Hearing loss sufferers to benefit from FeONIC deal

FeONIC, the innovative UK audio technology company has announced it has signed a distribution agreement with Spearheading Limited to address the needs of people who have hearing loss in the United Kingdom. Spearheading specialises in advising businesses and organisations on the responsibilities they must meet under the 2005 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). To meet their requirements under the DDA, employers and service providers have a duty to ensure "equal access" for all in their buildings - this requirement applying as much to sound-related as mobility-related issues. In the UK it is estimated there are some 9 million people who suffer from hearing related problems. Mark McConway, Marketing Director at Spearheading, commented: "It has been calculated that only two million of the nine million people who have hearing impairments in the UK have been able to benefit from hearing aids allied to induction loops and other assistive devices. As a result, there is a significant percentage of the British population for whom public building spaces represent an 'acoustically aggressive' environment. This is mainly due to the unevenness of sound quality - and reach - of traditional public address systems. FeONIC's technology has the ability to radically alter this, allowing businesses not only to meet their requirements under the DDA but also to improve the sound quality for everyone. FeONIC is closing the gap between clear sound for some and clear sound for all. That is the aspiration of Universal Accessibility and we are delighted to be playing our part in that vanguard." Spearheading currently works with a range of private, public, educational and transport related businesses on systems and technologies that have the ability to minimise the sound distorting effects that background noise in buildings and stations can have for people wearing hearing aids and those with hearing impairments. Under the terms of the distribution agreement, Spearheading will incorporate FeONIC's audio products into the bespoke, DDA-centred solutions that it offers. Brenda Hopkins, chairman of FeONIC, added: "We are delighted to have reached this agreement with Spearheading. It opens up an aspect of the market where historically we have had no exposure - DDA issues being particularly relevant to educational and governmental related buildings, as well as to transport hubs. We look forward to supporting Spearheading in their marketing activity".