HLAA Downeast Chapter in Maine is under the umbrella of the national organization of Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) which is located in Bethesda, Maryland.
The purpose and objective of the HLAA Downeast Chapter is to educate all Mainers about the causes, nature, and complications of hearing loss and what can be done to better cope with that loss. We hold four to five meetings a year at which we may have guest speakers on a variety of topics relating to hearing loss. At meetings everyone can share their experiences coping with hearing loss.
Officers:
President – Pat Dobbs, Deer Isle
Pat started to lose her hearing when she was 19. Through the years her hearing steadily declined and today proudly wears bilateral cochlear implants. Her biggest challenge however wasn’t her hearing loss … It was that she was ashamed of it and jokingly refers to those days as being a “professional bluffer”. Luckily she learned about HLAA and got the support she needed as well as getting certified by Gauladett’s Peer Mentoring Program. . She started NJ’s HLAA Morris County Chapter, where she developed workshops and presentations. When she moved to Maine, together with Margaret, founded our Maine chapter.
Vice-President –Vacant
Treasurer – Margaret Myatt, Kennebunkport
Margaret has been wearing hearing aids for 47 years, staring when she was 30. Her hearing has degraded over the years and she felt isolated. She wanted to find a support group. Through the miracle of the Internet she found HLAA Central Massachusetts and she describes that discovery as a lifetime milestone. She met people who understood her frustrations and she learned how to cope and how the make life better with hearing loss. After retirement, Margaret moved to Maine in 2020 and helped Pat Dobbs build the new HLAA Downeast chapter.
Webmaster, Secretary – Thomas F Watson III, Swanville