noises of the festivities, where people can engage in one-on-one conversations or take a break from listening throughout the gathering.

Educate Guests on Hearing Loss Etiquette

• Let people know your communication needs. Self-advocating is the key. People in general may not realize you have hearing loss. Don’t be shy to make your communication needs known. Others want to have meaningful conversations with you too and will be happy to follow your guidance.
• Enlist help. At gatherings, I like to have a hearing friend or family member help remind others of my communication needs. Strategies like facing me when speaking, keeping hands away from their mouth, and tapping me before talking, are extremely helpful, so I can be part of the discussion.

Provide instruction printouts for activities

Does your family enjoy playing games during the holidays? Try group games that do not require a lot of listening and that have visual cues such as charades, Pictionary, or card games. Consider printing out instructions for these activities ahead of time or offer to read aloud the rules to everyone. This way, everyone will be on the same page with easy-to-reference rules.

Consider video calls

If you can’t be together in person this holiday season, consider connecting through a video call platform like Facetime or Zoom. Video calls have the added bonus of being able to see everyone’s facial expressions. If the video call has a captioning feature, ask the host to turn captions on. If not, you can call in with a captioned telephone to see captions of what everyone says during the call.

Whether you’re hosting or attending a holiday gathering this season, keep these tips in mind for a fun, accessible experience for everyone. 

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For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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The opportunity to work from home has become more commonplace as businesses strive to keep employees engaged. For employees with hearing loss, there are some critical factors to setting up a home workspace that can help you stay focused, connected, and productive.

Manage background noise

Excess background noise is one of the most challenging obstacles for anyone working from home, particularly when there are others in your household. For example, it can be difficult to concentrate if someone in your family is watching TV or if sounds from the neighborhood, such as traffic or sirens, intrude. Noise-canceling headphones block out ambient noise and can help you stay focused. Some hearing aids and cochlear implants connect directly to headphones via Bluetooth or telecoil (t-coil), enabling you to better hear just the sounds you need for work. Check your hearing aid or cochlear implant user manual or with your audiologist to see what options you have.

Conference call etiquette

If you participate in conference calls or video calls, position your computer monitor in an area that is well lit, yet free from distracting views. Help educate your colleagues on good video call etiquette, including:

• Ask participants to say their name before they speak and request that only one person speaks at a time.

• Ask fellow employees to use the mute feature when they are not speaking, to allow you to focus on the speaker’s voice.

• Set your videoconference features to show the speaking party full screen, making it easier to read lips or pick up on facial cues throughout the call.

• Participants need to have adequate lighting that allows you to see their face, free from obstructions. Remind team members to adjust the lighting or reposition themselves if necessary.

• Ask the moderator to turn on the closed captions feature so you can read captions throughout the video call.

Notification system for chat and email

Many people rely on an audible ding from their computer to be alerted that a co-worker is trying to reach them. Consider setting up a flashing light or buzz notification to alert you whenever you receive a message. I have this set up on my iPhone and iWatch to alert me of incoming messages.

Meeting recordings

Try recording your meetings as they happen. Many video call providers allow you to store video recordings on your computer or in the cloud. That way, if you miss a snippet of a meeting or the call becomes challenging to understand, you can refer to the recording later and make sure you didn’t miss anything.

To ensure effective communication with your colleagues, consider a captioned telephone that allows you to read what the person on the other end of the line says. Depending on the type of phone model, you may be able to save conversations so you can review captions after the call.

By creating a distraction-free workspace – where you feel comfortable and connected – your work-from-home experience can be positive and productive!

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For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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The following article, by HLAA’s Larry Guterman, takes an inside look at the making of the Oscar-winning movie “CODA”, and also appears in the fall issue of Hearing Life Magazine.

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Few cultural phenomena have brought attention to the community of people with hearing loss —– which includes people who are Deaf or hard of hearing —– to the extent that the 2022 Oscar-winning movie “CODA” has. It’s the first film to win an Oscar where three of the main characters are Deaf.

