The Center for Hearing Access, a national advocacy and education initiative of The John G.Shedd Institute in Eugene, Oregon, is pleased to announce that, effective June 1, 2026, Dr. Juliëtte Sterkens joined the organization in the leadership role of Hearing Access Advocate.
Dr. Sterkens, a Dutch-born audiologist with over 45 years of experience in audiology and hearing rehabilitation, transitioned to an encore career as a consumer and hearing-access advocate and is a sought-after speaker and author of numerous articles aimed at consumers, hearing care professionals, and device manufacturers.
Dr. Sterkens’ understanding of both the limitations of hearing devices and the opportunities that assistive listening systems provide to increase the effectiveness of those devices, makes her a powerful and passionate advocate for all forms of hearing access strategies. She states:
“The good news is that modern hearing aid technology continues to bring us new features that can help those with hearing loss to hear significantly better in more places across their daily lives.”
In her role at the Center for Hearing Access, Dr. Sterkens will continue her commitment to addressing the growing needs of the more than 70 million Americans with hearing loss. She is available for speaking engagements to further support individuals and organizations in understanding and implementing effective hearing accessibility solutions. The Center’s Director, Ginevra Ralph, notes,
“We have been working collaboratively with Juliëtte Sterkens for 10 years. Now, we are excited to engage her directly to make an even greater impact on promoting effective communication for those with hearing loss, as is their right under the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Among her many accolades, Sterkens has received the American Academy of Audiology Presidential Award, and her recent TEDx talk “What You Don’t Know About Hearing Aids” has garnered an impressive 1.3 million views. She was recently interviewed by Consumer Reports regarding useful hearing aid features.
Previously, Sterkens served as a Professional Advisor for the Hearing Loss Association of America, where she made significant contributions to advancing accessibility for individuals with hearing loss. Additionally, she serves on the boards of the HLAA Wisconsin State Association and HEAR-in-the-Fox Cities, a non-profit that helps pay for hearing aids for children in northeast Wisconsin.
Her advocacy has led to the successful implementation of over 1000 hearing loops throughout Wisconsin. She looks forward to using her skills and experiences in her new role to help patients hear clearly in places where hearing aids alone are unable to deliver.
About the Center for Hearing Access
Founded in 2024, the Center for Hearing Access is a national, non-profit advocacy initiative educating and supporting consumers, audiologists, hearing instrument specialists, and facility staff about all ADA compliant assistive listening systems and other strategies to encourage continued community engagement and rewarding social and cultural experiences for people with hearing loss.
The Center maintains a robust website with practical advocacy resources, including templates, videos, articles, vendor lists, hyperlinks, and 150+ practical handouts. A 501(c)(3) non-profit, the Center refrains from endorsing any specific products, businesses or services by policy to ensure impartiality and to provide the most useful body of information to its targeted audiences.
Auracast and Assistive Listening: The Journey So Far and What’s Ahead
Juliëtte also contributed to IAHA’s recent webinar on Auracast and Assistive Listening: The Journey So Far and What’s Ahead.
