Why My Family Walks For Hearing

The weather turns cools, the leaves begin to change and school begins. It is Fall in New York City and that means it is time for another Walk4Hearing. This will be my fourth year walking and volunteering. Each year it is a wonderful day of community, camaraderie and support for hearing health. It is also an important fundraiser for Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA).

To find or support a walk near you, click here.

This year’s call to action is Get Your Hearing Checked. Free screenings will be available at walk sites across the country. The first step in treating hearing loss is knowing that you have it. Since hearing loss can occur gradually, it often sneaks up on people. Hearing loss is associated with many health problems including diabetes, cardiac disease and even dementia. Identifying and treating hearing loss early is critical for your overall health.

My family and I are proud to support HLAA through the NYC walk. We walk to:

1. Bring Attention To Hearing Loss: Almost 50 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, including 1 in 5 teens and 60% of returning soldiers, yet it is still not top of mind as an important health issue.

2. Break The Stigma: Hearing loss remains a stigmatized disability. By walking, my family and I help break that stigma, proclaiming to all that I have hearing loss and it will not hold me back. We hope others will be inspired to accept and treat their hearing loss.

3. Promote Community: Walking with others who have hearing loss and their friends and family helps build a supportive community for us all. The hearing loss friends I have made through HLAA are an important support network for me. I hope others will have a similar experience.

4. Raise Funds: Walking helps support HLAA’s important work as the consumer voice for people with hearing loss with governmental agencies, corporations and other large organizations around the world. It also helps support local chapters like the one I am a part of in NYC.

To support HLAA and the Walk4Hearing click here.

Readers, will you Walk4Hearing this year?

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