Latest news with #hearingcare
Zawya
4 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Starkey MEA outlines its AI backed vision to advance hearing health innovation across the region
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Starkey, a pioneer in hearing technology, today unveiled its regional strategy designed to make hearing care a central pillar of preventive health throughout the Middle East and Africa. The strategy is tightly aligned with national efforts such as UAE Vision 2031 and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 Health Sector Transformation Program, underscoring a shared commitment to digital health, preventive care, and well-being. This strategy is anchored by the earlier introduction of Edge AI, Starkey's most advanced hearing aid platform to date, which integrates real-time intelligence, personalized wellness features, and robust connectivity. Giscard Bechara, Regional Director of Starkey MEA, described Edge AI as a catalyst that showcases company's vision, 'Edge AI is not just your typical hearing aid device—it's a health companion. With real-time processing powered by our G2 Neuro Processor and Neuro Sound Technology 2.0, it adapts to every listening environment, embeds fall‑detection, balance tracking, and even seamlessly connects with the My Starkey App and your mobile device,' he said. Built to meet the region's evolving demographics—characterised by rising life expectancy, and increased health consciousness—Edge AI supplies the user with up to 51 hours of rechargeable battery life, keeping a small size package, automated self check feature and tele health making it suitable for day-to-day life and travel. Starkey is working with industry stakeholders, and audiologists in the UAE, Egypt, Turkey, and Jordan among other countries to deliver dedicated training on Edge AI deployment. These sessions are pivotal to ensuring high-quality fittings and ongoing support—consistent with Starkey's broader mission to move hearing care from device distribution to sustainable health ecosystems. 'Upskilling regional audiologists ensures that intelligent hearing aids are not just available, but optimally used for the benefit of our patients' Bechara noted. Later this year, Starkey will work closely with its partners to launch a regional hearing health awareness campaign, prompting early screening and tackling stigma. This campaign follows studies indicating that individuals in the region often delay treatment for up to 7 years after first noticing symptoms—delays linked to social isolation and cognitive decline. 'Our mission extends beyond market leadership,' Bechara added. 'We aim to shift the paradigm: hearing care should be proactive, intelligent, and inclusive—not reactive or marginal.' With a growing regional network, the rollout of cutting-edge Edge AI devices, and strong public health partnerships, Starkey is driving a transformation in hearing care—where innovations meet impact, and better hearing becomes a societal imperative. About Starkey Laboratories Inc. Starkey is a privately owned, global leader in hearing innovation, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. As the only American-owned provider of advanced hearing technologies, Starkey is known for pioneering digital hearing solutions that combine cutting-edge AI, health tracking, and personalized care. With more than 5,000 employees across 29 global facilities, Starkey serves over 100 markets worldwide. The company is dedicated to transforming lives through better hearing, offering a full ecosystem of hearing aids, software, and connected health services. To learn more, visit, and
CTV News
16-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Fischer Hearing Centre – Behavioural signs of hearing loss
Regina Watch Hearing care is health care. Candace Fischer takes us through some behavioural signs and why you should get your hearing tested. #SponsoredContent
Forbes
31-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Hearing Loss Stigma Isn't The Problem, The Hearing Industry Is
I have been living with hearing loss and working as an advocate and innovator in hearing care for decades. I am tired of hearing the same outdated refrain: stigma. Yes, stigma exists. But the way we keep talking about it — cautious, clinical, and stuck — has become part of the problem. It signals limitation instead of possibility. It feels more like a warning than an invitation. That kind of language does not inspire action. It encourages avoidance. We have been talking about stigma in hearing care for decades. Yet the messaging has not changed. It still sounds uncomfortable and hesitant. Meanwhile, public conversations around mental health, aging, and neurodiversity have evolved. But hearing care continues to fall back on language rooted in loss. It is time to change the tone entirely. That was the takeaway from this year's Future of Hearing Healthcare Conference, hosted by Hearing Health and Technology Matters. I participated in a panel discussion on the persistent stigma surrounding hearing support. While stigma remains