12 All Together NOW!
All we want to do is give you OUR money!
DISABLED people face daily frustration when trying to buy the goods or services they need. Nine out of 10 said a lack of choice and too little information, often poorly presented, all made making a purchase more difficult, new research has found. And more than two out of five consumers said they had abandoned a shopping task without making a purchase, according to the Business Disability Forum. Diane Lightfoot, head of the BDF, said: “Businesses cannot afford to overlook the needs and spending habits of disabled consumers. “Yet, too often, disabled people face limited choice, increased costs, or even difficulty finding the goods and services they want and need.” Among other findings were: n When making in-person purchases, barriers most commonly mentioned were access into the shop (40%), insufficient sales staff available to help (54%), space to move around (52%), and placement of items (47%). And for those shopping online, the barriers included: n Confusing routes through the website or app (45%). n Accessibility issues (42%).
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023
Read lips through face masks
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T
HE next generation of hearing aids could “read” lips through face masks.
An international team of engineers and computing scientists has developed the technology, which pairs radio-frequency sensing with artificial intelligence for the first time. The system could also help tackle the “cocktail party effect” – a common issue with traditional hearing aids. Currently, hearing aids amplify all ambient sounds around them, which can
MAJOR STEP: The next generation of hearing aids
be helpful in many aspects of everyday life. However, in noisy situations, like a party, it can be hard for hearing aids users to focus on conversation with a particular person. One potential solution to the cocktail party effect is to make “smart” hearing aids, which combine conventional audio amplification with a second device to collect extra information. While other researchers have had success using cameras to aid lip reading, collecting video footage of people without their consent raises privacy concerns. Cameras are also
unable to read lips through masks, an everyday challenge as people wear face coverings for cultural, religious or health purposes. The University of Glasgow-led team’s system preserves privacy by collecting only radio-frequency data, with no accompanying video footage. The team’s leader, Dr Qammer Abbasi, from the university’s James Watt School of Engineering, said the technology “could be another major step in improving hearingimpaired people’s quality of life”.
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