Awards recognise best and worst examples of hearing access

Ideas for Ears has joined forces with the community group Forth Valley Hearing Access Forum to run the UK’s first-ever Hearing Access Awards.

12 worthy winners and six worst offenders were identified, each one representing great or poor experiences that people with hearing loss have had.

They acknowledge individuals and organisations who have knocked down barriers and made lives better by doing so. And they identify situations that disadvantage and disable people, causing stress, upset and loss of dignity or independence.

The focus of the Awards is to recognise the importance of hearing access, which is about making it more possible for more people to more easily hear and follow the spoken word and other audible information.

Nominations were put forward by people with hearing loss who attend the Forth Valley Hearing Hub and represent notable experiences that one or more individual has had over the last 12 months. The judging panel was formed from a representative a group of these individuals.

Sally Shaw, founder & director of Ideas for Ears, said: “Lives are made better or worse by the quality of hearing access. It is just as valid and vital as physical and mobility access. These Awards place a spotlight on good and poor practices and recognise that quite often it is simple, straightforward things that make the difference. My thanks to all those who took time to submit a nomination and to those on the judging panel.”

You can read more about the Awards here.  You can also read about why these 6 individuals and these 6 organisations won.  Decide if you agree with these 6 biggest fails.