Deaf until the age of three: how the Ear Foundation uses technology to transform young lives

3 October 2016, 17:05 | Updated: 3 October 2016, 17:08

The Ear Foundation provides cochlear implants and speech therapists to deaf children, helping them cope with the effects of being different. Global's Make Some Noise will be funding this Nottingham-based charity.

Qais was born deaf and couldn't hear anything at all until, at the age of three, he was given a cochlear implant by the Ear Foundation. Later, at secondary school, Qais had low confidence and was very lonely. 

The Ear Foundation provided a speech therapist, which helped Qais's self-confidence improve with the result that he made friends and passed his GCSEs. Watch Qais tell his story to Classic FM's Anne-Marie Minhall below:

About the Ear Foundation

The Ear Foundation was founded in 1989 by Marian Batt, whose son, Michael, lost his hearing at the age of two through meningitis. When hearing aids could do nothing for him, and communication with him became impossible, Marian was determined to find out what might be able to help.

At this time, cochlear implants weren’t provided to children in the UK, but thanks to Marian’s hard work and persuasion, The Ear Foundation was established to fund implants for ten children, and provide evidence to the NHS that this technology worked. 

Today, the charity supports around 265 deaf youngsters and their families each year, providing services to transform their lives through the benefits of today’s hearing technology.

With your support, Global’s Make Some Noise will fund the role of a specialist speech and language therapist, enabling the project to help even more children and young people in Nottinghamshire, as the demand for their brilliant services continues to rise. 

Joseph is just one of the young people who attends The Ear Foundation. His parents said: “The Ear Foundation provides a place where Joseph is free from the constraints of school life, where he struggles. The more varied and challenging experiences both in activity and language The Ear Foundation can provide, the more Joseph will grow in confidence and readiness for life.”