I’m just back from the annual HLAA convention. This one was in Phoenix, where the average temperature at this time of year is 107 degrees. That’s average!

I thought I’d skip this one, which was my 13^th. Not only is Phoenix hot but it’s a long flight, 5 and a half hours nonstop from New York. But then I thought, Why would I skip the one event where my hearing loss doesn’t matter? My loss is severe enough, even with a cochlear implant and a hearing aid, to make any kind of gathering, large or small, a challenge. The. HLAA Convention is one where every program is captioned, the meeting rooms have hearing loops, and everyone is wearing a name tag.

My first Convention was in Washington, D.C. – actually, Crystal City in Arlington Va. I went to the Friday morning research symposium, about reversing sensorineural hearing loss, the most common type. The panel was terrific, and I ended up writing a chapter about the work in “Shouting Won’t Help” (Chicks and Fish Do It, Why Can’t We?). But I was too uncomfortable with my hearing loss to introduce myself to anyone and left shortly after the symposium.

My second was in Providence. I stayed one night. Still too shy to introduce myself, I had dinner at the hotel bar. A tall lanky man struck up a conversation. It turned out he belonged to the New York City Chapter and he urged me to come to one of their meetings. It changed my life. I might eventually have found HLAA on my own and I might even have found the chapter (hearinglossnyc.org). But information was sparse in those days and it could have taken years.

I have lots of friends after all these years at HLAA Conventions but one of the things I like best about attending is meeting new people. Some of them are new to the Convention. Some are just new to me. I’m still grateful for the man at the bar who invited me to the New York Chapter, and in that spirit I try to reach out to newcomers.

This year’s Research Symposium addressed “The Emotional Side of Hearing Loss,” with four distinguished speakers. Research clinicians Barbara Weinstein Ph.D, Kathy Pichora-Fuller Ph.D, Ivette Cejas Ph.D, and Gael Hannan, author of several books on hearing loss and a great speaker. Dr. Cejas did double duty, presenting for Peter Dixon MD, whose flight was delayed. I think this is the first time this topic has been addressed head on. Acknowledgement that hearing loss can be emotionally destabilizing is something relatively new. When “Shouting Won’t Help” was published, I wrote not only about my hearing loss, but also the emotional upheaval. I was criticized for that by some older HLAA members, and it really stung. I am glad to see HLAA address this difficult reality, one that many of us experience.

You can read about the many other educational workshops offered, on the HLAA website. Some of these will be available as videos. Two were presentations I thought would be great for out chapter meetings next year, and I signed the speakers up on the spot.

Next year’s Convention is scheduled for June 12-14 in Indianapolis. I’ll be there!