Hearing Health Resources Hub

Hearing Health Resources Hub

Welcome to our Hearing Health Resource Hub —your go-to space for accessible, reliable hearing health resources to help protect your hearing and prevent hearing loss across all stages of life.

Here, you’ll find fact sheets, practical tools, webinars, research, and more — all created to support lifelong hearing health and make information easy to understand and apply. Whether you’re a community member, healthcare practitioner or worker, other community support provider, educator, policymaker, or simply interested in hearing health, there’s something here for you.

Our goal is to make hearing health resources easy to find and useful in real life — whether you’re learning how to protect your own hearing, support someone else, or improve awareness in your community.

Fact Sheets & Tools for Hearing Health and Hearing Loss Prevention

 

 

 

 

Explore downloadable fact sheets, safe listening tips, and communication tools that can help you protect your hearing and support others in your community. These practical resources are great for personal use, schools, healthcare settings, and workplaces.

In honour of CMV Awareness Month in June 2025, we created two helpful fact sheets based on expert insights from our Protecting Young Ears webinar, featuring an important talk on CMV (Cytomegalovirus) and its impact on hearing health.

About CMV

Learn key facts about CMV and how it affects children’s hearing.

Preventing CMV

Discover practical tips to reduce the risk of CMV-related hearing loss.

Watch the full Protecting Young Ears webinar recording here to to gain in-depth knowledge about CMV and how to protect young ears from hearing damage.

Hearing loss is a major health concern in rural Australia, worsened by factors like environmental challenges, demographics, geographic isolation, and limited access to healthcare services. Globally, hearing loss ranks as the third leading cause of disability.

This fact sheet was developed in partnership with the National Rural Health Alliance to raise awareness and support improved hearing health outcomes for rural communities.

Launched during Safe Listening Week 2025 in August — themed "Turn it Up Right" — the S.A.F.E. Listening Action Plan is your personal guide to healthier, feel-good listening habits. Designed to fit into your daily life, it helps you protect your hearing in ways that work for you. The plan walks you through four simple steps — Start, Ask, Focus, Evolve — encouraging small, sustainable changes grounded in real people's experiences. Whether you're adjusting volume, taking quiet breaks, or tuning into what helps you feel calm and in control, this toolkit supports you in building safer, more mindful listening routines.

Download now and take charge of your sound environment — one small shift at a time.

Explore our Safe Listening Fact Sheets to learn about how your ears work, the impact of noise, and simple practices to protect your hearing.

These fact sheets were launched during Safe Listening Week 2024 in partnership with the National Centre for Farmer's Health to promote safer listening habits and prevent hearing damage particularly in young people, but the practices can be applied by anyone.

Communication and Support Resources for deaf, Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and People with Hearing Loss

These practical resources are designed to improve communication, care, and support for people who are deaf, Deaf, hard of hearing, or experience hearing loss.

Based on community voices and informed by our research—Exploring Help-Seeking Experiences in the Health System Among People With Deafness or Hearing Loss and Mental Health Concerns—these tools reflect lived experiences and showcase what inclusive, person-centred support looks like. Whether you’re a healthcare provider, support worker, or someone seeking better communication in daily life, these resources can help.

Explore three key tools:

Together, these resources promote understanding, connection, and equity in health and community settings, contributing to improved hearing health, mental wellbeing, and overall health equity.

Research, Policy and Papers

 

 

 

 

Access summaries, submissions, and discussion papers focused on hearing health research and policy in Australia. These resources highlight emerging issues and ideas for improving hearing health outcomes nationwide.

Mental Health and Hearing Loss: Gaps in Care for deaf, Deaf, and Hard of Hearing Communities

People who are deaf, Deaf, hard of hearing, or experience hearing loss often face unique barriers when accessing mental health care—yet these challenges are rarely addressed in mainstream health conversations.

Our research aims to close this gap by centering the voices of individuals with lived experience, along with insights from carers and professionals who support them. Together, we highlight the need for more inclusive, accessible, and culturally safe mental health care.

Resources

We responded in September 2025 to the NHMRC’s Draft Statement consultation with a strong call for meaningful, inclusive, and accessible involvement of consumers in health and medical research. Drawing on direct consultation with people who are Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing, or living with hearing loss, our submission highlights key barriers—such as inaccessible communication and tokenistic engagement—and outlines practical recommendations to embed co-design, trust, and accessibility as core principles. We urge the NHMRC to move beyond aspiration and build the structures that make genuine community partnership possible.

Read our full submission here.

Past Reviews, Future Vision: Improving the Australian Hearing Services Program

Our discussion paper, Past Reviews, Future Vision, explores how the Australian Government Hearing Services Program has developed over time—and what can be done to strengthen it for the future.

We examine three major reviews (2012, 2017, and 2020/21) to assess progress, highlight remaining gaps, and offer recommendations to improve hearing health services for all Australians.

Strengthening Mental Health Training for the Health Workforce

Australia continues to face a significant mental health workforce shortage. To help close this gap, it’s essential to upskill the broader health workforce so they can effectively identify, respond to, refer, and support the mental health needs of those in their care.

