National awards celebrate people who help to create awareness and change perceptions of hearing loss
SOMERSET, NJ June 13 -- Oticon, Inc. is looking for outstanding people with hearing loss for the 2022 Oticon Focus on People Awards. Nominations are now open for the national awards program that honors students, adults and advocacy volunteers with any degree of hearing loss whose accomplishments show that hearing loss does not limit a person’s ability to make a positive difference in their communities or the world.
By celebrating the achievements and contributions of people with hearing loss, Oticon aims to change negative perceptions of hearing loss and encourage people reluctant to address their own hearing health to seek professional care. Since 1997, this one-of-a-kind awards competition has recognized more than 300 outstanding people with hearing loss from across the US.
“Our Oticon Focus on People Award winners come from diverse backgrounds with different talents, passions and challenges,” said Nancy Palmere Mucha, Director of Consumer Marketing and Public Relations for Oticon, Inc. “What they share is the ability to change the attitudes of people who expect ‘less’ from a person with hearing loss. Their unique stories are powerful illustrations of the world of possibilities open to people with hearing loss who seek the support of dedicated hearing care professionals and the benefits of life-changing technology.”
Easy to Nominate
Anyone may submit a nomination. Access the easy-to-follow online nomination form at Oticon.com/FOP. People with all degrees of hearing loss – from mild to more severe - are eligible. There is also a special category for hearing care practitioners with or without hearing loss. Deadline for nominations is July 22, 2022.
Four Categories with Three Winners in Each
Categories include: Student, for full-time students with hearing loss, ages 6 – 25; Adult, for people with hearing loss, ages 21 and above; and Advocacy, for volunteers with hearing loss, who are actively involved in support efforts for the hard-of-hearing and deaf community. A special Practitioner category recognizes hearing care professionals who go “above and beyond” through humanitarian and public education efforts. Nominees in the Practitioner category are not required to have a hearing loss to qualify.
First place winners receive a $1,000 cash prize and a $1,000 donation to the charity of their choice. First place winners in the Student, Adult and Advocacy categories also receive Oticon BrainHearing™ hearing devices. Second place winners receive a $500 cash prize and third place winners, a $250 cash prize. Following the close of nominations, the general public will be invited to vote online to help determine first, second and third place winners in each category.
To learn more about the 2022 Oticon Focus on People Awards and to submit a nomination, visit Oticon.com/FOP
