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Hearing health is an invaluable part of overall wellbeing. However, for some, it is also seemingly unobtainable. Financial need, location and lack of knowledge prevent many individuals from receiving the care they need to lead the highest quality of life possible.
As an audiologist, you can help clients who need but cannot afford services by informing them of the numerous organizations throughout the country offering free or reduced-cost services.
The following are profiles of just 10 of the many such organizations currently in existence:
 Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell)
Mission Statement: AG Bell's mission is to "Advocate Independence through Listening and Talking!" by ensuring that children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing have the resources and services necessary to develop listening and spoken language skills.
Founded: 1890
Services Offered:
Provides information related to the development of listening and spoken language in children who are deaf and hard of hearing; provides a network of interaction between parents, professionals and deaf and hard of hearing adults; awards financial aid and scholarships to families pursuing a spoken language outcome for their child; hosts a biennial convention as well as a biennial Listening and Spoken Language Symposium; aids families in obtaining access for their children who use spoken language in public school settings.
Areas of Operation: AG Bell is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has 32 state chapters and 50 international affiliates.
Participation Opportunities: Practitioners can join AG Bell for a $50 annual fee for a standard membership or $60 for a premier membership, which would include receipt of The Volta Review, an AG Bell publication. Practitioners may also attend conferences where they may lead or participate in short courses and learning tracks for continuing education.
Manufacturer Affiliations: N/A
Contact Information:
3417 Volta Place, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Phone: 202-337-5220
Web site: www.agbell.org
E-mail: info@agbell.org
AUDIENT
Mission Statement: AUDIENT is designed to help low-income families-nationwide-who are out of reach of existing programs and low-cost options to access quality hearing aids and related care at significantly reduced costs. AUDIENT was developed by the non-profit SightLife (formerly known as the Northwest Lions Foundation for Sight & Hearing) and is made possible through a network of dedicated professional hearing care providers and suppliers.
Founded: January 2005
Services Offered: Income-qualify and refer clients to hearing care providers for a fitting and three follow-up visits. Services are not free but are provided at a lower cost to the client.
Areas of Operation (location): United States
Manufacturer Affiliations: Oticon, Phonak, Siemens, and Widex
Practitioner Participation Opportunities: Practitioners can work with AUDIENT, accepting clients who have been income-qualified by the organization. After filling out a provider agreement, which outlines services and payments involved, AUDIENT will refer clients to the practitioner. Practitioners may also refer candidates to AUDIENT. AUDIENT collects fees and disburses to practitioners and suppliers in accordance with agreements.
Contact Info:
221 Yale Ave. N
Suite 450
Seattle, WA 98109
Phone: 877-283-4368
Web site: www.audientalliance.org
E-mail: info@audientalliance.org
Hearing Aid for Latin America Inc.
Mission Statement: Hearing Aid for Latin America has the mission of taking the gift of hearing to underprivileged children and young adults in Latin America.
Founded: 2002
Services Offered: Provides hearing aids to children in areas of Central and South America free of charge, and will fit and test all individuals at the site. While the focus of the Hearing Aid for Latin America is children, adults will be served as needed, as well.
Areas of Operation: Mexico, Nicaragua, Chili, Dominican Republic, Guadalajara
Participation Opportunities: Practitioners are encouraged to send any behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids to Hearing Aid for Latin America. All aids will be refurbished by the organization and given to underprivileged young adults or children in Latin America. Practitioners may also volunteer to accompany Hearing Aid for Latin America on one of its normally three trips per year; however, all expenses must be paid for by the volunteer.
Manufacturer Affiliations: No official affiliations; however, ReSound and Rayovac are frequent donators
Contact Information:
1223 Antoine Road
Houston, TX 77055
Phone: 832-279-3444
Web site: www.latinhearing.org
E-mail: Rsolcher@sbcglobal.net
HIKE Fund Inc.
Mission Statement: The purpose of the HIKE Fund Inc. is to provide hearing devices for children with hearing loss from newborn through 20 years of age, whose parents are financially unable to meet this special need.
Founded: 1985
Services Offered: Provides funding for hearing devices, offered to children newborn through age 20, who have seen an audiologist or doctor, received a prescription for a hearing device, are U.S. citizens and meet the financial requirements-a family income of less than $100,000 annually.
