Hearing Accessibility is needed in all public venues -
Hearing loss is not just "volume reduction" - it is distortion, confusion and tinnitus, often made hugely worse by the design of rooms people occupy or use.
Hearing loss affects people young or old, and is hidden from others. And there are many with conditions such as dementia, MS and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who cannot cope with or block out background noise. This affects people in different ways not understood by others. The same hearing loss can impact differently on different people, is little understood and in receipt of least attention. |
People who have sight loss often rely on essential auditory clues for orientation.
Those suffering hearing loss tend to slide into social isolation because it is so much easier to avoid environments and social interactions where it is a problem. It is a factor in social isolation which is difficult to quantify and difficult to deny. And ignored by many institutions. Help combat social isolation of people with hearing loss.
Hearing aids can help a lot, but so can architects and designers. |
Andrea Harman says "The impact of good room acoustics and its positive effect on the people using a space is now a fundamental part of my thinking."