Governor Stein Proclaims Hearing Loss Awareness Month

Hearing Loss Awareness Month

2026

By The Governor Of The State Of North Carolina

A Proclamation

Whereas, more than 1.3 million North Carolinians have hearing loss, which impacts 25 percent of people ages 65 to 74 and 40 percent of those ages 75 and older; and 

Whereas, with proper hearing health care, communication access, and the abundance of resources in North Carolina, individuals with hearing loss can have meaningful and productive lives; and 

Whereas, adults over age 50 should be screened for hearing loss as part of routine medical care; and 

Whereas, after arthritis and hypertension, hearing loss is the third most common treatable condition for older adults, affecting 614,566 North Carolinians ages 65 and up; and 

Whereas, North Carolina is home to nearly 800,000 veterans, among whom hearing loss and tinnitus – ringing, roaring, or buzzing sounds in the ear – are the most common service-related disabilities that permanently affect up to 60 percent of post-9/11 veterans; and 

Whereas, approximately 4,700 children in North Carolina have a significant hearing loss, and timely screening of infants and children for hearing loss enables early access to language development, curricula, and resources, ensuring they can live full and productive lives; and

Whereas, untreated hearing loss is associated with poorer overall health, including cardiovascular risk, cognitive changes, diabetes, balance disorders, and depression, and can lead previously socially engaged adults to become isolated and withdrawn as their hearing loss progresses; and 

Whereas, hearing aids, cochlear implants, assistive listening devices, transparent masks, other effective communication tools, combined with self-advocacy tips, can improve quality of life;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim May 2026 as “Hearing Loss Awareness Month” in North Carolina and commend its observance to all residents.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this twenty-seventh day of April in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-sixth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.