On January 25, 2024 (Shanghai), Sonova Hearing Group and China Hearing Medicine Development Foundation held the "Hearing Art, Enjoy Cloud Sound" Yunta Wireless Hearing Device Donation Ceremony and the Launching Ceremony of the Winter Camp for Hearing-impaired Children at the Liu Haisu Art Museum in Shanghai. At the ceremony, Sonova donated a number of cutting-edge technologies in the field of wireless transmission to the 'China Hearing Medicine Development Foundation' - Phonakro + wireless listening equipment and cloud tower steady-state sound field system. This technology is an adaptive digital wireless transmission technology that enables the amplified speech signal to automatically change according to the surrounding environment or changes in noise volume, maintaining high speech intelligibility and improving listeners' attention. Through advanced technology, it has created a barrier-free listening environment, and for the first time, it has landed in a public art venue, helping the majority of people with hearing loss to communicate and experience art freely.
At the ceremony, Mr. Gong Shusheng, Chairman of the China Hearing Medicine Development Foundation, said, "The China Hearing Medicine Development Foundation has always been committed to caring for the hearing-impaired and building a barrier-free living environment for the hearing-impaired, and has provided all kinds of assistance to more than 200,000 people with hearing loss since its establishment nearly 30 years ago. This donation marks the beginning of an important collaboration that we hope will bring to the country to help those most in need, so that more people with hearing loss can enjoy the beauty of sound through the system. ”
"Sonova is a leading global provider of innovative hearing care solutions. The common concept and values of 'caring for the hearing impaired and serving the society' have enabled the China Hearing Medicine Development Foundation and Sonova to work hand in hand on the road of building a barrier-free listening environment, set an example through practical actions, and strive for the well-being of the hearing impaired population in China. Fang Fang, General Manager of Sonova China, said, "This time, Phonak's wireless listening device landed at the Liu Haisu Art Museum, creating the country's first public art venue with a barrier-free listening environment, so that sound can build a bridge to art and make the experience of art have no boundaries." In the future, we will continue to support the development of hearing health in China, and work with all sectors of society to protect the rights and interests of people with hearing loss and improve their quality of life. ”
(Photo: Sonova Hearing Group signed a contract with China Hearing Medicine Development Foundation)
Mr. Zhang Yu, Deputy Director of Liu Haisu Art Museum, said, "Through this cooperation, Liu Haisu Art Museum will be able to provide a clearer and more comfortable sound environment for the audience, and create a more pleasant and immersive art experience for the audience." The application of the cloud tower system will help the museum to build a barrier-free listening environment, so that the hearing-impaired can get equal opportunities to receive art education, and at the same time create a space for them to freely communicate art, so that the voice of art can spread to every corner. ”
(Photo: Yunta Wireless Hearing Device Donation)
Professor Huang Zhiwu, Deputy Director of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Director of the Hearing Center of the Ninth People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said, "As an audiology practitioner, I am well aware of the impact of hearing impairment on people's lives. Early detection, early diagnosis and early intervention are essential for people with hearing impairment. This not only helps them get the necessary support and treatment as early as possible, but also minimizes the impact of hearing impairment on their daily lives and studies. The Yunta Steady-State Sound Field System donated today will provide a better sound experience for the hearing-impaired and enable them to better integrate into society, which is a microcosm of the society's efforts to enjoy equal cultural and educational resources for barrier-free listening, and demonstrates our society's care and support for the hearing-impaired. ”
(Photo: Professor Huang Zhiwu, Deputy Director of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Director of the Hearing Center of the Ninth People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, delivered a speech)
Care for the hearing impaired and build a barrier-free listening environment
According to the World Hearing Report 2021 released by the World Health Organization, there are currently 466 million people worldwide with disabling hearing loss, including 34 million children. According to statistics, the number of people with hearing loss in mainland China has exceeded 70 million, and it is also the country with the largest number of hearing-impaired children in the world. Studies have shown that hearing loss not only affects children's hearing and speech development, but also has a profound impact on their physiological and psychological development, learning and cognitive development, and socio-emotional development.
The construction of a barrier-free environment is an important task to ensure that disadvantaged groups participate in social life on an equal footing, is the basis for them to share a better life, and is also a symbol of national and social civilization. On September 1, 2023, the Law on the Construction of a Barrier-free Environment came into effect, which will further ensure equal opportunities for people and promote the sustainable development of Chinese society.
In the future, these devices will be donated and applied to the daily life environment of people with hearing loss through the China Hearing Medicine Development Foundation, such as specific public places and educational places, so that a wider range of people with hearing loss can enjoy the convenience brought by a barrier-free listening environment. Not only that, normal people without hearing loss can also have a better listening experience in noisy and challenging listening environments because of these technologies and contributions.
(Photo: Mr. Gong Shusheng, Chairman of China Hearing Medicine Development Foundation, delivered a speech)
Powered by advanced technology, enjoy superior listening
The donated Phonak Tower wireless hearing devices come from Sonova Hearing Group, the world's largest provider of hearing solutions. This wireless transmission technology is unique in the industry in that it filters out unwanted low- and high-frequency sounds and focuses on the speech band, resulting in clearer and more comfortable sounds, and easily grabs the listener's attention. At the same time, Yunta also has a unique patented technology "Dynamic Adaptive Gain Technology". This technology monitors the noise level in the environment in real time and automatically increases the intensity of the signal as the noise increases. This means that even if ambient noise increases, the listener can still hear clearly without distractions, and the speaker can speak more easily without raising his or her voice. With the help of the cloud tower system, it can not only help people with hearing loss enjoy listening, but also allow the audience sitting in the back row to hear the speaker's voice clearly in classrooms, conference rooms, lecture halls and other environments.
Headquartered in Switzerland, Sonova is a global provider of hearing solutions that provide people with a comprehensive range of hearing solutions, from personal audio devices to hearing care services, hearing aids and cochlear implants. In 2006, Sonova founded the Listen to the World Foundation, a global non-profit organization. To improve the quality of life of hearing-impaired children in low- and middle-income countries and to create equal opportunities by providing them with comprehensive and sustainable hearing care services.
Adhering to the vision of "Enjoying Superior Listening, Exploring Infinite Life", and actively fulfilling its corporate social responsibility, Sonova hopes to work with all sectors of society to set an example and model in strengthening the construction of a barrier-free listening environment in China, promoting the development of barrier-free and inclusive education in China, and ensuring that the hearing-impaired can participate in and integrate into social life equally and conveniently.
(Photo: Ms. Fang Fang, Vice President and General Manager of Sonova China, delivered a speech)
Barrier-free art exchange, a more immersive art experience
Liu Haisu Art Museum is the first venue in China to accept donations, and the Yunta wireless listening equipment has been applied to the lecture hall and multi-function hall of the art museum, creating a barrier-free space for the public to communicate and experience art.
As an art exchange platform open to the public, the museum shoulders the mission of public art education and builds a friendly and inclusive art exchange environment for disadvantaged groups, including the hearing impaired, which is the direction that Liu Haisu Art Museum has been working towards.
(Photo: Mr. Zhang Yu, Deputy Director of Liu Haisu Art Museum, delivered a speech)
At the event, a group of hearing-impaired children started a unique art healing course in the barrier-free listening environment of Liu Haisu Art Museum. With the help of the cloud tower system, children do not need to face the noise in the environment, and their attention is always focused on listening to the teacher's words, and the communication in the classroom becomes easier and more enjoyable. In an accessible listening environment, the children had an excellent art education experience.
(Photo: Children with hearing impairment participating in art therapy sessions)