Areas of Operation: The United States
Australian and Canadian HIKE Funds have also been created; however services and regulations may differ.
Manufacturer Affiliations: N/A
Participation Opportunities: Donations, referrals
Contact information:
10115 Cherryhill PL
Spring Hill, FL 34608-7116
Phone: 352-688-2579
Web site: www.thehikefund.org
E-mail: Through Web Site
 John Tracy Clinic
Mission Statement: John Tracy Clinic provides, worldwide and without charge, parent-centered services to young children with a hearing loss, offering families hope, guidance and encouragement.
Founded: 1942
Services Offered: Services are provided free of charge to families with children birth to age 6 with hearing loss. The scope of services is four-fold, including audiology services, parent-infant services, pre-school services, and psychological services. Audiologicservices include comprehensive diagnostic assessment, ABR, OAE, behavioral testing, ongoing audiologic follow-up and monitoring, and hearing device support.
Areas of Operation: On-site services are provided in Los Angeles and LongBeach, CA; Distance education for parents is offered internationally with a series of courses to help parents learn about hearing, hearing aids and cochlear implants
Manufacturer Affiliations: N/A
Participation Opportunities: Referral of families, donations, hearing aid recycling
Contact Information:
806 W. Adams Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Phone: 213-648-5481
Web site: www.jtc.org
E-mail: audiology@jtc.org
League for the Hard of Hearing
(to become the Center for Hearing and Communication, effective April 2009)
Mission Statement: The League for the Hard of Hearing's mission is to improve the quality of life for infants, children and adults with all degrees of hearing loss.
Founded: 1910
Services Offered: Full range of audiologic services, including hearing testing, hearing aid/assistive device dispensing, central auditory processing, and ABR, is offered to individuals birth and older. Additional services include:
· Communication services--speech and language therapy, auditory oral program for young children, individual and group speech reading training for adults, auditory training for adults who are new hearing aid users or cochlear recipients, classes for individuals learning English as a second language with a hearing loss
· Mental health services
· Public Education--support groups, question-and-answer e-mail capabilities, clinical professional connection
· Mobile audiology vans
· Project PATH (Preschool Access to Hearing)
Areas of Operation: New York and the tri-state area; Bowers County, Florida
Manufacturer Affiliations: N/A
Participation Opportunities: Practitioners can inform clients of services provided by the League for the Hard of Hearing, donate to the League and volunteer their services with the organization.
Contact Information: 50 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10004
2900 West Cyprus Creek Road
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
Phone: 917-305-7700 (NY)
954-731-7200 (FL)
Web site: www.lhh.org
E-mail: postmaster@lhh.org
 Lions Clubs International Foundation and Lions Clubs
Mission Statement: Lions clubs' mission is to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding. Lions Clubs International Foundation exists to support the efforts of Lions clubs worldwide in serving their local communities and the world community as they carry out essential humanitarian service projects.
Founded: 1968
Services Offered: Through the Lions Affordable Hearing Aid Project, Lions provide high quality, low cost hearing aids to adults who could not otherwise afford them. Eligible individuals must income-qualify. Lions clubs also collect and refurbish hearing aids for reuse.
Areas of Operation: United States, as well as clubs in 205 countries throughout the world
Manufacturer Affiliations: Rexton
Participation Opportunities: Practitioners can assist Lions clubs by performing the fitting and testing of hearing and hearing aids to individuals being served. They can partner with a local Lions club and offer discount services. Donations of used hearing aids for refurbishing are also accepted.
Contact Information: Contact headquarters by phone or email to be put in contact with local clubs.
Phone: 630-468-6771
Web site: www.lionsclubs.org
E-mail: lcif@lionsclubs.org
Quota International
Mission Statement: The business, mission and objects of Quota International shall be to seek individuals of diverse occupations committed to sharing their time, talent and resources to meet Quota International's service goals, and more particularly:
· To serve country and community;
· To promote high ethical standards;
· To emphasize the dignity of all useful occupations;
· To develop good fellowship and friendship; and
· To advance the ideals of righteousness, justice, international understanding, and good will.
Founded: February 6, 1919
Services Offered: As a membership organization, Quota International encourages its members to provide volunteer services via their own Quota club in their local communities. These clubs provide assistance based on their own determination.
