HLAA sent comments to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on the issue of screening for hearing loss in older adults December 7, 2011. HLAA Board Member Meg Wallhagen provided valuable advice, helping us draft our comments. USPSTF is a national, independent panel of medical experts that makes recommendations, based on scientific evidence, to primary care doctors and other health care providers about which clinical preventive services they should offer their patients. USPSTF invited public comment on its draft Recommendation Statements before publication. One of the three draft statements open for public comment was: “Screening for Hearing Loss in Older Adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.”

In our June 24, 2011 blog, we mentioned that HLA-Georgia members Cathy Fletcher, Jeff Bonnell, and Anne Taylor took advantage of the HLAA Convention in DC to visit their congressional representatives’ offices on Capitol Hill. During those visits, our advocates spoke about why people with hearing loss need the kind of financial support toward the purchase of hearing aids that the hearing aid tax credit legislation, HR 1479, would provide.

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HLAA was delighted to be able to provide a presentation before the National Association of Speech Hearing Centers (NASHC) Spring Conference April 8, 2011. NASHC is an organization of 35 member agencies across the country that provide speech and/or hearing services. HLAA’s director of public policy, Lise Hamlin provided an update on HLAA and our advocacy efforts to CEO’s representing the Speech and Hearing Centers. They were interested to hear about HLAA’s work and provided important feedback from their own perspective on a wide range of topics, from movie captioning to the cost of hearing aids. 

HLAA joined other advocates in a wide ranging discussion regarding how to have greater access to audible presentations at the Smithsonian Institution and the National Gallery of Art on October 19. Topics discussed included how to provide access to exhibit videos, IMAX films, art work and public program films. Joe Gordon, Chair of the HLAA-New York State Caption Committee was also present at this meeting.