Lise Hamlin joined the HLAA national staff as director of public policy in April 2008. Lise, who has a hearing loss herself, has worked as an advocate for people with hearing loss for more than 25 years. She currently represents HLAA on federal advisory committees, industry advisory groups, and consumer coalitions, including the Federal Communications Commission’s Disability Advisory Committee, Transportation Security Administration’s Disability and Medical Condition Coalition, LG’s Accessibility Advisory Board, AT&T’s Advisory Panel on Access and Aging, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network. She has also taken part in developing, maintaining and presenting training programs on hearing assistive technology and on emergency preparedness.

Lise fields emails and calls from people with hearing loss who experience barriers to employment, technology, and health care as well as access to public places and telecommunications. She works directly with consumers to help them understand their rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability laws. In 2019 she received TDI’s Karen Peltz Strauss Award Public Policy Award and has been recognized with the Oticon Focus on People award, a Spirit of SHHH Award and the F. Michael Taff award from the Human Rights Commission of Rockville, Maryland.