Unexpected path, lasting impact: hearing loss setback leads to decades of teaching
Por Jimmy Chow — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Hong Kong society Hong Kong Society Unexpected path, lasting impact: hearing loss setback leads to decades of teaching
Spirit of Hong Kong Awards finalist Ivan Fung overcame job setbacks linked to his hearing impairment to help others across generations
2 -MIN READ 2 -MIN Listen
Jimmy Chow Published: 12:15pm, 14 Oct 2026
Hearing loss made it difficult for Ivan Fung Wing-hong to find work in Hong Kong’s construction industry after graduation.
Nearly three decades later, that early setback has led to a teaching career spanning young children, postgraduate students and elderly people.
Born with a hearing impairment, Fung struggled with language subjects at school because he could not always hear clearly. He was stronger in maths and art, which eventually led him to study building-related subjects at what was then City Polytechnic of Hong Kong. The institution became City University of Hong Kong (CityU) in 1994.
Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice