A few questions

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philly

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Hi, I am a product design student. My latest project is to design hearing aids to try and help eliminate the stigma behind them. As part of my research I was wondering if anyone could answer some questions. I am sure you all know that the amount of people suffering from hearing loss is rising due to the rise in noise pollution. In Britain alone there are 4 million people who could benefit from wearing a hearing aid. Therefore for the good of society it is important to break this stigma.
• Why do you think there is a stigma behind hearing aids?
• What do you think would help to end the stigma behind hearing aids?
• Do you think it is a good idea to include other technologies in hearing aids such as Bluetooth?
• Have you ever fought the idea of using a hearing aid in the past?
• Have any technological improvements encouraged you to use a hearing aid?
• What would you like to see improved with the hearing aid?
• Do you like the traditional ‘hidden’ hearing aid design?
• How has the use of a hearing aid affected your life? i.e. Would you recommend hearing aids to other people who are unsure about using them?

I will be completely grateful to anyone who can answer some of these questions. Thank you very much.

Philip Appleton
 
philly said:
Hi, I am a product design student. My latest project is to design hearing aids to try and help eliminate the stigma behind them. As part of my research I was wondering if anyone could answer some questions. I am sure you all know that the amount of people suffering from hearing loss is rising due to the rise in noise pollution. In Britain alone there are 4 million people who could benefit from wearing a hearing aid. Therefore for the good of society it is important to break this stigma.
• Why do you think there is a stigma behind hearing aids?
• What do you think would help to end the stigma behind hearing aids?
• Do you think it is a good idea to include other technologies in hearing aids such as Bluetooth?
• Have you ever fought the idea of using a hearing aid in the past?
• Have any technological improvements encouraged you to use a hearing aid?
• What would you like to see improved with the hearing aid?
• Do you like the traditional ‘hidden’ hearing aid design?
• How has the use of a hearing aid affected your life? i.e. Would you recommend hearing aids to other people who are unsure about using them?

I will be completely grateful to anyone who can answer some of these questions. Thank you very much.






Philip Appleton
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A lot of people think hearing aids are for old people

Make hearing aids on adverts and more people on the tv with hearing aid
No, because hearing aids are for HEARING
No, Iv worn hearing aids since 9 months so its totally normal for me
sound quality
No, im not frightened to show my hearing aid, im quite proud
Hearing aids have made my life better!! Yeah i would, if it helps their hearing. its better than living in silence
 
thank you so very much for your reply Deafteen90. Its of great help.
 
To be honest, I've never noticed a stigma about wearing hearing aids. I've worn them all my life, and have never been "picked on" for them. I was picked on for being deaf and for my speech, but not for the hearing aids themselves. I've worn one in each ear almost all my life; it doesn't help enough with speech discrimination but I find a big difference in understanding lip-reading when I do have them on vs. off (in that I understand a lot better.)
 
I also never noticed stigma with hearing aids and have worn them all my life.
 
philly said:
Hi, I am a product design student. My latest project is to design hearing aids to try and help eliminate the stigma behind them. As part of my research I was wondering if anyone could answer some questions. I am sure you all know that the amount of people suffering from hearing loss is rising due to the rise in noise pollution. In Britain alone there are 4 million people who could benefit from wearing a hearing aid. Therefore for the good of society it is important to break this stigma.
• Why do you think there is a stigma behind hearing aids? It looks different and takes away from this whole model image.
• What do you think would help to end the stigma behind hearing aids?there is nothing until the person decides do I want to keep going huh, what did you say, and repeat that. Until the internal stigma ends.
• Do you think it is a good idea to include other technologies in hearing aids such as Bluetooth?it already is.
• Have you ever fought the idea of using a hearing aid in the past?of course but I wore it because it enabled me to hear.
• Have any technological improvements encouraged you to use a hearing aid?a hearing aid could not help my hearing anymore, I moved on to a cochlear implant.
• What would you like to see improved with the hearing aid?It has improved greatly over the past 30 years.
• Do you like the traditional ‘hidden’ hearing aid design?no because it does not benefit the profound and severe hearing loss.
• How has the use of a hearing aid affected your life? i.e. Would you recommend hearing aids to other people who are unsure about using them?I got up and lived my life. I hope a hearing aid did not define me. Do I recommend hearing aids, sure if they need it. It really is not my choice for them. If they ask me, then I will give my thoughts.
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I hope that helps.
 
Thanks for your replies. I think the stigma is within the media. Hearing aids do not get discussed or projected in it. Perhaps stigma is too strong a word to describe it. But many people seem to deny their hearing loss and any need for a hearing aid for reasons that it makes them look older. My designs will hopefully deal with this issue. Image is a really easy thing to change but public perception is not. Once again thanks for answering my questions.
 
I think there's quite a bit of stigma attached to hearing aids and hearing loss in general. I've worn aids for 20 years and the prevailing assumption is that if someone is hearing impaired, they're also mentally impaired. I like to tell those that make that assumption that I was mentally impaired LONG before I ever lost my hearing. :) It's disheartening. I have no idea if it's media or just simply ignorance rearing it's ugly head but yes, there's stigma attached to a hearing loss and hearing aids.