Quota's charitable arm, the We Share foundation, offers programs and technical assistance to help members serve disadvantaged women and children as well as deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-impaired individuals. Services for individuals with hearing impairments include public education, scholarships, health insurance assistance when obtaining hearing aids and/or cochlear implants, school support via volunteer services, equipment financing and lobbying for universal infant hearing mandates.
Quota International also sponsors Club-to-Club World Service, a program in which local clubs work in developing countries providing the services needed.
Areas of Operation: Aruba, Australia, Canada, Curacao, Fiji, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Saint Eustatius, Saint Maarten, Suriname, United States.
Manufacturer Affiliations: Siemens
Participation Opportunities: Practitioners can recommend a child to be assisted through the Sound Beginnings Partnership with Siemens Hearing Instruments. Practitioners may also join Quota International. Interested individuals can contact Quota International at staff@quota.org if they would like to join an existing Quota club or launch a new Quota club. Further, practitioners may donate to Quota International and the We Share Foundation. Every dollar donated to the Club-to-Club World Service program reaches its intended target. Donations can be targeted to programs that assist deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired people.
Contact Information:
1420 21st Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-331-9694
Fax: 202-331-4395
E-mail: staff@quota.org
Membership Web site: www.quota.org
We Share Foundation Web site: www.wesharefoundation.org
 Sertoma
Mission Statement: Sertoma exists for the high and noble purpose of Service to Mankind by communication of thoughts, ideas and concepts to accelerate human progress in health, education, freedom and democracy.
Founded: April 11, 1912
Services Offered: Scholarships of $1,000 each are given to students studying to be audiologists or speech pathologists at the master's level or above as well as to deaf and hard-of-hearing students at the undergraduate level - typically 40 or more of each are awarded annually; non-profit agencies, as a part of Sertoma's Adopt-an-Agency program, are given access to discounted services from affiliated manufacturers as well as education grants; through SAFEEars, information on noise-induced hearing loss is dispensed to local communities; hearing devices are collected, refurbished and dispensed to individuals unable to afford hearing aids through Sertoma Hearing Aid Refurbishing Program (SHARP); and on Celebrate Sound, a Web-based function currently in the developmental stages, individuals can obtain information on hearing, how to protect it, how to find help and support programs. Additional programs vary by region, clientele served and income levels.
Areas of Operation (locations): United States
Manufacturer Affiliations: Oticon, Widex Hearing Aid Company, Frye Electronics, Phonak, Harc Mercantile LTD, Phonic Ear Inc, Ravovac Corporation, Rexton Inc, Siemens Hearing Instruments, Starkey Labs Inc, Unitron Hearing, and Wilfan Electronics
Participation Opportunities: Practitioners may participate in the Adopt-an-Agency program for a fee of $150/year. They may also take part in SHARP, collecting, refurbishing and dispensing hearing devices to individuals unable to afford aids on their own.
Contact Information:
1912 E. Meyer Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64132
Phone: 816-333-8300
Web site: www.sertoma.org
E-mail: info@sertomahq.org
 Venice Family Clinic
Mission Statement: Venice Family Clinic's mission is to provide free, quality healthcare to people in need.
Founded: 1970
Services Offered: Venice Family Clinic provides services free of charge including general healthcare, pediatric care, health education, wellness, teen care, women's health services, chronic disease management, dental care, vision care, integrative medicine, HIV/AIDS prevention, public health insurance enrollment, and short-term individual, family and group counseling, among other services. In conjunction with Dr. Gergory Frazer, director of audiology for the Pacific Eye & Ear Specialists Group, the clinic also provides free hearing aids to patients who require hearing healthcare but lack insurance. Audiology services are funded by Pacific Eye & Ear Specialists and Starkey Hearing Foundation.
Areas of Operation: Primarily serves the Westside of Los Angeles County, California
Manufacturer Affiliations: N/A
Participation Opportunities: Practitioners may donate to the clinic, volunteer their time and spread information on the clinic to fellow professionals, other healthcare practitioners and clients.
Contact Information:
604 Rose Ave.
Venice, CA 90291
Phone: 310-664-7905 (administration)
310-392-9255 (development)
310-392-8636 (patient appointments)
Web site: www.venicefamilyclinic.org
E-mail: vfcinfo@mednet.ucla.edu
Sue Coyle is on staff at ADVANCE.
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