# Global Audiology

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According to the World Report on Hearing produced by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1.5 billion people will experience some decline in their hearing capacity during their lifetime, of whom at least 430 million will require hearing care. Moreover, it is suggested that over 80% of this population lives in low and middle-income countries where there is very little access to any audiological services. Hence, there is much work to be done in audiology to bridge this inequality in education and access to services.
Global Audiology is a portal that is aimed to provide an understanding of audiology education and practice around the world. The goal of the information provided in this portal is to facilitate networking among stakeholders in hearing health as well as help promote the development of audiology in settings where fewer resources are available. Developing knowledge about current practice trends is the first step in helping to standardize audiology practice and ultimately improve audiological care, facilitate the standardization of audiology practice, and help with providing better access to audiology services.
Drs. Vinaya Manchaiah and Ross Rosser co-developed this project in 2016 and created the website and content with help from volunteers across the globe. However, the Global Audiology initiative was endorsed and since 2019 it is managed by the International Society of Audiology (ISA). The Global Audiology Working Group within the ISA oversees the project. Initially, the content was on its own website, and in 2023 the content was moved to Wikiversity with help from Drs. Thais Morata, Alexandre Montilha, and Joyce Rodvie Sagun. The move was motivated by a desire to provide mechanisms to facilitate input from our communities of interest.

# Call to Action

All audiologists and hearing care professionals are invited to join Global Audiology! This project is a collaborative effort to create a comprehensive and up-to-date resource for audiology information worldwide. We need your help to make this project a success.
The Global Audiology initiative relies on committed volunteers for the development and management of the content. The Global Audiology working group within the ISA, with input from the ISA Executive Committee members, developed the project structure and processes. The Global Audiology Working Group moderates the content within the Wikiversity pages. However, the information for the country-specific page is created by volunteers. A few people will take the lead in developing much of the content to ensure consistency in writing. However, anyone can edit to develop the information further and ensure the content is accurate and up-to-date. Start contributing to Global Audiology by clicking on the How to Edit tab.

### How else can you contribute?

* Write an article about audiology in your home country.
If you do not see a country-specific page to which you would like to contribute, visit the How to Edit section for a step-by-step guide or contact ISA administration to have the page created.
* Share your expertise by answering other audiologists, audiology students, and hearing healthcare professionals' questions.
* Promote Global Audiology to your colleagues and friends.
* Share audiology-related events and other initiatives.

### Your contribution will make a difference

Global Audiology is a valuable resource for audiologists around the world. By contributing to this project, you can help improve the quality of care for people with hearing and vestibular disorders.

# Useful Audiology Resources and Links

* Global audiology open access webinar, International Society of Audiology
* American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
* Audiology Online
* World Health Organization (WHO) World Hearing Day
* National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders (NIDCD)
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Hearing Loss)
* The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
* Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
* Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH)
* The American Academy of Audiology (AAA)
* National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM)
* Computational Audiology Network (CAN)
* British Society of Audiology (BSA)
* Australian College of Audiology
* New Zealand Audiological Society
* Coalition for Global Hearing Health