American Academy Of Audiology Celebrates 20th Anniversary At AudiologyNOW! In Charlotte, NC

Main Category: Hearing / Deafness
Also Included In: Ear, Nose and Throat
Article Date: 17 Mar 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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More than 7,000 attendees are gathering at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC, April 2 - 5, for AudiologyNOW! - an experience in knowledge, science, and technology for audiologists. Along with educational sessions, events, and technological innovations of interest to audiologists, this year's AudiologyNOW! also celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the American Academy of Audiology with the theme "Hear to Stay."

Twenty years ago this past January, a group of audiology leaders met at the invitation of Dr. James Jerger, then at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, to establish an independent national organization of, by, and for audiologists. In celebration of the first 20 years, the General Assembly, held from 10:00 am - 11:30 am, on Thursday, April 3, will highlight the professional victories and accomplishments in the field of audiology with a special session, "The Future of Audiology: 20 Years Later."

This year, the Marion Downs Lecture in Pediatric Audiology, will be presented by Daniel Christaan De Wet Swanepoel, PhD, of the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Dr. Swanepoel's presentation, "Hearing Loss: Silent Epidemic of Developing Countries," will focus on infant hearing loss as a major health-care concern in developing countries, where over 90 percent of children who suffer from hearing loss reside without the prospect of early identification or intervention. This year's WOW presenter, A. James Hudspeth, PhD, will present on hair cell physiology. Dr. Hudspeth's research at the Rockefeller University has led to better understanding of the intricacies of the inner ear, as well as their contributions to hearing and hearing loss.

Returning to this year's AudiologyNOW! after its debut at last year's convention in Denver is the DiscovEARy Zone! - a free interactive and educational experience about the human ear and the hearing loss that's guaranteed fun for kids of all ages. Located on Level 2, near the grand staircase of the Charlotte Convention Center, the exhibit will be open to the public from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, April 3 - 5, 2008. The DiscovEARy Zone will feature a series of interactive computer kiosks, hands-on learning tables, a giant graphic display of the anatomy of the ear, listening stations, and a quiet room where kids can have their hearing checked by an audiologist.

This year, Audiology Solutions will feature more than 200 exhibitors and over 280,000 square feet of cutting-edge hearing technology and audiological products and services, including assistive listening/altering and signaling devices, audiometers, batteries and battery accessories, bone conduction devices, diagnostic instruments, earphones, earmold/impression materials, evoked potential equipment/NB screeners, hearing aid accessories, hearing aid maintenance/repair, hearing protection, implantable devices, industrial hearing conservation, infant hearing screening equipment, OAE test equipment, real ear systems, swim plugs, tinnitus devices, vestibular test equipment, vibrotactile devices, video otoscopes, and wireless devices.

As the largest gathering of audiologists, AudiologyNOW! 2008, April 2 - 5, in Charlotte, NC, features exciting learning modules, educational sessions, learning labs, exhibitor courses, focus and discussion groups, research pods, poster presentations, and a student research forum. For more information, please visit AudiologyNOW.org.

The American Academy of Audiology is the world's largest professional organization of, by, and for audiologists. With an active membership of more than 10,000 audiologists, the Academy promotes quality hearing and balance care by advancing the profession of audiology through leadership, advocacy, education, public awareness, and support of research. To learn more about the audiology profession and how audiologists are helping the 31 million Americans who experience hearing loss, please visit the Academy's Web site at http://www.audiology.org.