[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 94 (Thursday, June 27, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IN HONOR OF BRENDA BATTAT FOR HER SERVICE TO THE HEARING LOSS 
                         ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 27, 2013

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today to recognize 
the accomplishments of my constituent, Brenda Battat, and her 24 years 
of dedicated service to the Hearing Loss Association of America, HLAA. 
Through her tenure at HLAA, which she has served as Executive Director 
since 2008, Ms. Battat was instrumental in making HLAA the nation's 
leading consumer organization for people with hearing loss. Among her 
many accomplishments, Ms. Battat made significant contributions to 
raising public awareness on hearing loss and advocating for greater 
accessibility in public and private venues.
  At the HLAA, Ms. Battat worked to ensure that Americans with hearing 
loss have more and better health care and technology options. She led 
advocacy efforts to increase consumer choice in the hearing loss 
marketplace. She assisted people with hearing loss in obtaining more 
options for communication and entertainment, such as hearing aid-
compatible telephones and increased captioning of internet and mobile 
television programming. By fighting to make hearing aids and hearing 
technology more affordable and promoting the use of hearing assistive 
technology with consumer train-the-trainer programs, Ms. Battat has 
achieved easier and more effective communication for the hard of 
hearing. Ms. Battat's promotion of hearing assistive technology has 
removed barriers for those with hearing loss to participate fully in 
both private and community life.
  Ms. Battat, who herself has a profound hearing loss and uses a 
cochlear implant and hearing aid, has served on many state and national 
advisory boards, including the National Institute on Deafness & Other 
Communication Disorders Advisory Council, the National Association of 
Hearing and Speech Action, the National Center for Deaf Health Research 
External Committee, the Maryland Telecommunications Relay Advisory 
Committee, the Federal Communications Commission's Hearing Aid 
Compatibility Negotiated Rulemaking Committee, and Consumer/Disability 
Telecommunications Advisory Committee. In short, her efforts have 
benefitted countless people.
  Ms. Battat's outstanding work has earned her well-deserved national 
recognition. She received the Sheldon Williams Itzkoff Leadership Award 
in 2010, the Robert H. Weitbrecht Telecommunications Access Award in 
2007, the Oticon Focus on People Advocacy Award in 2005, and the Self 
Help for Hard of Hearing People National Access Award in 2002. Under 
her leadership, the HLAA maintained financial stability and earned the 
GuideStar Exchange Seal for transparency.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to represent Brenda Battat in the U.S. 
House of Representatives and to thank her for her outstanding 
accomplishments on behalf of those with hearing loss. I ask my 
colleagues to join me in congratulating Ms. Battat on her contributions 
and in wishing her an enjoyable and fulfilling retirement.