Information on hearing loss can be difficult to access, because it’s spread in so many different places, in so many different forms. There’s a huge amount of material out there, both offline and on the internet, which is constantly being updated, but it’s difficult for people to know where to begin looking.
SoundSpace Online aims to gather accessible information for people of all ages with hearing loss, their families, professionals working with them, as well as policy makers and funders of services in the sector – or anyone interested in learning more about hearing loss. The website provides good quality, readable and usable information, which will be constantly kept up to date.
Sue Archbold, Chief Executive of The Ear Foundation says: “Hearing loss has a huge, often hidden impact on communication in today’s modern world. We have the technology to transform this, but all too often the latest information is hard to find.
That’s where SoundSpace Online comes in, bringing together a wide range of resources, provided by people who understand its impact on the lives of deaf children, young people and adults and its management.”
The website has eight main sections which offer an insight on hearing loss, hearing technologies and scientific medical advances before moving onto the implications of hearing loss on specific groups: special needs, early childhood, school years, higher education and adulthood.
The first section of the website, “Impact of Hearing Loss”, will be launched on 17 June. This section provides an overview of hearing loss and serves as a comprehensive introduction to the sections to come.
The website is a collaboration between people with hearing loss and users of hearing devices, their families, friends, industry partners and professionals from many different disciplines, such as audiology, e-learning, social work and education. “We’d like to thank everyone who has helped with this exciting project, providing their personal experiences, expertise and advice to make SoundSpace Online happen,” says Sue Archbold.
SoundSpace Online can be found at:
www.earfoundation.org.uk/soundspaceonline
