HLAA Supports Vets with Hearing Loss

Editor: HLAA has undertaken what appears to be a major program to serve veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts who acquired hearing loss during their service. We applaud this much needed effort! Here's the notice.

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February 2009

The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) has been named as a partner by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), in the Military Veterans with Hearing Loss Project, a program designed especially for veterans of OIF and OEF who have a hearing loss as a result of their service. The veterans may earn bachelor- or graduate-level degrees at RIT with access and audiological services from NTID. The goal is to bring qualified veterans into RIT beginning in fall 2009. For additional information about the program, visit www.rit.edu/ntid/veterans.

HLAA has pledged its support of OIF and OEF veterans by offering a complimentary one-year membership and a registration to its upcoming convention. Convention 2009 is scheduled for June 18 - 21, 2009 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition, HLAA has launched a new page on its website, www.hearingloss.org, especially for veterans for OIF and OEF where you may meet our Featured Veteran, read pertinent articles about hearing technology, relationships, communication strategies, and more. The Hearing Loss Association of America applauds NTID and RIT's commitment to veterans and their unique approach to education for veterans with hearing loss.

RIT has earned two distinctions for its efforts to serve the educational needs of veterans, servicemembers, and their families. It is a designated Yellow Ribbon and Servicemembers Opportunity Consortium college. The Yellow Ribbon designation allows veterans who have served since September 11, 2001, to receive additional financial assistance for tuition, as well as existing veterans' benefits for housing and textbooks. The amount of assistance will depend on their length of service, but eligible veterans applying to RIT would have most of their tuition provided by the Veterans Administration, RIT/NTID, and the state.

About Hearing Loss Association of America

The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), founded in 1979 by Rocky Stone as Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, opens the world of communication to people with hearing loss through information, education, advocacy and support. HLAA publishes Hearing Loss Magazine, holds annual conventions, Walk4Hearing(tm), hosts online learning with the Hearing Loss Academy, and more. HLAA has more than 200 chapters and 14 state organizations.