Abstract
Assistive technologies support people with disabilities in living independently. However, perceived stigma towards using assistive technologies can lead to issues such as non-acceptance or abandonment of these technologies. This study deconstructs stigma perception in people with hearing impairment supported by social psychology and design elements. Users’ feelings towards hearing aid products and their stigmatization are illustrated through related literature and findings from an empirical study. The study revealed the stigmatization associated with hearing impairment and hearing aids, and strategies to overcome related barriers. We then developed a series of hearing aid prototypes in a design workshop and evaluated their efficacy in mitigating stigma in people with hearing impairments. We discuss our findings on stigma threats in hearing aid products, as they relate to the sources of stigma, strategies to eliminate stigma. We suggest considering inclusive design principles to develop mainstream hearing aid products.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blood, G.W., Blood, I.M., Danhauer, J.L.: Listeners’ impressions of normal-hearing and hearing-impaired children (1978)
Cook, A.M., Polgar, J.M.: Assistive Technologies-e-Book: Principles and Practice. Elsevier Health Sciences (2014)
Gao, J., Hu, H., Yao, L.: The role of social engagement in the association of self-reported hearing loss and health-related quality of life. BMC Geriatr. 20(1) (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-01581-0
Jacobson, S.: Overcoming the stigma associated with assistive devices. In: Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Design and Emotion, no. Figure 1, pp. 3–4 (2010)
Krefting, L.: The culture concept in the everyday practice of occupational and physical therapy. Phys. Occup. Ther. Pediatr. 11(4), 1–16 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1080/J006v11n04_01
Levasseur, M., Richard, L., Gauvin, L., Raymond, É.: Inventory and analysis of definitions of social participation found in the aging literature: proposed taxonomy of social activities. Soc. Sci. Med. 71(12), 2141–2149 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.09.041
Marti, P., Recupero, A.: Is deafness a disability?: Designing hearing AIDS beyond functionality. In: C and C 2019 - Proceedings of the 2019 Creativity and Cognition, pp. 133–143 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1145/3325480.3325491
Normie, L.R.: BS 7000-6:2005 design management systems – part 6: managing inclusive design by British standards. Gerontechnology 4(3) (2005). https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2005.04.03.012.00
Pippin, K., Femie, G.R.: Designing devices that are acceptable to the frail elderly: a new understanding based upon how older people perceive a walker. Technol. Disabil. 7, 93–102 (1997). https://doi.org/10.3233/TAD-1997-71-211
Pullin, G., Higginbotham, J.: Design meets disability. Augment. Altern. Commun. 26(4), 226–229 (2010). https://doi.org/10.3109/07434618.2010.532926
dos Santos, A.D.P., Ferrari, A.L.M., Medola, F.O., Sandnes, F.E.: Aesthetics and the perceived stigma of assistive technology for visual impairment. Disabil. Rehabil. Assist. Technol. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2020.1768308
Shapka, J.D., Khan, S.: Self-perception. In: Levesque, R.J.R. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Adolescence, pp. 3406–3418. Springer, Cham (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33228-4
Stinson, M.S., Whitmire, K., Kluwin, T.N.: Self-perceptions of social relationships in hearing-impaired adolescents (1996)
Tambs, K.: Moderate effects of hearing loss on mental health and subjective well-being: Results from the Nord-Trøndelag hearing loss study. Psychosom. Med. 66(5), 776–782 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000133328.03596.fb
Vaes, K., Stappers, P.J., Standaert, A., Desager, K.: Contending stigma in product design using insights from social psychology as a stepping stone for design strategies. In: 8th International Conference on Design and Emotion: Out of Control – Proceedings (2012). https://doi.org/10.13140/2.1.3738.8800
Wallhagen, M.I.: The stigma of hearing loss. Gerontologist 50(1), 66–75 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnp107
What is AT? Assistive Technology Industry Association. https://www.atia.org/home/at-resources/what-is-at/. Accessed 31 July 2022
Wilkinson, C.R., Angeli, A.: Applying user centred and participatory design approaches to commercial product development. Des. Stud. 35(6), 614–631 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2014.06.001
Zaitzew, C.M.: IdeaExchange@UAkron understanding the stigma of hearing loss and how if affects the patient and treatment process recommended citation http://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/402
Acknowledgments
We would like to express our gratitude to all the hearing loss participants and their families who generously contributed their time and efforts to this study and offered valuable information for this work.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering
About this paper
Cite this paper
Sun, G., Aflatoony, L., Wilson, W. (2023). Designing Hearing Aids to Mitigate Perceived Stigma Associated with Hearing Impairment. In: Tsanas, A., Triantafyllidis, A. (eds) Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare. PH 2022. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 488. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34586-9_35
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34586-9_35
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-34585-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-34586-9
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)