Title :
Hearing Aids and the History of Electronics Miniaturization
Author_Institution :
New York Univ., New York, NY, USA
Abstract :
Electrical hearing aids were the principal site for component miniaturization and compact assembly before World War II. After the war, hearing aid users became the first consumer market for printed circuits, transistors, and integrated circuits. Due to the stigmatization of hearing loss, users generally demanded small or invisible devices. In addition to being early adopters, deaf and hard of hearing people were often the inventors, retailers, and manufacturers of miniaturized electronics.
Keywords :
acoustoelectric devices; hearing aids; integrated circuits; microphones; printed circuits; transistors; compact assembly; component miniaturization; deaf; electrical hearing aids; electronics miniaturization; hearing loss; integrated circuits; printed circuits; transistors; Auditory system; Consumer electronics; Ear; Handicapped aids; Hearing aids; Hisotry; Transistors; Transmitters; assistive technologies; disability studies; hearing aids; history of computing; history of computing hardware; history of technology; microelectronics;
Journal_Title :
Annals of the History of Computing, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/MAHC.2011.43
