Steve Frazier of Albuquerque, New Mexico has been selected as the recipient of the Hamilton Relay 2019 Better Hearing and Speech Month Recognition Award for the state of New Mexico. Steve’s peers describe him as a determined and consistent advocate for the hard of hearing community.
Steve is hard of hearing and has worn hearing aids for over 30 years. He was trained as a Hearing Loss Support Specialist by the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and has worked for many years as a volunteer advocate for individuals with hearing loss. Among initiatives he has led are:
- House Bill 48 which requires hearing care providers to counsel clients on ADA compliant assistive listening technology prior to fitting them with hearing aids.
- Adoption of a rule establishing a mandatory 45-day trial period for hearing aids and a maximum of 30 days for the seller to make a refund if the hearing aids are returned.
- Revision of the Albuquerque noise code that, among other changes, placed limits on sound levels in city owned facilities to protect against noise induced hearing loss.
- Loop New Mexico initiative of Albuquerque HLAA for raising awareness of assistive listening technology and promoting the installation of hearing loops in public places.
Steve also participated in the passage of a law requiring that health insurance covers hearing aids for children and served for many years as NM Chapter Coordinator for HLAA where he organized chapters in Santa Fe and Las Cruces and oversaw the operation of the state's three chapters. He worked with the Albuquerque City Council on the installation of a hearing loop in the council chamber. For ten years he served as the newsletter editor, webmaster, public relations person and membership chair for the Albuquerque HLAA chapter.