To offer quality help and support to hearing impaired people and their carers

To help hearing impaired people cope with their impairment so that they can lead as normal a life as possible. To improve their ability to continue living independently and to offer freedom from social isolation

Why the community needs this charity

The number of people affected by loss of hearing is increasing significantly given that people are now living much longer. HHAS will therefore need to support greater numbers of hearing impaired people in the future

Results and outcomes

In 2009/10 our staff and volunteers made 3930 visits to assist people in their own homes; our technical team advised and demonstrated equipment to 492 people and our mobile advisory service saw 4650 people in community locations around the county. Our service in Bedfordshire had 783 consultations.

Latest activities and projects

Mobile Advisory Service vehicle maintenance

Our Technician works to a published schedule which involves visits to 25 public community based venues (e.g. community centres, health centres/surgeries, day centres, clinics etc.) on a monthly basis and, additionally, pays regular quarterly visits to around 35 residential homes and other such locations. The technician relies on being mobile at all times in order to deliver a very busy and regular visiting schedule. It is vital that the vehicle running costs are covered for this service.  read more

Outreach to hearing impaired people having language difficulties

We have now recruited the development worker to address the problem and to implement a plan to tackle the issue of accessibility of both statutory and HHAS's own services to these groups. Part of the project will be to use the services of volunteers from various ethnic communities and British Sign Language users so that a full understanding of the issue can be gained and appropriate support given read more