ALDA-Sonora / Arizona - Founded 2009
The Association of Late-Deafened Adults
Arizona’s 1st Group
A Letter To President Obama Written by Brenda Battat of the HLAA
Dear President Obama,
We the undersigned are deeply concerned about the unprecedented levels of hearing loss in our country. 36 million
Americans have hearing loss to some degree and yet only 20 percent receive the technology and services they need. We
urge you to give immediate attention to the issue of hearing loss in this country and the stigma that stops people from getting
treatment.
There are millions of people who need help coping with hearing loss -- baby boomers dealing with hearing loss for the first
time from noise exposure or other causes, veterans of two wars returning with hearing loss in record numbers, and people
living longer and acquiring age-related hearing loss.
Yet the impact of hearing loss is underestimated and not recognized as a health issue or taken seriously by the general
public, the media, or policy makers.
No one should have to retire early because of hearing loss. No child with hearing loss should fail a grade for lack of support
services in school. No one should develop hearing loss that is preventable and not reversible from noise exposure. No one
should withdraw from life because they are unable to afford a hearing aid.
We urge you and other lawmakers to take hearing loss seriously and support the following measures that will be introduced
to Congress during your administration:
1) Reauthorization of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act and ensure a full continuum of follow up services for
families of children with hearing loss;
2) To direct the department of health and human services to fund and lead a nationwide campaign to raise public awareness
about hearing loss;
3) To enact HR1646 and S1019, the Hearing Aid Tax Credit, which would provide a $500 tax credit per hearing aid to people
with hearing loss and parents of children with hearing loss; and,
4) To require Medicare and private insurers to cover hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other implantable devices and
associated services.
The Hearing Loss Association of America looks for change in health care to ensure that hearing health is given the attention
and resources it deserves. It's time to consider hearing loss a public health issue just as we do any other health condition.
We should have the freedom from stigma to allow us, if we are diagnosed with hearing loss, to confidently and without
embarrassment seek the treatment we need. Through insurance coverage, we should have access to the hearing devices
and associated services to treat our hearing loss no matter our age or economic situation.
We ask that you make hearing loss awareness a priority for your administration.
Sincerely,
The Hearing Loss Association of America and (add your name)
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