Hearing First Wins Best Advocacy Site and Outstanding Website

BIG NEWS! We’re honored to share that the Web Marketing Association has recognized Hearing First with two awards for the 25th annual WebAwards. The Hearing First website, HearingFirst.org, won an award for Outstanding Website. Starts Hear, a national public health awareness campaign to inform expectant parents about the Newborn Hearing Screening (NHS) and the importance of hearing for a baby’s brain development, won Best Advocacy Website. 

We want every baby to benefit from early identification and diagnosis, appropriate hearing technology, and prompt Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) intervention so they can listen, talk, and learn just like their hearing peers. These websites are an important part of our mission to support families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing because they provide the information and resources needed to navigate a hearing loss diagnosis and the journey that follows. 

HearingFirst.org - Outstanding Website:

Earlier this year, we released a new and improved version of our website to be more user friendly and serve as a center of information and resources for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Our website exists to support families through the critical early days following their baby's failed NHS to a definitive diagnosis of hearing loss and all along their journey raising their child. The website also provides a safe space for support, connection, and learning with our Family Support Community and the Professional Learning Community, which provides the latest in research, resources, and education for professionals supporting families with a child with hearing loss. 

StartsHear.org - Best Advocacy Website:

Over 90% of babies with hearing loss are born to hearing parents, so hearing loss isn't on the radar for families and they’re unprepared if their baby fails the NHS. In fact, thirty percent of parents don’t follow up when their baby fails the screening. StartsHear.org is a hub of information and resources for expectant parents to learn more about the importance of hearing for their baby’s brain development and to act quickly should their baby fail the screening.

The annual WebAward Competition is the longest-running annual website award competition, naming the best websites in 96 industries and setting the standard of excellence for all website development. For more information, visit www.webaward.org.