The Hearing Loss Association of America‘s Walk4Hearing in North Carolina is coming up soon on October 15th, and I’ll be walking. (fates willing)

Did you know that approximately 48 million people in the United States have a hearing loss? The goal of the Walk4Hearing is to increase awareness about the causes and consequences of hearing loss and to raise funds to provide information and support for people with hearing loss.

This is my first year participating in the Walk4Hearing and I’m excited and nervous. I’m excited to be surrounded by people who live with hearing loss, like me; our friends and family who support us, audiologists, and advocates…everyone coming together to make a difference. I’m nervous because ….well golly, this is one place I’m not nervous because I can’t hear. That’s pretty amazing. I will be using my walker for balance and safety. I am a little nervous that I might have a vertigo attack, but hubby will be with me, I’ll take all the precautions I can, and if it happens, I’ll deal with it.

I’m pushing myself by participating in this walk, it’s important to me. It’s hard for those with normal hearing to fully comprehend the challenges that one faces with hearing loss. It’s hard to imagine the disorientation that comes from the absence of sound, the concentration required to communicate using both visual and auditory clues, and how people and things can come up from behind you with no warning.

This year, the Walk4Hearing will include a #HearingLossChallenge. Walkers will have the opportunity to wear earplugs during the walk to experience what hearing loss is like first hand. The earplugs will be provided free at the walk sites. Even though, the experience isn’t completely accurate, it will give the wearer a taste of what it’s like to live with hearing loss. Photos and reactions can be shared on social media using the hashtags #HearingLossChallenge and #Walk4Hearing.

I am hoping you can support me in my efforts to raising awareness about hearing loss. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of many!

You can make an online donation from my personal page (click the personal page link here). Any amount, great or small, helps in the fight to make hearing loss an issue of national concern. I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.

(please visit Sheri Eberts blog Living with Hearing Lossto read about her experience with the Walk4Hearing. I have shamefully used many of her words above, with much gratitude.)

The Hearing Loss Association of America® (HLAA), founded in 1979, opens the world of communication to people with hearing loss through information, education, support and advocacy. In addition to the Walk4Hearing, HLAA publishes the bimonthly Hearing Loss Magazine, holds annual conventions, hosts online learning with the Hearing Loss Support Specialist Training, and more. HLAA has chapters nationwide to support people with hearing loss. The national headquarters is located at 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1200, Bethesda, MD 20814. Phone: 301.657.2248.