As the number of Americans with hearing loss continues to rise, a new hearing wellness company is helping to take the confusion and inconvenience out of hearing solutions and wellness management.1
Led by a lifelong hearing aid user and former Apple Inc Accessibility Advocate, Bill Schiffmiller, Akoio was founded to improve products and services for people with hearing loss, “helping them to overcome the frustrations and challenges they encounter when managing their hearing.” Schiffmiller’s first-hand experience with hearing loss and accessibility advocacy was the inspiration behind Akoio, and guides the company’s focus and products, according to a press release from the company announcing the launch.
“Our goal is to help make life easier for people with hearing loss, and our first product offerings and services are an example of this commitment,” said Schiffmiller, Founder and CEO of Akoio. “We are continuously looking at ways we can help improve the everyday necessity of hearing wellness management for people with hearing loss, saving them time and hassles, and helping them to better support and protect their hearing.”
Initial Product and Subscription Service Offerings
Akoio’s first product is patented internationally and is expected in early 2021, incorporating “inclusive and smart design principals that provide benefit for people of all ages and abilities,” according to the company. Akoio provides zinc-air batteries to US customers as single packs or through a subscription service on its website, www.akoio.com.
The company’s subscription service delivers a 60-day supply of batteries automatically, every two months. Subscribers receive a discount over single pack battery purchases and free delivery.
Free Online Community and Commitment to Giving Back
The company also features a free online community at its website for people with hearing loss and those that help them. The community helps provide useful resources and information on timely topics, and community members can share their stories, enabling knowledge sharing and support among members, Akoio says.
A portion of all Akoio sales go to the Akoio Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the hearing wellness and empowerment of people with hearing loss in under-resourced communities in the Philippines and United States.
“As someone with hearing loss, I know the challenges, stigmas, expenses, and pains many people with hearing loss endure,” said Schiffmiller. “I also know that when a person’s hearing is properly supported, it can enable them to enjoy and engage in life, live healthier, and accomplish the things they want to do. That’s our goal at Akoio—to empower people with hearing loss to conquer life.”
More information on Akoio can be found at www.akoio.com or on Facebook (@akoiocompany) or LinkedIn (@akoio).
1 President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Aging America & hearing loss: Imperative of improved hearing technologies.https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/PCAST/PCAST%20hearing%20letter%20report.pdf. Published September 2015.
Source: Akoio, President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
