Chapter history
35 years of speaking up for hearing loss
An all-volunteer chapter that served people with hearing loss, and the people who love them, across Oklahoma.
The chapter has closed
The Central Oklahoma Chapter has closed and no longer meets. This site is kept as an archive of the chapter's work and as a guide to organizations that continue to serve Oklahomans with hearing loss.
Meetings, membership, events, scholarships and fundraising have ended. The chapter's phone line, email and social media accounts are no longer monitored, so please don't send applications, dues or donations.
Looking for help? The Oklahoma resource guide lists organizations that are active today, and the Hearing Loss Association of America (opens in a new tab) offers national support and free online groups.
Our mission
To open the world of communication to people with hearing loss by providing information, education, support and advocacy.
What we did
Information, education, support and advocacy
Accessible meetings
Free monthly meetings with captions and a hearing loop, featuring audiologists, technology experts and fellow members.
Scholarships
Awards for Oklahoma students with hearing loss heading to college, career training and vocational programs.
Hearing access
Advocacy for hearing loops and telecoils in theaters, churches, libraries and public buildings.
Assistive technology
Hands-on demonstrations and device loans, including the Hearing Helpers Room and work with Oklahoma ABLE Tech.
Community & outreach
State Fair booths, senior centers, health forums and disability-awareness events across the metro.
Peer support
A place where nobody had to hide or apologize for hearing difficulty, and where coping strategies were shared freely.
Milestones
Moments we're proud of
- 2026
The chapter closes; its story is preserved
After about 35 years, the chapter stopped meeting. Its website was rebuilt as this archive, keeping the newsletters, stories and photos, and pointing Oklahomans to the organizations still doing this work.
- 2024
Recognized again by HLAA National
The chapter received the Chapter on a Mission Award. Ana Covey received the Alice Marie Stone Family Involvement Award and Shelley Gladden the Community Service Award.
- 2024
$22,000 in scholarships
By 2024 the chapter had awarded 20 scholarships over eight years to Oklahoma students with hearing loss, and added a vocational scholarship with Assist2Hear.
- 2020
The Hearing Helpers Room closes
After 22 years at INTEGRIS, the Faye Donalson Hearing Helpers Demonstration Room, where volunteers demonstrated and loaned assistive devices, closed in June 2020.
- 2019
A new home at Will Rogers Gardens
After the August 3, 2019 Ice Cream Social at Lakeside UMC, monthly meetings moved to the Will Rogers Gardens Exhibition Center, with a new midday time. The first meeting there, on September 19, 2019, featured Dr. Jace Wolfe of Hearts for Hearing.
- 2019
Three national HLAA awards
At HLAA's 40th Anniversary gala the chapter received the Founder's Day Award. Ana Covey received the “Get in the Hearing Loop” award and Sylvia Frank the “Spirit of HLAA” award.
- 2019
A more hearing-friendly metro
Hearing loops were in place at the Civic Center Music Hall, The Rodeo Cinema, St. Eugene Catholic Church and the council chambers of The Village and Nichols Hills. The chapter celebrated another loop with a ribbon cutting in September 2022.
- 2018
A new website: oklahomahearingloss.org
Oklahoma City designer Jason Matthews of JMSoloDesigns built the chapter's WordPress website, starting in January 2018. It became home to the chapter's newsletters, photo gallery, scholarships and news, and by 2020 it was where students applied for scholarships.
Source: oklahomahearingloss.org, 2020 (archived) (opens in a new tab)
- 2017
Meetings at Lakeside United Methodist Church
Day and evening groups met monthly at Lakeside UMC in northwest Oklahoma City, where the chapter stayed until summer 2019.
Source: Chapter website, 2017 (archived) (opens in a new tab)
- 2016
25 years of community
The chapter celebrated its 25th anniversary alongside that year's scholarship recipients.
- 2010
A group in Norman
A Norman group held its first meeting, an ice cream social, in August 2010, alongside the Oklahoma City day and evening groups.
Source: Chapter newsletter, August 2010 (archived PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- 2006
A new name: Hearing Loss Association of Oklahoma City
When SHHH became the Hearing Loss Association of America, the chapter renamed itself the Hearing Loss Association of Oklahoma City and moved to a new website, okc-hearingloss.org.
Source: okc-hearingloss.org, 2006 (archived) (opens in a new tab)
- 2003
Best chapter website in the nation
SHHH named okc-shhh.org its Best Overall Chapter Website for 2003.
- 2002
Captions and listening systems for every meeting
A $12,999 grant from the Junior Hospitality Club paid for an FM listening system with 30 receivers, a year of real-time captioning at both monthly meetings, and a projector to show the captions.
Source: Grant announcement, 2002 (archived) (opens in a new tab)
- 2002
A national award for an Oklahoman
At the SHHH national convention in Seattle, attended by ten Oklahomans, chapter member Sharon Howard received the Family Involvement Award.
Source: Chapter newsletter, August 2002 (archived) (opens in a new tab)
- 2000
OKC SHHH goes online
The chapter launched its first website, okc-shhh.org, with day and evening meeting schedules, news and the Hearing Helpers Room.
- 1998
The Hearing Helpers Room opens
Volunteers began demonstrating amplified phones, alerting devices and TV listeners at INTEGRIS's Third Age Life Center. Nothing was sold; people could try technology before they bought it. The room was later named for Faye Donalson.
Source: Hearing Helpers page, 2003 (archived) (opens in a new tab)
- 1991
A chapter is born
Faye Donalson founded the Oklahoma City chapter of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH) around 1990–91. She also served as SHHH's Oklahoma State Coordinator.
