- Nuheara approved as registered provider to Australia’s National Insurance Disability Scheme (NDIS).
- NDIS can fully subsidise purchase of Nuheara products.
- Being a registered provider on the NDIS will enable Nuheara to support Autism in Australia with potential for global expansion.
- Positive results from University of Melbourne research in the use of IQbuds BOOST bychildren with Autism provides preliminary evidence-based support of use case.
14 August 2019 – Perth, Australia
Nuheara Limited (ASX: NUH) (“Company” or “Nuheara“), transforming the way people hear by creating smart hearing solutions that are accessible and affordable, is pleased to announce that it has been approved as a registered provider (Registration ID: 4-433C-4667) to Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), effective immediately.
Nuheara’s complete product range, which can be purchased using NDIS approved funding, will be available under the Hearing Equipment category with the intention to support people with Autism. The NDIS product approval process can be instigated directly from Nuheara’s website via an automated quotation process for NDIS plan managers or self-managers.
The NDIS, a new way of providing support to Australians with a disability, their families and carers is growing and changing the Assistive Technology (AT) market.
Approximately 3% of funds expended in the financial year 2016–17 were for AT. Participants can buy a wide range of AT products and services with their NDIS budget, giving them choice and purchasing power.
According to Australian Autism peak body Amaze, Autism continues to be the largest diagnostic group within the NDIS, with 29% of all participants identifying as autistic.
People with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD or Autism) often show difficulties with auditory processing. Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a common secondary diagnosis for people with Autism.
Commenting on Nuheara’s listing on the NDIS, Nuheara CEO, Justin Miller said “Since inception, we have had anecdotal evidence to suggest that Nuheara’s products would support people on the autism spectrum.
“Being listed on the NDIS places Nuheara at the centre of hearing health care beyond mild hearing loss. Our multifunctional products are supporting complex conditions that now allow us to expand to a much wider market than the traditional hearing aid/device industry.”
“We always wanted to expand our market scope but wanted to ensure this would be based on evidence-driven findings. Our preliminary results from an Autism study commissioned last year with the University of Melbourne have been positive.”
The Centre for Auditory Neuroscience at the University of Melbourne has provided a preliminary report into its findings on the use of IQBuds BOOST™ and children with Autism. It noted that while the subject numbers were small, there was a significant improvement in auditory attention obtained. The ability to concentrate in background noise has been identified as a key factor influencing academic progress for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Ashburner et al. 2008), and as such, was an encouraging result.
“The fact that Nuheara’s products are now available as part of the NDIS – for children and adults – is an important step in this market expansion.”
“It dramatically expands our reach beyond traditional hearing loss and further validates Nuheara’s decision to only develop and market products that focus on disrupting the global hearing healthcare market.”
CONTACTS
Australia
Justin Miller
CEO and Managing Director
+61 8 6555 9999
[email protected]
Media
Ranya Alkadamani
+61 434 664 589
[email protected]
About Nuheara
Nuheara is a global leader in smart personal hearing devices which change people’s lives by enhancing the power to hear. Nuheara has developed proprietary and multi-functional intelligent hearing technology that augments a person’s hearing and facilitates cable free connection to smart devices. Nuheara is based in Perth, Australia and has an office in New York, USA. Nuheara was the first consumer wearables technology company to be listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX).
In 2016, the Company released its revolutionary wireless earbuds, IQbudsTM, which allow consumers to augment their hearing according to their personal hearing preferences and connect hands free with their voice-enabled smart devices. Nuheara products are now sold in major consumer electronics retailers, professional hearing clinics and optical chains around the world.
The Company’s mission is to transform the way people hear by creating smart hearing solutions that are both accessible and affordable.
Learn more about Nuheara: www.nuheara.com.
