• Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs

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17 May 2010One in six Australians suffers from some degree of hearing loss. By 2050 this is forecast to grow to one Australian in four. Hearing health is a mainstream health issue which touches the lives of most Australians in one way or another, yet as a public health issue it is not ranked as a national health priority. Australians with hearing loss must live with the paradox that their disability is so prevalent in our community, and yet suffers from a generally low level of awareness and understanding.

One message above all others came through from the evidence before this inquiry, and this message forms the title of this report: Hear Us. It is the message to a hearing society from people with a hearing loss who live the terrible isolation and frustration that is often their daily lot. It is the message to governments and funding bodies from the many volunteer support and representative groups who advocate to improve the lives of people with a hearing impairment. It is the message to program administrators from hearing health practitioners working within systems that need an overhaul. It is the message from researchers striving to advance our understanding of the causes of hearing loss, and the technologies that can improve the lives of future generations. It is the message from Indigenous Australians, for many of whom hearing loss is so pervasive it has become a normal and accepted part of growing up.

The forecast increased prevalence of hearing loss among Australians is largely driven by our ageing population. However over a third of all people with hearing loss acquired their impairment through preventable means.