2
Annual Report and Financial Statements 2015–16
2015
2035
11 million
15.6
million
one in six of us
one in five
people with
hearing loss
people with
hearing loss
One in six of us has hearing loss
That’s over 11 million people in the
UK. That number will increase as our
population ages; we estimate that,
by 2035, over 15.6 million will be
affected by hearing loss.
Deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss can
devastate lives
Deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss are serious health conditions. They can have a significant
impact on health and wellbeing.
•
People with hearing loss are too often unable to communicate with friends and family,
colleagues and health professionals. This can result in them withdrawing from social
situations and becoming isolated.
•
Research shows that hearing loss doubles the risk of developing depression and
increases the risk of anxiety and other mental health problems.
•
For some people their tinnitus is so severe that it has a dramatic impact on their quality
of life, leading to extreme anxiety and depression.
•
There is also strong evidence that mild hearing loss doubles the risk of developing
dementia, with moderate hearing loss leading to three times the risk, and severe hearing
loss five times the risk.
•
People who are severely or profoundly deaf are four times more likely to be
unemployed than the general population. Someone who develops hearing loss can lose
their job and struggle to get another one.
We are Action on Hearing Loss
Our purpose is to help people who are confronting deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss
to live the life they choose. We enable them to take control of their lives and remove the
barriers in their way.
We provide people with support and care, develop technology and treatments, and
campaign for equality.