Our Story

Hearing Loss LIVE! started with a dream for a more understanding and accessible world for those with hearing loss.

To get there, we need people to understand…

  • More than wearing devices is needed to be successful with hearing loss. (Being proactive, education & tribe.)
  • The many accommodations available to us.
  • Routinely request the accommodations to help more people understand them.
We can do this, join us! We can make it happen together!
run down shack in the background. Woman with shoulder length brown hair, a cowboy hat and sunglasses smiling from a window area. Hearing Loss LIVE is Chelle.
A moderate/severe hearing loss doesn’t stop Chelle living life.
Hearing Loss LIVE! is Chelle Wyatt

History:

I had hidden hearing loss as a teenager which became progressively worse. When I was 18 years old, tinnitus turned on suddenly. At 23 years old, I started wearing hearing aids.

Everyone thought hearing aids would fix my hearing loss, including me. They didn’t, it takes more know-how. Now that I’ve learned to live successfully with hearing loss, I aim to share that knowledge far and wide.

Work Experience
  • Utah Division of Services of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Hard of Hearing Program Manager (Sensory Impairment Specialist) from January 2018 through June 2021. I managed the program and 7 Hard of Hearing Assistants. Created classes and presentations. Organized events. Filled in on responsibilities below as needed. During my time with the state program, I managed to raise Hard of Hearing attendance to the most ever.
    • 2018: Best of the Best Award
    • 2019: DSDHH Director’s Award
  • Division of Services of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Hard of Hearing Assistant from August 2013 through December 2017. Giving presentations. Teaching classes and editing them. Pursued outreach. Created content for social media. Helped clients with assistive technology in the demo room and mentored clients.
Volunteer Experience
  • SayWhatClub volunteer, 2010 to present. Served in a variety of roles: Board of Directors from 2015 until 2018, president for a year. Served on several roles in the convention committee. I’m currently helping them on their social media team.
  • Hearing Loss Association of America, Salt Lake City Chapter volunteer, 2010 to current. Steering committee member. In the past, served as president and am currently their treasurer. Duties include helping to manage monthly meetings. From 2010 through 2012, I was the HLAA-SLC Walk4Hearing chair. Responsibilities included monitoring timelines, finding sponsorships and organizing monthly meetings.

“I’m thankful for my struggle, because without it I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength.”

Alex Elle

Every HoH person deserves access to communication no matter where they are on the hearing loss spectrum. We have a right to be accommodated in a way that helps right NOW. That includes gaining access to the tools and accommodations that will help them live well with hearing loss.

Hearing Loss LIVE is Julia. Blue sky background with thunderheads. Green field behind two ladies. On the left, an older lady in white shirt and hat. On the right a younger lady in black hat gray shirt and black skirt.
Julia Stepp with her grandmother, Alida Tyler, at the annual University of Utah’s Polo Match fundraiser.
Hearing Loss LIVE! is Julia Stepp

My grandmother was deaf in one ear and wore a hearing aid in the other ear for as long as I can remember. I grew up as a hearing partner and didn’t know it.

Hearing partners come in many different forms. They are employers, coworkers, friends, neighbors, and most importantly family. The problem: Our hearing partners need better education on the role they play. That’s where I come in. I help you get in the KNOW.

Accommodating Hearing Loss

CART/Captioner 2001-current. I provide services for individuals who need real-time live captioning in college class settings, college sports events, conferences, office meetings, medical and health settings. Services are in-person, remote online and in one-on-one and group settings. I employ hearing partner strategies in every one of these settings.

Volunteer Experience

HLAA-SLC Chapter volunteer/captioner 2001-current. Captioning assignments through the Division of Services of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is how I discovered Hearing Loss Association of America, Salt Lake Chapter. Though the state partnered with HLAA for CART Services, which I provided, I found I loved working as a hearing partner volunteering with our local chapter as well.

Work Experience

State of Utah Hard of Hearing Assistant 2020-2021. Taught online classes to include Lipreading and Living With Hearing Loss. During the pandemic provided online presentations to community centers and assisted living centers with regards to to hard of hearing communication needs. Helped revise classes for the State of Utah’s Hard of Hearing program.

Human Resource Experience

1990-2000 Worked in Operation Management and Human Resources for various companies both in California and Utah. Gaining knowledge and insite to the beginning foundations of ADA Law under Title I.

There is a world of knowledge for folks. But there isn’t always a clear way to obtain that knowledge. Hearing Loss LIVE! is what the world needs so we can help ourselves openly and without boundaries or restrictions. Together, we have the knowledge and the resilience to explore the unknown.

Why we care…

Being HoH often feels as if we don’t fit anywhere. It’s isolating, and depressing, being out of sync with the hearing and Deaf communities.

Everyone should be able to define their communication needs and have them accepted. As more Hard of Hearing become empowered, we can work together to spread awareness further.

Learn more about our work.

*Note: Michele Linder was one of the founders of Hearing Loss LIVE! You will find her insight in many of our earlier blog posts. She has since moved on in another direction in life.