Press release
Intel Makes Technology More Accessible for People with Hearing Loss
Several projects aim to increase access to assistive devices and improve their integration with other technologies. SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
About this update from Intel Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"\nSeveral projects aim to increase access to assistive devices and improve their integration with other technologies.\n\n\n SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nTechnology is increasingly central to every aspect of human existence. It has the potential to unlock powerful new possibilities, such as helping people hear what they wouldn't be able to hear on their own.\n\nThis press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230518005052/en/Working with Intel and Accenture, 3DP4ME uses 3D printing to bring assistive technology to people in developing countries. 3DP4ME is piloting its project in Jordan, taking scans of children’s ears and printing custom-fitted hearing aids. (Credit: 3DP4ME)\nMore than 1.5 billion people worldwide live with hearing loss, and the World Health Organization predicts that by 2050 that number will increase to more than 2.5 billion people.\n\n\nTechnology is integral to helping people with disabilities live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life. Within Intel, there is a movement to improve accessibility for people with hearing loss from multiple angles. Several projects are ongoing at Intel to increase access to assistive devices and improve their integration with other technologies.\n\n\nIncreasing Access to Hearing Aids\n\n\nAccessibility starts with access, and in much of the world, access to hearing aids is prohibitively expensive.\n\n\nIn collaboration with Intel and Accenture, 3DP4ME is using 3D printing to bring assistive technology to people in developing countries. 3DP4ME, an Intel RISE Technology Initiative partner, is currently piloting its project in Jordan, taking scans of children’s ears and printing custom-fitted hearing aids for them. The application of 3D printing increases access to hearing aids because it is faster and less expensive than traditional manufacturing methods.\n\n\n“Previous work to provide hearing aids to children included hand-making the custom ear molds. It was a craft that was labor-intensive, and you could only make four or five hearing aids a day,” says Jason Szolomayer, founder of 3DP4ME. “There were long wait times, even after the kids were tested. Using 3D printing allows us to scale up the service we provide to families and kids who need hearing aids.”\n\n\nThe goal is to scale this capa...