EUGENE, OREGON — The Center for Hearing Access, a national advocacy and education initiative of The John G. Shedd Institute in Eugene, Oregon, announced that Dr. Juliëtte Sterkens has joined the organization as Hearing Access Advocate, effective June 1, 2026.
Dr. Sterkens, a Dutch-born audiologist with more than 45 years of experience in audiology and hearing rehabilitation, has transitioned to an encore career as a consumer and hearing-access advocate. She is also a sought-after speaker and author of numerous articles for consumers, hearing care professionals, and device manufacturers.
Juliëtte Sterkens, AuD,
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.
“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,” said Dr. Sterkens.
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.
“We have been working collaboratively with Juliëtte Sterkens for 10 years,” said Ginevra Ralph, Director of the Center for Hearing Access. “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.”
Andrew Bellavia, founder of AuraFuturity and a longtime advocate for hearing accessibility technologies, welcomed the announcement.
“With Juliëtte’s deep understanding of the value of assistive listening combined with her staying on top of technological advances, applications, and user interfaces, this is a great fit that is sure to impact education, advocacy, and adoption of ALS of all kinds.”
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 more than 1.3 million views. She was also recently interviewed by Consumer Reports regarding useful hearing aid features.
Sterkens previously 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. She also serves on the boards of the HLAA Wisconsin State Association and HEAR in the Fox Cities, a nonprofit that helps pay for hearing aids for children in northeast Wisconsin.
Her advocacy has contributed to the successful implementation of more than 1,000 hearing loops throughout Wisconsin. In her new role, Sterkens said she looks forward to using her skills and experience 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 nonprofit advocacy initiative educating and supporting consumers, audiologists, hearing instrument specialists, and facility staff about 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 more than 150 practical handouts. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Center does not endorse specific products, businesses, or services in order to maintain impartiality and provide useful information to its audiences.
For more information, visit www.CenterForHearingAccess.org, call (303) 443-2587, or email [email protected].
