The Hearing Loss Association of America is a wonderful organization. It has been a key resource and advocate for people with hearing loss throughout the US. On a personal level, I do not exaggerate when I say that HLAA gave me back my life after a sudden and severe hearing loss 25 years ago. Like most hearing people, I hadn’t given a moment’s thought to the importance of hearing in my life. I didn’t think about how my hearing connected me to my friends and family. I didn’t realize that my hearing was my alerting system. So, when I lost the ability to hear easily, I had no idea why my life was thrown into such turmoil or how to deal with my new reality. Of course, I started wearing hearing aids immediately. But hearing aids weren’t nearly enough. I was isolated, depressed, and thinking that never again would I feel the joy and richness of my pre hearing loss life. Thanks to HLAA, I learned that although there was no magic pill, there were many strategies I could use to help myself. I received not only information but also support and encouragement from their dedicated volunteers. Thanks to HLAA’s advocacy over the years, millions of us with hearing loss can listen to TV, go to the theater, hear museum audio tours, and talk on the cell phone. Without HLAA, I and millions of others would not have been able to stay connected to the hearing world. And now, thanks to the Walk4Hearing, HLAA is educating the public about the importance of hearing and of treating hearing loss.

In thanks for their gift to me, I have become one of the thousands of dedicated volunteers across the country. HLAA does an extraordinary job with very little money thanks to a creative and energetic staff and a vast corps of dedicated volunteers. There is no other organization working for the consumer in this way. I wish it were better known to people with hearing loss and professionals in the field. .