HLADE has many programs and events. It also shares programs and events from other organizations for and of interest to Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing people. Members and the public have opportunities to learn information, advocacy skills and receive needed training. We encourage members and friends to voice your support on hearing loss concerns such as captioning, digital phone accessibility, communication and much more. Community awareness and education about hearing loss and all issues impacting people with hearing loss is fundamental and important in what we do. Also, we emphasize the importance of empowering ourselves and take advantage of any opportunities to share, grow and learn from each other!
LET’S LOOP DELAWARE!!!
To listen to what hearing in a room or venue with and without a hearing loop, go to the video page and listen to how great it sounds to hear through a hearing loop!!
To learn more about hearing loops, go to https://hearingloops.org
Deaf or hard of hearing people find it more difficult hearing with background noise or conversation and at a distance from the speaker. They may not hear people or conversation easily or at all on the TV, at lectures, concerts, restaurants, airports, train stations, classes, church, in schools, schools for the Deaf, in the car and more! An individual or group “hearing loop” is a great solution! A hearing loop is a magnetic induction coil or copper wire magnet in the telephone coil (“telcoil”)inside a hearing aid or cochlear implant. You can also have a separate listening device or attachment with a telcoil if your hearing device does not have a telcoil within it. Then, the person with a hearing loss will hear very clear sound and a”loop” also shortens the distance between the speaker and listener regardless of where you may sit in a room or area. It is a lower cost solution that anyone can purchase or obtain.
HLADE has already been successful in advocating for hearing loops in Delaware churches, theatres, UD Academy of Lifelong Learning, UD Theatre, Chapel Street Players, The Grand, Newark Senior Center and more! Hearing loops are especially needed in banks, health clinics, medical and doctor’s offices, government offices,schools, churches, theatres, libraries, customer service and reception desks, restaurants, sporting events, tours, bus, train stations, airports, cabs and other venues. Hearing Loops are very common in Europe, such as Westminster Cathedral but have recently become more in demand in the U.S. because of hearing advocacy.
HLADE’s “Let’s Loop Delaware” project is part of a national project of the Hearing Loss Association of America, called “Let’s Loop America!” To learn more about or help with this exciting project, contact the Hearing Loss Association of Delaware @
HEARING AID AND HEARING TECHNOLOGY RECYCLING PROGRAM 
HLADE has been collecting used hearing aids and cochlear implants for years, but we now have an exciting partnership with the Lions Clubs of Delmarva. Any Lions Clubs or any member of the public may donate a hearing aid, cochlear implant or a hearing listening device such as an amplifier, alarm clock, microphone,watch, etc. HLADE then checks it out and works with hearing aid providers if it is a hearing aid, to give a person a hearing aid if there is NO AVAILABLE FUNDING to help the person that otherwise could not afford one OR we provide hearing help for people in hospice care or indigent people who can not afford a hearing device through any funding program. Unused hearing aids and devices are donated to other non-profit organizations or foundations. We also connect people to programs that provide free smoke alarms to deaf and hard of hearing people at no cost. It is a win-win for all!! Contact HLADE if you need more information on our Recycling Program”.
Hospital Kits
If you know someone that is deaf or hard of hearing and is in the hospital, then HLADE can deliver a “toolkit” for the person to use in the hospital. Often, people that are deaf or hard of hearing end up in the hospital with or without their hearing aid. Therefore, deaf and hard of hearing people have great difficulty or can not understand what is going on around them. They have great difficulty communicating with doctors, nurses, therapists, aides and visitors. A basic communication kit is a great help to have bedside for the person with hearing loss. Contact HLADE at to learn more!!
EDUCATION AND TRAINING- DELAWARE HEARING LOSS ACADEMY AND SPEAKER’S BUREAU
Know of a group that wants to learn more about any aspect of hearing loss? Then let us know! We’ll provide the speaker your group needs. Awareness, Education and Training programs can be created, customized or developed for your particular requirements! We will go anywhere in Delaware or the region to do education and training.
What types of training do we offer??
ONE TIME REQUEST- You can get a FREE one-hour presentation for your non-profit organization just by asking and scheduling in advance! For profit businesses are charged a reasonable fee and price depends on the level of expertise required for training.We welcome donations to pay expenses for information and handouts distibuted to attendees!
A SHORT TERM CLASS, SEMINAR OR TRAINING
Basic Training for Business, Community Groups, Agencies, Healthcare, Emergency Personnel and other Groups!
