ABOUT US
The Hearing Health Sector Alliance is a group of national representatives from across the hearing healthcare ecosystem; encompassing consumer groups, hearing health professionals, business/industry associations, educators, and research organisations.
In 2019, the Council of Australian Governments endorsed the first Roadmap for Hearing Health to improve the lives of the millions of Australians affected by hearing loss. The Federal and State governments are responsible for implementing the 140+ recommendations in the Roadmap. The Hearing Health Sector Alliance is a critical voice to inform decision-making and advocate for adequate resources and consumer-led program design.
In October 2020, the Federal Budget included $21.2M funding to support the Roadmap and deliver:
1.$5.0M: National hearing health awareness and prevention campaign
3.$5.0M: For early identification of hearing difficulties in Indigenous communities.
4.$2.0M: To scope, develop and test measures for residential aged care workers -to help them support residents with hearing loss.
5.$200K: Rural and regional workforce audit and summit -to identify current hearing workforce issues and needs to help future service planning.
6.$400K: To develop and adopt tele-audiology standards.
Across 2023-24, the Alliance redefined our key Priorities and developed an accompanying Action Plan to continue the important work of improving hearing healthcare across Australia. The Alliance continues to work across the sector and hold governments to account to ensure all Australians who are deaf or hard of hearing can live well in the community and access vital education, services and technology.
"Hearing is intrinsic to the lives of most Australians. It underpins the conversations that form the basis of our relationships and social lives, it gives us access to the beauty of music, and it can warn us of approaching danger. Hearing seems so natural that is not until it is gone or affected in some way that we realise how much we have taken it for granted."
From Still Waiting To Be Heard
