Peggy Ellertsen is building an online learning community to increase awareness of hearing loss and audiologic rehabilitation in the Boston metropolitan area. Persons with hearing loss and hearing healthcare thought-leaders will contribute blog posts, articles, and resources to the new community.
Peggy serves on the steering committee for Hear@Boston, the Boston chapter of Hearing Loss Association of America. She coordinates the chapter's speaker program and outreach initiatives to hearing care clinics in the region.
Over the past few months, she has helped the Boston chapter to develop an online learning community on their newly designed website. The new sections of the website will provide information about hearing loss and potential action steps to members of the Boston hearing loss community.
According to Peggy, many people with hearing loss are not fully aware of the communication and technological strategies available to them. Many assume that hearing aids are the only solution. They are unaware of other valuable methods and tools such as communication strategies, assistive listening devices, or group rehabilitation programs.
"We will soon be launching a new HLAA Boston website with a series of blogs showcasing personal perspectives on hearing loss. There will be a young adult, a senior citizen, and an attorney who is a disabilities expert who will share their perspectives on hearing loss," states Peggy Ellertsen. "There will also be a guest blog series on the topics of aural rehabilitation and stress management. A number of thought leaders in the field have already submitted consumer friendly versions of some of their research studies. We are very excited about this new project."
Education and knowledge sharing are two important ways to share public awareness of hearing loss. Peggy hopes that the new online learning community will encourage more people in the Boston area to consider or reconsider taking action on their hearing. In addition, she hopes that the online community will become a place where professionals and hearing impaired persons can share thoughts, perspectives, and questions.
You can view the newly designed HLAA Boston Chapter website by visiting www.hearinglossboston.org
Peggy Ellertsen earned a Certificate of Clinical Competence (Speech/Language Pathology) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in 1971 and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Reading and Human Development from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education in 1979.
She has worked as a Speech/Language Pathologist and Reading and Language Specialist in clinic, public school and private practice settings for over thirty years. She has severe, progressive, sensori-neural hearing loss and currently practices as a hearing loss management coach for persons with hearing loss.