Monthly Meetings

April 11, 2026 In-Person + Webinar Meeting

Stigma -- Making the Invisible Actionable

WELCOME TO THE 4th MEETING OF OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR!!!

RSVP by: Friday, April 10, 2026, 5:00 PM.

We are pleased to welcome our presenter, Jane Neilson, an East Bay Chapter member and our stipend awardee to the June 2025 HLAA convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Many people with hearing loss wait seven years or longer to seek treatment or never get treated at all. What role does stigma play in this delay? And is the public’s perception of hearing loss improving over time?

Jane will share key findings from the Research Symposium at the HLAA Convention, where specialists in medicine, public health, and stigma research explored how stigma surrounding hearing loss--and hearing devices--can have consequences far beyond social discomfort and can hurt more than your pride. It can negatively affect your healthcare outcomes and overall well-being.

Come learn what stigma is, how it works, and what can be done to address it.

This topic is deeply personal for Jane. Born with mild-to-profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, she grew up in the 1950s and 1960’s, when resources and support were far more limited. She didn’t receive her first hearing aid until the age of 30.

Schedule:

9:30 AM PT: Social and Refreshments
10:00 AM PT: Presentation (Webinar starts at 10 AM PT)
11:30 AM PT: Complimentary Pizza

NEW IN-PERSON LOCATION:

Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center, 3600 Broadway, (or use North Entrance at 275 W MacArthur, closest to free Fabiola parking), Lower Level Conference Room LL-B, Oakland CA 94611

PARKING OPTION #1: (3-minute walk): Free parking is available across the street from the Kaiser Fabiola Building at the 3780 Howe St. Parking Garage. From here, walk half a block to the North Entrance of the Oakland Medical Center at 275 West MacArthur Blvd. Please see the link here for walking directions.

PARKING OPTION # 2 (1-minute walk, parking lot adjacent to the Oakland Medical Center where the meeting will be held): The first two hours are free at the Kaiser Oakland Medical Center, 3510 Broadway Parking Garage; each additional 30 minutes costs $1, with a maximum daily charge of $18 after five hours. See the link here for parking fees.

DIRECTION: Once inside the Kaiser Oakland Medical Center, take any elevator to the Lower Level. Follow the signs to the Lower Level (LL) Conference Rooms. Our meeting will be held in Conference Room LL-B.