One in 10 Israelis has a hearing disability

Some 700,000 hearing-disabled Israelis feel that their volume dial has been turned down permanently.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
hearing device in ear 311 (photo credit: Bloomberg)
hearing device in ear 311
(photo credit: Bloomberg)
On Tuesday, National Hearing Day is being marked to boost public awareness of the problems faced by people with hearing disabilities. The Health Ministry, the Bekol organization and others are holding lectures, free hearing tests and other events around the country during the week to promote prevention, early detection and rehabilitation.
Some 700,000 hearing-disabled Israelis feel that their volume dial has been turned down permanently. A tenth of the general population, a sixth of working people and a third of those over 65 suffer from hearing problems.
Ido Granot, director of Bekol, noted that deafness and other hearing disabilities are nothing to be ashamed of and that today’s hearing aids are very small and inconspicuous. When proper equipment is obtained, it can greatly improve a person’s quality of life. The Knesset’s Labor, Social Affairs and Health Committee will convene a session on the minimal government subsidy for hearing aids for adults.
Among the places that are offering free hearing tests on Tuesday from 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. are the hearing institute at Hadassah University Medical Center on Jerusalem’s Mount Scopus and at Hadassah College off the capital’s Rehov Haneviim.