University of Oregon Hearing Screening Days: The UO College of Education is Supporting National Better Hearing and Speech Month This May
Have you ever wondered if your hearing, or a family member’s hearing, may be changing? According to statistics from the National Center for Health, approximately 15% of adults aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing. As May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, the College of Education’s Communication Disorders and Sciences clinical training program, COE graduate students, and clinical supervisors will be hosting FREE hearing screenings throughout the month of May at the Erb Memorial Union (EMU).
This public service will be available to all students, faculty, family members, and residents of Lane County, on a drop-in basis (Ages 5 – Mature Adult). During this event, individuals can have their hearing screened, obtain documentation of their hearing screening results and recommendations, have access to literature pertaining to hearing protection, hearing loss, and hearing management, have questions answered by graduate students in training or clinical supervisors, and be provided a list of licensed audiologists within the community for a possible follow-up assessment, questions answered, or needed hearing counseling.
The students who provide the hearing screenings gain not only experience, but also the feeling that they are giving back to the community. Jasmine Guantez, a first-year graduate student in the CDS program said, “By being in a helping profession, we have a responsibility to provide education and/or access, to all community members, regarding speech, language, and hearing services.”
Participating in a hearing screening can be a life changing event. Frank Bender, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Communication Disorders and Sciences program said, “As a person who was diagnosed with a significant hearing loss at the age of 26, I personally know the value of having my hearing screened. I learned early on that my hearing ability is directly associated with my quality of life. You are never too young or too old to have your hearing checked or to take advantage of hearing management and/or technologies that can change your life.”
During the scheduled event times, there will also be a career table on site providing information regarding the employment opportunities and academic requirements, for speech-language pathology and audiology. The location, days, and times for the hearing screening event are as follows:
Location: Erb Memorial Union (EMU): Cedar & Spruce Rooms
Days/Times:
*May 8th: 11:30am – 4:30pm
May 15th: 11:30am – 4:30pm
May 23rd: 10:30am – 3:30pm
*May 30th: 10:30am – 4:30pm
* Spanish-Speaking Interpreters Available
The UO COE Hearing Screening Days are a collaborative effort from the following programs and groups: The National Speech Language Hearing Association UO Student Group; The University of Oregon Nontraditional and Veteran Student Engagement Group; The UO Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, and licensed audiologists from Hearing Associates, Inc.
For further questions, please contact Franklin W. Bender, PhD, CCC-SLP, Clinical Assistant Professor, at fbender@uoregon.edu