The film won three Oscars

• Best Picture
• Best Adapted Screenplay for writer and director Sian Heder
• Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur

“CODA” is an acronym meaning “Child of Deaf Adults,” and the film focuses on daughter Ruby, played by Emilia Jones, who is the only hearing member in a Deaf family.

Some say the popularity of “CODA” has launched a movement for the invisible disability of hearing loss, as the film’s powerful dramatic story was brought into the mainstream. Suddenly, everyone is talking about the challenges of hearing loss, as the heartwarming coming-of-age story played out on the big screen.

Film director Larry Guterman, who lives in California, has served on the HLAA board of directors, and has severe hearing loss. He recently interviewed director Sian Heder, who adapted “CODA” from a 2014 French film. The two directors compared notes on movie-making, which both dryly observed, can be a bit like going to war. Guterman also brought his own experience contending with hearing loss to the discussion, as the two delved into why this film speaks to so many of us.

Larry shared some highlights from his discussion with Sian over Zoom in July.

A Chat with Director Sian Heder

Sian Heder sits in a room in her Gloucester, Massachusetts home, a working-class town that is the setting of her film, “CODA,” the movie that won the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Screenplay, which she wrote and directed. She purchased the house, close to where she grew up, after the film. She admits the emotional tug of the movie, set in this working-class town, is not lost, even on her.

“Every time I watched it (during post-production), I cried. My editor would say to me, ‘stop it already! When are you gonna stop crying? You’ve seen it 1,000 times,’” Heder admitted.

At age 45, after years of dogged determination and perseverance trying to get the movie made despite seemingly impossible odds, Heder is the picture of calm and level-headed strength, over our Zoom call. She seems to have taken the incredible the success in stride. This master of her craft says the real rewards are the validation of her peers, and especially the impact her work has had on the marginalized and those who’ve had to struggle. She’s driven by a fierce determination to tell stories that have an impact in the world, and “CODA” achieved this in stunning, unassuming fashion.

A Familiar Story

The 2014 French version of the film used actors who did not have hearing loss, but Heder says she loved the simplicity of the story, about a girl growing up and breaking away from her family. She wanted to tell the story in a way that portrayed Deaf characters more authentically.

“This is just a kid leaving home. What I was interested in was, within that framework, the exploration of all the unfamiliar, which was looking at a family that we have never looked at before in this way. I think audiences (these days) are more open to all these kinds of unfamiliar things, like sitting in silence for a long portion of the movie,” explained Heder.

As a fellow director, I asked her about the risks of remaking a film, about taking that leap. Heder said she was intrigued by the chance to explore a kind of family dysfunction that she had never seen before — one where the more mundane daily struggle was complicated by the tension between Deaf culture and the hearing world.

“I’m really drawn to stories about outsiders, or people who have been marginalized, or communities which haven’t really been portrayed as the leads of a story. I thought it had so much potential cinematically. The original film was treated in a lighthearted way, so in a lot of ways it was very ripe to make another movie, because I thought, well, here’s this very deep premise,” she shared.

In the movie, Ruby nears the end of high school and begins to entertain her dreams of going to a renowned music college for singing. She struggles with breaking free from her Deaf parents and brother, who rely heavily on her as a translator for their fishing business, and they can’t relate to her love of singing. The family drama is set in a small fishing town near where Heder grew up. I asked Heder if she had a personal connection to hearing loss, or to the Deaf community before making the film.

“I did not have it before, and I deeply found it. As I was making the film, I knew going in that I was an outsider to this community, and if I was going to tell this story, I had to have collaborators from the community. There’s a saying within the Deaf community that I’m sure applies to any underrepresented community, which is ‘Nothing About Us Without Us,’ she explained.

“When I started researching the film, I immediately had… four key “CODA” collaborators who were sharing their experiences with me… The more that I understood and learned about Deaf community and culture, the more adamant I became about how the movie needed to be made. I knew that I wanted to have not only Deaf actors in these roles, but I also wanted to have 50% of the dialogue in American Sign Language (ASL), without having Ruby speak through all of those scenes, which is what was being pushed on me. I didn’t want to use music to fill up all of the silence,” she said.

