HEARING ROTARY ACTION GROUP

Who are we?

We are members of the Rotary Family – Rotarians, their spouses, Rotaractors , Interactors, Rotary Kids, Rotary Scholars and others connected to Rotary who are passionate about helping children and adults with hearing loss in our communities and around the world.

Purpose of Hearing Rotary Action Group

Hearing Rotary Action Group is a resource for Rotarians to provide information, expertise and encouragement to Rotary Clubs, Rotary Districts and Multi-Districts to help them participate in cooperative projects and large scale humanitarian projects to help children and adults with hearing loss.

Purpose of Hearing Rotary Action Group

Hearing Rotary Action Group is a RESOURCE for Rotarians and others connected to the Rotary Network to provide information, expertise and encouragements to Rotary Clubs, Rotary Districts and Multi-Districts to help them participate in cooperative projects and large scale humanitarian projects to help children and adults with hearing loss.

To increase awareness of the extent of hearing loss around the world and to be a resource for sustainable solutions. There are 360 million children and adults with hearing loss worldwide and the causes are a mixture where much could be medically remedied or avoided. Two thirds live in developing countries. Many could be given the gift of sound with hearing aids, cochlear implants or surgery but there is a shortage of all resources in the chain. Only about 10 million hearing aids are manufactured every year with costs varying greatly between countries and with varying quality. More often than not good hearing aids are beyond the reach of people who need them. Sustaining these hearing aids with supplies of batteries and appropriate ear pieces is another challenge.

To provide affordable hearing aids by partnering with appropriate foundations who supply them, creating projects using affordable solar powered hearing aids and other affordable hearing aids. To support hearing aid banks worldwide by collecting used hearing aids to refurbish and donate to children and adults with hearing loss who cannot afford them. To reduce the extent and impact of hearing loss through Rotary Future Vision goals of Disease Prevention and Treatment by supporting Primary Ear Care Programs and antenatal care and education, especially in developing countries. Many cases of hearing loss are preventable or treatable. For example, as little as $1 a day for antibiotics is needed to treat persistent ear infections. Ear infections from poor water, poor sanitation and poor hygiene are so rampant that hearing loss in some communities in the developing world is considered normal loss. To teach the importance of hearing health care to avoid future hearing loss.

To support Schools of Audiology and Primary Ear Care to increase the human resources to treat children and adults with hearing loss especially in developing where there is only 1 Audiologist for 3 million hearing impaired individuals. To increase the number of audio techs available in low resource areas to supplement the work of audiologists.

To finds ways to provide hearing health and hearing programs through sustainable educational models. To support Early Childhood Screening for hearing loss and appropriate follow up with hearing aids, cochlear implants or medical intervention so that prelingual children can learn to speak and/or sign and post lingual children can gain an education. Many children with hearing loss in developing countries are denied access to school because they cannot hear the teacher and keep up with their schoolwork. Many children with hearing loss are believed to be completely deaf when they only have moderate or severe hearing and can be helped with hearing aids.

Hearing Rotary Action Group News Releases

The Melbourne Rotary Convention

 

The 2022 Houston Rotary International Convention will be the first in person convention since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Hearing Rotary Action Group Booth in the House of Friendship will be Booth #1022. We will be collecting and redistributing used hearing aids in working order from Rotary International Attendees to bring the gift of hearing to children and adults in low resource communities staffed by attendees who work at the booth. Please join us to learn more about how you can help children and adults with hearing loss reach their potential.

To inform Rotarians about ways that can help them hear better in their own clubs. This may involve better information about Assistive Listening Devices, hearing aids, Amplification Systems and Captioning Services, better acoustic environments and better communication strategies. This could help many get more out of Rotary Club Meetings, District and Multi-District Conferences and the Rotary International Conventions and help with member retention and attract new members. A majority of Rotarians 60 years of age and older have some degree of hearing loss.

To financially support Hearing Regeneration Research aimed at restoring hearing loss through regenerating hair cells in the ear

What does it mean to have a hearing loss?

Pre-lingual children with a significant degree of hearing loss may not learn to speak their native language as normally as their peers as we learn language by imitating what we hear. Deaf children who do not have adequate access to hearing through hearing aids or cochlear implants or deaf education are denied access to regular schools and are relegated to a life of poverty. Specialized schools for deaf children are not available in many places. Adults who lose their hearing may not be able to work and support their families or become socially isolated and suffer from depression. Yet they may be able to continue working or connect with family with hearing aids, cochlear implants or medical intervention.

Benefits of Rotary Action Groups

By joining a Rotary Action Group, you can engage in meaningful service activities outside your own club, district, or country. By partnering with a Rotary Action Group, your club or district gains the support of experts for planning and implementing a project. Experts can help advise with projects.

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Rotary International Convention 2022

The 2022 Houston Rotary International Convention will be the first in person convention since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Hearing Rotary Action Group Booth in the House of Friendship will be Booth #1022. We will be collecting and redistributing used hearing aids in working order from Rotary International Attendees to bring the gift

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