Whether engaging with loved ones, navigating a tricky situation at work, or recognizing the familiar click of the oven remaining on after a meal, much of our social connectedness, professional performance and personal safety rely on being able to hear.

Yet, hearing-related issues like hearing loss and tinnitus ⁠— or perceiving ringing, hissing, buzzing, rushing or roaring sounds in the ears ⁠— are more common than you might think. Among Canadians aged 19 to 79, a whopping 60 per cent of us live with hearing loss, tinnitus or a combination of both.

“Hearing loss is often something that’s very treatable and preventable, but there are so many people who suffer in isolation and are not able to get the help that they need because of how expensive it can be,” says Heather Ritchie, an audiologist at Neil Squire Hearing Solutions.

An extension of the non-profit Neil Squire, which uses technology, knowledge and passion to empower Canadians with disabilities, Burnaby-based Neil Squire Hearing Solutions has been working to bring the most advanced hearing aid technology to anyone to the Greater Vancouver area at an affordable price for the past four years.

“Being a non-profit organization, we are able to offer the latest advancements in hearing for a cost that is affordable for most people by using grants and subsidies to reduce some of these financial barriers that would otherwise prevent people from getting the help and hearing technology that they need,” explains Ritchie.

Read the full article in the Burnaby Now.

Tags: BC, Burnaby Regional Office, Hearing Aids, Hearing Solutions