Central Virginia Chapter (HLACVA) of the Hearing Loss Assoc.of America (HLAA)

Basic Information

Address: Ron Keeney, Chapter Leader Hearing Loss Assoc. of Central Virginia 1413 Sachem Place, Suite One, Charlottesville, VA 22901-2497

Phone Number: 434-978-2000

Fax Number: 434-978-7438

Email: Ron@KeeneyArchitecture.com

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Central Virginia Chapter (HLACVA) of the Hearing Loss Assoc.of America (HLAA)

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Additional Information

Executive Director: None (no paid staff or offices)

President: Ron Keeney

Service Description: Local Support Group for Hard-of-Hearing Persons, Advocacy for public understanding

Mission Statement:

We are a local support group for hard-of-hearing individuals and their spouses, families,or caregivers; a local public-recognition advocacy group, and a state and national hearing-loss rights advocacy group.
We meet to discuss items of personal interest to attendees, usually with a qualified speaker on a topic of particular interest to those having a hearing loss or living with a person with a hearing loss (such as spouses!)
We often have technical demonstrations of various assistive listening devices, from smoke detectors to television to telephones. We offer morale support to for individuals, unite in efforts to obtain public recognition of the difficulties of hearing-impaired individuals, and a part of the state and national hearing-loss rights and recognition advocacy group.

Membership Fee: None (although support of mailing expenses are gratefully accepted.)

Eligibility Requirements: None -- other that interest in hearing-impaired people. Please note that there is a distinct difference between "hearing-impaired" and "deaf", and that we currently serve those with some remaining hearing -- we are not really prepared to "sign" or translate for those that are truly deaf without any hearing.

Area Served: Central Virigina

Hours of Operation/Schedule: Very informal -- generally just a monthly meeting.

Services Offered:
Moral support, potential technical recommendations or advice on hearing difficulties, illnesses, and new electronic technology that helps overcome hearing disabilities.

Events:

Generally, monthly daytime meetings, usually with a expert speaker on a particular related subject. A "Christmas Social Gathering" for members and spouses and children. Publication of a quarterly newsletter, including dissemination of local, regional and national news regarding new technology, of new instances of civil rights being recognized, and of new legal precedents being set by State and Federal civil rights court cases.

Conferences/Speakers: Generally monthly daytime meetings, usually with a expert speaker on a particular related subject.

Fundraisers: Few -- funds raised are generally only through support of mailing and activities expenses by members deeming the activities to be of interest to them and others with related disabilities.

Support Groups: We are a local "group" (an informal Chapter) of the National Hearing Loss Association of America, based in Washington., DC.

History:

Began operation in 1991 through interest from several members of the DC and Northern Va Chapters, have struggled to maintain member and public support every since. We note that recent research by Johns Hopkins University and Medical Center now shows that one in every five Americans has enough of a hearing loss so as to interfere with their normal communications.

Detailed Organization Information:

National Hearing Loss Association website: www.hearing-loss.org

Slogan: "Say what?"