Sound is the bridge that connects the world; Listening is the cornerstone of perceiving beauty. March 3, 2026, is the 27th National Ear Protection Day. The theme of this year's Ear Care Day is "Science for Ear Care for All, Protecting Hearing Health Together". According to experts, from policy protection to rule of law support, from early intervention to comprehensive rehabilitation, China's hearing health industry is steadily advancing along the track of legalization, standardization, and inclusiveness, allowing every life to enjoy equal rights to listen to the world and speak clearly. The establishment of the rule of law and the fruitful results of the hearing health cause are the best New Year gifts. ”Recently, in a rehabilitation classroom in Beijing, five-year-old Chen Nuo (pseudonym) followed the teacher and clearly shouted out "Mom". The crisp pronunciation made the mother beside her blush. Two years ago, Chen Nuo was diagnosed with congenital hearing impairment. Due to financial difficulties at home, the cost of surgery and rehabilitation was once a huge obstacle in front of Chen Nuo. It is the comprehensive implementation of the rehabilitation assistance system for disabled children that has changed the trajectory of this family. According to the statutory scope of assistance and guarantee standards, Chen Nuo received free cochlear implantation surgery and was included in the corresponding basic rehabilitation service list. The growth trajectory of Chen Nuo, from being naive at startup to being able to listen and speak, and integrating into kindergarten, is a vivid epitome of the legalization and popularization of the hearing health industry. At a hearing rehabilitation service point in a remote township in Jiangsu, 28 year old audiologist Li Na has started preparing villagers for hearing screening and health guidance. Such grassroots rehabilitation service points are a concrete manifestation of the rule of law safeguarding the sinking of the hearing health industry. With the "14th Five Year Plan for the Protection and Development of Persons with Disabilities" and the "National Action Plan for Disability Prevention (2021-2025)" as the core, the full chain goals and tasks of prevention, screening, rehabilitation, and integrated development of hearing disabilities have been more clearly defined. This has promoted the promulgation of laws and special documents such as the Barrier Free Environment Construction Law, the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting Ear and Hearing Health Work," and the "National Occupational Standards for Auditory Oral Speakers." Various regions have also formulated corresponding implementation plans tailored to local conditions, making national requirements localized and specific, and enhancing operability. ”Liang Wei, director of the China Listening and Language Rehabilitation Research Center, introduced. In Liang Wei's view, the synergistic effect of policies has been highlighted, forming a joint force to support the full life cycle development of hearing-impaired individuals, ensuring that over 85% of certified hearing-impaired individuals and hearing-impaired children in need receive basic rehabilitation services during the 14th Five Year Plan period, and universally enjoying safe and effective basic rehabilitation service goals: newborn hearing screening has achieved wider coverage and higher quality, and prevention and control of disability factors such as occupational noise and drug-induced deafness have been strengthened, reflecting the transformation from "treating already sick" to "preventing diseases before they occur and controlling increments". Early detection and intervention have greatly improved the speech, cognition, and social development potential of hearing-impaired children, and the development foundation of hearing-impaired children is stronger; ——The promotion of inclusive education ensures the equal right to education for hearing-impaired children, deepens the construction of accessible environments (such as information accessibility and sign language services), and strengthens employment support, effectively promoting the social integration and economic self-reliance of hearing-impaired individuals; ——The network of rehabilitation institutions continues to improve, the construction of professional talent teams is strengthened, the subsidy policy and centralized procurement policy for hearing aids (hearing aids, cochlear implants) are effectively implemented, the threshold for hearing-impaired individuals to obtain high-quality rehabilitation and assistive technologies is lowered, rehabilitation services and assistive devices help improve their communication and self-care abilities, accessible environments reduce barriers to participation in society, employment support improves economic conditions, and the quality of life of hearing-impaired adults is further improved; ——The protection of rights and interests through network encryption, the improvement and promotion of legal policies, have enhanced the awareness and ability of hearing-impaired groups to protect their rights, and created a more inclusive social atmosphere. The warmth of precise legal education to safeguard the hearing health rights and interests of the whole nation, and the protection of the rule of law, also benefits the elderly hearing-impaired population. I used to think that not being able to hear was a normal phenomenon of aging, but it wasn't until community doctors came to screen that I found out it was a hearing impairment. I can even get free hearing aids, which is really thoughtful! ”Mr. Zhao, 73 years old, lives in Fengtai District, Beijing. In the past two years, he has always felt that he cannot hear his neighbors clearly and has to lean in to answer phone calls. However, due to his inherent understanding, he has not undergone any examinations. His changes stem from the clear requirements for hearing health protection for the elderly in the "Regulations on Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities" - promoting the normalization of grassroots hearing screening, providing free hearing testing and hearing health guidance for the elderly, and providing rehabilitation assistance such as hearing aid adaptation to eligible elderly people with hearing disabilities. In the autumn of 2024, community health service center staff conducted free hearing screening on-site. Mr. Zhao was diagnosed with moderate sensorineural hearing loss, and the staff assisted him in applying for free hearing aid adaptation services. Nowadays, Mr. Zhao, who wears hearing aids, can not only hear the news clearly on the radio, but also sit around chatting and laughing with his