Committed to Authenticity

The studio felt her choices were not commercial and wouldn’t appeal to mainstream audiences, and promptly dropped the project. The movie was dead for six months, until one of the supportive studio executives left and helped get it made independently.

Heder learned sign language for the movie and immersed herself in the culture through her collaborators. Everyone was on-board, including actress Marlee Matlin, who usually wears a hearing aid, but took it out for the movie to play Jackie Ross more accurately. Jackie is Ruby’s mom, who signs but doesn’t speak at all.

“I think that was my goal going in — to make a movie that honored Deaf culture, that really portrayed it in an authentic and nuanced way, but that also transcended it and made it about the experience of family,” Heder said.

Eventually, the movie was bought by Apple TV, allowing Heder to celebrate her choices that seemed risky at the time, including her choice of the high school concert scene where Ruby sings in her glee club performance. The audience experiences the scene from her Deaf parents’ point of view — in total silence, thus allowing hearing viewers to empathize with their daily struggle.

“It’s very validating as an artist to be like, ‘This is what I knew in my gut was not a conversation,’ and, sure enough, they are all the things that people have looked at as being unique about the movie,” Heder explained. “Down to the silent concert scene, which I was arguing with people about up until the final mix.”

Common Struggles

Heder even incorporated one of the most commonly frustrating experiences for people with hearing loss, a group conversation in noisy background chatter, that you struggle to follow. In the movie, Ruby’s brother Leo, played by Daniel Durant, who yearns to be accepted among his co-workers, struggles to lip-read when he goes to a local bar with them, but bluffs and laughs along with the jokes anyway.

The scene is shot from Leo’s perspective in the bar, and the shots mirror his point of view, making it impossible to follow what’s happening.

“If you watch this scene, the camera is on some- one’s lips, but then they drink a beer (blocking their lips)” Heder said. “Then someone else laughs across the table, the focus changes; next, Leo’s looking at a woman across the bar, and by that point, he’s tuned out and it’s like, ‘who cares anyway?’”

Heder shared that it was a variation on a scenario her collaborators described in excruciating detail, and it’s one I can certainly relate to. Our easy rapport discussing this experience illustrated her deep empathetic commitment to telling this story, which feels like everyone’s story who has a hearing loss.

I described my own experience to Heder, “I was at Thanksgiving dinner last year with strangers and for two hours, I was pretending to laugh and nod, and wondering, am I reacting appropriately? So, you’re having this weird out-of-body experience where you’re trying to engage with the person, and you can’t quite understand…and you’re also evaluating whether your persona and affect…is appropriate.”

It’s a feeling that Heder says she’s since experienced herself during rapid-fire group sign language conversations, struggling to follow along and sometimes pretending to understand, and eventually becoming exhausted, and giving up.

She expressed her surprise, even indignation, at, “the amount of work that is asked of people who have a disability to…play along, to make do in the world, without anybody bending or changing their behavior to sort of accommodate you.”

She was committed to creating a scene that immersed the viewer in the daily struggle people with hearing loss contend with. Scenes like these are cinematic gold — they speak not only to people with hearing loss, but also to hearing audiences — they’re specific and universal — artful, hopeful and uplifting.

New Perspective

Heder explains, “I think the experience of making “CODA” has also helped me understand how sort of barren the field of representation has been in terms of the Deaf and hard of hearing community, and the disability community in general. So, I’m also very invested as a storyteller, in continuing to tell these stories.”

As a director with hearing loss, I can’t thank Heder enough for her commitment to telling a story about disability in which everyone can feel included — a beautifully crafted, funny, empathetic work that touches the soul.

Stay tuned to HLAA’s Hearing Life e-news and social media channels for video clips and more details of my interview with Sian Heder.

You can watch “CODA” on Apple TV+.

For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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This October, the recently released U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations will go into effect and over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids will be available to those 18 years or older with self-perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. While this is welcomed news for many, it can also be confusing for those who are now thinking about finally addressing their hearing loss, either by themselves with an OTC device, or seeking help from a licensed professional to get a prescription device.  I’ve been asked for advice by many friends and family members about what to do, so I wanted to share my thoughts with the HLAA community.

