ALDAcon Welcomes Special Guest Speaker
Justin Osmond
“I may have a hearing loss, but that
hearing loss does not have me.”
Being born with a severe to profound hearing loss is hard for anyone, but being the son of Merrill Osmond, the lead singer of the world-renowned Osmond Family, made deafness an even bigger challenge for him.
Despite a 90% hearing loss, over 12 years of intense speech/listening therapy and being told by teachers and professionals that he would never succeed in life, he went on to play the violin, viola, piano, drums and can now speak with passion.
Calling on reserves of courage, determination and self-belief in order to succeed and sometimes to simply survive, he offers his audience an extraordinary experience by sharing life lessons and translating his life experiences into an entertaining and motivational keynote.
Don’t miss the opportunity to see this extraordinary presentation.
What is ALDAcon?
ALDAcon is an all-inclusive event for deaf, late-deafened, and hard-of-hearing people using our “Whatever Works!” communication motto – lipreading, writing, signing, and live captioning. Presentations and workshops will have ASL Interpreters and live captions. Have fun in a “stress-free” environment with like-minded people
Come to ALDAcon and embrace this year’s theme:
Learn * Connect * Laugh!
Guest Speakers | Exhibits | Workshops | Award Presentations | Entertainment | Famous Karaoke Party with a Surprise Guest!
Click here to Register (Early-Bird Ends June 30)
Click here to book the ALDAcon Group Rate at the Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol
We’re happy to announce we’ve negotiated some special perks for you:
- Group rate of $189 per night now includes Breakfast for Two each day
- 50% discount on parking
- 2-hour Hosted Halloween Party (dress up optional) with complimentary wine, beer or soft drinks and hors d’oeuvres
- Guaranteed placement in a newly renovated room
- Guaranteed commitment that ALDAcon participants will not be asked to move to another hotel in the event they are overbooked
Note: Group rate is available from Oct. 26 – Nov. 6, 2023; Must book by Oct. 8.
(Tentative) ALDAcon Workshop & Event Line-up
Monday, October 30, 2023
- ALDA Board Meeting
- EVENT: Meet and greet with ALDA Board Members (All are welcome)
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
- Ask a Peer Mentor – Panel
- Beyond the Beeps: Underutilized Hearing Tests That Improve Understanding and Outcomes – Brad Ingrao
- Hearing Hacks for Every Occasion – Shari Eberts, Gael Hannan
- Good Vibrations – Playing with Texas Music – Amy Saxon Bosworth
- Pawsitive Actions! – Carol Christopherson
- Clearing the controversies on OTC Hearing Aids – Philip Lyons
- Chapter Leaders Workshop
- EVENTS: Newcomers Breakfast & Hosted Halloween Party (costumes optional)
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
- Legal Update – John Waldo
- Deaf Smith – Hero of the Texas Revolution War -Steve C. Baldwin, Ph.D.
- Cochlear Implant Surgeons Panel (TBD)
- Becoming Hearing Empowered – Katherine Rybak
- The Evil Twins: Bluffing vs Self-Advocacy – Gael Hannan
- A Captioning Conversation – Possible Improvements and What You Can Do to Help! – Kimberly Shea
- Advocating for Your Telecommunication Needs – David Coco
- Getting back on the Horse, or Am I? Healing with Horses – Ariel Bumbala
- EVENTS: Awards Ceremony Luncheon & I. King Jordan Banquet
Thursday, November 2, 2023
- Aural Rehabilitation: What, Why and How. – Michael Douglas
- Self-Advocacy: Advocating for Effective Communication – Olivia Rains
- Understanding the Functions of Cochlear Implants and Bone-Anchored Hearing Devices as Communication Tools – Olivia Rains
- Power in Your Pocket or Purse: Accessibility Options for iOS and Android – Tina Childress
- Learn to Line Dance with Boot Stomping ATX – Amy Glass
- EVENTS: Plenary Speaker, Justin Osmond & Famous Karaoke Party!!
Friday, November 3, 2023
- EVENT: Farewell Breakfast (a heartfelt gathering, not to be missed!)
*Workshops and events, including days and times, may be subject to change.
A word from the ALDAcon Planners
ALDAcon Planning Co-chairs, Laura Taylor and Karen Peebles
The ALDAcon Planners can’t wait to welcome you to Austin!! We’d like to sincerely thank everyone for their patience and support as we worked with the hotel to shift dates for the ALDAcon conference happening Oct. 30 – Nov. 3, 2023.
While we regret that the new dates may not work for everyone, please understand that we explored every available option in an effort to avoid disruption and keep the original dates. This late in the game, however, meant that area hotels who had enough space to accommodate our group were already sold out. Dare we cancel? We couldn’t stomach the thought of it. Like every obstacle we’ve ever faced before this one, we knew the ‘Con must go on!
We hope you’ll join us!
Laura Taylor and Karen Peebles
P.S. Curious what it takes to plan ALDAcon?
Here’s a raw behind-the-scenes peek of our hotel site evaluation, video recorded in November of 2021, at Sheraton Austin at the Capitol. It’s starring Karen Peebles with voiceover by Laura Taylor. We may not win any Oscars for this performance, but it sure was fun finding the perfect downtown location to hold our event! Feel free to grab some popcorn if you’d like! It’s about 10 minutes and fully captioned. Enjoy! Click this link for an Austin Hotel Tour (video).
So…what are ya waiting for, partner?!? Giddy up!
- Click here for early-bird registration (ends June 30)
- Click here to book at the Sheraton Austin at the Capitol. Rooms are going fast!
Have other questions?
Click here to check out the ALDAcon FAQ page.
Not sure if this event is for you, and want to get connected with a mentor?
Click here to contact us with your name, city, state, and contact details. Be sure to tell us your preferred communication mode (Email, Text, ASL, or Voice)
Looking to sponsor or exhibit?
Click here to learn more or contact the Sponsorship Chair at ALDAconSEteam@alda.org.
Have something to donate to the Silent Auction?
Click here to learn more or contact the Silent Auction Chair at ALDAconSilentAuction@yahoo.com.
Contact the ALDAcon Planning Co-Chairs:
Contact us at ALDAcon2023Plan@alda.org.
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