World Wide Hearing: Restoring Hearing Through Digital Technology

Digital technology entertains us, but its social reach is also significant. Whether we are talking about access to education, health services, climate change or citizen participation, digital tools are everywhereas a way to solveeveryday problems. Recently, the Québec organization World Wide Hearing won a $750,000 grant through the 2017 Google Impact Challenge. Director Audra Renyi called it extraordinary, noting that the organization is the only one in Québec to receive this support from Google. Beyond funding projects, the grant gives visibility to the cause. Millions of children have no access to audiology services. World Wide Hearing now has major opportunities as it works to address

hearing loss around

the world. Renyi has long wanted to change things for children with hearing impairment. As children, her father and aunt suffered a serious ear infection that caused hearing loss. Discovering that more than 180 million children live with hearing problems shocked her and pushed her to act. In Canada alone, Inuit children have one of the highest rates of hearing loss in the world. Digital technology changes the situation by making diagnosis and treatment more accessible. Traditional audiology equipment is expensive and difficult to transport, whereas new digital tools can collect data, screen hearing and support intervention in remote communities. World

Wide Hearing’s approach combines mobile technology, local training and data recovery to

make care more affordable and available. The organization hopes toreachchildren whowould otherwise be left without support, because untreated hearing loss can affect learning, language development and social participation. Throughthis project, digital innovation
becomes a

concrete tool for inclusion and public health.