Home for Residents with Hearing Loss: A Study in Residential Acoustics

Details
Title
Home for Residents with Hearing Loss: A Study in Residential Acoustics
Usage & Reproduction Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Type
Video recordings
URI / Handle
http://hdl.handle.net/1961/muislandora:3018
Created
2016-01-01T00:00:00Z
Abstract
American society is noisy, and hearing loss is widespread across age groups affecting estimated 15% of Americans between ages 20-69 (NIDCD 2010), typically caused by exposure to loud noises. The problem with hearing loss is communication: persons with hearing loss communicate at a reduced capacity, making normal conversation and social interaction difficult. They may isolate themselves socially,avoiding communication, to avoid being seen as having a disability. People may self-stigmatize,develop social anxiety, and not seek help. Of those reporting hearing loss, only one-fifth of people needing some sort of hearing aid would use help if they had access to it (NIDCD 2010). Interior design can support people with hearing loss by designing spaces that naturally support habits of users experiencing it. This residential design project develops a space for residents of all ages with partial hearing loss, designing solutions that address visibility and acoustical reverberation as a way to help reduce psychological anxieties of the resident. The design addresses the need for the resident to connect the sounds they hear with the source by maintaining high visibility throughout the interior,thereby reducing anxieties and allowing for clearer communication within the space. Sound wave reverberation is addressed through materials as well as architectural elements such as angles and coffered ceilings. Acoustics and psychology are applied to create a haven for the resident, where they feel safe,without hearing loss dominating their lives. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorder (NIDCD). 2010. Quick statistics. Accessed July 2, 2014 from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/Pages/quick.aspx.

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