NEW YORK, NEW YORK – In support of Better Hearing and Speech Month, which begins May 1st, the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC) is unveiling Hear NYC, a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of healthy hearing and encourage people to get their hearing checked.
One-in-six adults in New York City has either hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in the ear), according to the NYC Health Department. It’s essential that New Yorkers take action to address their hearing issues, because untreated hearing loss in adults can severely impact physical and emotional health as well as quality of life.
Hear NYC is a multi-tiered educational campaign supported in the following ways:
- LinkNYC – Throughout May, CHC is partnering with LinkNYC, the groundbreaking digital advertising and free public Wi-Fi network in NYC, to bring hearing health messages to kiosks in all five boroughs. “We are thrilled to be raising awareness of the importance of healthy hearing and inspire people to get a free online hearing check,” says Laurie Hanin, CHC’s Executive Director. “The ability to hear and communicate is at the heart of what keeps all of us connected to each other and to the sights and sounds of NYC. Studies show that treating hearing loss can improve our emotional health, reduce the risk of dementia and falls, and make sure we don’t miss out on conversations with our friends and loved ones.”
- Rally Caps Film – CHC, in collaboration with the Children’s Hearing Institute, is partnering with the upcoming film Rally Caps to raise awareness of the importance of safe listening as we kick off Better Hearing and Speech Month. Rally Caps, a family-friendly movie starring Amy Smart (Stargirl, Varsity Blues) and Judd Hirsch (Uncut Gems, Independence Day) and featuring characters with cochlear implants, is about a young baseball player who has his dreams of pitching for a Little League travel team derailed by a devastating injury on the field. After a long recovery process, he goes off to summer camp with his older brother where he befriends a catcher and his sister who are deaf. Based on their own experiences of living with a disability, they help him overcome his anxiety and fear of returning to the mound. Written and directed for the screen by Lee Cipolla, Rally Caps is adapted from the book by Stephen J. Cutler and Jodi Michelle Cutler. On May 1st, CHC will participate in the Rally Caps Hearing Loss Awareness Day event at Citi Field. The event will include on-site mobile hearing screening for Met fans (ages 10 and up), special giveaways, scoreboard messaging, and a CHC alum will be throwing first pitch to Director Lee Cipolla during pre-game ceremonies. Each ticket purchased here for the game generates a $5.00 donation to CHC.
- Free Online Tools – For the month of May, CHC is offering two free online tools to help people live better with hearing loss. The first is CHC’s Online Hearing Screening – a quick, self-administered screening tool that can determine if a hearing loss might be present and whether a comprehensive hearing assessment with a licensed audiologist should be considered. The second is CHC’s Guide to NYC, a communication access resource that empowers people with hearing loss to get more out of their NYC experiences, whether dining out, seeing a show, going to the movies or visiting a museum.
About Center for Hearing and Communication
Founded in 1910, CHC is a historic pillar of support, offering high-quality, comprehensive services to empower people affected by hearing loss, deafness or listening challenges. Through a unique blend of comprehensive and clinically outstanding onsite and virtual services, and community outreach programs, CHC impacts the quality of life for 50,000 infants, children, and adults annually. CHC offers the highest caliber of services to individuals and families coping with the challenges of hearing loss, regardless of their ability to pay. Learn more at www.CHChearing.org.
Source: CHC
