ASHA and Consumer Technology Association Announce New Collaboration
Hearing Protection Resource Developed for Tech Industry Use
March 3, 2022
(Rockville, MD) The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® announced today their collaboration on Protect Your Hearing, a flier that CTA is making available to its stakeholders in the consumer technology industry for inclusion with their products.
Today’s announcement coincides with World Hearing Day (March 3), a World Health Organization (WHO) annual observance with a hearing protection theme this year.
The flier [PDF] contains information about safe listening levels and where consumers can learn more and find professional help if they are having difficulty hearing. The need for public access to that information is great. WHO estimates that more than 1 billion young people globally are at risk of hearing loss from unsafe use of personal audio devices and exposure to damaging sound levels in performance venues. WHO says that, in middle- and high-income countries, 50% of people ages 12–35 listen to unsafe sound levels through personal audio devices and at entertainment sites.
“ASHA is pleased to continue its collaborative work with CTA,” said ASHA President Judy Rich, EdD, CCC-SLP, BSC-CL, noting that the trade organization for consumer technology has supported past ASHA outreach to the public that promoted hearing protection. “We greatly appreciate and salute CTA’s interest and willingness to spread the critical word about safe listening.”
The flier is an updated version of one that ASHA and CTA co-produced years ago. Among its users was SONY®, which included the flier with products where headphones can be used. CTA is encouraging its stakeholders to follow suit with the new version of the flier.
“CTA is proud to join ASHA in this effort to ensure [that] audio equipment is designed to safely engage consumers by setting volume controls at appropriate levels,” said CTA president and CEO Gary Shapiro. “Today’s announcement is an important step in our industry’s commitment to protect and enhance consumers’ enjoyment of quality tech products.”
About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 223,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) identify, assess, and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders.
About the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)
Description: As North America’s largest technology trade association, CTA® is the tech sector. Our members are the world’s leading innovators – from startups to global brands – helping support more than 18 million American jobs. CTA owns and produces CES® – the most influential tech event in the world. Find us at CTA.tech. Follow us @CTAtech.
