Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Joins the Revlon LOVE IS ON 2016 Million Dollar Challenge
Help HLAA Win $1 Million for Hearing Loss
BETHESDA, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#ChooseLove–The Hearing
Loss Association of America (HLAA) has joined the Revlon
LOVE IS ON 2016 Million Dollar Challenge, a fundraising
competition created to help charities supporting women’s health raise as
much money as possible for their cause. HLAA is competing for a portion
of the more than $1.4 million in cash prizes from Revlon that will go
toward awareness, education, support and advocacy for hearing loss. The
organization that raises the most money for their cause at the end of
the Challenge will receive a $1 million donation from Revlon. The
six-week Challenge begins September 14 at noon and runs through October
26 at 1:59:59 p.m. Eastern time.
HLAA has titled its campaign This is Not Your Grandmother’s
Hearing Loss (Or is it?) to emphasize the fact that while
hearing assistive technology has come a long way, the stigma, denial,
and cost associated with hearing loss are still the driving factors that
prevent people from seeking help. Presbycusis, or age-related hearing
loss, is the number one cause of hearing loss in the U.S., affecting
more than 35 million people age 60 and older. Hearing loss is also the
third most prevalent health issue in older adults, after arthritis and
heart disease.
While age-related hearing loss impacts both women and men, it
disproportionately affects women for a number of reasons1:
-
Older age. Women are more likely to live into their 80s and
beyond, when hearing loss is very common. For instance, 45 percent of
people in the 80-plus age group have a disabling bilateral hearing
loss (a moderate loss or more in both ears).2 -
Lower income, with reduced ability to afford hearing aids and
other forms of hearing health care. Older women have less savings,
lower pensions, are more dependent on Social Security for their
economic survival, and are more likely to live in poverty.3 -
More likely to live alone, thus more vulnerable to the isolation
and depression that comes with hearing loss. According to the 2010
census, 36 percent of older women lived alone, versus 19 percent of
older men.3
“Education and support are central components of HLAA’s mission. Thus,
developing and disseminating educational programs about women’s hearing
loss to the general public and health care providers aligns perfectly
with our mission,” said HLAA Executive Director Barbara Kelley. “Given
the increased awareness of the public health implications of hearing
loss, HLAA views the current climate as an opportune time to address
these issues. Winning the Revlon LOVE IS ON Million Dollar Challenge
would allow us to effectively change the landscape in terms of awareness
and support for women’s hearing loss issues. But we need your help in
this campaign. If you have a hearing loss or know someone who does – and
chances are you do – please consider a donation. No matter how big or
small, every dollar helps.”
Since its inception more than 36 years ago, HLAA has become the trusted
source for timely and reliable information and peer support for
consumers, and has the expertise to develop programs about hearing loss,
hearing protection, screening, and treatment, among others. HLAA has
joined the Revlon LOVE IS ON Million Dollar Challenge to raise the money
necessary to support its work to remove barriers to seeking hearing
help: awareness, stigma, denial, and cost.
The Revlon LOVE IS ON 2016 Million Dollar Challenge is being hosted on
CrowdRise.com, the largest crowdfunding platform for good. CrowdRise
Challenges are innovative fundraising competitions for charitable
organizations. Designed to build capacity, create massive engagement,
leverage the power of the crowd, these Challenges provide new,
meaningful funding streams for organizations in every sector.
To help the Hearing Loss Association of America win the Revlon LOVE IS
ON 2016 Million Dollar Challenge, visit www.crowdrise.com/hearing-loss-association-of-america-revlon2016.
About the Hearing Loss Association of America
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. HLAA produces the Walk4Hearing
in 22 cities across the country, publishes the bimonthly Hearing
Loss Magazine, holds annual conventions (HLAA2017
Convention is in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 22 – 25), advocates for
the rights of people with hearing loss, conducts educational
webinars, and has an extensive network of chapters
and state organizations across the country. For more information,
visit hearingloss.org.
About CrowdRise
CrowdRise is the world’s largest and fastest growing online platform
dedicated exclusively to charitable fundraising. CrowdRise is used by
millions of individuals, tens of thousands of charities, hundreds of
companies and many of the most famous artists and athletes in the world
to creatively leverage their resources and networks to unlock the power
of the crowd to support positive social missions and create massive
impact. For more information visit CrowdRise.
Sources:
1 Lin, Niparko and Ferruci. (2011) Arch Int Med, Table 1.
Note that this table includes all-cause HL in the 60+ age group, for
which the total is 38.6 million.
2 Gorman and Lin (2016) Am j Pub Health, Table 1
3 Shriver Center for Poverty Law: Older women and poverty.
Accessed
at: http://www.ncdsv.org/SSNCPL_Woman-View-Older-Women-and-Poverty_3-30-2016.pdf
Contacts
Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)
Nancy Macklin,
301-657-2248 Ext. 106
nmacklin@hearingloss.org
