SayWhatClub | A Wordwide Forum for People with Hearing Loss

Do You Say "What?"
Are you a person dealing with hearing loss? If you are hard of hearing, deaf or late-deafened, or have a friend or family member struggling with hearing loss, SayWhatClub (SWC) might be just what you are looking for.

What is the SWC?
SayWhatClub is an on-line group of circa 400 late-deafened, hard of hearing and Deaf adults and other interested people who provide support and encouragement to each other through e-mail. Our goal is to provide a friendly, good-humored place to exchange conversation, information, advice, deep thoughts, humor, tall tales, and chit-chat. Members get to know each other and develop an on-line "community feeling."

Currently SayWhatClub is running nine mailing lists, five "general" mailing lists, two permanent "focused topic" lists: "CI" for people having or considering a Cochlear Implant, "Menieres" for those with Menieres disease, and "Explore," a general discussion list for those who want to interact with people outside their main list, and "Commons," a list for short-term special-topic discussions.

We are scattered worldwide and depend on electronic mail and the Internet to communicate with one another. At various times we've had members living in Switzerland, Sweden, South Africa, Israel, Denmark, England, New Zealand, Finland, India, Canada, Italy, Japan, United States and other countries.

We ask members to keep in mind that our backgrounds, skills, religious convictions, outlooks on life, hearing, signing, lip-reading (nowadays often called "speech reading"), and typing abilities vary greatly. Please be tolerant and patient.

In addition to the e-mail groups, SayWhatClub members also enjoy a web-based newsletter and can participate in realtime chats.

Many SWCers periodically meet in small conventions and other social gatherings. Our members have met all over the world. See our convention web pages for current information.

Organization
SayWhatClub is a nonprofit, tax exempt organization supported primarily by donations from its subscribers. The group began forming in the early 1990's and in December of 1998 incorporated as a Washington State nonprofit corporation. Seven members currently sit on the Board of Directors and oversee with the help of various committees, the running of the SWC.

To join:
If you'd like more information about joining SayWhatClub,
contact: info@saywhatclub.com

SayWhatClub Mission Statement

SayWhatClub is dedicated to enhancing interpersonal communication for people who are hard of hearing, deafened, or have a serious interest in hearing loss, with goals of:

Educating SWC participants and the public about all aspects of hearing loss;
Providing for mutual sharing of coping and "life" skills;
Reducing feelings of isolation, frustration and despair;
Enhancing feelings of self-concept and optimism.

The primary medium for our mission is the Internet, which provides the opportunity for contacts over a wide geographic area; access 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and dissemination of information both to SWC participants and to the general public.

In addition, SayWhatClub encourages face to face contact among its participants through informal local gatherings, and periodic conventions designed both to provide social contact and educational workshops dealing with hearing loss issues.