Please Note: These are formal training programs such as a conference, seminar or classes of up to four to six weeks in length or you may specify the length or number of sessions needed. For a list of possible formal training classes, please go to our Education/Training Programs page.
Our speakers are professionals such as doctors, audiologists, speech pathologists, captioners, interpreters, deaf and hard of hearing people and others who have a great deal of experience and expertise in deaf and hard of hearing issues. If you are a media specialist or a member of the press and want to connect with an expert, please contact or call (302) 388-9459 (Voice/Cell/Text/Captel711)
Our programs can be presented at our offices in Wilmington and in Kent or Sussex County, or at your location.
In the past classes have been held libraries, community centers, senior centers, health care clinics or facilities, business locations, schools, churches, private agencies or organization offices. Some of the topics we speak on are listed below. But customized programs can be developed for the needs of your group.
Our instructors are professionals with experience in teaching and are audiologists, otolaryngolists, speech pathologists, interpreters of the Deaf, hearing aid specialists, teachers, etc.
WHERE: Our programs can be presented at your facility or a mutually agreed location anywherre in the state of Delaware or the region. A reasonable fee is usually charged for training. In the past classes have been held libraries, community centers, senior centers, health care clinics or facilities, business locations, schools, colleges,churches, private agencies or organization offices. HLADE can provide you with the training or it can help you find the best expert for the training.
FEES: A program can be one session or a one-hour class per week for 4-6 weeks at any location and includes all materials. The fee varies according to the type, length of time for the class, level of expertise and whether attendees will provide handouts or educational materials. Please contact to discuss your individual needs for awareness,education and training.
contact us.
Press and Members of the Media- Please contact HLADE at or call us at (302) 388-9459 (C/Voice/Captel/711)
One of HLADE’s Core values is the need for everyone-consumers and the public to learn more about hearing loss, deaf and hard of hearing people, how hearing loss affects our brain and impacts EVERY aspect of our lives, including health. People with hearing loss are much more likely to have increased stress and a significant lack of stimuli to the brain. Research has now proven that people with hearing loss tend to have a higher incidence of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, depression, and isolation, dementia, etc. Therefore, we offer over 20 different lectures and talks on all aspects of hearing loss throughout Delaware and the region to increase awareness, learning and understanding about hearing loss, the 3rd most common medical condition in the United States.
We also offer in person or Zoom short term classes for 5-6 weeks on various subjects or will customize classes to particular needs. We have offered classes in beginning sign language, Living with Hearing Loss, Communicating with hearing loss, hearing aids, listening with a hearing loss, tinnitus, children and hearing loss and many basic computer classes for deaf and hard of hearing people more subjects. If you or your group is interested in having a class in your area. Classes can be in person or online. please contact HLADE @ for more information.
Find the Money for Hearing Aids! (FMHA)
Hearing Aids and assistive listening devices (ALD’s) can be expensive but there are lower cost options too! So we work with any person or organization to help identify programs they may be eligible for that will help pay for hearing aids or other kinds of telephones or hearing technology that will help them.There are many options to help people struggling to pay for one of the new Over the Counter Hearing aids or a higher tech digital, multi-programmable hearing aid. We have assisted many people to learn about and find the best options for technology. We love to save people money!!:) For more information, please contact HLADE at
Better Hearing Program (BHP)
HLADE receives innumerable calls, texts and emails from people with hearing loss throughout Delaware and the region asking many questions or perhaps they are having difficulty with a piece of technology or hearing aid they are using. We help people on a one-to-one basis and suggest options and solutions to help them or refer them to those that can help. We can even visit them at home, do a Zoom meeting or meet in a mutually convenient place. So we love to help individuals and families with hearing loss issues! So contact HLADE at if you need personal assistance!
HLADE HEARING BUDDY OR FRIEND PROGRAM(NFP) 
HLADE recognizes that many people new to hearing loss or maybe a child, teen or adult with hearing loss needs someone to talk to about questions, situations or issues they are having at school, home, work or other places because of a hearing loss. We are happy to help identify another friendly, caring and supportive person with a hearing loss that perhaps has had similar struggles and can provide one time or ongoing positive support. A mentor is someone who shares their knowledge, skills or experience to help another person and grow. It is informal and up to the mentee to decide how often or when they need to meet. If you or someone you know needs to connect with someone else on an individual basis, HLADE will help find and facilitate an introduction to another person with hearing loss! To learn more, contact HLADE at
Speaker’s Bureau
HLADE HEARING LOSS ACADEMY,SPEAKER’S BUREAU and PRESS CONTACT
Know of a group that wants to learn more about any aspect of hearing loss? Then let us know! We’ll provide the speaker your group needs. Awareness, Education and Training programs can be created, customized or developed for your particular requirements!
