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Our Mission
Our mission is to open the world of communication to people with hearing loss by providing information, education, support, and advocacy.
Upcoming Events
Our Annual Mortimer Bauer Memorial Scholarship Awards meeting will be on  June 16th at 7 PM 
Our chapter is awarding the Mortimer Bauer Memorial Scholarship Award to Jennifer Castillo for her award winning essay and a life spent learning how to speak up for herself and advocating for people with hearing loss.

Jennifer Castillo is the daughter of Lucia Garcia & Ramiro Castillo and is a graduating senior at Downingtown East High School. Jennifer was born deaf and received her first cochlear implant (CI) when she was seven and just recently chose to have the second CI placed. Over the course of her childhood, she worked hard participating in speech therapy and auditory training and in the process became a trilingual deaf student who speaks Spanish, English, English Sign Language and American Sign Language (ASL). She will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology majoring in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Jennifer will receive her award and certificate in the mail, and open them during a virtual ZOOM ceremony on June 16th. 

View her essay under Resources/ Scholarship Recipient Essays

We are using the ZOOM format for our meetings and we will not be holding in person meetings until further notice.
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Meeting Location
Christ Community Church
​2nd Floor Room 210
1190 Phoenixville Pike
West Chester, PA 19380

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The meeting room provides a
hearing loop! ​Loops help those with telecoils in their hearing aids.
​CART is available at the regular meetings as well. Attending our accessible meetings is a great way
​to connect via a variety of hearing support technologies.

Look under Monthly Meetings tab
for more information about upcoming meetings ​including inclement
​weather procedure.
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Sudden Deafness
A Medical Emergency
––
Sudden Sensorineural
Hearing Loss
Treatment with corticosteroids have been shown to be the most effective
at treating SSHL. These may be recommended to be taken orally or injected by the physician into the ear. The sooner it is treated once
detected, the greater chance of recovery. For this reason, a sudden sensorineural hearing loss is considered a medical emergency,
​and treatment should occur by an otolaryngologist, otologist or at an Emergency Room as soon as possible.

https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/sudden-deafness

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Find Assistive Listening Devices at your local venues:
Entertainment, Theater
Education or Worship

Just type in your ​zip code!
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See if you qualify for Genetic Testing!
In the summer of 2019, the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania opened the Center for Adult Onset Hearing Loss. The goal of the Center is to provide opportunities for genetic testing and research participation to adults with hearing loss with an undiagnosed etiology or cause.
Individuals interested in visiting the Center should ask their medical provider for a referral and then call 215-662-6017 to schedule an appointment.
Center for Adult Onset Hearing Loss at PennMedicine
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Hearing Loss, Coronavirus and Hospitalization
Check out the Resources tab for new information 

The FDA and
​OTC vs PSAPs
....Buyer Beware!

Following the signing of the Over-the-Counter (OTC) Hearing Aid Act of 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was on track to issue regulations regarding this new category of hearing device by the law’s deadline of August 2020. That deadline has come and gone without new rules in place.

During this period, bad actors have stepped in to fill this vacuum and begun to advertise OTC hearing aids on television and on the internet, even though there are no products that can claim to be OTC hearing aids on the market, according to the FDA Hearing Aids | FDA. Nonetheless, these bad actors claim to be “FDA Cleared or FDA Registered” which is a term that may be misconstrued by the general public as “FDA Approved.” Companies using the words “FDA Cleared or FDA Registered” in their advertising are misguiding the public.
​
HLAA is concerned that consumers might purchase these Personal Sound Amplification Products (PSAPs) instead of traditional hearing aids, assuming these devices are legitimate OTC hearing aids. PSAPs are amplification devices available now that are intended only for those with normal hearing who want to amplify sounds. PSAPs are not interchangeable with hearing aids, are not intended to compensate for or treat hearing loss, and do not provide the sound filtering that an FDA-approved hearing aid does. The FDA prohibits manufacturers of PSAPs from marketing their products as hearing aids to people with hearing loss. 

https://www.hearingloss.org/hearing-help/technology/otc-hearing-devices/

https://www.hearingloss.org/hlaas-concern-for-consumers-reaches-the-fda/
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https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/consumer-products/hearing-aids
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The 2021
PA-Walk4Hearing TBD 
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Join The Chesco Team!
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In resources take a look at the NIOSH noise exposure chart. Good to know!
dB Exposure NIOSH 
​Exposure Limits Chart NIOSH
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Check out the pictures ​in the
Photo Gallery tab. 
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Download the: 
South-Eastern PA Resource Guide
Here!

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES!
Help representing HLAA-Chesco at Health Fairs and other community events
is needed throughout the year.  
If you know about an upcoming Health Fair or Event please ​send details about them to hlaachesco@gmail.com 
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"Like" Us on Facebook!
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Please visit our Facebook page for more information, articles,
​and updates!
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Community Partners
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​Donations 
​Always Welcome!