Helo @colin-watkins.
Here was (almost) all said so I’d just say Welcome here. It’s great you’ve emailed the SSiW staff to join the WSP. Although I’m (almost) never there I know this is the key point to practice your speaking abilities and it’s really great one. If you and @Camilla_Walker will manage to arange the meeting, this will be even greater and as @siaronjames said, @MarilynHames will be really one who’d offer you a lot of tips and tricks how to learn being hearing impared. In the mean time, you might find her topic What am I hearing--or missing? Ongoing help for the hard-of-hearing very inspirational and I bet you’d find some tips and help there too.
All the best!
Hwyl! 
Tatjana