Take a second to listen to the sounds around you. The hum of the computer. The chatter of your neighbors. The squeak of your chair. While some of those sounds may be annoying now, imagine a world without them - or at least a world where only you can't hear them.
Hearing loss is a major issue that affects roughly 38 million Americans. You might be surprised to learn that it is the third most common physical condition after arthritis and heart disease. And you might be surprised that it could happen to you. I know I was when it happened to me at the age of 14.
Imagine being a 14 year-old girl suffering from hearing loss and trying to navigate a very social world with limited communication abilities. I've been there and it isn't easy - It is preventable though!
That is why I want to reach out and help others to avoid hearing loss, because you can prevent it! By avoiding loud noises (or at least protecting your ears from them) and being knowledgeable about ear care and hearing loss signs, you can prevent the loss of your own hearing.
It is extremely important to spread this message because we take our senses for granted. We don't think twice about listening to our music through ear buds turned up so loud that others get the joy of our music, the pounding thrum of the music at a concert, or even the excessive noise caused by fireworks.
So my goal as Miss Kool-Aid Days is to inform our society about hearing loss, rid our youth of those ear buds, and remind everyone how delicate yet important their hearing is.
In addition, I want society to understand what it is like to be deaf or hard-of-hearing and how difficult it is to communicate with someone who "speaks" the same language, and yet doesn't understand you.
If you want to learn more about hearing loss, visit:
The Hearing Loss Association of America
Hearingloss.com
Kids Health
Local Hearing Loss Resources:
Nebraska Hearing
Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Nebraska Hands and Voices
No comments:
Post a Comment