Abstract
Information and communications technology (ICT), and assistive technologies can enhance participation by hearing impaired residents and address communication needs for broader community and customer interface requirements. The City of Salisbury has trialled a range of technologies with varying success. This project will contribute to the City’s staged rollout of ICTs and technology-related planning for the new Community Hub in Salisbury.
Between January and May 2017, 157 staff, volunteers and residents in the City of Salisbury participated in the Inspiring Health project. The project included assessment of functional hearing. More than half of the participants scored less than seven out of eight, indicating a possible functional hearing loss. Only one in four of those (n=20) who failed the hearing test had known hearing deficits and owned hearing aids. This indicates 41% (n=64) of all participants had previously unknown, possible functional, hearing deficits.
Consultation with City of Salisbury staff identified both enablers and barriers in the current systems to support engagement by and with this customer group. Interviews identified four key areas: customer characteristics; staff and training features; systems factors; and extrinsic factors that influence connection with this client group.
Information on current technologies has been sourced from the recent literature, the National Equipment Database (NED), and experts in hearing and assistive technology from Flinders University. Multiple technologies are available to assist communication for people with a range of hearing loss and disability and are described in this report.
Section 7 provides a set of 21 recommendations for Council, each described against the issue they are designed to address and as a staged plan.
Between January and May 2017, 157 staff, volunteers and residents in the City of Salisbury participated in the Inspiring Health project. The project included assessment of functional hearing. More than half of the participants scored less than seven out of eight, indicating a possible functional hearing loss. Only one in four of those (n=20) who failed the hearing test had known hearing deficits and owned hearing aids. This indicates 41% (n=64) of all participants had previously unknown, possible functional, hearing deficits.
Consultation with City of Salisbury staff identified both enablers and barriers in the current systems to support engagement by and with this customer group. Interviews identified four key areas: customer characteristics; staff and training features; systems factors; and extrinsic factors that influence connection with this client group.
Information on current technologies has been sourced from the recent literature, the National Equipment Database (NED), and experts in hearing and assistive technology from Flinders University. Multiple technologies are available to assist communication for people with a range of hearing loss and disability and are described in this report.
Section 7 provides a set of 21 recommendations for Council, each described against the issue they are designed to address and as a staged plan.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 46 |
| Place of Publication | Adelaide, Australia |
| Publication status | Published - 2017 |