On Tuesday, Past District Governor Al Arnold spoke to the Heritage Lions about the Indiana Lions Speech and Hearing programs. In 1925 Helen Keller spoke before the International Lions Convention and implored the Lions organization to help those who cannot see, speak or hear. “I appeal to you Lion, you who have your sight, your hearing, you who are strong and brave and kind.” From that point forward, the Lions organization dedicated itself to making Ms. Keller’s dream a reality. Lions all over the world would become her Knights of the Blind, the Deaf and the Mute.
The Indiana Lions established a 501(c)(3) organization in 1981. From their website: “Their mission is to assist those with speech and hearing impairments in the State of Indiana who are unable to obtain help elsewhere. To this end, they make funds available for charitable, educational, and scientific research. The main goal is to eliminate communication barriers for those with speech and hearing disorders. This is done by providing loaner hearing aids for children of needy families and low-cost hearing aids for those adults who qualify. Working in conjunction with Riley Hospital for Children and audiologists around the state, ILSH has made thousands of aids available.”
The Indiana Lions provided over $52,000 to four universities last year for S&H research: Indiana University, Purdue University, Indiana State, and Ball State. Scholarships are available for certain students in their speech and hearing studies. ILSH provides funds for five campers a year to attend a “deaf camp” in Oregon, where they befriend other deaf children.
They also collect used hearing aids throughout the state. These aids are repaired and offered to the hearing-impaired at no charge. It is estimated that one third of all those over the age of 70 need some help with their hearing. Hearing aids can be very expensive. Medicare only provides financial help for hearing tests. Medicaid offers free tests and one aid, and the VA offers free tests and both aids.
In the past 30 years the Indiana Lions have donated over 6,500 hearing aids at no charge, saving taxpayers literally millions of dollars. Mr. Arnold concluded his talk by thanking local audiologists for their help and he implored the Lions to step up their efforts to collect used hearing aids through their eyeglass donation boxes.
