“I read a story about Sally McManus recently and the hearing loss she experienced quite suddenly, which I hadn’t realised. No matter what position you’re in, communication is so important and becoming even more so.” 

Sally McManus is the Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), Australia’s peak body representing working people and unions across the country.  

For Mr Howard, the story reinforced that hearing loss can affect anyone and that accessible communication is essential across every part of public and private life. 

In the article about Ms McManus, it raised the issue of the potential impact of stress on her sudden hearing loss.  

Mr Howard said that despite the considerable pressures he later faced as Prime Minister, his deafness was unrelated to stress and was more likely genetic.  

When he was only nine years old, a visiting doctor examined students at his school and detected his serious hearing deficiency.  

His parents then helped him obtain the hearing support he needed.  

He said he had been fortunate to have very supportive parents as he learned to manage his hearing loss.  

At 21, he underwent his first major hearing operation, performed by Sir (Dr) George Halliday; an important step in a journey that would include several procedures and the ongoing use of hearing aid technology. 

Drawing on that experience, Mr Howard emphasised the importance of the medical profession in supporting people who are deaf or are hard of hearing, from diagnosis and treatment to ongoing care. 

He regarded the care and treatment available to him as a tribute to Australia’s remarkable health system and its capacity to support people living with hearing loss and deafness. 

Mr Howard also acknowledged the significance of the increase from one-in-six to one-in-five Australians living with deafness, hearing loss or an associated hearing condition. He described it as a substantial rise, and one that underlined the growing importance of awareness, accessible communication and support. 

He also believed public understanding had changed markedly. “People are now more aware of sensory disabilities than they were 20 years ago, and certainly more aware than they were 50 years ago,” he said. 

More broadly, Mr Howard believes that all disabilities required great national attention, with stronger awareness and practical support across Australian society. 

“I’m a proud Patron of Deafness Forum Australia because I know they understand the essential challenge and have the capacity to argue their case quietly and effectively.”  

As Patron, and a person who has lived with life-long hearing issues, I want people to know that help is at hand and that simple tests can identify a hearing problem,” Mr Howard said.  

“You can then decide what to do with that information, but that will be an informed choice.”