How Israelis are going to help us hear better
Technology and academic research come together in Israel to find solutions for people with hearing impairment.
ISRAEL21c , Bio and Archives--December 11, 2019
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An air-raid siren awakened Erez Lugashi one night in 2014. As he ran for shelter, he wondered: What would a deaf person doin this situation?
That question led the experienced Tel Aviv entrepreneur to start Abilisense. The idea was to develop software for IoT devices, such as smart watches, that sends vibrating or visual alerts to hearing-impaired individuals about anything from an air-raid siren to a crying baby.
Abilisense was incubated at the A3i Israeli accelerator for assistive technologies. The startup won Israeli government and Microsoft grants for developing products for deaf people.
And while Herzliya-based Abilisense is expanding into general security and safety applications as it gets closer to commercialization, the original goal of helping the deaf remains important to Lugashi.Hearing loss is estimated to affect more than 400 million people around the world
Hearing loss is estimated to affect more than 400 million people around the world. “Accessibility has extended beyond the physical to how to give services to persons with disabilities. For someone hearing impaired, a wider doorway that fits a wheelchair is irrelevant. What’s important is making communication accessible,” says Yuval Wagner, founder and president of the nonprofit organization Access Israel. “The future is all about making sure that all technology is fully accessible so that people with vision or hearing disabilities can accomplish daily tasks independently,” he says. Wagner also notes that technologies originally developed for people with disabilities often find their way into the general market – as happened with Abilisense. -- More...View Comments
ISRAEL21c——Bio and Archives
ISRAEL21c was founded in 2001, in the wake of the Second Intifada, to broaden public understanding of Israel beyond typical portrayals in the mainstream media.
The organization’s founders – Israeli-American technology executives – understood the great power of the Internet and developed a first-of-its kind online product with global appeal and reach.