Hearing impairment is often referred to as a hidden handicap.  The larger community around us - the clerks at the grocery store, the new neighbor, a friend of a friend - will have no idea based on our physical attibutes that we are hard-of-hearing.  Even with our hearing corrected, sometimes the situation is such that we are simply not going to be able to hear what is going on.  The side effects of having hearing loss - not hearing people talking to the backs of our heads, getting names or other details wrong, choosing limited interaction with strangers because it is too much trouble to chitchat, to name a few - creates interesting social situations that aren’t always positive.  People may find us aloof or confused or uncomfortable to talk with.

But, each of us are far from alone in this challenge, as hearing loss is the number one disability in the world.  More than 25 million people need hearing aids, though only five million currently own them.  Here are a few statistics to give you a idea of the size of the demographic you are part of:

• Estimates say that 31 million people have some sort of hearing loss
• With a baby boomer turning 50 every seven seconds, the number of hearing-impaired Americans will increase at a faster rate than the total US population
• 1.22 million hearing aids were sold in the 1st half of 2007 in the US
• Almost all of the aids sold are digital, and half were Behind-the-Ear units
• The hearing aid is the second most widely used assistive technological device after the walking cane
• 15 of every 1000 people under age 18 have a hearing loss.
• Nearly 90% of people over age 80 have a hearing loss
• Why do people have hearing loss?  Noise: 33.7%, Age: 28%, Infection or injury: 17.1%, Birth: 4.4% 
• 14.2 % lose their hearing between 3 and 18
• 76.3% lose their hearing at age 19 and over

What does this mean to us as individuals?  The Hear Daily has a few ideas:

• We all can learn to say “Can you repeat that?” or “Can you speak up?” with a smile and with out an apology, over and over and over, all day long.
• We know that cool people have hearing loss and have achieved great things:  Academy Award-winning Actress Halle Berry, Academy Award-winning Actress Marlee Matlin, Montreal Expos outfielder Curtis Pride, musician Pete Townsend, Guiding Light soap-opera actress Amy Ecklund, bodybuilder/”Incredible Hulk” Lou Ferrigno,  60% of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and many, many more.
• Because of the enormity of our demographic, all public and private institutions should make efforts to support us and our needs.  Don’t be afraid to ask.
• Noise pollution is a very serious problem, and as hearing impaired individuals, we need to be extra cautious.
• The next time you walk into a grocery store, or a restaurant, or a sporting event, look around you, at least one in eight people you see has a hearing challenge.  Therefore, treat people with the same respect you desire - look into their eyes and speak clearly.  There’s a chance they might be struggling too.
• If you are inclined, get involved.  There is work to be done in creating wide-spread support for the hearing loss community.