By Dr. Robert Mario
Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas) urged a gathering of 120 supporters of the Hearing Aid Tax Credit to help him work for passage of federal Congressional bill H.R. 1646.
The dinner event was hosted in Sugar Land, Texas, by the state chapters of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) and the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) with sponsorship by Hearing Industries Association (HIA).
Olson thanked the audience for all of their hard work in support of H.R. 1646, and noted how important it is to have attracted 125 House co-sponsors. He added that enacting legislation is “a very laborious process” but that the bill’s wide bi-partisan support makes it easier to attract the attention of House leadership when major tax legislation is considered.
As part of the program, several local residents from the Sugar Land area described the effectiveness of their hearing aids and emphasized the difficulties related to the lack of financial assistance when hearing aids are needed. They identified passage of the Hearing Aid Tax Credit as critical to their ability to access the hearing assistance technology they rely on in their daily lives. Local children also led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance to start the program.
Speaking during the event, local resident Chanda Allen described how hearing aids had enabled her son, who was diagnosed with hearing loss at birth, to “develop speech and language abilities that are as good as a child born with normal hearing.” She also emphasized how important it is to fit children with hearing aids as early as possible after hearing loss is identified, and added that the tax credit would be a big help, especially since hearing aids are likely to be a recurring expense for her son.
Porter, Texas resident Donny Atwell described how he developed a hearing loss in his 40s having worked near loud machinery for most of his life. He reported that “without my hearing aids, I would not be able to participate with my family and friends at all,” and that he would really appreciate the tax relief that H.R. 1646 would provide.
The Aug. 20 event was the tenth in a series of grassroots initiatives in support of the Hearing Aid Tax Credit sponsored by HIA in partnership with HLAA, AG Bell, IHS and supported by ASHA, AAA and ADA. Other successful events have been held in California, Michigan, Maryland, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Hearing Aid Tax Credit currently has 125 co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, including 15 members of the Ways and Means Committee, and 10 co-sponsors in the U.S. Senate. Visit www.hearingaidtaxcredit.org to learn more.
Dr. Robert Mario, PhD, BC-HIS, is the director of Mario Hearing and Tinnitus Clinics, with locations in West Roxbury, Cambridge and Melrose. He can be reached at 781-979-0800 or by visiting their website, www.mariohearingclinics.com. Archives of articles from previous issues can be read at www.fiftyplusadvocate.com.
