@ sueinmn and @loribmt These strategies work some of the time, but denial is a huge factor, as is the stigma that is associated with hearing loss...which is associated with aging. No one wants to be old. Yet, when HL is not addressed it makes someone look a whole lot older than they are.

I encourage you to consider becoming a member of HLAA. It is the ONLY consumer organization that is advocating for the hard of hearing population. There is a chapter of HLAA in the Twin Cities and one of the oldest chapters is in the Fox Valley Region of Wisconsin. Not that a person who is a member of HLAA has to become involved in a chapter; they don't unless they want to meet other people they can discuss things. The other side of HLAA is similar to MCC. A primary purpose of the organization is to reach out to others who need support and unbiased information. The 'each one; reach one' philosophy has helped thousands of people who just needed to learn they were not alone. Of course sharing of coping strategies and knowledge of assistive listening technology is huge too.

The Fox Valley Performing Arts Center installed assistive technology when it was built because members of HLAA advocated for it. It has been updated and kept in excellent condition because the HLAA folks in the area educate and care. If a person's hearing aids have telecoils as an option, all they have to do is push a button and they will hear what is coming from the stage microphones directly...no background noise. It's wonderful! If they do not have telecoil equipped hearing aids they can get audio loop receivers to use to get the same effect. (Just a shame to not have telecoils in one's hearing aids...it's kind of like owning a car without air conditioning. It's not needed all the time, but when it is, it's fully appreciated.

Instead of no longer going to events at looped venues, as many hard of hearing people do, the PAC in our area is well attended by grateful people who appreciate and use the loop system.