Nominations Open for 2023 Oticon Focus on People Awards

SOMERSET, NJ – The 2023 Oticon Focus on People Awards call for nominations is now open. For 25 years, this first-of-its-kind national awards program has celebrated the contributions and achievements of more than 300 outstanding people with hearing loss and the hearing care professionals who serve them. This year, Oticon, Inc. is expanding the awards categories to include a new category for Hearing Loss Champions, with and without hearing loss.  The new category creates an opportunity to recognize the many adults who parent, educate, serve or support people with hearing loss and the hearing loss community.

“First and foremost, the Oticon Focus on People Awards is a celebration of people with hearing loss,” said Jacob Torpe Winter, Vice President of Marketing, Oticon, Inc. “Over 25 years, award recipients from diverse backgrounds with different talents, passions and challenges have helped to show the world that hearing loss does not limit a person’s ability to achieve, contribute and inspire. Like the many heroic hearing care professionals who serve children and adults with hearing loss on a daily basis, there are others—parents, teachers, clinic staff, community leaders—whose tireless efforts make the world a better, more inclusive place for people with hearing loss. This year, we want to honor them, too.”

Stories to Educate and Inspire

Anyone can nominate themselves or a remarkable person they know for the 2023 Oticon Focus on People Awards. A simple, easy-to-follow nomination form is available online at Oticon.com/FOP. Nominators are invited to share stories about themselves or a standout person they know.

“Over the years, we have seen how the stories of our award winners have helped to teach, persuade and increase understanding and empathy,” explained Winter. “By capturing these stories, we aim to change outdated attitudes and motivate people to act, especially when it comes to addressing their own hearing health needs.”

National Recognition and Prizes

Awards are offered in four categories:

• Student Standouts: For children and young adults with hearing loss, ages 6-25, who are proving that nothing, especially hearing loss, can stand in their way.
• Adult Trailblazers: For people 18 and older with hearing loss who refuse to let it define what is possible.
• Hearing Loss Champions: For adults 25 and older, with or without hearing loss, who parent, educate, serve or support people with hearing loss and the hearing loss community.
• Heroic Hearing Care Professionals: For hearing care practitioners with or without hearing loss who go “above and beyond” to open doors of opportunity for people with hearing loss.

First place winners receive a $2,500 cash prize and a $1,000 donation to the charity of their choice. First place winners with hearing loss in the Student, Adult and Hearing Loss Champion categories also receive Oticon BrainHearing™ hearing aids. Second place winners receive a $500 cash prize and third place winners, a $250 cash prize.

Following the close of nominations, the stories of the twelve finalists will be shared online. The public will be invited to cast their votes to help determine first, second and third place winners in each category.

To learn more about the 2023 Oticon Focus on People Awards and to submit a nomination (deadline: September 15), please visit the Oticon Focus on People website.