History
(HAASA) Hearing Aid Audiometrist Society of Australia or
(AAA) Australian Audiometrist Association as it was originally
known, has been representing clinicians in the in the Hearing
Health Industry since 1961. As such it is the longest established
professional body in our industry.
Our membership, while small in comparison to other organizations,
is a vibrant voluntary group of people totally committed to
promoting the continuing professional development of its members
resulting in the highest quality care for the hearing impaired
clients we care for. Our Society has always been involved
in delivering quality Continuing Professional Education
and Development for our members.
In the past HAASA was instrumental in helping establish the original Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and TAFE NSW courses in Audiometry. HAASA was actively involved in the development of the re-structured National Training Package Certificate IV Audiometry, The Diploma of Hearing Device Prescription and Evaluation currently being delivered by TAFE (NSW) through the Sydney Institute of Technology (face to face) and the Open Training Education Network (OTEN distance education).
Our society have organized outstanding and successful Congresses over the years including the Sydney Hearing Aid Congress , Melbourne, Adelaide, and the outstanding Congress held at the Hyatt Coolum in sunny Queensland in 2008. It has conducted various seminars over the years with highly esteemed guest speakers and educators. These events provide our members with valuable opportunities to improve their theoretical knowledge and practical skill levels.
HAASA has enjoyed working co-operatively with other groups in the hearing impaired community such as The Deafness Foundation, Deafness Forum and better Hearing Australia. Members have served on committees assisting during Deafness Awareness Week (now known as Hearing Awareness Week) and helped organize various fund raising activities. We have representatives on the Office of Hearing Services' Hearing Services Consultative Committee and the Hearing Education Alliance Representative Group. As a group we have always taken an active role in a variety of governmental reviews concerning the delivery of hearing services in Australia, the education of new trainees and the continuing professional development of qualified practitioners. We will continue to do so.
More recently our Society:
- Achieved APB Status with the Office of Hearing Services
- HAASA has a long involvement with the National Industry Training Board and TAFE NSW to strengthen our course from a Training Based to a Competency Based Course.
- The course qualified for a Commonwealth training package in 2004.
- In May 2004 HAASA organized and ran a very successful two day educational seminar (CPED) Continuing Professional Education Development, containing both structured and unstructured learning activities.
- HAASA was represented in the Review of the HLT02 Training Package for Allied Health qualifications. Key to this outcome was the proposed introduction of the Diploma of Hearing Device Prescription and Evaluation.
- HAASA has a commitment to the OHS' Hearing Services Consultative Committee and attends regular meetings.
- Founding member of the Hearing Education Alliance Representative Group (HEAR Group) 2006.
- In March 2006 HAASA organized and ran another two day
Educational Seminar (CPDE) in Melbourne.
The event featured keynote speakers of world class who are
involved in the delivery of and research into the very latest
science and technologies available in the Hearing Health
Care industry.
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