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EAR Foundation History

He was in his early 20s, and could not hear a word his new doctor was saying. In fact, he had been profoundly deaf since early childhood. As a result, he had never learned to speak and had never been to school. He had never held a job and continued to live with his parents, doing odd jobs around their farm. When his parents died, he would probably be shifted from one family member to another or eventually institutionalized. He was a prisoner of his hearing impairment in a world made for the normally hearing.

The real tragedy of this case is one that happens so frequently. This young man's hearing impairment was surgically correctable. But his impairment had not been properly diagnosed in early childhood, and by the time his silence was understood, it was too late for him to develop speech.

This young man's case may seem extreme, but the fact is that he is not alone. More than 27 million Americans suffer from one of several kinds of hearing impairments. Early detection and treatment of these impairments is the fundamental principal behind the work of The EAR Foundation.

The EAR Foundation exists for three basic purposes:

  • To provide the general public support services promoting the integration of the hearing and balance impaired into mainstream society.

  • To provide practicing ear specialists continuing medical education courses and related programs specifically regarding rehabilitation and hearing preservation.

  • To educate young people and adults about hearing preservation and early detection of hearing loss, enabling them to prevent at an early age hearing and balance disorders.
The doctor in this true story was Michael E. Glasscock III, M.D., who was deeply touched by the circumstances of this young man. "I was so disturbed by this young man's dilemma that I decided to learn more about hearing loss in young children and its early detection so I could in some way help prevent other children from having similar experiences," Dr. Glasscock said. His conclusion was that an organization was needed that would educate the public and the medical profession in the matters of hearing loss and diseases of the ear, and sponsor basic and clinical research into hearing and balance disorders. The result was The EAR Foundation, with EAR being an acronym for Education and Auditory Research, which he established as a not-for profit organization in 1971.

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