MI HR0283

Declares May 2010 as Hearing Loss Awareness Month in Michigan.

Approximately 36 million non-institutionalized American adults have hearing loss, with the population growing at 160 percent of general US population growth.

An estimated 1.4 million people in Michigan have hearing loss, and approximately 3 in 1,000 newborns are born profoundly deaf or with partial hearing loss.

Among children ages 6-19, an estimated 14.9 percent have at least a 16 decibel hearing loss in one or both ears, which can impact school performance.

Over 11 million Americans with hearing loss could benefit from hearing aids but do not use them, with only 30 percent of hearing aid purchases covered by third-party payment.