Source: Chapter website, 2001 (archived) (opens in a new tab)
Names over the years
From SHHH to HLAA
The chapter began as part of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH), which became the Hearing Loss Association of America in 2005. Its earlier websites are preserved by the Internet Archive.
- about 1991–2005OKC SHHH, Oklahoma City Chapter of Self Help for Hard of Hearing PeopleWebsite: okc-shhh.org (archived) (opens in a new tab)
- 2006–2016 (still the organization's legal name)Hearing Loss Association of Oklahoma CityWebsite: okc-hearingloss.org (archived) (opens in a new tab)
- about 2016–2026Hearing Loss Association of America, Central Oklahoma ChapterWebsite: okchearingloss.publishpath.com (archived) (opens in a new tab)
Past leaders
The people who kept it going
Officers, editors and volunteers named in the chapter's archived websites and newsletters since 2000.
- Faye DonalsonFounder; SHHH Oklahoma State Coordinator
- Tony HowardVice president and president, about 1998–2002
- Danita TestermanPresident and newsletter editor, 2002–2006
- Jane SelfDay group president, 2001
- Bob CowlesDay group president, 2002–2004
- Barbara CrooksPresident, 2005–2006
- Larry SlaughterBoard president, 2006–2011
- Ron HendricksBoard president, 2008–2010s; later treasurer
- Nancy LandrumNewsletter editor, State Coordinator and Hearing Helpers director
- Pati BurnsHearing Helpers coordinator and vice president
- Gordon RichardWebmaster and treasurer, 2001–2011
- Vernice MeadeNewsletter editor, 2008–2011
- Sylvia FrankEvening group president; Hearing Helpers volunteer
- Ana CoveyChair and hearing loop advocate
With gratitude
The volunteers who led the way
The chapter never had a paid position. Thank you to every board member, speaker, sponsor, partner and member who gave their time. This was our final published board.
- Judy HugleyChairperson
- Ana CoveyVice Chair
- Rebecca PlunkettSecretary
- Ron HendricksTreasurer
- Sharon HendricksScholarship Committee Chair
- Shelley GladdenPast Chairperson & Accessibility Coordinator
- Gene RichburgFundraising Committee
- Pati BurnsMember at Large
What Oklahomans gave
Raised by Oklahomans, given back to Oklahomans
These totals count only amounts the chapter's own records show. The real figures are higher: most years the chapter filed only the IRS postcard return, which reports no amounts, and donated door prizes, printing and countless volunteer hours aren't counted at all.
- $23,996+ documented in grants, gifts and fundraising
- $26,000+ awarded in scholarships to 22 Oklahoma students
Where it came from
- Junior Hospitality Club grant for an FM listening system, meeting captions and a projector (2002)$12,999
- All revenue reported to the IRS for 2020 (Form 990-EZ) (2020)$3,918
- Oklahoma City Community Foundation award for members' walking challenge (5,061 miles) (before 2022)$2,500
- A donor who funded a third scholarship (2021)$1,500
- Hearing aid raffle for the scholarship fund (hearing aids donated by Pro Hearing and Starkey) (2024)over $1,500
- Online gifts through the chapter website (2021–2025)$1,579
Scholarships by year
| Year | Students | Each | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 | $500 | $1,000 |
| 2017 | 2 | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| 2018 | 2 | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| 2019 | 2 | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| 2020 | 3 | $1,500 | $4,500 |
| 2021 | 3 | $1,500 | $4,500 |
| 2022 | 3 | $1,500 | $4,500 |
| 2023 | 3 | $1,500 | $4,500 |
| 2024 | 2 | $2,000 | $4,000 |
| Total | 22 | $29,000 |
The 2022 and 2023 amounts follow that year's published scholarship rules, but the award notices don't state them. The headline counts only what's confirmed: the chapter's own total of $22,000 through 2023, plus $4,000 awarded in 2024.
Thank you
Our sponsors, donors and partners
Every scholarship, hearing loop, captioned meeting and newsletter was made possible by people who gave. We are grateful to every sponsor and partner, and to the many members and friends who donated online, bought raffle tickets and brought something to share at an ice cream social.
Organizations & foundations
- Assist2Hear
- Cochlear Americas
- Hearts for Hearing
- Nichols Foundation
- Dr. Pam Matthews, Pro Hearing
Individual & family sponsors
- Linda & Cal Bryant
- David & Robin Croninger
- Dennis & Joan Kelley
- Nancy Landrum
- Shelley Gladden
- Tony & Sharon Howard
- Pat Fennell
- Mike & Elaine Frizzell
- Linda & David Koch
- Rebecca Plunkett
- Sylvia Frank
- Marion Thompson
- Charles & Carolyn Chastain
- Suzanne Parker
- Terry Mock
- Betty Jo Large
- Wanda Evans
- Peggy Scarbrough
- Ana Covey
- Elaine Lains
- Ralph Wilsack
Community partners
- INTEGRIShosted chapter meetings and the Hearing Helpers Room for 22 years
- Junior Hospitality Club2002 grant for meeting captions and an FM listening system
- Will Rogers Gardenshome of the looped monthly meetings from September 2019
- Lakeside United Methodist Churchhome of the monthly meetings until 2019
- Oklahoma ABLE Techassistive technology demonstrations and loans
- Hough Ear Instituteresearch updates and speakers
- Hearts for Hearingaudiologists, speakers and sponsorship
- Assist2Hearhearing loop installations and the vocational scholarship
- Starkey and Pro Hearinghearing aids donated for the scholarship raffle
- Center for Hearing Accessthe Oklahoma hearing loop list
Sponsors are listed as the chapter thanked them publicly. Individual donors are thanked together here rather than by name, to respect their privacy.