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.
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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.
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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
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