HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA INC

HLAA's mission is to open the world of communication to people with hearing loss by providing information, education, support and advocacy.

HLAA represents the 48 million Americans with hearing loss, making it the third largest public health issue after heart disease and arthritis. However, fewer than 20% of those with hearing loss, who require intervention and treatment, seek help for their condition. HLAA helps consumers with hearing loss to live successfully with hearing loss.

Untreated hearing loss has been shown to impact a person's overall health and quality of life, sometimes leading to social isolation, depression and even dementia. People with hearing loss face significant barriers in seeking to access the central elements of mainstream American culture and earn less on average than the rest of the American workforce.

HLAA works to eradicate the stigma associated with hearing loss and raise public awareness about the need for prevention, treatment, and regular hearing screenings. HLAA works to make hearing assistive technology accessible and affordable for all Americans with hearing loss.

Education: Our primary purpose is to educate ourselves, our families, friends, co-workers, teachers, hearing health care providers, industry, government and others about hearing loss. HLAA seeks to help people with hearing loss become informed and educated consumers on options that are available and to make the best decisions on how to live well with hearing loss.

Advocacy: HLAA is the nation's leading consumer voice in improving communication access for people with hearing loss. HLAA advocates for communication access in public and private venues. HLAA promotes emerging and assistive technologies, medical research and legislation that will alleviate the effects of hearing loss. HLAA pushes for research on understanding the causes of hearing loss and for the development of new treatments.

Self-Help: HLAA promotes self-confidence; empowers individuals with skills to improve their lives; and provides an opportunity for affiliation among people with hearing loss, their friends, families and professionals. We work to develop options for ourselves and open doors for others and provide assistance in setting up local support groups.

1 – Advocacy
Our advocacy focuses on gaining access to mainstream American culture for people with hearing loss in such areas as technology, telecommunications, hearing health care, employment, education and leadership, to name a few. HLAA continues to build on this legacy of success by: supporting expanded options to access hearing health care; promoting affordable hearing technologies; advocating for access to mainstream consumer technologies in the marketplace. HLAA will pursue opportunities for collaboration on local, regional and national advocacy efforts.

2 – Collaboration with the Grassroots Base
HLAA is working to build a more robust collaborative network among the national headquarters, chapters, state organizations and other elements of our base of support which is critical to the long-term health of HLAA. This requires a vibrant multi-directional and ongoing dialogue so that HLAA leverages all our strength in our undertakings.

3 – Services to Constituents
HLAA offers a wide array of services to our constituents through our local, state, regional and national arms including personal support and training in self-advocacy. Informational resources, including those available and downloadable from our website, cover a wide breadth of topics.

4 – Growing the Grassroots Base of Support
HLAA seeks to expand its reach and build its effectiveness to attract a larger number of people with hearing loss to our cause by leveraging our contacts in the hearing health community and related organizations.



B. Organizational Strength

1 – Finances
HLAA must grow and diversify its revenue base while positioning ourselves to leverage unanticipated opportunities. HLAA continues to be fiscally responsible and prudent in the utilization of resources and strive to maintain 'added value' for our donors, members and constituents.

2 – Organization and Leadership
HLAA is a network of chapters and state organizations along with a substantial number of donors, supporters and volunteers across the country. To strengthen our network HLAA seeks to create a better integrated network, collaborating more effectively and learning from the many successes we have achieved across the country and grow our base of support, recognizing that there is power in numbers, which will enhance our ability to influence public policy and engage with the private sector.

3 – Name Recognition and Branding
HLAA seeks to enhance our name recognition in the marketplace and elevate and protect the brand. We seek to work with ways to increase our visibility across the country; work closely with our chapters, state organizations and local Walk4Hearing volunteers to foster consistent use of our branding elements to assure that the image of HLAA is consistent, effective and relevant.

HLAA has an active board of trustees and an experienced staff at the national office, comprised of both people with hearing loss and those with hearing, who are dedicated to the success of the mission of the organization. The grassroots network is comprised of volunteers and supporters in 140 local chapters and state organizations that work in their communities and states on behalf of people with hearing loss and provide information, education, advocacy and support.

