Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting

Description: Explore the wide-reaching effects of hearing loss in a new webinar from the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). Although hearing loss is a physical condition, it is considered primarily a communication disability. It can have profound effects beyond just your ears—ranging from emotional well-being and personality traits to relationships, social connections and employment.
Our dynamic panelists will discuss this important topic affecting a growing number of people and take your questions.
This webinar is part of HLAA’s Beyond Your Ears campaign to raise awareness of the importance of treatment and support for hearing loss in May—coinciding with Better Hearing Month and Mental Health Awareness Month.
NOTE: Live webinar participants are limited to the first 500 attendees. The captioned recording will be available on our HearingU web page and sent to all registrants within 1-2 weeks.

Dr. Cejas is the director of family support services and professor, Department of Otolaryngology & Psychology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She moderated HLAA’s 2024 Research Symposium, “The Emotional Side of Hearing Loss,” and wrote an article with the same title for the fall/winter issue of Hearing Life magazine.

Ib Dabo is a commissioner for the Georgia Commission for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing, past HLAA Board Member and hearing health advocate. He will be a panelist at the HLAA 2025 Research Symposium, Hearing Loss Stigma: Making the Invisible Actionable. Ib was diagnosed with hearing loss as a young adult.

Dr. Freeman is a clinical psychologist at California State University at Northridge and in her own private therapy practice. A longtime HLAA member with severe bilateral hearing loss, she wrote the latest cover feature for Hearing Life magazine spring 2025 issue, “Hearing Loss Affects More Than Your Ears.“

A well-known leader in hearing health, Barbara Kelley has been with HLAA for 37 years. She sits on top health, communications and regulatory boards across the U.S. and globally, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Council of Councils (DPCPSI); Hearing Restoration Research Program panel (Congressionally directed medical research program) and Cochlear Implant International Community of Action (CIICA) board, among many others.
NOTE: HLAA does not offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for participation in our webinars.
The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) believes that information about products and services that could benefit people with hearing loss should be made available to help them make informed decisions about their hearing health care. We do not endorse products or services, but educate and advocate for a range of assistive technology options to help people understand, connect and stay engaged in their lives. Reference to specific products, services, organizations or claims made in HLAA HearingU webinars, online meetings or discussions does not constitute endorsement, recommendation or favoring by HLAA, nor does exclusion suggest disapproval.
While we make every effort to provide accurate and reliable information, HLAA does not control or guarantee the accuracy, completeness or efficacy of information conveyed by presenters. HLAA HearingU webinars are intended for general information only and do not constitute medical or mental health advice. Please consult a health care professional with any concerns.