back
to "New to Hearing Loss"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SHHH and our members are catalysts that make mainstream society more
accessible to people who are hard of hearing. We strive to improve the
quality of hard of hearing people's lives through education, advocacy
and self help.
We value:
* Education: - Our primary purpose is to educate ourselves, our
families, friends, co-workers, teachers, hearing health care providers,
industry, government, and others about hearing loss.
* SHHH provides adults and children with tools for self help; sensitizes
the general population about the special needs of people who are hard of
hearing; and promotes understanding of the nature, causes,
complications, and remedies of hearing loss.
* We provide information on many aspects of hearing loss, from
technological and medical advances to coping and parenting strategies.
* We want to help you become an informed consumer on what options are
available to you to help you make the best decisions on how to deal with
hearing loss.
* Advocacy: - SHHH is a leading voice in improving communication access
for people with hearing loss.
* We advocate for communication access in the workplace, hotels,
schools, court systems, medical, and entertainment facilities.
* SHHH promotes new technology, medical research, and legislation that
will alleviate the effects of hearing loss.
* We encourage and participate in research to improve hearing aids,
assistive listening devices, and other technology needs of consumers
with hearing loss.
* We push for research on understanding the causes of hearing loss and
for development of new treatments.
* We testify before federal, state, and local legislative bodies on
issues concerning people with hearing loss.
* We help implement federal and state laws which benefit people with
hearing loss.
* Self Help: - SHHH believes people with hearing loss can help
themselves and one another to participate fully and successfully in
society.
* SHHH promotes self-confidence; empowers individuals with skills to
improve their lives; and provides an opportunity for affiliation among
people with hearing loss, their friends, families, and professionals.
* We work to develop options for ourselves and open doors for others.
* We provide support in setting up local support groups.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 2002
SHHH is addressing perceived communications problems with its new
one-way informational email list. "One-way" means that only
the folks at SHHH can post to it; it's not a discussion group. I've just
subscribed to it and am anxious to be better informed with what's
happening at SHHH. To subscribe, send an email to:
SHHH-News-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 2002
SHHH has selected Terry D. Portis of Greensboro, North Carolina, as
the new Executive Director of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People
(SHHH), the nation's largest organization for people with hearing loss.
He will officially assume the title and duties of his position on
December 5, 2002.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April
2006
One
long walk for the Hearing Loss Association of America, one giant trek
forward for scores of hard-of-hearing Peninsula residents. For HLAA's
Redwood City-based Peninsula chapter, next month's 5K Walk 4 Hearing in
San Francisco - one of six participating cities - presents a new
opportunity to raise funds and awareness for people silently struggling
with one of the largest disabilities in the country.
Full
Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January
2007
I
think most of our readers are well aware of the great work being done by
the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), and would be willing to
support them in their efforts on our behalf. Well, they've come up with
a free and easy way for us to do so - just use their travel site when
you book your next trip. From what I can see it works just like Expedia,
Travelocity, etc. But booking tickets there benefits HLAA. So next time
you're hit with wanderlust, point your browser to:
http://www.HLAAtravel.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 2008
It happened when Geri Young was in her 40s: She
began to lose her hearing. Young, diagnosed with an inner ear disorder
called Meniere's disease, found herself grappling with profound hearing
loss as she had a baby and was working as a schoolteacher. "I was
suffering a great deal," said Young, 68, who lives west of Boca Raton. "It
was difficult for me to socialize, to do anything that would involve
people." By the time Young turned 50, she decided to turn a frustrating
experience into something positive. She formed a chapter of the Hearing
Loss Association of America in Ann Arbor, Mich., where she lived. Then,
she did the same in Boca Raton after moving there in 1993. She continues
to lead the group she says can help many more coping with this common
ailment. About 31 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss,
affecting one in 10 people. A quarter of those use some kind of hearing
aid, according to the national association. Considering Palm Beach
County's population, with about 20 percent age 65 or older, local leaders
say hearing loss is more widespread here.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 2009
In 1979, when CIA retiree Howard E. "Rocky" Stone
founded the Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH) in the family room
of his Potomac, Maryland house, he probably could not envision what a
major force the homespun group would become in the hearing health arena.
It is good to remember that in those days, hearing technology we enjoy
today was still in nascent stages - in-the-ear hearing aids had just
become available in the United States - and the rights of hearing-impaired
people were not protected by the full extent of the law. By 2006, when the
SHHH name was changed to the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA),
the organization had been instrumental in helping develop awareness of
hearing loss among the public, as well as many advocacy efforts (see
below). This year, the Bethesda, MD-based non-profit association, which
has 14 state organizations and 200 local chapters, is celebrating 30 years
of opening "the world of communication through information, education,
advocacy, and support that has helped hundreds of thousands of people live
and work successfully with their hearing loss," its website, says.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 2010
HLAA has
made an arrangement with Knowlera Media to produce a series of videos on
hearing loss. The videos will be distributed on their consumer-facing
website www.monkeysee.com and to several hundred other websites as well as
local television stations across the country. The Hearing Loss
Association of America will receive its own branded copies of the videos
that can be used on its website and its affiliate's websites. All the
videos will be captioned. Past board member and VP for policy, Mark Ross
Ph.D., has graciously agreed to help to write the scripts for the videos
to be filmed in the national office. This is a major opportunity we could
not have taken advantage of without Mark's help. The topics of the videos
are:
Video 1:
Understanding Hearing Loss/Who is at Risk
Video 2:
Hearing Loss Symptoms
Video 3:
How is Hearing Loss Diagnosed?
Video 4:
Medical Treatments for Hearing Loss
Video 5:
Hearing Loss Self Care/Lifestyle Changes
Video 6:
Hearing Loss Prevention
Video 7:
The Latest Advancements in Hearing Loss Treatment
