Public can vote for local advocate in national contest
Jena Howell of Texarkana is among 12 outstanding people with hearing loss honored by the 2017 Oticon Focus on People Awards.
The national competition recognizes individuals who are helping to change perceptions of what it means to live with hearing loss.
Howell, 77, has been selected as one of three finalists in the advocacy category. The public is invited to cast their votes for Howell and other finalists in the student, adult, advocacy and practitioner categories at www.Oticon. com/FOP through Aug. 31. The total number of votes received by each finalist will help to determine who will be the first-, second- and thirdplace winners in each category.
Winners will be announced in October. Howell was nominated for the award by her audiologist, Dr. Kelly Pack.
“I was really surprised when I found out I was nominated,” Howell said.
Howell, who has had hearing problems since birth, has been wearing hearing aids for 50 years. She read lips in school and said receiving her first hearing aid at age 27 changed her life for the better.
Howell is described as being passionate about educating those around her to take charge of their own hearing health. She is her own best example. Hearing loss and numerous failed hearing screenings as a child did not discourage her from pursuing a successful career in nursing. Now retired, she continues to volunteer her time and expertise to her community, leading a local chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America.
Her involvement in promoting hearing screenings at numerous community health fairs and ongoing support of nursing programs at local churches gives her many opportunities to demonstrate that hearing loss does not limit a person’s ability to contribute in valuable ways.
“I try to offer them encouragement,” she said.
Leading hearing solutions manufacturer Oticon Inc. created the national awards program in 1997 to honor hearing-impaired students, adults and advocacy volunteers who drive awareness and understanding that can change attitudes and open doors of opportunity for all people with hearing loss. Hearing loss is the third most common physical condition, after arthritis and heart disease. It has been shown to affect physical health, cognition, social skills, family relationships, self-esteem and more.