Announcements

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has decided that online streaming services must provide closed captioning, expanding access for Canadians who are Deaf, DeafBlind, or hard of hearing. The decision is part of the CRTC's implementation of the modernized Broadcasting Act, which requires that people with disabilities be able to access content without barriers. The…

A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress would create a pilot program to expand access to over-the-counter hearing aids for veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act was introduced in the House by Representatives Kevin Mullin and Keith Self as a companion to a Senate bill introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn and Adam Schiff. According to the…

New Jersey has awarded a new round of grants to expand communication and language access for residents who are deaf or hard of hearing. The state's Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing awarded grants to three counties: Burlington ($80,000), Mercer ($80,000), and Monmouth ($70,000). According to the state, this brings the total provided in communication access grants to counties to $1.76…

Researchers at Tel Aviv University identified a biological mechanism that could lead to a therapy that can regenerate sensory hair cells in the inner ear, a process that does not occur naturally in humans. The findings were published June 17, 2026, in Science Advances. The work was led by Professor Karen Avraham and doctoral student Lama Khalaily, in collaboration with researchers at Creighton…

MED-EL, the Austrian hearing implant manufacturer, acquired two gene therapy programs from Rescue Hearing Inc., a biotechnology company focused on genetic therapies for hearing and balance disorders. The acquisition was announced June 30. The programs target mutations in two genes: STRC, which is a genetic cause of hearing loss in a population currently managed primarily with hearing aids, and…

Cochlear announced FDA clearance of their Osia 3 Sound Processor. The Osia System is a bone conduction hearing solution designed for children and adults with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, or single-sided deafness. Rather than sending sound through the ear canal, it works by transmitting sound through bone vibration. According to Cochlear, the Osia 3 is the first fully rechargeable…

Cilcare, a French-US biopharmaceutical company, has announced plans for a US clinical trial of an investigational drug candidate for chronic tinnitus. The company described the plans at the SelectUSA Investment Summit in early May 2026, and says this would be the first evaluation of the drug candidate, called CIL001, in tinnitus patients in the United States. CIL001 targets cochlear synaptopathy,…

LXE Hearing, the parent company of the Eargo, Lexie Hearing, and Go Hearing over-the-counter hearing aid brands, has begun winding down its US operations. The company announced the decision on July 15, 2026, stating that efforts to restructure the business and pursue strategic transactions did not produce a viable path forward. LXE Hearing was formed in March 2025 through the merger of Eargo and…

Nepal has begun providing Nepali Sign Language interpretation for live broadcasts of its parliamentary proceedings, the first time deaf citizens in the country can follow debates in both the House of Representatives and the National Assembly independently. Live interpreted broadcasts began on May 11, 2026. The National Federation of the Deaf Nepal, which had advocated for the change over a long…

Hawaii has enacted a law directing the state to develop a statewide plan on hearing loss. House Bill 1974, signed into law as Act 223 on July 9, 2026, requires the State Health Planning and Development Agency to conduct a statewide assessment and publish a plan for better diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss. The measure appropriates $100,000 for the work. According to the bill and supporting…