The document discusses the importance of hearing from before birth, where an unborn child can hear sounds in the womb. Hearing allows for social connection and communication between people. It is also linked to emotion through music, nature sounds, and laughter. The document notes that 15% of the world has hearing loss currently, and this number is rising. It provides examples of sudden hearing loss, including a quote from Phil Collins describing his sudden loss. Later sections provide tips for communicating with hard of hearing individuals and discuss advances in technology that have helped deaf people communicate.