World Hearing Day: ASHA-EAA Digital Toolkit
World Hearing Day, held every year on March 3, is an annual global health effort to raise awareness about hearing health. This observance provides an opportunity to educate the public on how to prevent hearing loss and promote ear and hearing care.
The 2026 World Hearing Day theme—From Communities to Classrooms: Hearing care for every child—recognizes that schools are natural entry points to reach children, parents and caregivers, and teachers. Supporting schools with hearing health education and programming helps children and families hear, learn, and succeed.
This year, World Hearing Day activities focus on two priorities:
- Preventing avoidable hearing loss in children
- Ensuring early identification and intervention for children in need of ear and/or hearing care
The tools and resources below are designed to help ASHA members, Educational Audiology Association (EAA) members, and other interested parties recognize World Hearing Day and educate children about hearing health.
Priority 1: Preventing Avoidable Hearing Loss
To help teach students about safe listening and preventing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), consider using the NIDCD Teacher Toolkit for Preventing NIHL, which includes ready-to-use lesson plans designed for school-aged children.
Alternatively, you can use or modify the following script [PDF] to introduce the concept of safe listening.
Pick an appropriate activity to do with students to reinforce safe listening—or create your own activity.
Safe Listening Activities for Early Learners
- Safe Listening Pledge (Script for Educators to Introduce Pledge)
- Listening Games
- Fill-in-the-Blank (Answer Key)
- Word Search (Answer Key)
- Match the Sound to Its Average Decibel Level (Answer Key)
Safe Listening Activities for Advanced Learners
Priority 2: Ensuring Early Identification of and Care for Children With Ear or Hearing Problems (Take Action)
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs work to ensure that
- every newborn has a hearing screening by 1 month of age;
- that hearing loss is identified as early as possible—ideally by 3 months of age; and
- the child/family is enrolled in appropriate early intervention services by 6 months of age.
Successful EHDI programs contribute to improved developmental outcomes for children who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Do you want to make a difference? Here are two actions you can take right now!
- Contact your Congressional representatives through ASHA’s World Hearing Day Take Action webpage to support legislation that funds EHDI programs, develops cCMV education and screening, and secures insurance coverage for cochlear implants and bone conduction devices. You simply fill out a form, and the system automatically sends your message directly to your senators and representatives in Congress!
- Join ASHA in advocating for children and families by sharing this flyer [PDF] with your community.