My audiology journey began over 35 years ago in private practice in Huntington, West Virginia. After seeing patients for several years, I accepted a position in the hearing aid industry and worked there for the rest of my career until my retirement. I now consult within the hearing industry. There have been many changes in the technology, including the evolution from analog to digital technology; changes in popular hearing aid styles from behind-the-ear (BTE) to custom in-the-ear, and now to receiver-in-the-ear (RIC); and of course, the introduction of Bluetooth streaming to capture phone calls and audio directly to your ears. However, the change in the distribution of hearing aids can be both exciting and overwhelming.

Pathways to purchase OTC hearing aids

There will be multiple pathways to purchase an OTC device, including self-selection, seeing a hearing professional first, or working with a hearing professional after you’ve purchased an OTC product. The FDA regulations are clear that no state can require a licensed hearing professional to be involved in the sale of OTC hearing aids; however, they can be an important part of the process. Let’s review the pathways to purchase:

1. Self-selection

   Adults can visit a retail store that sells OTC devices and select one based on the style, cost, technology and the information provided on the required labeling of the product. The labeling includes specific safety information required by the FDA, a guide to environments you may have difficulty listening in if you have mild to moderate hearing loss, additional instructions for use of the devices and, most importantly, if the devices can be returned if you’re not satisfied. Once purchased, use them in the listening situations you find most challenging to determine if you will be able to receive a benefit from the device. These situations include family gatherings, meetings, noisy restaurants, phone calls, or watching TV, to name a few. If they do not provide benefit, return them prior to the end of the return/trial period. It’s important to ensure a return period is available, as FDA does not require that one be provided with the purchase of your device.

2. Visit a hearing professional before making a purchase

   An alternative is to schedule a visit with a hearing professional to have a complete hearing test. You will receive information about your hearing loss and can discuss whether OTC devices may provide you with benefit. You might even purchase the OTC devices at the clinic. Not all hearing professionals will make the decision to sell OTC devices, but then CAN evaluate your hearing and provide guidance on the appropriate technology for your hearing and lifestyle needs. If you elect to visit a hearing professional, there may be a cost for the hearing testing and consultation visit depending on how they charge for their services.

3. See a hearing professional if you’re struggling with an OTC device

   If you have purchased a device that doesn’t seem to be working in the way you expected, you can visit a hearing professional to ask questions about the device and your hearing needs. Nearby licensed hearing professionals can be found at hearing.org/find-a-hearing-professional/. You will benefit from getting a complete hearing test and guidance/counseling on how best to use the device. You may learn that the device you selected is not appropriate for you, or an element of the device is not working properly. Be sure to schedule this visit prior to the end of any return period (if applicable) to ensure you can return the products and make a selection that is best for you.

I believe that having a hearing professional involved will provide information and guidance during this process. The additional cost may be valuable in several ways, including avoiding a device that may not be appropriate for your degree of hearing loss and providing communication strategies for listening in difficult environments like background noise.

There will be many choices, and this can be confusing for some. I do expect that some experienced hearing aid owners with mild to moderate hearing loss may already have significant experience with devices and elect to purchase OTC products without the assistance of a hearing professional. For new users, the suggested pathways can help lead to successful use of OTC devices. The most important guidance is whatever pathway you choose, be ready to invest time in learning how the devices function, how to insert them, how to change batteries if necessary, how to clean and maintain them, and how to maximize your benefits in difficult listening situations. Hearing is one of our most important senses and during my career as an audiologist, I have seen the success of those who took action to treat their hearing loss. To reopen your world of sounds, communication, and connections that are most important to you, I encourage you to take that first step.

To help you decide if an OTC hearing aid could work for you, visit our Tip Sheet, and stay tuned for more information and resources soon.

For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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You’re taking a first step to treating your hearing loss. Many people wait years to act, so we’re glad you’re addressing your hearing health!

