Originally published: Mirage News, 14 June 2024
A new survey commissioned by hearing care experts Audika Hearing Clinic reveals surveyed Australians prioritise their sight over hearing, despite over three quarters (77%) knowing someone who is hard of hearing. Most (86%) respondents ranked sight as their most important sense, with hearing coming in second (69%)[1]. Unsurprisingly, this is reflected in which sense they care for more, with almost three quarters (73%) of respondents admitting that between hearing and sight, their hearing was the most neglected[1].
Reasons for neglect: Lack of understanding and stigma
Both stigma and a lack of understanding can impact the way Australians prioritise their senses. Interestingly, while most respondents (80%)[1] claim to have ‘a little’ understanding of hearing loss[1], more than a quarter (27%) also said they neglected their hearing because they didn’t understand and know where to start[1].
[1] The survey was commissioned by Audika Australia. An online survey was scripted and hosted by Pureprofile, an independent research services provider. A nationally representative sample of n=1,005 Australians aged 18+ were selected via randomisation to participate by the research panel provider Pureprofile. Fieldwork was conducted from the 9th of February to the 12th of February 2024.