old friends. Experts remind that traditional beliefs such as' aging of the ear is a normal phenomenon 'have long constrained the in-depth development of prevention and rehabilitation work for hearing impairment in China. This concept ignores the social and legal attributes of hearing health. The right to hearing health is an important component of the right to health and is protected by law. At present, we should innovate the way of promoting the rule of law and vigorously advocate for the participation of the entire population in order to effectively break down ideological barriers and effectively protect the hearing health rights of different groups throughout their life cycle. ”Zheng Xuan, a professor at the Education Department of Beijing Normal University who has been deaf since childhood, believes that universal participation is not a "one size fits all" approach. Zheng Xuan believes that, for example, for the workplace population, emphasis should be placed on promoting the statutory rights of noise protection in the Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Law and the Noise Pollution Prevention and Control Law. Employers must provide workers with standard protective equipment and conduct regular occupational health examinations, which is not only the responsibility of the enterprise, but also the legal right of the workers. Through case studies, legal lectures, and other forms, workers can be made aware that "refusing to wear protective equipment leads to hearing loss, and employers are legally responsible; workers also have the right to refuse to work in high noise environments without protective measures. For expectant and new parents, it is necessary to strengthen the promotion of mandatory provisions on hearing screening in the Maternal and Child Health Care Law and the Regulations on Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities. Newborn hearing screening is not a multiple-choice question, but a mandatory public health service. ”Zheng Xuan said that by releasing typical cases and carrying out activities to interpret the law through cases, the public can also be made aware that "excessive noise in public places such as shopping malls and square dances can be complained about in accordance with the law; quality problems of medical devices such as hearing aids can be protected in accordance with the law; schools that fail to implement hearing protection measures can be held accountable". Experts believe that during the 14th Five Year Plan period, China's rule of law construction in the field of hearing disability prevention and rehabilitation will be characterized by "strengthening top-level design, refining local implementation, and deepening special measures". A more complete legal and policy system has been constructed, and the popularization and improvement of key services have been promoted, significantly benefiting the hearing-impaired population. This year marks the beginning of the 15th Five Year Plan. In Liang Wei's view, in the coming period, the key to the rule of law construction in the field of hearing health will be to directly address the pain point of "more soft requirements and less rigid constraints" in children's hearing screening work, except for newborns. Future legislation can further clarify the legal responsibilities and time requirements for the closed-loop management of "screening diagnosis intervention", effectively linking the screening results with the system of child health care and preschool education, and preventing "screening without treatment". Liang Wei believes that in terms of strengthening the legal system for rehabilitation protection, local legislation can explore the connection mechanism between rehabilitation assistance, medical insurance, and long-term care insurance, and provide legal positioning for community and family rehabilitation support services to make rehabilitation services more accessible and sustainable. In terms of improving the legal system for protecting rights and interests, we need to achieve a shift from anti discrimination to information accessibility concepts, especially the introduction of the concept of 'universal design', which requires public goods, services, and environments to consider the needs of people with hearing disabilities from the beginning of design. This is more fundamental and economical than adding accessibility facilities afterwards. ”Liang Wei stated. The key to transforming the series of blueprints for tasks such as' improving the ear and hearing health service system 'and' strengthening the protection of key populations' into practical results lies in building a governance system of 'legal norms, government leadership, departmental collaboration, social participation, and technological support', achieving a transformation from flexible advocacy to rigid constraints, and from local pilot to comprehensive coverage. ”He said that it is necessary to build and improve a multi-level normative system of "law standard norm". In the revision of relevant laws, emphasis should be placed on establishing clear authorization clauses to provide a basis for the formulation of administrative regulations and departmental rules; Systematically organize and integrate existing hearing health-related standards scattered in different fields, forming a unified, scientific, internationally aligned, and national standard system that is in line with national conditions; Encourage provinces and cities with conditions to take the lead in formulating local regulations or government rules, exploring distinctive solutions, and accumulating experience for the national level. We can carry out legal publicity on hearing health themes at national events such as Ear Protection Day; Medical institutions fulfill their obligation to inform patients during the diagnosis and treatment process, and incorporate legal risk warnings into health education; Schools should include hearing protection in their health education curriculum and cultivate students' awareness of their rights; The media should produce special legal programs to expose illegal activities related to noise pollution; Social organizations can provide legal assistance to help hearing-impaired groups protect their rights. ”Zheng Xuan said that it is also necessary to give special play to the participation role of the hearing-impaired group itself, and through the "peer education" model, enable hearing-impaired individuals who have successfully intervened in the early stage to become legal propagandists, and use their personal experiences to explain the importance of early screening and timely intervention, enhancing the infectivity and credibility of publicity. (New Society)