The New Norm

It’s time to change perceptions of hearing aids: The New Norm

Think hearing aids are big, bulky, beige? Think again. Today’s hearing technology is worlds apart from the outdated images you often see in media and culture. Yet these images appear time and time again and are one of the reasons people hesitate when it comes to addressing their hearing loss. It’s time to change that.

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Meet Gala, the photographer

Having worn hearing aids since she was a child, L.A. based photographer Gala Ricote was the perfect choice to shoot our collection.

“It’s so important that people get to see what hearing aids really look like on people. I hope the images help to change people’s perceptions and show them the beauty and diversity of different people proudly wearing their hearing aids.”

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The New Norm image bank is a collection of royalty-free images that reflect the true picture of modern hearings aids and those who wear them.

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Meet the faces of The New Norm

We wanted the images to be of full of life and truly represent the modern-day reality of living life with hearing loss. Featuring real people from the world of music, sports, comedy and literature, find out more about the amazing faces of The New Norm.

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Lara Ricote, Comedian

“We need to show people that young people wear hearing aids too. I love these hearing aids; they’ve made my life a lot better. And they’re cool, they’re cool and they’re sleek!”

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James Page, Singer-songwriter

“Hearing aids have brought me back into the room. I feel like I can be involved in things and not intimidated or withdrawn, which is something I used to feel before. Get your hearing tested… it really does make such a huge difference. I’ve been able to reconnect to my music.”

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Olivia Breen, Paralympic athlete

“Hearing aids have changed massively since I was a child… now people look at my ears and think ‘am I wearing headphones?’. But no, they’re hearing aids! Hearing the sound of the starter gun, the crowds cheering me on and my coach. My hearing aids have given me everything.”

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Julie Slavin, DJ and radio personality

“I’ve had a hearing loss for my entire life, and I resisted the idea of getting hearing aids for so long because I was afraid that people would think I couldn’t be a DJ or on the radio. I have learnt to lean into it, embrace the hearing aids and have made them my thing.”

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Jacob Kulick, Recording artist

“Being a part of a collection of images such as these, which include so many incredibly different walks of life, shows me how big and all-encompassing the hearing loss community is. I am proud to be a part of it - I hope these images inspire others to never shy away from sharing their own hearing loss journey.”

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Jaipreet Virdi, Historian

“I’ve been through multiple hearing aid innovations over the years and have experienced societal stereotypes first-hand. These new images open possibilities for imagining how fashion, style and technology can merge to celebrate, rather than diminish, deaf identity.”

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Discover our image collection here

We’d love you to share and use the images to help us put an end to the use of outdated images.

Go to Unsplash
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