Celebratory Collaboration: HLAA and ALDA Boston Chapters
“Collaboration” was the theme of Celebration ’14 – the May 10th evening of fun, learning, and inspiration at MIT in Cambridge, planned by the Boston Chapters of Hearing Loss Association of America and the Association of Late Deafened Adults to salute the work of the many hearing loss support groups and hearing health professionals in our region.
Members of the hearing loss community from all over New England gathered together for a program of three presentations.
In her opening remarks, Massachusetts Commissioner for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Heidi Reed discussed the importance of partnerships among hearing healthcare professionals and hearing loss support agencies and organizations in providing relevant resources to meet the needs of our diverse population of persons with hearing loss.
Accessibility Specialist Valarie Burrows and the Accessibility Department of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston were honored with the Excellence in Accessible Programming Award for providing exceptional resources to those with physical and sensory disabilities.
Finally, our guests were treated to a performance of the outrageously funny – and very powerful – “Ear Rage” by its author, the renowned hearing loss advocate, Gael Hannan.
A reception followed the presentations, where guests mingled with old friends and new acquaintances until well after closing time!
Deep appreciation to our sponsors – Oticon, Shanahan Sound, Advanced Bionics, Med El, Hamilton Relay, and Sebastien’s Catering. Special thanks to all of the Celebration ’14 volunteers, especially Jonathan O’Dell and Carol Agate for their photographs! Enjoy!