Worthing musician supports RNID campaign for World Hearing Day

A musician from Worthing has spoken about his experience of hearing loss to support a national awareness campaign marking World Hearing Day 2026.

Adam Felman, 36, is backing RNID, the charity supporting people who are deaf or have hearing loss or tinnitus, as it encourages the public to recognise early signs of hearing problems and seek help.

RNID audiologist and director of health Crystal Rolfe said more than half of people in the UK aged over 55 have hearing loss, which often develops gradually and can go unnoticed. She said difficulty hearing everyday sounds could be an early indication of a problem.

A recent RNID survey found many people not diagnosed with hearing loss reported struggling to hear sounds such as leaves rustling, rain falling, birds singing, a phone ringing in another room or someone calling their name. The charity is promoting its free online hearing check, which takes around three minutes to complete.

Mr Felman said he began to recognise symptoms in his late 20s while researching hearing loss for an article. After being diagnosed with moderate to severe high frequency hearing loss, he was fitted with hearing aids. He said the devices had allowed him to hear sounds he had previously missed and had improved his social and professional life.

RNID is encouraging people to prioritise their hearing health and complete its online check to identify potential issues at an early stage.