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Writing Assessment 4
Incorporating hearing loss victims in the video gaming
Words: 700
 Incorporating hearing loss victims in the video gaming
Hearing is a complex process where the ear transforms the sound vibrations in the environment
into nerve impulses which will be conveyed to the brain for interpretation. The ear is tasked to the
transformation of these vibrations from the sound waves to the electric signals that can be interpreted by
the brain. The ear as an organ has numerous structures and parts that work collectively towards the
interpretation of sound and its transformation into neural impulses. The reception of sound happens at the
outer ear which is adapted to collect and funnel the sound into the middle ear, which magnifies sound and
relays it while enhancing the sound frequency. Separating the outer ear, which is the part of the ear that is
tasked with reception and directing sound to the ear, and the inner ear (tasked with transformation of
sound to electric signal for interpretation of the sound) is the tympanic membrane which vibrates in
response to the sound being channelled to the middle ear. The middle ear is mainly tasked with the
amplification of sound while transmitting the sound to the middle ear. The middle ear has the smallest
bones in the body referred to as ossicles. Three in number, ossicles are connected in a lever-like system
and amplify sound as it is conveyed to the oval window which separates the middle ear and the inner ear.
There are two muscles, tensor tympani and stapedius which work to control loud sounds by muffling
pressures. It is at the inner ear where conversion of sound wave vibrations is converted to neural
impulses. The inner ear is tasked with conversion of sound waves to the electrical signals that will be
understood by the brain. The middle ear has three canals filled with fluids which have hair-like extensions
that initiate the release of neurotransmitters when flexed by the received vibrations.
Hearing loss is the condition where an individual partially or completely loses the ability to hear
permanently or temporarily. There are three main categories of causes of hearing loss, obstruction of
sound vibrations, the malfunction of one or more parts of the ear, and the ear loss of the elderly.
Obstruction can be caused by blockages such as wax or growth in the middle ear. The malfunctions of
body parts such as issues caused by problems with middle ear bones (tasked with magnification and
relaying sound wave), damage in auditory nerves, and common hear loss forms the second cause of
hearing loss. The third hear loss is an instance where the elderly population has poor ear loss occurring
from aging individual. Both of these causes lead to hear loss where one cannot interpret the sound
vibrations correctly to form an understanding of the sound disseminated. Hearing loss spans from mild, to
moderate, to severe. A victim of hearing loss faces a troublesome time during communication. While
engaging with the hearing loss simulator, I was able to simulate various hearing loss instances (using
Starkey, 2022), in all the categories and different environments. The inability to hear what other people
say is traumatizing and develops loneliness since you do not want to engage more with people. This may
hence create low self-esteem and impact relationships between the victim and other people. In a work
environment, hearing loss victims may end up having low productivity rates since they hardly
communicate with their teams and have a challenge coordinating or taking instructions while working in
teams.
Audio in games plays an important part in augmenting the experiences of gamers through the
creation of moods, the addition of emotions, and elevating the game experience. OTWA, therefore, has
the task of ensuring that all the people, including the people with hearing loss, can enjoy the game. The
first strategy that the firm should implement during its creation and design of the video games is the
development of hearing aids compatible games and infrastructure. Some individuals experiencing hearing
loss have hearing aids that work to improve their ability to hear. The development of hearing aids
compatible games will hence aid this group of people. Secondly, the firm should develop games with
subtitles. This will augment the audio part of the game by making sure that the people who cannot hear
properly can have written information on the same. While using the hearing loss simulator, the text of the
audio was very helpful while dealing with hearing loss. This will also work the same for individuals with
hearing loss. Lastly, there should be visual cues in the games. In instances where audio is used to contain
the cues in the games, there should be visual cues to aid the people who have hearing losses and hence
make them gain from the cues that the hearing individuals would have. With these strategies, OTWA will
continue attracting ageing individuals despite the challenges in hearing. Also, the firm will be ensuring
that its games are consumed by a diverse category of individuals.
References

Starkey. 2022. Hearing Loss Simulator. Retrieved November 4, 2022 from

https://www.starkey.com/hearing-loss-simulator/simulator.