World Hearing Day is observed on March 3, the same day as Alexander Graham Bell’s birthday. World Hearing Day is an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about deafness and hearing loss, and promote hearing care across the world. Every year the WHO provides a theme along with resources that organizations can use to share, inform and support hearing loss awareness initiatives.
By Melody Bertrand
Today, babies who are born deaf are being identified as having a hearing loss and receiving early intervention services earlier than ever before. Through early intervention, with advances in technology and with the help of appropriately trained professionals, children who are born deaf and hard of hearing are learning to listen and talk. World Hearing Day is a celebration of hearing loss and an opportunity to recognize the incredible accomplishments of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
How You Can Celebrate World Hearing Day!
There are many ways to participate in World Hearing Day. WHO provides resources, print-outs and social media tags around its yearly theme: www.who.int/campaigns/world-hearing-day/2022. Download and share what you like, post your own story about hearing loss on social media with a hashtag (like #worldhearingday) and ask your friends and family to do the same.
Local organizations, such as AG Bell, also create and distribute World Hearing Day materials that you can use to educate and promote awareness of hearing loss. Posting these materials on your social media channels, sharing them with your or your child’s schools and distributing them to your local news affiliates is a great way to help increase awareness of individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.
World Hearing Day is also an opportunity to check in with your elected officials to make sure they’re aware of the challenges associated with hearing loss, and how they can help champion legislation to improve accessibility. Contact your local AG Bell chapter for information to help you support these conversations: https://www.agbell.org/Connect/Local-Chapters
World Hearing Day inspires change in attitudes toward individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. On March 3, join us in celebrating those who work hard every day to overcome the challenges associated with hearing loss.