Kimja Muru suddenly and inexplicably lost her hearing. The months spent in silence before receiving a cochlear implant changed her life and highlighted how the world is built on the terms of those who can hear. Although accessibility solutions simplify life for everyone, they are not yet universally available.

– Sometimes these things happen. If you lost hearing in the other ear too, it would be as rare as winning the lottery again, a doctor described the singularity of the situation.

Working as a web developer at Crasman, Kimja Muru was in high school when she inexplicably and without warning lost her hearing in her right ear. In its place came tinnitus, balance issues, and unilateral hearing. She learned to live with them.

Then, hearing in the left ear also began to deteriorate. A hearing aid helped for a while, but soon it had to be replaced with a more powerful one.

When only a quarter of normal hearing remained, Kimja started preparing for the situation to worsen further. Then came the day before Christmas Eve in 2019.

Hearing impairment challenges environmental accessibility

In Finland, in June 2016, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities came into force. It highlights the various societal barriers to equality, preventing the equal participation of all people in different societal activities.

For example, accessibility enables full participation for hearing-impaired individuals in speech-based communication situations. Media content is accessible via subtitles or sign language. In addition to technical solutions, clear and standard language content is essential because thousands of people in Finland use sign language as their native language.

In e-commerce, accessibility means ease of use, better visibility on Google, and new customer groups. Accessibility also provides a significant competitive advantage.

The EU Accessibility Directive was incorporated into member states' legislation in June 2022, and much work remains to be done.

Although the so-called accessibility law obliges the public sector to act, the broader benefits of accessibility in digital services are not always recognized. The user base is considered too small, and thus the workload and cost are perceived as too large. Nevertheless, in Finland, nearly a million people benefit from accessibility.

– Accessibility is unfortunately often seen as an afterthought, considered only once all other technical implementations are complete. I see it differently: many of the costs associated with accessibility can be influenced significantly through planning and foresight.

Deafness, lockdowns and a long silence followed

In Christmas 2019, Kimja awoke to a strange yet familiar feeling. Hearing in the other ear had completely vanished.

In the first week of 2020, treatment via hyperbaric oxygen therapy and steroids was attempted. Steroids injected straight through the eardrum only caused pain, offering no relief.

It marked the start of a vague and unpredictable phase lasting several months. After various medical examinations, it was determined that a cochlear implant was the only option for restoring hearing.

– Yet no one knew for sure the timing or outcome of the surgery. Would it help me specifically, and if it would, to what extent?

In the same week, Kimja read on Twitter about the emergence of the coronavirus globally.

Kimja went on sick leave to await the cochlear implant. The waiting was difficult because, in March, the world shut down due to the coronavirus, restricting gatherings and even cancelling adaptation training courses.

Social life almost completely disappeared, as she couldn't communicate with people as before. Messaging as the only form of communication is exhausting.

– The Finnish language has been so little modelled and researched that aids like phone speech recognition were of no help. Everyday speech simply doesn't translate to text.

Effective e-services enabled significant progress

In the first corona spring, Kimja suspected she had contracted the virus. Sometimes the situation turned absurd.

– As a deaf person, it was difficult to get instructions. The chat advised me to call. When I mentioned being deaf, it was suggested that I ask a neighbour for help, precisely when it was crucial to avoid contact. The instruction was ludicrous and revealed how phone-dependent this world is.

Seamless e-service from start to finish receives praise from Kimja.

– For example, using an online pharmacy was easy, and I immensely appreciated having such a service available to me.

In Finland, the Regional State Administrative Agency oversees accessibility requirements, and, for instance, emergency communications improved their accessibility in 2017. Although it is now possible to make emergency notifications via text message, it remains difficult for sign language users to receive interpreting assistance around the clock.

– I've been in the IT industry for 20 years, and awareness of accessibility has grown continuously. Progress has been made, and we can always do better. Legislation aims to improve accessibility, but it does not apply to all actors.

The transition from deafness to hearing again brought a new life

Kimja's life, fully deafened, moved online. There, she found peer support from both hearing-impaired individuals and cochlear implant users. Later, Kimja also joined the Finnish Federation of the Hearing Impaired.

The left cochlear implant was finally installed in August 2020. Hearing had to be relearned.

– I listened to YLE’s news in easy Finnish at half speed and could comprehend it. It was an absolutely mind-blowing moment.

The right ear was operated on a little over a year later.

– For the first time in over 20 years, I have stereo hearing again, and it was miraculous.

Many things slowly returned to normal, but much had changed. Looking back, it's easy to say that deafness cleared the calendar. It provided space and time to reflect on meaningful things, creating a watershed moment before and after becoming deaf.

The employer was considerate of the hearing impairment

When Kimja returned to work, the employer's reaction was warm and considerate.

– It was wonderful to receive such a welcome.

At Crasman, attention was also paid to work methods, such as acoustics and assistive devices.

– The employer purchased a microphone, allowing me to receive a clear sound signal and hear online meetings well. This helped me engage in conversations face-to-face too.

– The microphone greatly bridged the gap, and colleagues are on board and know how to use it.

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Accessibility and inclusivity are for everyone

Curbed pavements with ramps are a traditional example of how assistance originally intended for those with physical disabilities has eventually become an integral part of everyone’s everyday life. Similarly, video subtitling serves all, and the popularity of audiobooks has skyrocketed.

Kimja Muru states that accessibility is also a comprehensive approach to digital services. The easier the services are to use, the broader the user base and the greater the benefits.

– When you want to do business on websites, why not lower all possible barriers?

Would you like to assess the current level of accessibility of your online service?

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