Better Hearing and Speech Month is just around the corner, which means it’s almost time to take the #MillionEar Challenge. This year, we are pledging to ‘See Sound Differently’ and bring hearing health awareness to more than 1 million people during the month of May. To cap off the challenge, Cochlear will fund groundbreaking hearing loss research to benefit ears for years to come.
With hearing loss becoming more common as younger people lose their hearing due to noise exposure and as baby boomers age, reaching those who are reluctant to have their hearing tested has become more important than ever. Each May, Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM) allows us a time to do just that. An annual event since 1927, BHSM raises public awareness, knowledge and understanding of various forms of communication impairments, including hearing and speech.
Cochlear has supported the cause in many ways over the years, most recently with the #MillionEar Challenge.
This year with #MillionEar Challenge 2018, we are setting out to bring hearing health awareness to more than 1 million ears during the month of May with our all-new “See Sound Differently” video. The video shows the impact of everyday noise exposure on hearing health, which is more widespread than you might think. In fact, more than 1 billion young people (12-35 years) are at risk of hearing loss due to recreational exposure to loud sounds.1
Watch the “See Sound Differently” video on MillionEarChallenge.com starting May 1 to see the impact firsthand, and be sure to share it with your family and friends.
GET INVOLVED
We can’t accomplish our goal alone. Help us prevent hearing loss from becoming a worldwide epidemic by informing others of how they can protect their ears and reinforcing the importance of regular hearing screenings.
By doing so, you’ll help us meet our goal of reaching 1 million ears. To cap off the challenge, Cochlear will fund ground-breaking research through Hearing Health Foundation’s Emerging Research Grants (ERG) program, which annually awards grants to up and coming scientists who research under-funded and under-researched hearing disorders. For 12 years, the ERG program has helped propel innovative research and the careers of tomorrow’s hearing health innovators.
SHOWING YOUR SUPPORT IS EASY! YOU CAN DO ANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:
Order your #MillionEar Challenge 2018 limited edition t-shirt
Share the online hearing assessment—on com starting May 1—with friends & family to help them better understand the status of their hearing health
Update your social media pages with a badge to show you’ve accepted the #MillionEar Challenge. The badge will be available on com April 29.
THE FACTS ABOUT HEARING LOSS
If you’re going to help us spread the word about hearing health, it’s important to know the facts about hearing loss.
- Hearing loss affects 466 million people worldwide and almost 48 million Americans.
- By 2050, it is estimated that over 900 million people—one in every ten people— will have disabling hearing loss across the globe.
- As many as 24 percent of adults and 17 percent of teens have hearing loss in one or both ears due to exposure to loud noise.
We thought these numbers were staggering, too, which is why we created the #MillionEar Challenge and the “See Sound Differently” video. The more people are aware about their hearing health, the better our chances are of preventing hearing loss in the future.
A LOOK BACK AT 2017—GET READY FOR AN EVEN BIGGER 2018
The 2017 #MillionEar Challenge was a huge success. Together, we reached 2,481,457 people in just 31 days! To celebrate, Cochlear donated to Hearing Charities of America and the Cochlear Implant Awareness Foundation. A huge thank you to all who participated.
The countdown to the 2018 event is officially underway. In just 7 days, we’ll kick it off with a splash so get ready for some fun! Your participation will impact the lives of ears you care about now and in the years to come.
Once the #MillionEar Challenge is complete, we’ll let you know if we met our goal and what research will benefit from the funding, so be sure and stay tuned!
Visit MillionEarChallenge.com to order your #MillionEar Challenge 2018 t-shirt and learn more about the cause.
