A Filipino-Canadian woman with hearing loss has been selling hearing aid accessories inspired by the culture of the Philippines.
Ruzzelle Gasmen, a speech pathologist from Vancouver, has taken inspiration from the ear cuff that former Miss Universe Catriona Gray wore during the Miss Universe 2018 competition.
Hearing Aid Accessory Inspired by Catriona Gray's Ear Cuff
One of the hearing aid accessories that Ruzelle Gasmen is selling takes inspiration from the ear cuff worn by Catriona Gray in the Miss Universe competition.
Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray's ear cuff was one of the most talked about things during the competition. According to ABS-CBN News, a local news website from the Philippines, the ear cuff was made of gold, rubies, and diamonds. It was inspired by the sun and three stars found on the Philippine flag.
Many girls wanted the ear cuff for themselves and Ruzzelle Gasmen was one of them.
She told CBC in an interview that she really wanted one, but she knew that she couldn't wear one because of her hearing aid.
Gasmen eventually decided to make a hearing aid accessory of her own inspired by Miss Universe Catriona Gray's ear cuff.
Hearing Aid Accessories Inspired by Filipino Culture
The hearing aid accessories that the Filipino-Canadian sells are custom-made and inspired by the culture and heritage of the Philippines. The accessory inspired by Miss Universe Catriona Gray's ear cuff is one of her most in-demand designs.
According to the CBC article, one of her other popular designs is one inspired by the wing of an aswang, which the article describes as "a vampire-like creature from Filipino folklore."
With her hearing aid accessories, Ruzzelle Gasmen is trying to raise funds to help those who cannot afford hearing aids, which can be rather expensive. She, herself, went without a hearing aid for six years before she was able to get one.
She described the experience as very isolating, especially when she could not make sense of what was being said to her because she could not hear some sounds.
"They're quite costly, so I just waited until I could afford them after starting my career," she told CBC.
Gazmen describes her experience of selling hearing aid accessories as therapeutic for her and her way of giving back.
Related Article: Hearing Aid May Potentially Boost Cognitive Function In Older Adults
What are Hearing Aids?
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) defines a hearing aid as "a small electronic device that you wear in or behind your ear." Hearing aids can amplify some sounds to make them louder so that a person with hearing loss can hear them.
Hearing aids come in different styles such as behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), and completely-in-canal (CIC). These terms refer to where the hearing aid is placed either inside or outside the ear.
Hearing aids can also be either analog or digital. These two differ based on the electronics used in the hearing aid.
There are a couple of companies that manufacture hearing aids. These include Phonak, Oticon, Siemens, Nano, and Starkey, among others.
Also Read: How to Find the Best NANO Hearing Aids on the Web
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Written by Isabella James
