Our team at the Illinois Augmented Listening Laboratory is developing technologies that we hope will change the way that people hear. But the technology is only one half of the story. If we want our research to make a difference in people’s lives, we have to talk to the people who will use that technology.

Our research group is participating in the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps, a technology translation program designed to get researchers out of the laboratory to talk to real people. By understanding the needs of the people who will benefit from our research, we can make sure we’re studying the right problems and developing technology that will actually be used. We want to hear from:

• People with hearing loss who use hearing aids and assistive listening devices
• People who don’t use hearing technology but sometimes have trouble hearing
• Parents, teachers, school administrators, and others who work with students with hearing loss
• Hearing health professionals
• People who work in the hearing technology industry

This is not a research study: there are no surveys, tests, or consent forms. We want to have a brief, open-ended conversation about your needs, the technology that you use now, and what you want from future hearing technology.

To schedule a call with our team, please reach out to Ryan Corey (corey1@illinois.edu). Most calls last about 15 minutes and take place over video, though we’re happy to work around your communication needs.