Currently, mental health education in undergraduate health degrees is inconsistent, leading to varied levels of preparedness among graduates. A national mental health curriculum framework would ensure future health professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and capabilities needed to deliver quality, person-centred mental health care.

This content is our submission to the Department of Health and Aged Care's consultation on an Emerging Mental Health Curriculum for Undergraduate Health Degrees.

Launched during Safe Listening Week 2025 under the theme “Turn it Up Right,” the Safe Listening Snapshot: Beyond Volume explores how safe listening can be more than just turning down the volume—it can be an act of self-care.

Drawing on real stories and community insights, the Snapshot highlights how people use sound to cope, focus, and connect—and how tools like captions, volume limits, and noise-cancelling headphones can support both mental health and hearing health. It promotes a more inclusive, empowering, and emotionally grounded approach to sound and hearing.

Download the full Snapshot and explore how safe listening can support wellbeing — not just your ears.

Webinars on Hearing Health

 

 

 

 

Access free webinar recordings from expert audiologists, researchers, and community voices. Topics focus on hearing health and hearing loss prevention.

This webinar created space for community engagement and expert discussion around preventing hearing loss in children.

We welcomed leading experts from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Cerebral Palsy Alliance to explore hearing loss prevention in babies, children, and youth—focusing on key risk areas such as antibiotic-related hearing damage and congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV).

Resources

About the Speakers

Presentation 1: Antibiotics and Hearing Loss

Dr Duaa Gaafar is a general paediatrician at the Royal Children's Hospital and an honorary research fellow at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI). She specialises in paediatric clinical pharmacology and focuses on adverse drug reactions, drug allergies, and pharmacogenomics. Duaa is actively involved in research projects exploring drug-related adverse effects in children as part of her PhD, contributing to safer prescribing practices and advancing the field of paediatric pharmacology.

Presentation 2: Congenital Cytomegalovirus Opportunities for Prevention

A/Prof Hayley Smithers-Sheedy, BAppSc(Sp Path), MPH, PhD is a Principal Research Fellow at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, The University of Sydney. Her research interests include the epidemiology of cerebral palsy, congenital infections and assistive technology. In addition to her work in cerebral palsy epidemiology, Hayley collaborates with a team of clinical experts to conduct research and to develop and evaluate programs aimed at the prevention of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), a significant cause of neurodevelopmental disability.

Kath Swinburn, BAppSc(Sp Path), MPH,  is a Research Officer and Ethics Governance  Manager at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, The University of Sydney. Kath co-leads CP Quest, an initiative aimed at involving people with lived experience in cerebral palsy research. Working in collaboration with researchers across Australia and New Zealand, Kath also leads a suite of research initiatives and programs aimed at the prevention of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), a significant cause of cerebral palsy and other neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Pam Rogers is a passionate disability advocate and devoted mother of Christopher. Pam holds qualifications in early education and is currently training to be a doula. As a parent peer facilitator Pam supports parents to navigate the complexities of raising children with disabilities and empowering them with the knowledge and resources they need. She is a member of CP Quest and a research partner across a range of cCMV studies.

As part of Tinnitus Awareness Week 2025, we hosted a free webinar titled Tinnitus Unveiled to explore the lived experience of tinnitus and raise awareness of this often misunderstood condition.

Participants heard from expert audiologists Myriam Westcott and Ben Hoddinott, alongside lived experience advocate Victoria Didenko, who shared personal insights and strategies for coping with tinnitus.

This webinar aimed to shine a light on the realities of living with tinnitus and break down the stigma that surrounds it. Tinnitus may be unseen and unheard, but with shared stories, knowledge, and support, it no longer has to be ignored.

Webinar Resources

About The Speakers

1. Myriam Westcott

 Myriam Westcott is an Audiologist and Director of DWM Audiology, a private Audiology clinic based in Melbourne, Australia.

DWM Audiology is a leading tinnitus and hyperacusis clinic in Australia, which is renowned internationally.  Myriam specialises in tinnitus, hyperacusis, acoustic shock, tensor tympani syndrome (TTS) and misophonia understanding, evaluation and therapy.  She is committed to the development of innovative and effective clinical approaches to therapy and treatment, working closely with a range of health/medical professionals in a multidisciplinary setting.  Myriam has carried out clinically based hyperacusis, acoustic shock and TTS published research, provides medico-legal opinions and regularly gives presentations, lectures, training, articles and interviews on tinnitus, hyperacusis, acoustic shock and misophonia.  Myriam has been a member of the Advisory Committee for Tinnitus Australia (now Tinnitus Awareness), provides support to the Tinnitus Association of Victoria and is on the scientific committee for the International Conference on Hyperacusis and Misophonia.

