The event is free and open to the public, and will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at Eastham Town Hall. Two sessions, one for business owners and one for consumers and community members, will be presented.

"When people first start to lose their hearing, they tend to not come out in public and explain what their needs are," said committee member David Kerns, adding, "They tend to retreat. It took me five years to get a hearing aid."

With baby boomers retiring to the Cape in large numbers, Kerns said, hearing issues are going to be a growing concern. "It just makes good business sense to address the needs of the hard of hearing and deaf," he said.

Attending the forum will be representatives from the Disability Law Center, the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Cape Organization for the Rights of the Disabled. The first session runs from 10 a.m. to noon and is for consumers only. Experts will speak about communication access options as well as what the law says about access for the deaf and hard of hearing, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. Speakers will also address the most up-to-date technology in hearing aids and other devices, as well as what kind of financial assistance is available for those that need help purchasing such devices.

The session for municipal government and businesses starts at 12:30 p.m. Attendees will learn how they can be more accommodating to those who are hard of hearing or deaf, and what is required of them under public access laws.

What: Forum "A Sound Investment: Meeting the Needs of People who are Coping with Hearing Loss or Deafness"
Where: Eastham Town Hall
When: Tuesday, Oct. 11
Consumers session: 10 a.m. to noon
Businesses session: 12:30-3 p.m.
Register: by Oct. 6, call Dave Kerns, 508-255-6320 e-mail thekerns@webtv.net.

By Steve Desroches