Intel is working on making hearing health tech, including hearing aids, more accessible.
Most people don’t associate Intel with accessibility. They should.
In commemorating Global Accessibility Awareness Day this week, the Santa Clara-based chipmaker behemoth announced an initiative in which they’re using technology to help make hearing aids more accessible to everyone. In a press release, Intel said it’s partnering with non-profit startup 3DP4ME to 3D print custom ear molds that connect to hearing aid electronics, delivering custom-fit hearing aids to children in Jordan, where a pilot program is currently being run. Intel notes that in the United States, and in many places around the globe, hearing aids are prohibitively expensive. “The application of 3D printing increases access to hearing aids because it is faster and less expensive than traditional manufacturing methods,” Intel wrote.
The joint venture with 3DP4ME is the latest in what Intel describes as “several” ongoing projects happening internally in a concerted effort to “increase access to assistive devices and improve their integration with other technologies.” The ultimate goal, according to Intel, is to be able to “scale this capability to reach thousands of people in need—and, ultimately, democratize hearing solutions around the globe.”
“Previous work to provide hearing aids to children included hand-making the custom ear molds. It was a craft that was labor-intensive, and you could only make four or five hearing aids a day,” said 3DP4ME founder Jason Szolomayer in the release. “There were long wait times, even after the kids were tested. Using 3D printing allows us to scale up the service we provide to families and kids who need hearing aids.”
In addition to the 3D-printed hearing aids, Intel also highlighted advancements being made in improving the connectivity of hearing aids to computers, as well as gains made in enhancing audio fidelity.
Darryl Adams, Intel’s director of accessibility, explained to me in an interview ahead of the announcement, that the company is “well-positioned to work with our industry partners to design future technologies that are more accessible to more people.” With over 19,000 software developers at its disposal, Intel has the resources, he said, to be able to “play an instrumental role in enabling a more accessible experience” for developers and the open-source ecosystem alike. He added 3DP4ME is part of Intel’s so-called Intel RISE Technology Initiative, which he described as a program through which company employees can submit project ideas in collaboration with Intel partners to push forward on matters of social equity and human rights. “Some of the most compelling projects funded by [Intel RISE] support diverse communities and strengthen our goal to support social equity and innovation,” Adams said of the program. “As a company that designs and builds world-leading technology, accessible, inclusive technology is something Intel can put out into the world to make it a better place.”
Like with so many who work in the accessibility space, the mission is deeply personal to Adams. He was diagnosed at 14 with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition he says has “gradually impaired” his vision over time. Moreover, he suffered a surgical accident while in college that left him fully deaf in one ear as a result.
“My mission [working at Intel] is to help make computing and access to digital information more accessible for everyone and to make Intel an employer of choice for employees with disabilities,” he said.
Such resonance applies to Intel chief executive Pat Gelsinger too.
In an interview concurrent to Adams, he explained his family has a history of hearing loss. His father was completely deaf upon passing away, and now Gelsinger sees himself “carrying on the family tradition” by wearing hearing aids. He told me he feels his hearing aids are “digitally advancing”; one of his favorite sounds in the world, he said, is hearing his granddaughter calling him “Papa.” That technology has enabled Gelsinger to hear that, or his wife’s voice, makes him deeply appreciative of not only technology’s profound potential to do good by humankind—but for Intel’s steadfast commitment to promulgating it.
“If it weren’t for technologies like [hearing aids], I might not be able to hear it,” he said. “At Intel, we create world-changing technology that improves the life of every person on the planet. I see my hearing aids as a great example of what happens when we live out our mission.”
When pressed on the aforementioned notion that Intel’s work on accessibility is relatively obscure given their outsized presence in the industry writ large, Gelsinger said his North Star is ensuring that “the life of every person on the planet” in affected in some way by his company’s technologies. He went on to say technology has immense potential to “unlock all kinds of powerful new possibilities” that include accessibility. To name just one example, with artificial intelligence, he said, “we can put the ‘personal’ back into personal computing.”
“The entire world is becoming digital, as technology is increasingly central to every aspect of human existence. In this digital era, we will witness the true magic of technology. We can push forward with innovation, discovery, and growth with the help of the ‘tech superpowers’ I often speak about,” Gelsinger said. “As Moore’s Law continues, computing performance continues to scale exponentially. The next decade will see leaps in computing capability that will enable entirely new experiences. If we’re intentional about inclusion and accessibility, we can create a future where tech works for everyone.”
Adams is bullish on the evolution of hearing health technology.
“Accessibility is at the heart of inclusive design,” he said of the future’s possibilities. “We are on a journey to have all user experience teams at Intel adopt inclusive design and research practices, along with building out the operational support for these inclusive practices. The key question we ask is ‘Who might we be excluding?’ and we ask it during research planning, when writing requirements, and even when looking at the makeup of our teams. When we are intentional about accessibility and including people with disabilities as early as possible in the product design lifecycle, we create better products and services for everyone.”
Intel’s relentlessness in the accessibility realm has not gone unnoticed internally. Adams told me feedback on this week’s announcement, and all others pertaining to accessibility, is always “very positive.” He added Intel makes “a concerted effort” to include employees’ perspective when embarking on these projects—most notably with the Intel Disability and Accessibility Network employee resource group for disabled employees.
Gelsinger enjoys giving his input too, sitting atop the highest perch.
“I love testing out our latest technologies—especially at our Intel On events, like Vision and Innovation, he said. “It’s such a blessing to hear firsthand how these technologies are changing lives around the world.”
More info on Intel accessibility can be seen on its accessibility page.
