The Ida Institute has announced five new members of the judging panel for its Ideas, Speak up – Action and Awareness for Hearing Loss competition.

The global competition is an open call for ideas that have the potential to generate better understanding of hearing loss, change public perception and encourage people to take action. The judging panel will help to select the three winning ideas that will be announced at the 2013 AAA conference.

The new members include:

Brenda Battat, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), which provides assistance and resources for people with hearing loss and their families. HLAA is also working to eradicate the stigma associated with hearing loss and raise public awareness about the need for prevention, treatment, and regular hearing screenings throughout life.

Tom Healy, a writer, poet, and chairman of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, which oversees the Fulbright program worldwide. Healy teaches at New York University and is currently a visiting professor at the New School.

Bob Isherwood, former worldwide creative director of advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi. At Saatchi, Isherwood developed campaigns for major global companies, such as Procter & Gamble and Toyota. He is also the recipient of the British Design and Art Direction gold award for advertising.

Sergei Kochkin, executive director, Better Hearing Institute (BHI). In addition to being a frequent contributor to The Hearing Review, Kochkin is the author of the widely read MarkeTrak, a tracking survey of the hearing-impaired population conducted every 3 to 4 years and based on data from 80,000 households utilizing the National Family Opinion Panel.

Helle Østergaard, executive director of the Crown Princess Mary Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the lives of children, adults and families who, as a result of their environment, heredity, illness, or other circumstances, find themselves socially isolated or excluded from society.

SOURCE: The Ida Institute