Hearing Loss Association of America
HLAA is the nation's largest consumer organisation for people with hearing loss, primarily serving adults who are hard of hearing (rather than culturally Deaf). HLAA is the leading advocate for hearing loop (audio induction loop) technology in public spaces in the United States.
About the Hearing Loss Association of America
HLAA was founded in 1979 by Howard E. "Rocky" Stone, who was hard of hearing and found that existing organisations did not meet the needs of late-deafened adults and hard-of-hearing people — a population distinct in important ways from the culturally Deaf community that centres around ASL and Deaf culture.
HLAA serves people who identify primarily as hard of hearing — using hearing aids, cochlear implants, or other hearing assistive technology to access sound, and communicating primarily in spoken language. HLAA members typically grew up hearing and acquired hearing loss, and many do not use sign language. This population faces its own distinct set of access challenges.
What they do
HLAA advocates for accessible communication environments, hearing loop technology, captioning, and hearing healthcare access. The organisation runs chapters in most states, provides peer support, and organises an annual convention.
Hearing Loop / Audio Induction Loop Campaign: HLAA has led a sustained advocacy campaign to install hearing loop technology (also known as audio induction loops or T-coil loops) in US public spaces. Hearing loops transmit sound directly to hearing aids and cochlear implants via the telecoil (T-coil) setting, dramatically improving speech intelligibility in noisy environments. HLAA's campaign has resulted in loops in thousands of locations including airports, museums, churches, theatres, and courtrooms.
Key programs and resources
- Walk4Hearing: Annual fundraising walks raising awareness and funds nationally
- HLAA Chapter Network: Peer support chapters across the US
- Hearing Technology Evaluator: Reviews of assistive listening technology
- Hearing Loss Help Resource Centre: Information on hearing loss, technology, communication strategies, and legal rights
- Annual Convention: The largest gathering of hard-of-hearing people in the US
Who they serve
Adults and young people who are hard of hearing, late-deafened adults, and people with single-sided deafness or other hearing loss conditions. Also serves parents of children with hearing loss.
Why it matters
HLAA represents a distinct and often underserved population — the many millions of Americans with hearing loss who are not part of Deaf culture. Their hearing loop campaign has resulted in practical, immediate access improvements for the estimated 38 million Americans with hearing loss who use hearing aids with telecoils.