Mobile network collaborates with Boots to support people with hearing loss

Mobile network Audacious is collaborating with Boots Hearingcare to support people living with hearing loss.

Created in partnership with University of Cambridge experts in audiology, Audacious provides a solution for users with a range of hearing needs, using world-first technology to personalise calls to the user’s unique hearing profile. The company was founded by Matthew Turner, who has had severe hearing loss his whole life, in response to his own frustrations when trying to communicate over mobile calls.

Audacious will now be featured among the range of products and services available to Boots Hearingcare customers.

Audacious CEO, Rob Shardlow said: “We are proud to be the first mobile network to partner with Boots Hearingcare, to realise our shared mission to support people with hearing loss.  Audacious is training all Boots Hearingcare audiologists on this medically certified, world-first technology to ensure they are skilled to empower people across the UK on this innovative route to having clearer conversations and staying connected.”

The partnership will also see all Boots Hearingcare audiologists receive training on the Audacious service to provide them with the knowledge to support people exploring the service and if it can support their hearing needs.

Research from Audacious reveals that nine in ten (90%) people with hearing loss feel frustrated due to struggling to hear on mobile calls and nearly seven in 10 (69%) reported the communication breakdown left them feeling stressed.

Nearly a quarter (24%) of people with hearing loss report avoiding answering the phone altogether due to concerns of not hearing the person on the other end. This has led to 22% experiencing feelings of isolation as a result.  Audacious provides users with an optimised audio experience tailored to each individual's hearing; nine in 10 people with hearing loss experienced clearer calls during trials.

Boots Hearingcare, director of Professional Standards, Karen Shepherd said: “Holding conversation on the phone when you have a hearing loss and no visual cues to help piece together the conversation can take a lot of concentration and be physically draining, so people will often avoid taking calls. We are excited to be able to provide our customers with a solution to make that experience easier and more enjoyable.”