Announcements

Researchers at the University of Alberta, working with partners at the University of Tennessee and Gallaudet University, are conducting a multi-year study examining how “deaf aesthetic” design principles can inform the development of accessible digital textbooks, e-books, and digital learning platforms. Adults (18+) with any degree of hearing loss are invited to participate. The research runs…

A Hearing Review article reports that EssilorLuxottica hosted its inaugural “Switch: Vision Innovation Summit” in Orlando, bringing together over 1,000 professionals to discuss emerging trends in vision care, medical science, and wearable technology. The event included sessions examining the linkage between vision and hearing health and how advances in consumer wearables may address multiple…

An article from BriefGlance reports that the captioned calling app "InnoCaption" introduced new AI features to support phone communication for people with hearing loss or speech disabilities. The updates include AI Refine , which converts short typed prompts into fuller text-to-speech sentences, along with QuickSpeak and Saved Phrases that allow users to quickly deliver common messages during…

The Shapiro administration announced the 40th anniversary of the Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH), a program within the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry that provides information, advocacy, and referral services for residents with hearing loss. The milestone was recognized during the annual Hearing Loss Expo in Cumberland County, where advocates, service providers, and…

A legal analysis from Wiley Rein LLP reviews recent actions by the Federal Communications Commission that can significantly affect accessibility policies and Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS). TRS programs allow individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, or have speech disabilities to communicate by telephone through relay technologies and services. The article outlines ongoing…

A recent Help Net Security article examines the role of deaf and hard-of-hearing professionals in the cybersecurity workforce. The piece notes that employment rates for deaf individuals in the United States remain lower than those for hearing individuals, and many workers face barriers to advancement. At the same time, fields such as computer science and cybersecurity show comparatively stronger…

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) published a blog post outlining the history and development of Auracast broadcast audio , a capability built on the Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio standard. Auracast allows a single audio source, such as a public address system, to transmit audio to multiple nearby compatible devices. The post explains that Auracast emerged from the broader…

The World Health Organization (WHO) published an article calling for greater global attention to childhood hearing loss as part of World Hearing Day 2026 , which focuses on the theme “From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children.” The initiative focuses on avoidable hearing loss and identifying hearing problems early, particularly through early childhood screening programs. WHO…

A recent overview from Audiology First describes how artificial intelligence is becoming more common in hearing aid technology. Modern devices increasingly use machine learning and deep neural networks to analyze sound in real time and adjust amplification based on the listening environment. These systems are trained on large datasets of real-world sounds, allowing them to identify speech and…

Audibel recently released an overview of technologies used in its latest hearing aid platform, including features described as Deep Neural Network (DNN) Directionality and 360-degree spatial awareness . According to the company, the DNN Directionality system uses machine learning to analyze incoming sound and prioritize speech signals from different directions. The feature filters complicated…