Sting to support global hearing loss campaign
Grammy award winning singer songwriter Sting will lend his support to the Hear the World initiative, a global hearing loss campaign that helps raise awareness about the importance of hearing and the consequences of hearing loss.
Sting joins a host of other celebrity ambassadors including Jude Law, Elle Macpherson, Annie Lennox, Jerry Hall and Peter Gabriel. Each supporter has been photographed by musician and photographer Bryan Adams holding the Hear the World pose – with one hand cupped behind their ear to convey conscious hearing.
More than 800 million people worldwide, 16 percent of the world's population, have hearing loss, and experts predict this will increase to 1.1 billion by 2015. In the United States, an estimated 31 million people have hearing loss and often struggle for many years before seeking advice. Studies have shown that this has a significantly negative effect on a person's social, emotional and physical well-being.
Hear the World, which was founded in 2006 by hearing systems manufacturer Phonak, aims to call attention to the importance of taking care of your hearing, to prevent hearing loss in later life, as well as the social and emotional impact of hearing loss and the solutions available for those who suffer.
"Our hearing is not only integral to how we communicate, but also how we experience the world around us," Sting commented. "It's a fact that we gain more information from hearing than seeing. I hope by supporting this campaign people are reminded to appreciate every sound and fully protect their sense of hearing."
For more information about Hear the World, the celebrity ambassadors and advice about protecting your hearing, visit www.hear-the-world.com.
Comments
This is the first time I have heard of hearing the world foudation. I am a lighting designer, benifit concerts promoter. After going deaf in a few weeks while getting my MFA in Hawaii so I could teach lighting, I got cochlear implants. I am one of the lucky ones because I had the insurance to go bilateral.
What I don't understand is that it is like struggling through the dark when you go deaf ant then again when you get implants.
I lost my job, my apartment ,went broke trying to survies, as I slowly went into a deep depression.
I am slowly comming back since 2007 when I went deaf, but am finacialy not going to make it , I can just keep my implants working.
Why is there no help got people like me. Why can't these stars raise awareness and money for colliege students ,funding in the USA, and world wide, but the USA is the worst for implants, for such a rich country.
We need benifit concerts by people like Sting, Brian Adams, the list goes on. This is an AOS for dead and heard of hearing people to get the funding we need for mental,physical, social and tecnological help. We have the tecnologe but very few can aford it.
I plan to raise money any way I can for this cause. It is great to see some Star power in involved in helping but I would like to see more.
It took me alot of web searching just to find this web site.
It is time to raise money now. Many students have to drop out of school including me because of lack of captioning.
Awareness and money is the key.
Lets see what can be done.
Peace.
Posted by: Brian | January 23, 2010 09:09 AM
Brian, you have my complete sympathy. As a doctor and patient in the UK I too suffered sudden hearing loss requiring insertion of a unilateral CI. I was fortunate having early contact with a Consultant who was familiar with CI's and had the benefit of a national health service which funded the device. I did however find the support , as you suggest during my period of deafness extremely poor and relied on a wonderful charity here called Hearing Concern link, which provides immeasureable support to those adults with aquired hearing loss ,with or without CIs .
As you suggest increasing awareness by the general population of hearing loss,its impact for the individual affected, the case for prevention and early intervention is important. The case for known celebities , who either have hearing impairment or have a family connection will be invaluable to bring attention to this "silent "epidemic.
Posted by: Andrew | February 16, 2010 12:46 AM
At 52, I am not able to work...between the hearing world and the non hearing. With very severe sound sensitivity (recruitement) to make it so much worse. Bless anyone who tries to even understand.
Posted by: TanToes | April 7, 2010 04:10 PM