Technology for deaf people

City Lit This session is relevant to: Assignment 4 Technology for deaf people 4a Emerging technology Analyse the current developments in new technology for deaf and hard of hearing people.

City Lit Objectives of today’s session Consider gaps in technology for deaf and hard of hearing people Consider new developments in technology that can help deaf and hard of hearing people

City Lit Activity In pairs/groups discuss: 1.What problems do deaf and hard of hearing people still have that technology doesn’t yet solve? 2.What new technologies can you think of that are being developed to try to overcome those problems? 3.Does the technology exist - but it hasn’t been developed or applied due to the low profile of hearing loss compared to other disabilities?

City Lit Hearing aids – current developments Directional microphone systems Automatic feedback cancellation Background noise reduction Water resistance (Phonak, Siemens) Voicestream technology - allows the hearing aids to automatically detect speech and the exchange of data between binaural aids Iphone compatibility new-hearing-aids/ new-hearing-aids/ Increased higher frequency range frequency lowering frequency-11772http:// frequency-11772

City Lit Hearing aids – research needed Understanding the perceptual consequences of ‘hidden hearing loss’ could help develop new solutions for people with milder losses. The auditory system can quickly identify and classify sounds. Better understanding of the underlying mechanisms could help to improve the performance of hearing aids for speech intelligibility in reverberant environments Document Title

City Lit Implants – current research and likely developments Lower power consumption Miniaturisation Fully implantable Regenerate the nerve - use of nerve growth factors Neural response telemetry (NRT) - electrical signal sent to the implant electrode - gives audiologist or surgeon confirmation that the implant is effectively stimulating the hearing nerve fibres m Improved sound discrimination – more electrodes Different types of implants for different hearing losses e.g. EAS

City Lit Are people made aware of new developments in hearing aids or implants?

City Lit Other technology for communication Portable sign language translator (PSLT) - Aberdeen project - translating sign language into text Kinect Sign Language Translator - translates sign language into spoken language and vice versa Video clip research-uses-kinect-translate-spoken-sign-languages-real-time/ What are the potential drawbacks?

City Lit Other technology (for communication) Speech/voice recognition systems Can be use on tablets and smartphones New versions don’t have to be trained to model individual voices Much more accurate

City Lit Other technology for communication Augmented reality - to access written content via a reader app on smartphone or tablet accessibility-easy.html

City Lit Other technology (for communication) Remote live real-time captioning service - Ai-Live - is available for people in a school, university, workplace and conference environment. Video remote interpreting services Skybell – an app that lets you see on your smartphone who is at the door

City Lit Other technology (for communication) Next generation text relay People can now use an internet connected device, such as iPads, smartphones and computers, to make calls via a free app. The service uses the internet connection and phone call to create two channels between the caller and the service. The internet connection is used for text while the phone call is used for voice. Mobile phones Better quality cameras for BSL; more apps

City Lit Think about….. Is this new technology accessible for older hard of hearing people? How can they be encouraged to engage with it? How far is technology lagging behind deaf people’s needs? Might manufacturers be motivated by an expanding ageing market? Do the people developing the technology have an understanding of deafness and Deaf culture? Does it matter? Do the people developing the technology have an understanding of how individual needs vary according to type of hearing loss, background, age etc. ? Does new equipment raise expectations too high? (e.g. digital hearing aids) Does the trend towards computers make deaf people feel more or less socially isolated?

City Lit Biomedical research into hearing loss

City Lit Biomedical research into hearing loss Stem cells - restored hearing to deaf gerbils = key, because they are mammals (we knew fish and birds could) Gene therapy – can identify 80 – can lead to more effective screening and treatment Glue ear treatment - potential drug to replace grommets Ototoxic drugs Understanding how we hear - potassium = a chemical that helps electrical signals to the hearing part of the brain

City Lit Biomedical research - tinnitus Drugs Electro-magnetic stimulation An elecromagnet against the skull Acoustic or electric stimulation Of brain stem Neuromodulation Delivering sequences of sound to the ears to break up the patterns of nerve firing in the brain that may be responsible for generating tinnitus