Awards Nominations Due October 31 HLAA Chapter and State organizations find unique and special ways to serve member needs as they reach out and make an impact. National awards acknowledge these achievements and contributions. Nominate your chapter or state organization, members, employers and others who make a positive difference to people with hearing loss. The nomination packet will be mailed to all HLAA leaders later this month. If you would like to receive it sooner, please send an email to  Chapters@hearingloss.org and place 2014 AWARDS in the subject line.

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Our Ranks Are Growing There are now 48 million people with hearing loss in the United States, a 30% increase from the previous estimate of 36 million. The number is based on research conducted by Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D. at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

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 Barbara Kelly, HLAA Magazine Editorwould like to hear from you: Whether you’re working nine to five or doing shift work, we want to hear about your experiences on the job as a person with hearing loss.

Answer any of the questions or all of them. (Or add anything you wish.) Does your employer and/or co-workers know you have a hearing loss? Do you use any special accommodations like assistive listening devices or CART? What are your experiences interviewing for a job? Have you had to ask your employer for a “reasonable accommodation” under the Americans with Disabilities Act?

Have you been successful at work? Have you felt you had to give up a job because of your hearing loss? Have you felt discriminated against because of your hearing loss? Are your co-workers sensitive to your communication needs? What positives have come from having a hearing loss?

We would like to hear about your workplace experiences for possible use in an upcoming Hearing Loss Magazine and/or on the HLAA website. Please send your remarks in 600 words or less to Barbara Kelly: bkelley@hearingloss.org. Please include your full name, email address, and where you live.

All comments are welcome here by September 10^th.

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