URBANA, Ill. — Hearing loss impacts our ability to communicate with others and can contribute to a decline in overall well-being and feelings of isolation. Over 37.5 million American adults aged 18 and over report some form of hearing challenge, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. 

“While age and heredity are factors that contribute to hearing loss, many other common causes of hearing loss are either preventable, treatable, or can be minimized,” says Chelsey Byers, University of Illinois Extension healthy lifestyle and aging specialist. 

Illinois residents interested in supporting better hearing health can learn about the importance of hearing, get tips for preventing hearing loss, and discover new technologies that can improve hearing in “The Importance of Hearing” workshop series co-hosted by Illinois Extension and the College of Applied Health Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  

Residents in and around East-Central Illinois can attend a free, in-person educational session on hearing health at one of three Illinois Extension facilities. The one-hour workshops begin at 10 a.m. and will be conducted by an expert audiology team led by Dr. Sadie Braun, licensed and clinically certified audiologist at the university’s Audiology and Speech Language Pathology Clinic in Champaign.

Free, 10-minute hearing screenings are available by appointment from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on workshop days. Participants may schedule a screening without attending the workshop.

Locations and dates for 2023 sessions and screenings:

• Arthur: Oct. 20 at the Moultrie and Douglas County Extension Office, 304 S. Progress
• Toledo: Nov. 2 at the Cumberland County Extension Education Community Event Center, 205 S. New York St.
• Paris: Dec. 1 at the Edgar County Extension Office, 210 W. Washington St.

To register for a session or to reserve an on-site screening appointment, email SHSCLINIC@illinois.edu or call 217-333-2205. Review an ASHA.org checklist to help determine who can benefit from a hearing check: bit.ly/SelfCheckHearing.

Full hearing assessments and hearing aid evaluations are available by appointment at the Audiology and Speech Language Pathology Clinic in Champaign. For more information on full assessments, email SHSCLINIC@illinois.edu or call 217-333-2205.

For more information or if you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, contact Chelsey Byers at clbyers@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.

SOURCE: Chelsey Byers, Family and Consumer Sciences Specialist, Illinois Extension

WRITER: Liz Smith, Marketing and Communications, Illinois Extension