HLAA 2025 Convention Highlights
There were 27 individual sessions,such as:
And... THE social outing of the convention - a night at the ballgame at Victory Field!
- mental health (impact on relationships, social isolation, managing emotions),
- technology (Auracast, AI in hearing devices, cybersecurity and hearing loss
- comprehensive medical approach to hearing loss,\
- Early intervention in children
- situational management (health care, elder care, employment, parenting),
- communities resources (libraries, state grants), the arts ( dance, yoga, accessibility in cultural spaces),
And... THE social outing of the convention - a night at the ballgame at Victory Field!
Auracast bluetooth - Everyone is anxiously awaiting this technology which will allow anyone with the auracast capability in their hearing aids/cochlear implant processor to connect to any publicly broadcast auracast signal. In large public spaces such as meetings, theaters, airports, restaurants/bars with tvs, etc. an auracast system will allow anyone with a device equipped with the auracast Bluetooth to connect like they would today with a telecoil or headset to a hearing loop, FM System, or Infrared. The transition period for auracast to become fully functional is an indeterminate amount of time. The takeaway message is that we still need the traditional systems, along with a telecoil in our hearing aids/cochlear implant processors to access public broadcasts, until Auracast Bluetooth is universally available to everyone with a hearing loss. It will take years for everyone to upgrade to capable devices.
Stigma: Making the Invisible Visible. Too often, we hide our hearing loss because of the perceptions that people have about hearing loss and hearing aids or cochlear implants. The stigma can cause hearing loss to go untreated, or break relationships, cause depression, etc. Even perceptions that someone with a hearing loss is not smart, or somehow less than a hearing person, can create bad situations with those around us, at home, work, socially, and organizations. It’s important to learn about your hearing loss, to learn how to cope with it, avail ourselves of technology, and help other people with hearing loss to do the same.
Stigma: Making the Invisible Visible. Too often, we hide our hearing loss because of the perceptions that people have about hearing loss and hearing aids or cochlear implants. The stigma can cause hearing loss to go untreated, or break relationships, cause depression, etc. Even perceptions that someone with a hearing loss is not smart, or somehow less than a hearing person, can create bad situations with those around us, at home, work, socially, and organizations. It’s important to learn about your hearing loss, to learn how to cope with it, avail ourselves of technology, and help other people with hearing loss to do the same.
