A silent wave of hearing loss sweeping the nation is how the Deafness Forum of Australia is describing the increase in deafness in Australia.
On World Hearing Day (March 3, 2022) the peak body is calling on all Australians to help prevent hearing loss through safe listening, at home, at work or wherever they may be.
The global theme of this year's World Hearing Day is 'To hear for life, listen with care'.
There are currently about four million people across Australia living with hearing loss and this figure is predicted to increase to almost nine million by 2050 as the population ages.
"The biggest challenge as I see it, as someone with a hearing loss all my life, is to reduce the number of Australians from joining the ranks of the four million," said Deafness Forum of Australia chairman David Brady
"This World Hearing Day in Australia, we're speaking out about the importance of protecting good hearing and active ways people can help protect their hearing through safe listening.
"Hearing is vital for a person's communication abilities, quality of life, social participation, and health.
"In addition to personal responsibility, Deafness Forum of Australia joins the World Health Organization in calling on governments, industry partners and civil society to raise awareness for and implement evidence-based standards that promote safe listening.
"It is possible to have good hearing throughout our lives by being empowered to actively take better care of our ears and hearing, complemented by good public health policy that helps reduce or avoid people's exposure to loud sounds.
"Many common causes of hearing loss can be prevented, including hearing loss caused by exposure to loud sound at concerts and nightclubs, sporting events or machinery in workplaces.
"The sad reality is there still exists a stigma surrounding deafness and hearing loss in today's Australia. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a chronic ear or balance disorder are more likely to be misunderstood, suffer discrimination, and become socially isolated as compared to Australians who have good hearing.
"We need more active hearing protection and more awareness in our workplaces, our education settings and health and legal systems of how to make fair and reasonable accommodations for deaf and hard of hearing Australians."