Online Community for Families

Millions of people around the world are affected by someone else's hearing loss. When a spouse or close relative appears to have a hearing loss, the family member is often unsure how to improve the situation.

Harness the power of social media and create an online community where family members can freely discuss how to talk to their family about hearing loss.

To get started quickly, the online community could start out as a group page on Facebook. The page could share helpful information from subject matter experts (psychology, audiology, etc.) to help people develop their own strategies to raise awareness in their family circle. In this way, the group would both develop social connections among families around the world and serves as an information resource to help families openly talk about hearing loss.

Founded by a cancer survivor in 2008, Stupid Cancer is a nonprofit organization that empowers young adults affected by cancer through information sharing and an online community of cancer survivors.

The organization moderates numerous Facebook Groups for cancer survivors in different regions of North America. Through a global network of survivors, caregivers, providers, and advocates, Stupid Cancer works to ensure that young adults are aware of the resources available to them so that they can 'get busy living'.

Family members who live with someone with hearing loss may feel they are alone and have no one to turn to. Creating an online community for these people can act as a powerful support mechanism, showing them that they are not alone and that others are dealing with similar issues.

This idea starts small, targeting individual families, but can have a large impact. An online community that empowers people to speak more openly about hearing loss with their family members has the potential to change how hearing loss is discussed around the world.