Project Overview

The prevalence of hearing loss in the Canadian population increases dramatically from 38% of people in their 40s and 50s to 93% of people in their 70s. While hearing aids can provide benefit in some social situations, they are not well suited to listening to live music in environments such as concert halls, an activity that can be important for continued social engagement, connectedness, and wellbeing. Live music venues usually have assistive listening systems utilizing wireless headsets, but these headsets do not typically work well with most hearing aids. In the planned research project, we will investigate several different alternative assistive listening technologies that send audio signals directly to the sound-processor chip in a hearing aid via magnetic or radio-frequency connections. Based on the results of this research, we will develop a set of best practices that can be adopted by music venues across Canada and around the world, removing barriers to participation in live music events for seniors experiencing hearing loss, contributing to healthy aging and wellbeing.