About hearing loss

‘Hearing is one of our primary senses. Together with vision and touch, hearing enables humans to interact with our environment at all levels*’

The net consequence of hearing loss is a reduced capacity to communicate. This can impact dramatically on a person’s chances in life, through the reduced opportunity to equitably participate in education, to gain competitive skills and employment, and to fully participate in relationships.

At the present time, one in six Australians suffers from some form of hearing loss. Given our ageing population, this is set to increase to one in every four Australians by 2050. In 2005, Access Economics estimated that the financial cost of hearing loss was $11.75 billion, or 1.4% of GDP. Over half this cost was said to relate to lost productivity.

*The Economic Impact and Cost of Hearing Loss in Australia.
A report by Access Economics Pty Ltd, February 2006.