HISTORY OF CHARLOTTE SHIP/SHHH AND NOW HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA CHARLOTTE CHAPTER
Contributed by Myra White, a founding member of HLAA Charlotte and it’s most faithful member. Myra has experienced life-long hearing loss supported by the use of hearing aids, assistive listening devices and cochlear implants.
My history of SHHH (Self Help for Hard of Hearing People) starts long before I discovered information about it. I searched for a support group like SHHH long before I heard of the organization. I had asked audiologists, doctors, hearing aid dealers and others if they knew of other people like me who was severely hard of hearing or had lost their hearing like me that I could meet, to find out how they did better than I did with their hearing loss. The answer was always no.
In March of 1984, I attended a luncheon for Cochlear Implant patients in Nashville, TN. This was the first time I met other people like me who had lost their hearing later in life (except for one lady I met when I had tests to become a cochlear implant patient). I met Phyllis Bush who had helped organize a group called HEAR (Helping Each other Adjust Realistically). I corresponded with her and the other late deafened adults for years.
In May, 1985, at Eastland Mall while l was looking at the display for Deaf Awareness Week; Julia Sain saw me. Julia said, "Myra you are just the person I have been wanting to get in touch with." Julia began to tell me about SHHH, and asked me if I would be interested in getting a group started in Charlotte. I said, "YES! She told me of a couple of more hard of hearing ladies she knew, and she would be in touch with me for a date. The first meeting was set for the last Tuesday in May, 1985.
OUR GROUP BEGINS: On May 28, 1985, a small group met at Sharon Branch of the Public Library (building was torn down later) on Fairview Road. They were: Sponsors - Julia Sain and Linda Campbell, Hard of hearing persons - Josephine Beard, Roni Holm, one other lady that I can’t remember her name and me. At the first meeting, we just talked about our hearing loss, problems we had, what we'd like to see the group do, and began to get to know each other. We discussed how to advertise.
Next, I wrote all the audiologists, doctors, and hearing aid dealers in Charlotte asking for their support, and asked them to tell people about our Group. Julia and Roni worked up a flyer, and Roni put them out on mail boxes. Julia contacted the newspaper and placed an ad in their announcements. We began meeting once a month.
A new year and a new name: At the January 28, 1986 meeting, we gave ourselves a new name for our group - Support for Hearing Impaired People (SHIP). In 1988 we filled to become a chapter with SHHH. On December 6, 1988 we became an official chapter of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People and our official name was Charlotte Support for Hearing Impaired People/SHHH (Charlotte SHIP/SHHH).
In 2006 the national organization changed their name to Hearing Loss Association of America and each chapter had to change their name. We became Hearing Loss Association of Charlotte. In 2013 HLAA national office required each chapter change their name again. In 2013 our name was officially changed to: Hearing Loss Association of America Charlotte Chapter. In May of 2018 our chapter will be 33 years old.
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The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) is a national nonprofit organization in existence since 1979. HLAA provides assistance and resources for people with hearing loss and their families to learn how to adjust to living with hearing loss. www.hearingloss.org
The Hearing Loss Association of America - NC Chapter (HLAA-NC) was the FIRST HLAA State Association sanctioned by HLAA. It's focus is on state-wide advocacy and cooperation. www.nchearingloss.org
The Hearing Loss Association of America - Charlotte Chapter (HLAA Charlotte) has been in existence since 1985. We are supported completely by volunteers and funded by donations. We recommend that you join the HLAA national organization at www.hearingloss.org, because without the HLAA national organization, we wouldn't exist. Everyone is welcome to participate in our local chapter, regardless of national membership status.
