Foundation aims to challenge hearing loss stigma

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Published on 04 February 2013

Ed Keller, president of The HearStrong Foundation, wanted to “shatter social stigmas” and radically challenge the general perception of hearing loss by celebrating individuals who have not only faced hearing loss, but conquered it with a determined spirit, a focused mind and an unwavering heart. So he took his message to this weekend’s Super Bowl in New Orleans. Throughout the pre-game activities in New Orleans, Keller and members of his team joined with members of the NFL Players Association to advocate the importance of maintaining one’s hearing health. “Being selected to educate the players and former players about their hearing health is a real honor,” said Keller who is also president of EarQ. “We are so proud to be a part of this unforgettable event.” Professional football players are largely susceptible to hearing loss, mostly due to their overexposure to the dangerously high decibel (db) levels found in most stadiums. At field-level, the average noise can reach over 100 decibels, a level that can begin to cause hearing damage after only 15 minutes of exposure. EarQ and the NFL Players Association also supported The HearStrong Foundation as it honored one of its first HearStrong Champions, Paul Szemborski Jr. at the event. Paul, a 17-year-old football player from Jasper, Texas, recently conquered his hearing loss with the help of hearing devices so that he could succeed on and off of the field.

Source: Source: HearStrong Foundation.