One in six Australians has a hearing loss.
Hearing loss costs the Australian community 1.4 per cent of gross national product each year in lost productivity ($5.3 billion based on Australian 2014 GNP of $381 billion).
Australians with a hearing loss are worse off because they suffer poor social, economic and health outcomes.
People with hearing loss often take up to 15 years to act on their hearing loss, and those with moderate to severe hearing loss are 15 times more likely to need help with daily living.
People with a hearing loss have three more health conditions on average than those without a hearing loss, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, arthritis or dementia.
Australians with a hearing loss are denied full and effective participation and inclusion in society.