Our Story

On a hot July day in 2004… seven adults with hearing loss met to discuss how they could reach out to the millions of people in Los Angeles County who have some degree of hearing loss.

Over the next 2 months, the group of seven decided to join the Hearing Loss Association of America and start an L.A. chapter. With seed money donated, they hired a captionist and planned their first meeting at the HEAR Center (www.hearcenter.org) in Pasadena.

It was hoped that at least ten people would show up but, as would become an HLAA-LA tradition, there was enough food available to feed 30.  And luckily so, as the room filled up with people eager to share their hearing loss stories and offer support to those new to the journey.

During the 11 years since that 1st meeting, the group has grown to more than 200 members, held more than 100 meetings, partied on more than 20 occasions, sent representatives to 10 HLAA Conventions, and participated in 7 Walk4Hearing events held in Southern California. Through outreach and fundraising, the group continues to support the mission of HLAA: to open up the world of communication for people with hearing loss through information, education, advocacy and peer support.