The official website for Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (Australia) Inc.

All  About  SHHH
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What's on this website

Click on one of the links below to get to the relevant page:
 
All About SHHH
  What We Are
       Background
        Mission Statement and Objectives
        Disclaimer
   Our Services
       Information
        Publications
        SHHH Online Discussion Group
        Libby Harricks Achievement Award
        Access
        Community Awareness
        Advocacy
        Hearing Aid Bank
   Where To Find Us
       Information Centres
        Support Groups
  The People Behind Us
       Board of Management
        Advisory Panel
        Volunteers
SHHH Membership
Join SHHH and participate in all the benefits of membership.

SHHH Information Resources
Many useful articles and features on all aspects of hearing impairment.

Useful links
Click here to find references to all kinds of useful services such as audiologists, suppliers of hearing technology, support groups, other associations, etc, etc.
______________________________

Contact us . . .

By mail at:
Hillview Community Health Centre
1334 Pacific Highway
Turramurra    NSW    2074

By email at:
shhh@netspace.net.au

By phone and TTY:
(02) 9144 7586

By fax:
(02) 9144 3936



The People Behind Us

       Board of Management     
President:  Richard Brading (above)
Vice-President:  Jan Fleming
Treasurer:  Lisa Li
Secretary:  Laureen Walker
Committee Members:  Judy Cassell and Gitte Keidser
Professional Advisory Panel
Tony Crittenden, MA, MAud (SA), Head Audiology Dept, Concord Hospital, NSW.
Dr Harvey Dillon, PhD, Director, National Acoustics Laboratory.
Prof William Gibson, AM, MD, FRCS, FRACS, Professor of Otolaryngology, Sydney University.
Prof Philip Newall, MSc (Biomech), MSc (Aud), Assoc Professor of Audiology, Macquarie University.
Dr Jenny Rosen, MA, PhD, former Head, Dept of Audiology, Hornsby & Ku-Ring-Gai Hospital, NSW.
Our Volunteers
Volunteers are the life blood of SHHH, carrying out most of its day-to-day activities.  Without them there would be no SHHH.

We always need more help, so if you feel able to assist in any capacity then we would love to hear from you.
Background

SHHH Australia Inc. is a voluntary, non-profit educational organisation dedicated to helping Australians with a hearing loss and whose primary method of communication is through speech. It was founded in 1983 in NSW by a hearing impaired person named Mary Sparke who felt strongly that hearing impaired people needed more than lip reading and hearing aids.  SHHH has since grown and expanded, and now gives information and advice to hearing impaired people and their families, while promoting community understanding about hearing loss. SHHH believes that knowledge is essential to becoming a successful consumer. As its name suggests, its aim is to assist each hearing impaired person to make informed decisions about their own best alternatives for their hearing management.

"WHY ON EARTH DON'T THEY GET A HEARING AID? (…and stop being a bother to me.)"

A well-fitted hearing aid can be a great help, however hearing aids make sound louder. They do not "correct" hearing. Even the best aid remains on the outside. The person's own defective hearing system must still take the message between his/her EARS and his/her BRAIN. The brain must then decode (understand) the imperfect message which has arrived there.

Mission Statement

SHHH Australia Inc is a voluntary organisation giving services and support to hearing impaired people throughout Australia who communicate orally.


Objectives

Hearing impairment can lead to increasing isolation and difficulties in family, social and workplace situations.  However, this is not inevitable. Hearing impaired people can help themselves and work to educate the community at large about hearing loss and how to manage it better.

SHHH Australia Inc, as a self help organisation for hard of hearing people, seeks:

  1. To educate hard of hearing people, their families and friends, and the community at large on the nature and complications of hearing loss and ways of coping with it.
  2. To assist hard of hearing people to integrate into all aspects of society.
  3. To provide referral services for the assistance of and guidance of hard of hearing people.
  4. To publish and distribute a regular journal and other information materials to to assist all those with an interest in hearing loss and to raise public awareness of hearing loss.
  5. To encourage and support groups where hard of hearing people, their relatives and friends can come together in fellowship, empathy and concern based on common experience.
  6. To represent the interests of hard of hearing people on matters pertaining to hearing and hearing impairment.
  7. To encourage scientific research into hearing loss and associated technology.
  8. To promote the welfare of hard of hearing people and, where appropriate, co-operate with other organisations.


Disclaimer
SHHH Australia Inc encourages self help for hard of hearing people, their family, friends and carers.  While every effort has been made to to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this website, the SHHH Board, its volunteers and website designers expressly disclaim liability to any person for the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done by any such person in reliance, whole or partial, upon any part of the contents of this website.
 Our Services
Information Sheets
SHHH produces sheets on a range of topics such as getting and using hearing aids, hearing loss in the workplace, telephone tactics, using assistive devices and managing hearing loss in the family. These sheets are updated regularly.  Click here to view them.
Publication:  Hearing Matters Journal
We publish a quarterly journal dealing with all aspects of hearing loss  -  to inform, inspire and keep you up to date.  The journal also acts as a forum for debate on issues about hearing loss and serves as an advocate for hearing impaired people.  It goes to all SHHH members and subscribers.  To subscribe, simply complete this form and send in with your remittance.

The current issue (November 2008) features a cautionary article on cheap mail order hearing aids, a look at "fashion accessory" hearing aids, and articles on hearing impairment issues in big cities, on trains and in the workplace.  There is also a look at Phonak's "Hear the World" awareness campaign which has many very well known "ambassadors" in the entertainment business.  Plus much more.

To receive your issue of Hearing Matters online please email Pauline at shhh@netspace.net.au.  Don't forget you need to be a member or subscriber! 
SHHH Online Discussion Group
Share your views and discuss mutual problems concerning hearing loss with many others from around the world through SHHH's own Google Group. Anyone can view group messages, however to post messages you need to be a member.  Becoming a member is a simple process when you follow the "Join this group" link.  If you don't have a Google account you will need to set one up as a first step;  again this is a simple process.
The Libby Harricks Achievement Award
Each year SHHH presents this award to recognise excellence in overcoming hearing loss in the achievement of individual goals.  If you know of someone that you feel deserves this recognition, why not nominate them?  Click here for details.
Access
We promote the installation of assistive listening systems in public venues.  We can also provide information about relevant discrimination legislation and standards and can provide a consumer consultancy service.
Community Awareness
We have an extensive outreach program with speakers available for both community and professional groups on request.
Advocacy
SHHH volunteers serve on a number of committees to to represent hearing impaired people.  We aim to make government, industry and other organisations more aware of other issues concerning hearing loss.
Hearing Aid Bank
In 1988 SHHH, in conjunction with Macquarie University, established a Hearing Aid Bank.  Eligible needy people who are not able to receive free hearing aids from the Commonwealth Government can be fillted with recycled hearing aids.  Click here for more information.
Where to Find Us

Information Centres
SHHH operates two Hearing Information Centres  -  at Turramurra and Canterbury.  These provide information on services and support organisations for hearing impaired people and give demonstrations of assistive listening devices for TV and radio, telephone equipment, alarms and other communication aids. Services are free and no appointment is necessary.
Click here for more information

Support Groups
SHHH Groups give hearing impaired people and their families the opportunity to meet others in similar situations.  Group members can learn about all aspects of hearing loss in an educational and supportive environment, using assistive listening devices where appropriate.

We have support groups in Baulkham Hills and Chatswood in the Sydney Metropolitan area, and in Orange and the Hunter area in regional NSW.  Click here for further details.

If there is no SHHH group in your area and you are interested in starting one, please let us know and we will be happy to help you.
Further Information
For further information on any of the above services or locations, please contact the SHHH office.