ONE TIME REQUEST- You can get a FREE one-hour presentation for your non-profit organization just by asking and scheduling in advance. For profit businesses are charged a reasonable fee and price depends on the level of expertise required for training.
A SHORT TERM CLASS, SEMINAR OR TRAINING
Basic Training for Business, Community Groups, Agencies, Healthcare, Police and other Groups!
Please Note: These are formal training programs of up from four to six weeks in length or you may specify the length or number of sessions needed. For formal training classes, please go to our Education/Training Programs page.
Our speakers are professionals such as audiologists, speech pathologists, captioners, interpreters and others who have a great deal of experience in deaf and hard of hearing issues. If you are a media specialist or a member of the press and want to connect with an expert, please contact or call (302) 388-9459 (Voice/Cell/Text/Captel711)
Our programs can be presented at our offices in Wilmington and in Kent or Sussex County, or at your location.
In the past classes have been held libraries, community centers, senior centers, health care clinics, inpatient and outpatient healthcare facilities, business locations, schools, churches, private agencies or non-profit organization offices. Some of the topics we speak on are listed below. We work with speakers to customize the talk to YOUR and your groups needs.
Some Sample Topics:
- Introduction to Hearing loss
- The Power of Sound
- Understanding Your Hearing Loss
- Noise and Hearing Loss
- What’s that Noise in Your Head? Tinnitus!
- Preventing Falls in People with Hearing Loss
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing People in Disasters,
Emergencies and Police Actions - Hearing Loss in Children
- Developing and IEP for your Child with Hearing
Loss - Helping Teens with Hearing Loss
- Accomodations for Children with Hearing Loss
in School - Communication and Educational Options for
- Infants and Children with Hearing
Loss - Caregiving and Hearing Loss
- Hearing Loss and Your Rights
- What’s up with Hearing aids?
- Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids-Are They
Right for You? - How to Buy an Over-the-Counter Hearing
Aid - Getting the Most Out of Hearing Aids
- American Sign Language-Introduction
- Cochlear implant Basics
- Speechreading (lipreading)
- Introduction to Assistive Listening
Devices - Telephones, Relay,CAPTEL and RTCC for
Deaf and Hard of Hearing People - Demonstration of Apps for the People
with Hearing Loss - Using the Telephone Relay Service
- Coping with a Hearing Loss
- Living with Someone with a Hearing Loss
- Communication and Educational Options for
Infants and Children with Hearing Loss - How to Help your Child at Home and School
- Living with Hearing Loss
- Communicating with a Deaf-Blind Person
- Introduction to Computers for people with
hearing loss - Music and Hearing Loss
- History of Hearing Aids
- Web Resources for Hearing Loss
- HELP! Delaware and Regional Resources for
Hearing Loss - How to Advocate for your Child in School or
College - How to be a Self-AdvocateFor more information, or to request a one-time session or a class to be conducted in your area please contact us.
Please Note: These training programs are customized of up to four to six weeks in length and can be customized to your group or need. For a one-time, approximately one hour class go to our Education section for our Hearing Loss Academy list of topics.
WHO: These training programs are especially designed to help businesses and organizations, police departments, emergency workers, and other government agencies understand and improve skills communication skills with the deaf and hard of hearing community.
Our instructors are professionals with experience in teaching and are audiologists, otolaryngolists, speech pathologists, interpreters of the Deaf, hearing aid specialists, teachers, etc.
WHERE: Our programs can be presented at your facility or a mutually agreed location anywherre in the state of Delaware or the region. A reasonable fee is usually charged for training. In the past classes have been held libraries, community centers, senior centers, health care clinics or facilities, business locations, schools, colleges,churches, private agencies or organization offices. HLADE can provide you with the training or it can help you find the best expert for the training.
FEES: A program can be one session or a one-hour class per week for 4-6 weeks at any location and includes all materials. The fee varies according to the type, length of time for the class, level of expertise and whether attendees will provide handouts or educational materials. Please contact to discuss your individual needs for awareness,education and training.
contact us.
Press and Members of the Media- Please contact HLADE at or call us at (302) 388-9459 (C/Voice/Captel/711)