Aural Diversity: noise control and a sustainable future.

Abstract

The unquestioned assumption of a "normal" pair of standard healthy ears underpins most sound-related disciplines, from acoustics to engineering, from music to sound studies, from medicine to hearing science. Yet, the reality is that everybody hears differently. Our ears are uniquely shaped. We all experience temporary changes in hearing, such as during a cold. Everybody goes through presbyacusis (age-related hearing loss) at varying rates after the teenage years. More specific aural divergences are the result of an array of hearing differences or impairments which affect roughly one sixth of the world's population (Lancet, 2013). These include noise-related, genetic, ototoxic, traumatic, and disorder-based hearing loss, some of which may cause full or partial deafness. Moreover, "loss" is not the only form of difference: auditory perceptual disorders such as tinnitus, hyperacusis and misophonia involve an increased sensitivity to sound. This paper presents findings from the AHRC-funded Aural Diversity Network, which explores the consequences of these differences for noise-related engineering and many other fields. How may we ensure a sustainable future that acknowledges aural diversity?