Hearing loss is a significant problem in our society, affecting more than 10% of the population of Canada and other developed countries. The situation is particularly serious among the elderly, for whom more than 50% suffer from a meaningful hearing loss. The challenges faced by persons with hearing loss are substantial and well documented. Failure to alleviate and/or ameliorate the negative impact of hearing loss has serious consequences for older adults with hearing loss, their families, and considerable cost to government and society.

This segment of the population is growing rapidly, with the number of elderly in Canada expected to almost double to approximately 6 million in 2016.

Children represent another vulnerable and important group among whom 8% to 10% are affected or at risk. Early identification and effective intervention of peripheral hearing loss through programs such as the Ontario Ministry of Health Infant Hearing Program currently located in the H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic is critical to favourable outcomes. Failure to treat hearing loss in children has significant social, educational and economic consequences for individuals and families and considerable cost to government and society. Hearing problems can occur at any level of the auditory system, and central auditory processing disorders have been implicated in a substantial proportion of children who fail to acquire adequate language and reading skills. Because spoken language is the normal mechanism for instruction in the classroom and for daily communication among humans, these failures have significant consequences for school performance and social interactions.

Fortunately, for many persons with the various types of hearing losses, our knowledge of effective rehabilitation strategies continues to grow. Recent advances in assistive technologies and in our understanding of hearing, its disorders, and its impact on the individual and society, hold the promise that Canada can provide effective hearing health care to our population. Meeting this challenge will require the creation and organization of new knowledge about hearing and hearing disorders using an interdisciplinary and holistic approach, and the application of this knowledge to produce effective new clinical products and clinical protocols.

The Centre is designed to help Canada address these issues. The primary objectives of NCA are:   

• to advance research for improved assessment and treatment of persons with hearing loss
• to understand the underlying basis of hearing disorders and to help prevent hearing loss
• to provide state-of-the-discipline clinical hearing health care services consultation with government agencies, professional and consumer associations and other agencies, and
• to improve hearing health care services and public education about hearing and hearing loss dissemination of knowledge about hearing loss, its prevention and treatment to educators, physicians and other professionals and directly to the public.
  

The National Centre for Audiology today provides an interdisciplinary environment within which to expand knowledge of hearing function and hearing problems, the needs of people with hearing impairment, and behavioural and technological methods to assist persons with hearing loss.