Hearing access to be debated in Scottish Parliament.

Hearing access will be debated in the Scottish Parliament as part of a motion recognising World Hearing Day and Hearing Awareness Week (3-9 March).

The debate will take place on Thursday 28 February at 12:45pm, straight after First Minister’s Questions.  It was lodged by Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, and will be filmed and shown on BBC online and the Parliament’s TV channel.

Motion to be debated:

That the Parliament acknowledges World Hearing Day on 4 March 2019 and Hearing Awareness Week, which runs from 2 to 9 March 2019; notes the view that hearing access needs to be a priority if there is to be greater public involvement and participation in many varied events; accepts that noise and poor acoustics can often be a significant cause of discomfort, distress and exclusion when it comes to group activities for older age groups and people with conditions such as hearing loss, dementia and autism; considers that there are opportunities for employability schemes to emerge from initiatives that manufacture affordable noise-absorption panels, which could be installed into community venues to help tackle noise and acoustic issues, in addition to others that design and manufacture hearing enhancement devices, and commends all groups, companies and charities that work to benefit the lives of people who live with hearing loss and the stigma that can be associated with the condition.

To find out more about the debate and promotion of hearing awareness, visit the Ideas for Ears website.