Ear Plugs Demonstration

Enable people to demonstrate the challenges of communicating with a hearing loss!

Idea at a glance

Create and distribute postcards with free earplugs attached. The postcard would provide the following instructions:

"At a dinner party, let everyone tryout the earplugs and let everyone experience what it is like to communicate as a hearing impaired person."

The postcard could also include a link to a website where people could find informational resources about hearing loss. On the website, people could share their experience when conducting the demonstration, inspiring others to spread the word.

You could share and distribute the postcards to cafes, restaurants, and schools.

Inspiration

To show students the deadly consequences of driving while intoxicated, schools often use impairment goggles. The goggles simulate the effects of being drunk, including confusion, visual distortion, slowed reaction time, and lack of coordination. By wearing the goggles, students can experience first-hand how difficult it is to manage situations while drunk, such as riding a bike or simply crossing a road.

Potential impact

Ear plugs are an easy way to demonstrate communication challenges associated with hearing loss. When wearing the ear plugs, people at the dinner party will not be able to communicate with each other.

While imperfect, this experience could help people empathize with hearing impaired persons and realize the importance of regular hearing checks.