Hearing loss sufferers to benefit from FeONIC deal

HULL-based UK audio technology firm FeONIC has signed a distribution agreement, which will help address the needs of millions of people who have hearing loss.

The agreement with Spearheading, which specialises in advising businesses on meeting their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), will see FeONIC’s innovative technology incorporated into any bespoke DDA solutions offered.

To meet their requirements under the DDA, employers and service providers have a duty to ensure equal access for all in their buildings and this requirement applies as much to sound-related as mobility-related issues.

In the UK it is estimated there are some nine million people suffering from hearing related problems.

Mark McConway, marketing director at Spearheading, said that only two million of those affected by hearing disorders are able to benefit from hearing aids allied to induction loops and other devices.

“As a result, there is a significant percentage of the British population for whom public building spaces represent an acoustically aggressive environment. This is mainly due to the unevenness of sound quality and reach of traditional public address systems,” he added.

“FeONIC’s technology has the ability to radically alter this, allowing businesses not only to meet their requirements under the DDA but also to improve the sound quality for everyone.”

Brenda Hopkins, chairman of FeONIC, said that the agreement with Spearheading opened up a new market.

“It opens up an aspect of the market where historically we have had no exposure – DDA issues being particularly relevant to educational and governmental related buildings, as well as to transport hubs.”