Deaf charity RNID warns teenagers about loud music
Teenagers are being warned about the dangers of listening to loud music for long periods of time.
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) will meet year 12 pupils at St Cyres School, Penarth, in the Vale of Glamorgan, on Wednesday.
It is one of several events being staged by the charity around Wales to raise awareness about hearing loss.
The RNID said there were 480,000 people in Wales who were deaf or hard of hearing.
Events marking Deaf Awareness Week will also be held in Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Welshpool, Powys, and Dolgellau, Gwynedd.
At St Cyres School, RNID volunteer Matthew Skinner will talk to a group of 17-18-year-old pupils as part of a campaign called Don't Lose the Music.
It aims to make young people aware of the risks of listening to loud music for long periods, so they can take the steps to protect their hearing and enjoy music for longer, the charity says.
Mr Skinner will use a specially-designed soundhead which measures the sound pressure of an MP3 player over an average of 30 seconds.
Students will be asked to plug their MP3 players into the head, which lights up green, red or amber according to the volume of the music player, and indicates whether the volume is dangerously high.
'Isolated and depressed'
The RNID's director in Wales, Richard Williams said: "There are 480,000 people in Wales who are deaf or hard of hearing.
"We know that it can take someone up to 15 years to take action about their hearing loss. In this time they may find it difficult to communicate in the workplace and social situations, and become frustrated, isolated and depressed.
"This is why hearing loss needs to be recognised as a major public health issue which carries a serious impact on the quality of a person's life."
Among the events for Deaf Awareness Week will be a hearing check and information session at a Mothers' Union group in Mumbles, near Swansea, a drop-in session for hearing aid users at the Corn Exchange in Welshpool and a volunteers' coffee morning at the RNID's office in Cathedral Road, Cardiff.