Hearing Impairment: An Initial Exploration of Information Sharing Practices

Hearing impairment is becoming increasingly prevalent. Even though hearing aids can contribute to increased quality of life, actual usage has proven to be problematic and limited. This preliminary explorative study has been carried out in order to get an initial understanding about sharing of hearing-lossrelated information, both in terms of how information is shared as well as what kind of information is shared. We conducted four sub-studies with peer members of an interest group and people visiting relevant online resources, and combined the use of questionnaire, semi-structured interview, online observation and short survey. While our results are preliminary, they suggest that current information sharing practices are fragmented regarding both the content that is shared as well as which actors and media are involved, and the Internet as a multifunctional arena is underutilized. Finally, some possible directions for further research are outlined.