The Hearcom Project

Outline:

Since speech and sounds are key elements to our increasingly communication-oriented society, many hearing impaired persons must live with restrictions due to their condition. Usually, commication conditions are provided for adults with normal hearing with the communication language as their mother tongue. Great disadvantages thus arise for vulnerable groups such as those with hearing deficits, children, youth and foreign speakers.

Five projects have been initiated to notably improve the technical prerequisites necessary for including the hearing impaired in our information society. Project goals are among others:

• Screening tests for hearing via internt or telephone
• European-wide, standardized audiological measurement procedures
• Quantification and improvement of room acoustics for speech communication of the hearing impaired
• Web-based aids for hearing aid treatment and rehabilitation
• Internet portal for those concerned as well as for experts

The Hearcom consortium consists of universities, clinics, research institutes and manufacturers speech and hearing, telecommunication and internet products.

For further information on this project please refer to our cooperating parters at  http://www.hearcom.info.