The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) hosts Walk4Hearing events in both the spring and fall each year. The walks are held in several cities around the country and are attended by thousands of people each season. Walk4Hearing is one of the largest movements of its kind and its goals are to bring awareness to hearing loss throughout the life cycle and to raise funds to support research, programs and services in the community and nationally.
CapTel is a major sponsor of the Walk4Hearing events and has supported the walks since their inauguration. CapTel typically has a team walking in Milwaukee each year to show its home state support and raise crucial funds.
Did you know?
The chances are high that you know at least one person with some form of hearing loss. Here are the facts about hearing loss in the U.S.:
• 48 million Americans have some form of hearing loss.
• 26 million people in the U.S. have some form of noise-induced hearing loss. NIHL can be sudden, affecting soldiers returning from war and those in high-risk professions like construction, or gradual, such as prolonged listening to loud music.
• Two or three children out of every 1,000 in the U.S. are born with hearing loss.
• About 50 percent of adults aged 75 years or older has age-related hearing loss.
• 60 percent of people with hearing loss must find ways to thrive in educational or workplace settings.
What does Walk4Hearing fund?
Walk4Hearing events are an extremely worthy cause. They fund both local and national programs. Here are some examples about what a Walk4Hearing funds in your community:
• Scholarships for college tuition for students with hearing loss
• Funding for hearing aids and ALDs for people who otherwise cannot afford them
• Community education events on thriving with hearing loss
• Captioning at local live theater shows
• The provision of captioning and other accommodations for local HLAA chapter meetings
• The installation of loop and FM systems in community spaces
Some of the Walk4Hearing funds in each city are also used for national initiatives, including:
• Advocacy for legislation regarding communication access, hearing aid funding or other issues important to those with hearing loss
• Support for parents of children with hearing loss
• The provision of reliable information on HLAA’s website and at its annual conventions
• Funding for the Hearing Loss Nation website
• Support and outreach for armed forces veterans returning home with hearing loss
• Support for the HLAA chapters nationwide
Upcoming Fall 2013 Walk Schedule
• October 12: Clemmons, N.C.
• October 20: West Windsor, N.J.
• October 27: Brighton, Mass.
• November 2: Houston, Texas
• November 3: Washington, D.C.
• November 9: Jacksonville, Florida
If you’d like to be involved in the Walk4Hearing events near you, you can sign up to walk on a team, volunteer on walk day or donate to someone who is walking. Find more information on HLAA’s website.
