On Tuesday, June 3 at 2 p.m., Dr. Alison Hoffmann, Audiologist and co-owner of the Albertson-based Advanced Hearing Center (AHC) will host a free program entitled: The Road to Better Hearing.
The program will be held at the Hillside Public Library, 155 Lakeville Rd., New Hyde Park. The featured speaker is Katherine Bouton, author of Shouting Won’t Help, a memoir of adult-onset hearing loss. Bouton has had bilateral hearing loss since 1978 and recently received a cochlear implant.
Reservations to attend must be made by calling AHC at 516-484-0811.
The first 50 registrants who attend the program will receive a free autographed copy of Bouton’s book.
Bouton will discuss how she lost her hearing and found her life again. As she reads excerpts from her book, she will also talk about her own experience with hearing loss, daily challenges and why so many people deny the problem and fail to treat it.
“Not only does it benefit you to be open about your hearing loss (physically and mentally) but it also helps to educate society about this growing problem,” said Bouton. “Speaking up for your rights, joining support and advocacy groups can be empowering when enduring this uncomfortable disability.”
At the event, Hoffmann will offer tips on signs and symptoms of hearing loss, discuss various hearing devices and necessary steps for treatment.
“We are passionate about helping the hearing impaired and education is the first step. Better hearing improves ones quality of life and allows for better relationships,” said Hoffmann. “General knowledge of how to speak to the hearing impaired can also improve communication flow. People can make minor adjustments in how they speak to someone who has difficulty hearing.”
Advanced Hearing Center offers numerous free workshops on various topics. On the first Tuesday of each month, AHC holds a workshop, Hearing Optimization in the Albertson office. To register, call 516-484-0811.
Bouton is a former editor and writer at The New York Times. Her writing and speaking now focus on hearing loss and other disability issues. She is a graduate of Vassar College and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Hearing Loss Association of America.
