Signia promotes accessibility with prescription-grade hearing aids that look like traditional earbuds
Signia promotes accessibility with prescription-grade hearing aids that look like traditional earbuds ZDNet
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Hearing Aids That Look Like Earbuds: Signia Promotes Accessibility with Prescription-Grade Technology
The Signia Active Pro IX in their charging case.
Signia/ZDNET
Introduction
Hearing aids are a vital piece of accessibility technology. According to the FDA, almost 30 million adults in the US experience a degree of hearing loss. Despite that prominent figure, only one-fifth of those people choose to address their hearing loss with hearing devices and aids.
Some people may be turned off by hearing aids due to societal stigmas stemming from their historically bulky and unfashionable appearance. Signia hopes to turn the tide with the Signia Active Pro IX and Active IX hearing aids. They are consumer earbuds that double as prescription-grade hearing aids for people who want to enhance their hearing while maintaining a low profile.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
- Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
Signia’s Integrated Xperience Hearing Platform
The Active Pro IX use Signia’s proprietary Integrated Xperience hearing platform to help those with hearing loss remain active participants in everyday conversation. According to Signia, the hearing platform uses Signia’s RealTime Conversation Enhancement solution, which can process up to four focus streams.
A focus stream refers to how the hearing aids focus on sounds coming from the front of the wearer. The hearing aids then use augmentation to enhance conversational noises from all directions while reducing extraneous background noises.
Signia’s Multiple Voice Processing
Signia’s new hearing aids can process multiple voices within a conversation, helping users stay immersed in all subsets of a conversation, a challenge many hearing aid wearers experience, according to Signia.
A Signia study found that the Integrated Xperience platform produced a +12dB signal-to-noise ratio in simulated group conversations. This positive decibel level means that the technology makes the hearing aids’ signal 12 times stronger than the imitated background noise, allowing wearers to distinguish speech over background noise better.
The Signia Active IX in Black.
Signia/ZDNET
Accessibility and Design
“By challenging the status quo of traditional hearing aids, Signia is expanding access to hearing technology. With Signia Active Pro IX, we’re giving people an appealing consumer design and an unprecedented solution for reconnecting with conversations on their own terms,” Jens Møller, Global Head of Signia Brand, said in a press release.
The Active IX operate at a different hearing enhancement level but offer the same traditional earbud design, connectivity, and features. Signia says offering different hearing technology levels helps make hearing aids more accessible, addressing issues like hearing loss severity and financial ability.
Conclusion
Companies like Signia manufacture hearing aids that resemble earbuds to remove the stigma and possible embarrassment associated with wearing hearing aids. By making hearing aids look like everyday tech, more people who need them may be inclined to wear them. Signia asserts that the Active IX and Active Pro IX are also aimed at anyone with hearing loss who feels disconnected from society, as these hearing aids can keep wearers engaged while working, exercising, and socializing.
Both upcoming Signia hearing aids are only available by prescription, so interested consumers must visit an audiologist first to assess their hearing capabilities. The Signia Active IX and Active Pro IX will be available in the US in December.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
The article discusses the issue of hearing loss and the availability of hearing aids as a form of accessibility technology. This connects to SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Additionally, the article mentions that only one-fifth of adults with hearing loss choose to address their hearing loss with hearing devices, indicating a potential inequality in access to hearing aids, which relates to SDG 10, which aims to reduce inequalities within and among countries.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
- SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are SDG 3.4, which focuses on reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases, including hearing loss, through prevention and treatment, and promoting mental health and well-being. SDG 10.2 is also relevant, as it aims to empower and promote the social inclusion of all individuals, including those with hearing loss, irrespective of their disability status.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Signal-to-noise ratio in simulated group conversations
- Percentage of adults with hearing loss who choose to address their hearing loss with hearing devices
The article mentions that a Signia study found that the Integrated Xperience platform produced a +12dB signal-to-noise ratio in simulated group conversations. This can be used as an indicator to measure progress towards SDG 3.4, as it demonstrates the effectiveness of the hearing aids in enhancing speech over background noise. Additionally, the article mentions that only one-fifth of adults with hearing loss choose to address their hearing loss with hearing devices. This can be used as an indicator to measure progress towards SDG 10.2, as it reflects the level of social inclusion and accessibility of hearing aids for individuals with hearing loss.
4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. | – Signal-to-noise ratio in simulated group conversations |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status. | – Percentage of adults with hearing loss who choose to address their hearing loss with hearing devices |
Source: zdnet.com