The new category of Over-the-Counter (OTC) hearing aids, expected on store shelves starting in in mid-October, could be a good place to start for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.

What should you take into consideration as you begin the search for an OTC hearing aid?

One major key to success is a good return policy, which the FDA did not require in its rule released August 16. So, it’s up to the consumer to check this critical feature.

Why is it so important?

• Innovation – New types of devices are expected in the OTC space. Some could work well in testing, or in certain situations, but perform differently for you.
• Individual differences – Your hearing loss is as unique to you, and what worked for your neighbor or friend, may not work well for you.
• No instant results – Hearing aids are different than glasses. Your brain may need 2–4 weeks to adjust to listening and perceiving sounds in a new way.
• Trial and error – You will need a few weeks to test a device out in different situations. Do they help you at work, or in a crowded restaurant? Testing and logging your reactions from different situations over a few weeks is ideal.

Avoiding problems.

• Look for a comprehensive return policy on the box, and more details may be online.
• Make sure you understand policy details, and that it gives you enough time to truly test the device.
• If an OTC hearing aid has significant problems, file a complaint with the FDA, or call 1.800.FDA.1088.
• Don’t give up! If the first product doesn’t work, try another.
• You’re not alone! HLAA knows that addressing your hearing health is an important step to overall well-being. We support millions of Americans, like you, who have hearing loss.
• Stay tuned to HLAA for news on OTC hearing aids as it develops, and other hearing health issues and resources.
• Consider joining an HLAA Chapter, and participating in a Walk4Hearing near you to meet and support others with hearing loss.

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Stay tuned for more information and resources soon. For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

This is a sponsored blog post from HLAA Hear for Life Partner, Starkey.

Does it surprise you that neglecting your cardiovascular health could spell trouble for your hearing? Starkey Chief Health Officer Archelle Georgiou, M.D., offers insights on this important connection and how to stay healthy.

Normal blood flow is critical for good hearing health. Delicate hair cells in the inner ear (the cochlea) turn sound into electrical impulses that travel to the brain so we can hear speech, music or noise. Those hair cells rely on good circulation to function properly. Heart disease or hypertension can decrease blood flow to the inner ear, depriving hair cells of oxygen, which can permanently damage hearing.

People can take care of their cardiovascular systems by staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking. Everyone should also know their blood pressure, cholesterol level, and hemoglobin AIC, which is elevated in people with diabetes. If you do have high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, make sure to talk to a doctor about taking the right medication at the proper dosage to get your numbers into a normal range. By taking care of the cardiovascular system, you will also be proactively protecting your hearing.

Consider these studies and stats which show the link between cardiovascular risk factors and hearing loss:

• A new study from JAMA further confirms that smoking increases the risk of hearing loss.

• Hearing loss is twice as common in people who have diabetes. Even people with prediabetes (blood sugar levels higher than normal but not high enough yet to have type 2 diabetes) have a 30% higher rate of hearing loss than people with normal blood sugar levels.

• Obesity increases the risk of hearing loss.

• Individuals with hearing loss have lower physical activity than those without.

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If you think you, or a loved one, has a hearing loss, don’t wait! Get your hearing checked today. For more information on hearing health, visit hearing.org.

Stay tuned for more information and resources soon. For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) – the leading voice for the growing number of Americans with hearing loss – held our annual convention in Tampa last month. More than 400 attendees, including industry, technology, and medical experts, joined in-person for the first time in three years, with the focus on empowering people to live well with hearing loss.

HLAA 2022 featured the latest technologies in hearing assistance, educational sessions on parenting with hearing loss, improvements in cochlear implants and a new interactive effort to bring together technology developers and consumers.

One-in-seven Americans now has hearing loss, making it the third most common chronic physical condition in the U.S.

Our yearly convention gives people with hearing loss a unique opportunity to meet and discuss the issues they face in a supportive and informative setting, with all the resources in one place.

The most important message for all Americans is to get your hearing checked, and don’t wait to get treated. Untreated hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline, depression, dementia, and falls.

