'Jo Stirling 'Hearing Australia First Nations Unit'

Radio Goolarri

Hearing Australia has established a First Nations Services Unit to better meet the hearing health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. The Unit will bring together the delivery of Hearing Australia’s three Australian Government funded programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: the Hearing Assessment Program – Early Ears (HAPEE) program, the Community Service Obligations (CSO) component of the Hearing Services program and the recently established Listen to Learn program. In 2020-21, Hearing Australia worked with communities across Australia to assess the hearing health of more than 10,000 First Nations children aged zero to six through the HAPEE program. These assessments are undertaken by highly trained audiologists and are free* to families. Checking the ear and hearing health of young children is a critical step to preventing long-term ear disease and hearing loss for the one in four children that are being found to have undiagnosed ear disease or hearing loss, requiring referral to clinical specialists1. Hearing Australia also provided fully subsidised hearing services and devices to more than 11,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the CSO program. Hearing Australia has delivered outreach services and worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for over 40 years. Currently, Hearing Australia provides outreach services to 285 communities and this number continues to grow. Research also shows the long-term benefits of supporting and working with local communities. In 2008, just 4.6 per cent of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children with a hearing loss aged under 20 were aided with a hearing device before the age of three years. By 2020, this had lifted to 12.7 per cent2, thereby reducing the impacts of hearing loss on their development and education. The First Nations Unit works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies, ear health coordinators and other key ear health stakeholders to address the high rates of ear disease and hearing loss in First Nations children. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have some of the highest rates of middle ear infection, otitis media, in the world3. The First Nations team provide hearing checks face to face or online via telehealth. The help that Hearing Australia provides to First Nations families and communities is vital for children like three-year-old, Luke Gleeson. Based in regional NSW, Luke had been living with chronic ear infections when he was referred to Hearing Australia. As well as hearing checks, the First Nations Services Unit also provides local training and support services online and in-person. Upskilling and supporting primary health care professionals and early childhood educators who care for or provide initial hearing health assessments and screenings, is an integral part of the services offered through the Unit. Hearing Australia has committed to reducing the rate of hearing loss in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children by at least half by 2029. To achieve this goal, the organisation continues to strengthen its relationships with key First Nations ear health organisations and experts, by working together to develop an action plan to help improve the hearing health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. - ENDS -