Cortes Hernandez, 1

Yoselyn Cortes Hernandez

Tech and Dig Section C 03
Professor Aldayel
February 12, 2016
Assistive Technology and Hearing Aids
Assistive Technology is what helps people with disabilities perform tasks that would be
difficult to accomplish otherwise. While doing research on this topic, I learned that assistive
technology is an umbrella term for many rehabilitative and adaptive devices. One of the most
well known assistive devices are hearing aids. Hearings aids help people that are deaf or hard of
hearing by amplifying sound for the person who wears them. Although hearing aids, or any other
type of assistive technology cannot completely fix a disability, they are very helpful and needed
by people with hearing loss.
The first version of the hearing aid, the Ear Trumpet, was invented in the 17th century.
An American engineer, named Miller Reese Hutchison is usually credited as the sole inventor by
most sources. According to a website called Alabama Pioneers, the hearing aid Miller Hutchison
created was originally called the Akouphone. He invented it because he had a friend who was
deaf. Hutchison was able to help improve his friends hearing, but he never learned to speak.
To promote the hearing aid, he travelled to Europe so he could help members of royal
families who were hard of hearing. Hearing Aids can be used by people of all ages. Those who
need a hearing aid need to visit an audiologist to choose the right type for them. They learn basic
things they need to do to take care of them. For example, dead batteries need to be replaced
quickly, and hair products shouldnt be applied while wearing hearing aids because the chemicals
can damage them.

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According to Healthy Hearing, the average hearing aid can cost up to $4,800, which is
$2.66 per day. For children, the costs is usually covered by health insurance. Adults on the other
hand, have to pay for theirs. To make things worse, hearing aids have a life expectancy of only
five years. I dont have much personal experience with hearing aids, but I did have a friend in
elementary school who used them.
I was somewhat familiar with hearing aids and deafness because I used to watch a TV
show called Switched At Birth where most of the characters were deaf. The protagonist relied on
hearing aids to communicate with her hearing family members and sign language with her
friends who were deaf. Her best friend was completely deaf and couldnt speak so he used Sign
Language to communicate. I chose hearing aids as assistive technology because I wanted to write
about something I was familiar with. Assistive Technology is very useful because they help lots
of people do things others take for granted.

Resources:
Miller Reese Hutchison. (n.d.). Retrieved February, 2016, from
http://alabamapioneers.com/dr-miller-reese-hutchison/#sthash.XKmfsCy5.dpbs

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Hearing Aids. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2016, from
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/pages/hearingaid.aspx
What My Hearing Aid Taught Me About the Future of Wearables. (n.d.). Retrieved
February 12, 2016, from http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/02/what-myhearing-aid-taught-me-about-the-future-of-wearables/385145/
Hearing aid. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2016, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_aid
Hearing aid prices. (2016). Retrieved February 12, 2016, from
http://www.healthyhearing.com/help/hearing-aids/prices