The convention also featured the Florida Walk4Hearing, kicked-off by superhero actor and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, who has had a hearing loss most of his life.

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HLAA 2022 also recognized several people for their outstanding commitment to the hearing loss community. The full awardee list is online.

Awardee Highlights

• Rocky Stone Humanitarian Award – Deanna P. Baker, RMR, FAPR, Arizona
• Alice Marie Stone Family Involvement Award – Emma Schaefer, Wisconsin
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Joseph C. Duarte, Virginia
• Walter T. Ridder Award – American Girl, Wisconsin

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The HLAA 2022 Research Symposium recording on cochlear implants will be released in August.

Join us for the HLAA 2023 Convention June 29–July 1, 2023, at the New Orleans Marriott. Registration opens in the fall.

For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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Most of us know that the sun can damage our skin and lead to skin cancer, and that too much junk food can lead to obesity and other diseases, but what about our ears? Many people don’t pay enough attention to these crucial organs that receive sound, relay it to our brains and keep us connected to the world around us.

Summertime can be a dangerous time for our ears! Concerts, fireworks and lawn equipment all can cause noise-induced permanent hearing damage. We’re all at risk, including kids, but here are some things you can do to avoid damage:

Protect your ears!

• Wear ear plugs at sporting events, concerts, or around loud equipment
• Keep ear bud or headphone volume low
• Take frequent breaks from listening to allow your ears to recover
• Get your hearing checked regularly

Our hearing can be like a score card of the noise we’ve been exposed to throughout our lives, and damage is irreversible. About 48-million Americans have hearing loss in at least one ear, and left untreated, hearing loss can lead to other health issues like dementia, depression and balance problems.

As summer kicks off, remember your ear plugs, and your overall hearing health. To learn more, visit our hearing loss basics prevention page.

Stay tuned for more information and resources soon. For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.

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May is not only Better Hearing and Speech Month, but it’s also Mental Health Awareness Month. While it’s no surprise with so many worthy causes that there would be some overlap, this one in particular feels like more than just a coincidence.

Better Hearing and Speech Month raises awareness about hearing health and communication disorders. It’s about educating the public about the importance of hearing health and how hearing loss can impact our well-being. Hearing loss has been linked to health concerns like cardiovascular issues and increased risk of falls. But the impact hearing loss can have on our brains is perhaps the most alarming. Hearing loss is linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and even developing dementia. It’s that direct link from hearing health to mental health that made this calendar coincidence so fitting.

When people are disconnected from the world around them — when they can’t hear their loved one on the phone, when they can’t engage with friends in a loud restaurant — they may be forced to take a backseat to life. That backseat can be a lonely place. Even before the pandemic, U.S. health officials were worried about a loneliness epidemic. The past two years has only made it worse. By 2050, 2.5 billion people will have some level of hearing loss. This loneliness epidemic will get worse if we don’t act.

With more research linking hearing loss to loneliness and mental health, the hearing industry has a duty to be part of a greater solution. Dr. Archelle Georgiou, Starkey’s Chief Health Officer, is leading the conversation around the link between loneliness and hearing loss. As a doctor, she knows that loneliness can have the same negative health impact as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. As a daughter, she’s seen the impact of loneliness firsthand with her own mother. Dr. Georgiou says the first step to finding a solution to this avoidable problem is to see a hearing health professional to get your hearing evaluated. Knowing more about your hearing loss can help you find the right solution — connecting you back to the world around you.

Inside the ear is one of the best barometers for both physical and mental well-being. The ear is the new wrist. It is the gateway to better health and wellness.

At Starkey, we are bringing the latest technologies to the hearing aid – increasing engagement, boosting clarity and optimizing sound in all kinds of environments. We’re leading the way, building caring products that connect people to people through better hearing. Our work helps people not only hear better, but live better, too.

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If you think you, or a loved one, has a hearing loss, don’t wait! Get your hearing checked today. For more information on hearing health, visit hearwellstayvital.org.

Stay tuned for more information and resources soon. For questions, contact HLAA at inquiries@hearingloss.org.