2. Ben Hoddinott

Ben is a clinical audiologist with 20 years of experience working with many leading ENTs on complex hearing cases. After graduating from the University of Queensland’s Masters of Audiology Studies program he worked as a clinician, regional manager and clinical services manager for Neurosensory for his first 6 years. A move to Melbourne prompted a move to Cochlear where be worked in 2011 and 2012 as the Clinical Specialist for Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand. A highlight of this time was working with the world-leading cochlear implant program at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. In 2012 Ben returned to Brisbane to take on the Chief Operating Officer position with Neurosensory. During the following decade he led the growth of the company into eventually becoming the largest independent audiology provider in Australia.

In 2022, Ben and his wife Jess started their own independent audiology clinic in Brisbane’s idyllic bayside suburb of Wynnum. The Little Hearing Co. aims to raise the standards of hearing care in his local community and through partnerships with other leading clinicians, improve access to expert hearing care for the wider community.

Ben is a father of two young boys and enjoys playing music, cooking, cricket and soccer.

3. Victoria Didenko

Victoria has had tinnitus for eleven years. She lives in Melbourne and is a proud mother of two adult sons. She has worked as an actress, voice over recordist and enjoys swimming and hiking to keep fit and calm. She has recently taken up writing short stories and singing in a local choir. Victoria helped establish Tinnitus Awareness and has launched several campaigns to raise awareness of the plight of those who suffer tinnitus.

As part of Mental Health Month 2025, on 15 October 2025, we had a conversation with Sigrid Macdonald and Dr Louise Munro from Macro Impact Consulting about the overlooked connection between hearing loss, Deafness and mental health.

Webinar Resources

About our Guests

  1. Sigrid Macdonald

Sigrid Macdonald is a Deaf woman, accessibility advocate, and community worker with 10+ years of experience in a variety of community-based roles. Sigrid has over 30 years of lived experience in the Deaf community and has a passion for inclusivity and engagement. Sigrid is an enthusiastic supporter of the arts and she thrives on creative practice to promote engagement, education, community and cultural enrichment.  Sigrid's academic background has been key to her appreciation for how ecosystems require diversity to thrive. As the director of cultural cultivation for Macro Impact Consulting, Sigrid guides the collaborative process ensuring our work is authentically collaborative, accessible and culturally affirmative.

  1. Dr Louise Munro

Dr Louise Munro is a registered psychologist, non-practising registered nurse and part-time academic with over 20 years of experience working with Deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Louise brings a rich history of learning how to be a culturally affirmative practitioner and was instrumental in establishing Australia's only Deafness and Mental Health Consultation Service based in Queensland. She was the chair of the APS interest group on Psychology and Deafness up until 2013, and is now working with AAPi to improve awareness of culturally affirmative practice. Louise has conversational Auslan skills learned from family members, Deaf and hard-of-hearing friends and through formal classes. She is a hearing woman and identifies as a Deaf ally.

Learn more about Macro Impact Consulting here.

Community Outreach Resources

 

 

 

 

Find resources created for community engagement. These resources support education, inclusion, and accessible hearing health awareness and promotion.

These social media tiles were created for Safe Listening Week 2025 “Turn It Up Right” campaign. They’re designed especially with young people in mind, who are at higher risk of hearing loss through recreational sound exposure—but they provide tips that are useful for anyone who wants to build healthier listening habits.

The tiles are grounded in both evidence and real-world insights. Behavioural science shows that small, repeatable actions—like micro habits—are the building blocks of lasting change. Health communication research confirms that clear, positive, and doable messages are more likely to stick. And from best-practice marketing, we know young people respond best to bold visuals, empowering messaging, and content that feels real and relatable.

Importantly, these tiles were shaped directly with young people through community discussions and message testing, making sure the language, look, and feel are authentic and genuinely useful.

Each one focuses on a single, practical action, using bright colours and relatable language to nudge healthy hearing health change.

Each tile stands alone—but together, they tell a story:

Awareness that feels like self-care.
One habit at a time. One message per tile.

The tile themes:

  1. Train Your Volume – Learn your baseline listening level
  2. Know Your Levels – Understand sound environments (decibels)
  3. What Lifts You Up – Reflect on how sound affects your mood
  4. Your Sound Rituals – Start a small, repeatable habit
  5. Recharge Through Sound – Use sound to rest and reset
  6. Your Sound Strategy – Create your own approach
  7. You’re Already Making Sound Choices – Feel confident and keep going

About these social media tiles: These resources are designed to raise awareness and support everyday safe listening. They’re not medical advice and can’t guarantee specific outcomes. Everyone’s hearing and health needs are different—so if you have concerns or want tailored guidance, it’s best to check in with a qualified health professional. The information here reflects knowledge available as of August 2025 and will evolve as new research emerges. The tiles are deliberately unbranded and free to use and share—credit is always appreciated, but not required.

Media Releases & News

 

 

 

 

Stay up to date with our latest announcements, news coverage, and media releases highlighting ongoing work, project updates, and advocacy in the hearing health and hearing loss prevention space.

 

 

 

 

 

We welcome your ideas and feedback. While we can’t use every suggestion, your input helps shape our future resources.Share your thoughts through this feedback form.

Have a question or want to connect? Contact us here.