Welcome to the West Valley Chapter

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The Hearing Loss Association of America, West Valley Chapter, is a non-profit chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) dedicated to the welfare and interest of living with hearing loss.

We are a dedicated all-volunteer support group committed to living life to the fullest with our hearing loss. How do we accomplish that? By sharing our experiences, expertise and understanding of this invisible thing called hearing loss. Monthly we provide presentations on different hearing loss topics. All of our meetings are captioned, so no more struggling trying to understand. We make it easy for you. We can help!

Please visit our pages to learn how to live better with hearing loss.

Speaker List through 2024

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Upcoming Meetings

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Education

Our primary purpose is to educate ourselves, our families, friends, co-workers, teachers, hearing health care providers, industry, government, and others about hearing loss.

Information

We provide information on many aspects of hearing loss, from technological and medical advances to coping, parenting, and strategies to improve mental health issues related to isolation with hearing loss.

Advocacy

We advocate communication access in the workplace, hotels, schools, court systems, medical and entertainment facilities.

We promote new technology, research, and legislation that will improve the effects of hearing loss.

Support

We support individuals through our local chapters to promote self-confidence and empowerment to develop options for ourselves, and to open doors for others.

Board Members

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Melanie O'Rourke

President
Melanie joined HLAA West Valley chapter in 2005 after relocating from the Chicago area and looking for support for hearing loss.  She then became Secretary and became immersed in all the advocacy issues for individuals with hearing loss in the Phoenix area.  After retiring from her career in speech pathology she sought out HLAA as a way to continue to advocate for individuals with hearing loss. In 2015 she became president and has served in that capacity since.
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Fred Williams

Vice President
Fred is the incumbent chapter vice president. In addition to planning and making arrangements for the monthly speakers for our chapter meetings, Fred also runs the chapter's book group, West Valley Readers, as another way for members to stay connected.
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Pat Williams

Treasurer
Coming soon!
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Shannon Tyree

Secretary
Shannon Tyree has been a member of HLAA since 2018 and presently serves as its secretary. She has lived in Arizona since 2012 after moving from Minnesota. Besides taking minutes at the board meeting, she prepares the monthly chapter newsletter, Hear For You, and helps with the chapter’s website. She and her hearing service dog, Riley, also write a blog called MyGoldenHears.

Vision Statement

The Vision of the HLAA West Valley Chapter is to provide awareness for community members that will be prioritized so that hearing wellness and services will be a fundamental component of health for adults with hearing needs.

Mission Statement

The Mission of the HLAA West Valley Chapter is to open the world of communication to people with hearing loss by providing education, information, advocacy, and support.

Code of Conduct

“The HLAA Board of Trustees has there fore adopted the following Code of Conduct which applies to all attendees of our organizations events.”

  • Attendees at HLAA events shall not indulge in any practices or activities that could bring HLAA into disrepute.
  • Attendees at HLAA-sponsored events shall not engage in discrimination or harassment based on hearing status or level of hearing loss, race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, disability, marital status, citizenship status, veteran status, military status or any other protected category under applicable law.
  • Attendees at HLAA-sponsored events shall not engage in any threatening, hostile or abusive behavior at any HLAA-sponsored event or in the HLAA workplace. This includes any act that could cause another individual to feel threatened or unsafe through the use of verbal threats, expressions of hostility or intimidation. No individual covered by this Code of Conduct shall threaten or carry out any act of physical violence against another person at any HLAA-sponsored event or location and the possession of dangerous articles such as firearms or other weapons at any HLAA-sponsored event or location shall be prohibited.
  • Attendees at HLAA-sponsored events shall conduct themselves with the awareness that they are personally accountable for their behavior both in person, using the written word, in verbal interaction and online and shall adhere to all standards of accepted professional conduct and good business practices. HLAA condemns hate speech, epithets and other words meant to hurt and inflict physical or emotional harm to others.

This Code of Conduct shall be publicized to all attendees through its website and written publications, at public events, the Walk4Hearing and the Annual Convention. Violation of this Code of Conduct may subject any violator to expulsion and exclusion from any HLAA-sponsored event, as well as punishment and fines in accordance with any applicable federal, state or municipal laws, regulations and policies.