With any sensory impairment there is usually more than one type of solution. This is driven by two factors. Firstly there is usually a wide range in the degree of impairment from very slight that barely affects one’s day-to-day life up to a very severe case that radically impacts upon most daily functions. Secondly there is typically a competitive technology or distribution within which competing organisations will strive to secure differential and subsequent market advantage. Within the optical field there are traditional glasses, complex glasses such as vari-focals, contact lenses and surgical solutions being provided to customers with varying degrees of short-sight, long-sight and other visual impairments. There are also outdated products such as monocles and prinz nez glasses – apologies to all those still using those!
Hearing impairment can be just as varied as visual impairment and it is therefore no surprise to find a diverse market of varying solutions through a variety of distribution channels seeking to provide assistance to the hearing impaired population. A high level summary would encapsulate this as three different channels – NHS, high street and internet – providing hearing aids, amplified daily living products (phones, alarm clocks, TV listeners etc.) and surgical solutions such as cochlear implants or bone anchored hearing aids.
Dealing first with hearing aids, the scope of these is continuing to expand as manufacturers apply tomorrow’s miniaturisation to micro chips, receivers, microphone and other components of today’s digital devices. These should be the primary solution for the majority of the hearing impaired population but due to social stigma, cost, comfort and convenience this is not the case. Every single global market for hearing aids has a penetration significantly below 50% and therefore as an aid to hearing impairment these aids are not being adopted by many who could significantly benefit from doing so. In the UK digital hearing aids are now provided by the NHS free of charge, by the high street at an average cost of over £1000 per ear and now online with prices starting at £99
The next most significant product is the amplified phone. The biggest limitation suffered by those with hearing impairment is communication and an amplified phone can be a life-changing and life-improving product removing the isolation of those living alone for whom a “normal” phone is next to useless. There are a variety of phones within a competitive market and online prices start at below £20
Other life style products such as amplified door bells, wireless TV listeners, loop systems and vibrating alarm clocks do much to improve daily life but are not the step-change products that hearing aids should be and amplified phones are. If this blog could achieve one thing it would be to encourage those suffering in silence to explore the range of aids to hearing impairment and so even if they are not yet prepared to take the step of using a hearing aid there is a plethora of products that could radically improve their lives. Take the plunge into the world of hearing impaired aids, – you really can hear the difference.
