This presentation describes Toronto HEARS (Hearing Equality through Accessible Research and Solutions), a new model of community-based hearing care consisting of an education and counseling program tailored for older adults, combined with a choice of low cost over-the-counter amplification devices. The program was developed at Johns Hopkins University to address the public health concern of untreated hearing loss in older adults. Hearing loss is the third most common disability among older adults and is associated with declines in cognitive, physical and mental health. Despite this, only 20 per cent of those with hearing loss use hearing aids and the average period between identifying hearing loss and seeking help is 10 years. The goal of this project is to help older adults with unmanaged hearing loss by providing easier access to affordable hearing care in their community, thereby improving communication, social engagement and quality of life.