EarSighted

According to the World Health Organization, there are 466 million people who have some form of disabling hearing impairment. 80% of these people are in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs), and have limited resources and access to any form of aid for hearing loss. Deaf people in LMICs often face additional hardship from this disability including inadequate early identification of deafness, feelings of isolation from the social stigma of deafness in these communities, and educational difficulties. Common treatments for hearing impairment in developed countries, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, can cost around $500-3000 and $60,000, respectively, without insurance. Therefore, these options are often not feasible for people in LMICs. EarSighted is an auditory stimulus detection and alert device, paired with a mobile application that will specifically, cost effectively detect auditory stimuli selected by the user. The mobile application will be created with a user-friendly interface that will allow management of a database of custom cues and notifications. A complementary device will be paired with the application to serve as haptic feedback and the user will be trained to help supplement their hearing..