Yes, I hope HLAA catches on and gets larger - I have to travel over an hour, but at least it's on Saturday so I can go during daylight hours. The other possibility is trying the HLAA annual Convention sometime this June in Rochester NY. I'm planning to go (I grew up in Rochester so at least the area is familiar). It seems a little daunting but I thought it was worth a try - it would be nice to spend a long period of time at an event where I can understand what's going on! There's another group called ALDA (Association of Late Deafened Adults) that has annual conventions too.

I truly wish there were more hearing loss support groups in more places. I'm in rural western Massachusetts where many HOH people don't even have hearing aids (probably an affordability issue), I think that without hearing aids and a fair amount of technical support, it's really tough to conduct a meeting. On the other hand, maybe we should all be more patient with our own and others' hearing loss. Social support and learning how others cope is so important.

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