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How Heartland Bank is leading the way in hearing inclusion

  • Briana Valgre
  • Jul 29, 2025
  • 2 min read

In a country where over 880,000 people live with hearing loss, Heartland Bank is taking bold steps to ensure that no one is left out of the conversation - whether at work or in the community. As the first organisation in New Zealand to become a Hearing Accredited Workplace, Heartland is proving that hearing inclusivity isn’t just possible, it’s powerful.


"Becoming a Hearing Accredited Workplace has helped us make hearing awareness a greater part of our everyday conversation,” says Will White, General Manager at Heartland Bank.

DHHF staff Lisa handing Hearthland Bank's their hearing workplace accreditation.

Through their partnership with the Deaf and hard of hearing Foundation, Heartland has transformed how it serves both employees and customers. Workshops, free hearing checks, and Deaf culture education have equipped their team with tools to communicate more effectively and sensitively.


From the workplace to community


Heartland’s story shows how raising awareness and promoting hearing wellbeing can transform lives. Now, the Foundation is working to bring this same impact to another vital part of our society: Making listening safe for preschool children.


Every day, young children across Aotearoa are exposed to noise levels that could cause permanent hearing damage and globally, more than one billion young people are at risk of losing their hearing. But there’s hope: nearly 60% of childhood hearing loss is preventable. And prevention starts with education - and the right tools.





"As a Hearing Accredited Workplace, Heartland Bank care deeply about our people, customers, and the local community. That’s why we're proud to support the Deaf and hard of hearing Foundation for this appeal” continued Will White, of Hearthland Bank.

Heartland Bank is proudly backing the matched giving campaign to help bring Sound Monkey noise monitoring devices and safe listening education to more early childhood centres across Aotearoa.





Together, we can make listening safe for little ears – and help them develop safe listening habits from the start.


Support the campaign and double your impact


With Heartland Bank matching donations dollar for dollar - up to $10,000 - your support will go twice as far.

Whether you’re a parent, a grandparent, an early childhood educator, or simply someone who cares, you can help educate young children and teachers about safe listening habits and protect little ears from preventable hearing loss – right from the start.





To find out more about matched giving partner Heartland Bank’s reverse mortgage loans and award-winning savings products, click here

 
 
 

7 Comments


George F. Grover
George F. Grover
Feb 21

Heartland Bank’s leadership in hearing inclusion is truly inspiring, setting a powerful example for workplaces across New Zealand. Their partnership and support for safe listening initiatives will make a lasting difference for children and communities. Awareness campaigns like this deserve wider recognition, similar to impactful research shared through web of science journal help.

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John Terry
John Terry
Feb 12

It’s inspiring to see how Heartland Bank is actively promoting hearing inclusion and creating a workplace where everyone feels heard and supported — especially with their hearing accreditation and inclusive practices for diverse customers and employees. That focus on communication and understanding reminded me of how impactful Dialectical Behavior Therapy Atlanta GA can be in helping individuals build healthier ways of interacting, expressing themselves, and managing emotional challenges. Both inclusion initiatives and therapeutic support underscore how important communication and empathy are in improving people’s lives.

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Jane Carter
Jane Carter
Jan 22

Great post, it’s inspiring to see how Heartland Bank is advancing hearing inclusion and creating more accessible financial experiences for everyone. Efforts like this show how thoughtful policies and initiatives can make a real difference in people’s lives. Similarly, when applying to competitive academic programs, crafting the best economics personal statement can help students clearly communicate their analytical interests and real-world motivations to admissions tutors. Thanks for sharing this uplifting and informative update!

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Peter B. Henley
Peter B. Henley
Jan 20

Heartland Bank’s leadership in hearing inclusion is truly inspiring, especially its focus on early childhood prevention and education. Protecting little ears through awareness and tools mirrors the care needed in children’s book publishing, where accessibility, inclusivity, and thoughtful communication help young minds grow safely and confidently.

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Hafsah Omar
Hafsah Omar
Jan 20

Great post, it really helped me a lot. this post really need an appreciation as this really has a great information, The way you explained everything clearly makes a big difference in improving assignment writing. Keep up the good work.

Edited
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