Some of the most idiotic questions or statements I've heard so far:

Gee, you're nice and fun, but I'm looking to meet someone 'whole' (this was during the active dating years).

How do you drive?

(Shouted) Do You Need Me To Cut Your Food For You?

Are the HOH allowed to go to college?

All HOH are on welfare, aren't they? (Obviously not, I'm college educated and have always worked.. grrrr)

*******************************

Crikey - I get p*ssed off all over again just thinking about the stuff I've heard over the years.
 
I think any stigma attached to HAs is because of ignorance and stupidity on the part of those who think that hearing loss equals mental deficiency. None of my classmates at uni think like that, but then they are intelligent people!
 
When I was a kid, I used to be ashamed of my hearing aids..I thought they made me a target for bullies until later when I realized that all the kids already knew about my deafness and were going to target me whether I had hearing aids or not.

Now, I am not embarrassed to wear them and I havent had any negative comments about them in like 25 years.

Like AlleyCat, they help me with lipreading. Without them, it becomes very hard for me to lipread accurately.

As for the "hidden" hearing aids...never gave much thought to them..if a future design enables to hide my hearing aids, sure I would try them..if not, no big deal.

If someone is unsure or refuses to wear them because of the stigma, I dont think the issues are the hearing aids themselves...the issue is more likely the person's inability to accept that he or she is deaf or hoh.

My dad is hoh and refuses to go fitted for HAs...He lost his hearing from listening to loud music during his younger days. I believe hearing aids would definitely help him but he seems to be in denial so I just leave him be.
 
Thanks for your replies. Ridemiown thats unbelievable. How ignorant some people are. As technology develops hearing aids will become smaller and smaller and the sound will become clearer and clearer. But in the mean time it is worth changing the aesthetic into something a little more modern. I have found an artivle some of you may be interested in on the history of hearing aids. The first BTEs designed seem to have never changed since the 1950s. I feel that in some way this revels that there is a stigma behind hearing aids. I feel designers have to take some responsibility for this.

Concealed Hearing Devices of the 20th Century
 
I have never really noticed a stigma with them. I personally feel that having colored HA's made a difference for me. People saw them, knew I didn't care if they saw them, and often do not mention them. I mean, I have to wear them to function like a hearing person- so why fight the obvious. You know? People wear glasses to see better, and I need my HA's to hear you. Get over it. I guess that's the attitude I've always had with them.

And if someone needs a HA- then yes I would recommend them.. it will allow you to hear better....

But if there is a stigma and other people are noticing it- I think it partially has to do with the person themselves. Like others have stated- HA's or not, they will always find something to get on with. Maybe media would help, but it can't fix everything. Ultimately YOU must accept them, and then make everyone else.
 
shel90 said:
When I was a kid, I used to be ashamed of my hearing aids..I thought they made me a target for bullies until later when I realized that all the kids already knew about my deafness and were going to target me whether I had hearing aids or not.

Now, I am not embarrassed to wear them and I havent had any negative comments about them in like 25 years.

Like AlleyCat, they help me with lipreading. Without them, it becomes very hard for me to lipread accurately.

As for the "hidden" hearing aids...never gave much thought to them..if a future design enables to hide my hearing aids, sure I would try them..if not, no big deal.

If someone is unsure or refuses to wear them because of the stigma, I dont think the issues are the hearing aids themselves...the issue is more likely the person's inability to accept that he or she is deaf or hoh.

My dad is hoh and refuses to go fitted for HAs...He lost his hearing from listening to loud music during his younger days. I believe hearing aids would definitely help him but he seems to be in denial so I just leave him be.
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I've never felt that way about my hearing aids but I certainly felt that way about the Phonic Ear. I wonder if people still uses those things?
 
There are people who still use "bulky" FM systems which have a Walkman sized transmitter and receiver. I do. I use a 216 MHz Comtek FM system that is larger than other models like Phonak. I didn't care for the Phonak Smartlink though only because it wasn't accessible to me as a totally blind person.
 
I've been wearing hearing aids for over 20 years and if hearing loss is indicative of mental instability, then I guess I fit the criteria x3. :D I'm darn proud of it too because there's nothing to be ashamed of. If people want to think my intelligence level is severely deficient because of deafness or deafblindness, let them. That's their problem -- not mine.
 
My only negative experience with HAs was due to humidity or perspiration and detoriating performance as a result from it. Waterproof devices should be a priority as it could affect how one hears in hotter climates.
 
deafskeptic said:
I've never felt that way about my hearing aids but I certainly felt that way about the Phonic Ear. I wonder if people still uses those things?
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I'm curious too as to whether those are still used.

I hated those things - both because of the weight, and because it made me stand out as a deaf kid. In 9th grade I rebelled against my IEP teachers (who put this in their documentation that I had to wear this) and said NO MORE. I wore my hearing aids from then out.
 
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