a factor, the conversation around it is stuck. The panel agreed: the industry needs to stop expecting people to meet it on clinical terms. Instead, we must meet people where they are. We can not keep blaming stigma for lack of adoption. The hearing space has a deeper problem — a storytelling and customer experience gap that continues to turn people away. We have all heard the same list of reasons why people avoid hearing support: These excuses are decades old and yet they remain. That is because hearing aid companies have not dismantled them. Whether legacy brands or OTC newcomers, the marketing often focuses on technical features or promotional discounts. But those strategies rarely answer the real, unspoken concerns people have. Cost is a real issue, yes. But so is value uncertainty. If people do not understand what they will get back — socially, emotionally, professionally — then the price will always feel too high. A Forbes Health survey found that nearly half of U.S. adults believe there is a stigma associated with hearing aids. And 41 percent said they would feel embarrassed to wear one. That is telling. But even more revealing is how little has changed to address those feelings in a meaningful, sustained way. Most people do not notice hearing loss right away. That is because it rarely happens all at once. What I like to refer to as the 'dimmer switch' is how gradual hearing loss unfolds for many of us as we age. It starts subtly. You ask someone to repeat themselves. Background noise becomes harder to manage. You turn up the TV. You leave conversations feeling mentally drained. Eventually, you might begin to withdraw from the situations you once enjoyed, not from lack of interest, but because they are simply too hard to navigate. This is not denial. It is how we adapt. The shift happens slowly, so people adjust without realizing just how much clarity they have lost. The problem is that while this process is common, it is rarely discussed with any emotional nuance. Compare that to vision care. Glasses are celebrated. They are stylish, expected, even aspirational. But hearing support? Still burdened with outdated associations. That needs to change. And it begins by recognizing that the real challenges people face are not just about hearing — they are about confidence, connection, and control. Over the years, I have had numerous and ongoing conversations with people navigating hearing challenges, from longtime hearing aid users to those just starting to notice something has changed. One thing is clear: what people are asking for is not in the features list. It is in the emotional subtext. They would say: These are not just clinical cases. Some are dealing with noise sensitivity, others with auditory fatigue. Both deeply affect quality of life, work performance, social participation, and emotional wellbeing. These are not product problems. They are emotional problems. And if the industry can not connect to that layer, it will continue to fall short of meeting real human needs. During my time at Apple, I helped lead accessibility initiatives and saw firsthand what it takes to build trust. It was not about pushing products. It was about creating spaces where people felt seen, heard, and empowered to explore solutions. The Apple Retail philosophy followed its 'Apple Steps of Service' framework: It worked because it was human. Not transactional, it is relational and captures something I have repeated many times — people come to shop and return to learn. That mindset is showing up in other places now, including hearing care. In a recent conversation I had with Alfonso Cerullo, President of LensCrafters, we spoke about how the brand is expanding beyond vision with the addition of Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses. What stood out is how closely their evolving customer journey reflects a more intentional, trust-based model, one that similarly echoes the Apple retail approach. It is about treating hearing care the same way we treat vision: with ease, clarity, and design that meets people where they are. That approach is what the hearing space needs more of. It is not about gadgets. It is about the space we create around them. To make real progress, hearing health needs to stop leading with product specs and start leading with how people want to live. Ask better questions: People are not resisting hearing support because they are ashamed. More often, they are confused, under-informed, or simply uninvited. We can change that by creating spaces of trust, not pressure. Hearing is not just a health issue. It is a human experience. It influences how we live, work, and connect. It is time to bring hearing support into the wellness category, alongside sleep, mental health, and movement. And it is time for brands to stop managing stigma and start designing connection. The brands that do this well won't just earn trust. They will unlock one of the most underserved opportunities in consumer health today. Let us stop managing hearing loss. Let us start designing for confidence, clarity, and connection.
