Free hearing tests next Monday for hearing awareness week

THE Cork Deaf Association is offering free hearing tests on Monday 17^th October as part of Cork Hard of Hearing Awareness Week, which takes place between October 17^th and 21^st.

Other activities taking place during the week include a lipreading taster class, an assistive technology demonstration evening and an outreach information stand at Wilton shopping centre.

Hard of Hearing Awareness Week aims to promote awareness of the impact of hearing loss and encourage Hard of Hearing people to seek support.

Approximately 250,000 people in Ireland have a significant hearing loss.

Sadly, less than half of people affected take active steps to address their hearing loss, despite the fact that their quality of life may be severely compromised.

People may be born with a hearing loss or acquire hearing loss in adulthood for a variety of reasons, for example through illness or injury. Most commonly, adults lose their hearing as a result of the ageing process. This can happen at a much younger age than generally realised.

By the age of 60, approximately one in three adults will have a significant hearing loss.

The person with a hearing loss may not even be the first one to realise it.  In fact, as hearing loss in adults often takes place gradually, the symptoms of hearing loss are usually first noticed by friends and family.  They may note that the television is too loud or that they are repeating themselves more frequently.

Acquired hearing loss can have a dramatic impact on a person’s quality of life and health.

The person may experience increasing practical problems, such as difficulty interacting with service and healthcare providers.

It can also have a profound impact on a person’s wellbeing as they may become more withdrawn, avoiding social interactions and busy environments where effective communication is difficult. People with acquired hearing loss are at increased risk of social isolation and developing symptoms of depression or dementia.

The good news is that people with a hearing loss can take many active steps towards improving their communication experience and quality of life. Cork Deaf Association hard of hearing coordinator Sarah Good encourages people to participate in the range of activities which are taking place over the week.

The programme of events for Hard of Hearing Week is as follows:
Monday 17th October – Drop in to Cork Deaf Association on 5 MacCurtain Street for a free hearing test from 9-1pm and 2-4.30pm.
Tuesday 18th October – Free taster lipreading class in Cork Deaf Association from 11-1pm.
Wednesday 19th October – Outreach information stand in Wilton shopping centre from 10-4pm.
Thursday 20th October – Free assistive technology evening in Cork Deaf Association from 6.30-7.30pm.
Friday 21st October – Drop in social ‘cake and coffee’ morning from 10.30 – 12pm.

For further information on Cork Deaf Association, contact (021)4505944, email [email protected] or text (086) 8535574.

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Cork Deaf Association staff members Carl Plover and Milena Dragicevic demonstrating hard of hearing-friendly phones and other hard of hearing assistive technology.