Voting now open for national award program honoring outstanding individuals in the hearing loss community
Hearing aid manufacturer
Oticon, Inc. has revealed the 12 finalists for the annual
Oticon Focus on People Awards, a national awards program honoring advocates, hearing care professionals and everyday heroes making a real difference for people with hearing loss. Online public voting to select this year’s winners is open until Dec. 8, 2023.
For 25 years, the Focus on People Award program has been an integral part of Oticon's efforts to eliminate the stigma associated with hearing loss. Oticon is proud to elevate the voices of these 12 inspiring individuals and share their stories, which prove hearing loss does not define or limit one's potential.
Representing diverse backgrounds from across the country, this year’s finalists are dedicated to enacting positive change in the hearing loss community. The 2023 Focus on People Award finalists are:
● Student Standouts — Yaduraj Choudhary of Downingtown, Pennsylvania; Alana Douglas of Denton, Texas; Ryan Fuller of Eureka, Illinois
● Adult Trailblazers — Zaineb Abdulla of Chicago, Illinois; Kathleen Dugan of Lunenburg, Massachusetts; Abby Silbaugh of Chicago, Illinois
● Hearing Loss Champions — Brett Bachmann of Louisville, Kentucky; Latisha Porter-Vaughn of Newark, New Jersey; Emily Truell of Montello, Wisconsin
● Heroic Hearing Care Professionals — Roni Dinkes, AuD, of Millersville, Maryland; Michelle Hu, AuD, of La Jolla, California; Chandace Jeep, AuD, of Durango, Colorado
“As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Oticon Focus on People Awards, we are reminded of the incredible resilience, innovation and sheer determination of all our nominees, past and present,” said Jacob Torpe Winter, Vice President of Marketing for Oticon, Inc. “They’re our reason for doing what we do in working to develop new and advanced hearing care solutions for the people who need them. We encourage everyone to read about our inspiring 2023 finalists, cast your vote, and join us in celebrating the people who work hard to spread inclusivity and awareness in the hearing loss community and beyond.”
Online voting is open through Dec. 8, 2023.
Winners will be announced in February 2024 at the OticonNext Conference. First-place winners will receive a $2,500 cash prize and a $1,000 donation to a charity of their choice. In addition, eligible first-place winners with hearing loss in the Student Standouts, Adult Trailblazers and Hearing Loss Champions categories will receive a pair of Oticon hearing aids with BrainHearing™ technology. Second- and third-place winners will also receive a cash prize.
To cast your vote for the Oticon Focus on People Awards, please visit Oticon.com/FOP.
Oticon, Inc. — Life-Changing Technology
Oticon is one of the world’s most innovative hearing device manufacturers, with more than 115 years’ experience in the design and development of hearing aids for adults and children. Our comprehensive portfolio of life-changing technology improves not only the quality of hearing but the overall quality of life for people with hearing loss. Oticon challenges conventions and pushes the limits of technology to bring to market hearing solutions that exceed the needs and expectations of people with hearing loss, so that they can live their lives without limit. Our groundbreaking BrainHearing™ technology is helping to provide better hearing with less effort by giving the brain the clearest, purest sound signals to decode. For more information visit Oticon.com.
Media Contact
Denise DiMeglio
Senior Vice President, Gregory FCA
denise@gregoryfca.com
908.295.3843