Over 5% of the world’s population – or 430 million people – require rehabilitation to address their disabling hearing loss (including 34 million children). It is estimated that by 2050 over 700 million people – or 1 in every 10 people – will have disabling hearing loss (World Health Organization, 2024). Of these, 10% (70 million in 2050) will have a severe-to-profound hearing loss. Severe-to-profound and profound hearing loss can occur at any age. This degree of hearing loss may be present at birth or early childhood, or it may progress with age. All people with this type of hearing loss need superpower and ultrapower hearing aids and assistive listening devices. Currently, only a small number of companies produce such devices. Until recently, this was also Oticon. The latest of their successful models is the Oticon Xceed. It was produced at the same time as the Oticon Opn S model. After this model, the Oticon More, Oticon Real, Oticon Intent models came out - but no superpower and ultrapower hearing aids was in those lines. People with moderate hearing loss have the opportunity to be at the forefront of progress, using the latest technologies - DNN, ASHA, Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast. And only people with severe and profound hearing loss are still deprived of all this.

In addition - assistive listening devices. Oticon produces a very limited set - ConnectClip, Edumic, TV Adapter, Phone adapter. There is no table microphone, no USB dongle for direct connection of the hearing aid, no Android and Auracast connection. To expand our hearing capabilities, we who have severe and profound hearing loss are forced to spend money on expensive combinations of accessories from other companies, for example Edumic - Phonak Roger X - Phonak Table Mic or Select.

We do not always have the opportunity to switch to hearing aids from another manufacturer - our brain has been accustomed to the sound of Oticon hearing aids for many years, and switching to hearing aids from other manufacturers becomes impossible.

Severe hearing loss is one of the most difficult for correction. There are often contraindications for cochlear implantation. Without hearing aids and related accessories, our lives become very difficult and unbearable.

We ask Oticon not to abandon or forget its customers with severe and profound hearing loss and to continue to support the production of modern hearing aids and assistive listening devices for us.