Lidia Best: World Hearing Day 2023 (BSL)

This year’s World Hearing Day theme was “Ear and Hearing Care for All: Let’s make it a Reality.

The day saw members of the deaf and hard of hearing community, including  the European Federation of Hard of Hearing People, and National Association of Deafened People (NADP) take part in annual advocacy efforts to ensure that everyone who experiences hearing loss, can reach their full potential.

World Hearing Day ( WHD ) aimed to highlight the rich diversity among Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities, supporting our advocacy and awareness rising, regardless how we function in day to day life and how we communicate.

It was also a day to highlight the importance of taking care of hearing, such as prevention of developing hearing difficulties due to listening to excessive levels of noisy music.

We all know, that once the hearing deteriorates due to noise exposure, it is not going to come back. You can read more about Make Listening Safe campaign here.

The second part of WHD messages was around interventions, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, counselling, rehabilitation and more.

Our messages were not about fixing deaf and hard of hearing people and they are not about fitting into hearing world. It was about providing access to all tools that exist and allowing each individual and their families to decide what they need, based on informed choices.

The deaf and hard of hearing community is too diverse to think that one size fits all.

Having been part of the World Hearing Forum since it’s inception, I have learned how lucky we are to have access to hearing aids, cochlear implants, communication support and sign language as we have in the UK.

Does that mean, there is no need for advocacy for hearing care in Europe and the UK?

For our part, the European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH) published a report on Hearing Aids Reimbursement and presented it during EU Parliament Lunch Debate, we used the occasion of the World Hearing Day 2023 to continue with our message “Make ear and Hearing Care for All in Europe a Reality….not a Wish!” You can watch our presentation at the EU Parliament here.

Take the look at the UK, where, while we have access to free cochlear implants via NHS, adults cannot have 2 cochlear implants despite being deaf in both ears. It is such a cliché, but no one gets just one spectacle, we get a pair…why are we expected to manage with just one implant then?

For those who need them, they should be able to receive them. And what about hearing aids? We also receive them free via NHS but do we get a choice with most appropriate device , according to our day-to-day activities and lifestyle? What about follow up and support?

Can we get reimbursement for purchasing assistive listening devices? How about ear wax removal? RNID is running campaign to bring back ear wax removal as part of the NHS provision. Clearly, there are some areas for improvement.

World Hearing Day had a third part of the message, rehabilitation, follow up and support for communication choices as well as accessible society for people who are deaf or hard of hearing . Let me share the interview with Paulina Lewandowska,  our Youth advocate,  sharing key actions for inclusive integration of people with hearing loss in Poland, you can access the article here

Lastly, the International Federation of Hard of Hearing People ( IFHOH) developed a Toolkit for Hard of Hearing People Advocacy on implementation of World Report on Hearing recommendations, which we call H.E.A.R.I.N.G. The World Report on Hearing was launched in 2021, after many years of campaigning and advocacy. We hope the toolkit is useful to organisations of hard of hearing and deaf people to strengthen their advocacy efforts.

Lidia Best, CPACC, President – European Federation of Hard of Hearing People – EFHOH