HLAA's signature public awareness program is the Walk4Hearing which takes place in 20 cities across the country. Since the program began in 2006, more than 110,000 walkers have raised over $17 million to advance the cause for people with hearing loss. The Walk4Hearing is the only nationwide event bringing attention to hearing loss and promoting the importance of hearing health. The Walks brings together a diverse group of participants, including families and hearing health professionals, and offers local nonprofits an opportunity to partner with HLAA to raise funds for their organization to provide services for people with hearing loss. The number of Walks, the amount of funds raised at each Walk, the support from national corporate sponsorships, and public recognition of the Walks has potential for continued growth.

HLAA's Annual Convention brings together attendees and participants from across the country. The educational programs include consumer, chapter and advocacy workshops; the highly regarded, Research Symposium; along with networking and social events, that bring together people with hearing loss, their families, hearing health care professionals and as well as manufacturers of hearing assistive, emerging and consumer technologies. The number of Convention attendees has grown to between 1,200-1,500 participants attending each year with potential for continued growth. A small, but growing number of young adults are also choosing to attend. The number of corporate sponsorships and tradeshow exhibitors has increased and has the potential for continued growth.

HLAA's successful national, state and local advocacy efforts in public policy and before regulatory agencies continue to impact the lives of millions of Americans with hearing loss. HLAA's advocacy, particularly at the national level, has led to significant advances in communication access, public policy, research, public awareness and improved service delivery related to hearing loss.

HLAA has a long history of working collaboratively with like-minded groups, organizations and individuals who share our mission and goals. HLAA continues to build new partnerships and others continue to seek to partner with HLAA.

HLAA's financial position remains sound and diversified revenue continues to grow through individual and corporate donations, sponsorships, foundation and corporate grants, membership planned gifts and advertising.

Since its founding in 1979, HLAA has grown from a small grassroots movement to a nationally recognized organization. In 2016, HLAA revised its Statement of Strategic Intent, identifying HLAA's new goals. The Statement is the result of a year-long organizational review, with input from many stakeholders, of the organization's strengths and weaknesses. The Statement sets forth a plan to address the current and future needs of the organization that will best meet the mission of the organization and the needs of the 48 million Americas with hearing loss.

1-HLAA successfully advocated for mandated closed captioning and hearing assistive technology in public movie theaters.
2-HLAA successfully advocated for carriers to agree to deliver text messages to 911 public safety answering points.
3-HLAA renewed a grant from a private foundation to support a national consumer advocacy and training program on hearing loops for HLAA chapters.
4-HLAA was recommended by international columnist Dear Abby.
5-HLAA is conducting the Walk4Hearing program in 20 communities across the country to raise funds and increase public awareness.
6-HLAA produced its HLAA2019 Convention in Rochester, N.Y. − offering a well-regarded Research Symposium, educational workshops, networking and social opportunities and scholarships for Veterans with hearing loss to attend.
7-HLAA is offering more technical support to build chapter capacity.
8-HLAA offers a free Hearing Life e-News twice monthly.
9-HLAA continues to bring the latest news and information via HLAA's website hearingloss.org
10-HLAA has social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
11-HLAA publishes Hearing Life magazine four times a year and makes an abbreviated version available for free on its website.
12-HLAA is enhancing national, state and local advocacy efforts.
13-HLAA is partnering with more organizations that share our mission.
14-HLAA received GuideStar's Gold Star Exchange Participant status for organizational transparency.
15-HLAA approved and published HLAA's Charitable Gift Acceptance Policies and Guidelines on our website hearingloss.org
16-HLAA increased our foundation and corporate grants.
17-HLAA offers free webinars for people with hearing loss on timely topics.
18-HLAA is recognized by BBB Wise Giving Alliance (give.org)
19-HLAA is recognized as a 2021 Top-Rated Nonprofit by GreatNonProfits.org
20-HLAA continues to participate in the Combined Federal Campaign
21-HLAA is recognized as a Best in America - Charities Seal of Excellence
22-HLAA is rated 4 stars by Charity Navigator.
23-HLAA was the only consumer organization to sponsor the National Academies of Sciences study,
Hearing Health Care for Adults: Priorities for Improving Access and Affordability