Rayovac®, a world-leading hearing aid battery manufacturer* and division of Energizer Holdings, Inc. is helping to raise awareness of hearing loss by releasing a video of a fun, educational hearing protection workshop, held with children, this World Hearing Day.
By teaching children about noise-induced hearing loss in an easy to understand and entertaining way, Rayovac® aims to ensure they can hear more, for longer, by being aware of preventable causes of hearing loss.
The video was produced at a Rayovac® manufacturing facility in Washington, UK, where a lesson on hearing loss awareness and prevention was carried out with a group of local children, led by Harrogate based audiologist Emily Balmer.
Paula Brinson-Pyke, Marketing Director at Rayovac® said: “World Hearing Day is held on the 3rd March each year. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of how to prevent hearing loss and deafness around the world. This year’s theme focuses on early identification and intervention for hearing loss.
“There are some simple things we can all do to help stop loud noises from permanently damaging our hearing, no matter our age. This is the message we would like people take away with them this World Hearing Day.”
A group of children donned high-visibility jackets for a tour of a Rayovac® manufacturing facility before taking part in a variety of hands-on, hearing protection-themed activities. Using coloured pipe cleaners to represent the fragile hair cells in the ear undergoing damage from loud noise and playing a verbal ‘pass the message’ game while wearing ear defenders, not only raised smiles and laughter but provided the children with a range of information about noise-induced hearing loss, its impact and how to prevent it.
The children were also given some deaf awareness training and learning techniques to help them communicate better with people with a hearing disorder, such as speaking clearly and looking directly at someone when talking.
Emily Balmer is an audiologist from The Hearing Suite. Speaking about why loud sounds are harmful to our hearing, she said: “As audiologists we see cases of preventable hearing loss on a regular basis. With more and more children using headphones and earbuds for extended periods of gaming, listening to music and watching videos online, we need to teach our children about the risks around noise-induced hearing loss and how to prevent it.”
“The children left Rayovac® with a better understanding of where and why hearing damage from loud noises can occur, and knowing how to protect their hearing in these situations.”
As part of the commitment to teaching people and in particular children to protect their hearing from damage caused by loud noise, staff at the Rayovac® Washington plant will be raising money for the Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss. The company will match funds raised in a plant-wide cake sale and other activities throughout the year to go towards the charity’s work ensuring that thousands of children who are deaf or have hearing loss can access the early identification, hearing technology, and locally-based expertise they would otherwise not have, in order for them to reach their full potential.
To view the video of the lesson, find out more about how to protect your hearing, and how to get involved in World Hearing Day, visit protect.rayovac.eu, like Rayovac® on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HearwithRayovac or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HearwithRayovac.
*Based on internal company estimates of worldwide market share.
