The New Norm - GN Hearing Ireland

New Norm: authentic lifestyle photography of hearing aid users

It’s time to change the perception of hearing aids. Too many people still see hearing aids through a narrow lens - as a sign of limitation, rather than an everyday tool for staying connected on your own terms

To help shift this perception, we've created authentic lifestyle photography that reflects the real diversity of people who use modern hearing technology. New Norm volume 2 shows hearing aid users in real-life moments. Meet five individuals who are pursuing their paths and priorities, living life their way with a little hearing assistance

Meet the faces of New Norm vol. 2

The New Norm photography campaign aims to challenge the outdated misconceptions of hearing aids and living with hearing loss and foster an environment where wearing hearing aids is seen as a symbol of empowerment and an integral part of enjoying life longer.

Last time we set out to change perceptions of hearing aids. Now it's time to change perceptions of living with hearing aids. Let's face it: nothing lives in a studio. If we want to change the norm, we need to see hearing aids out there in the real world and how it impacts the actual life of people using them.

Bjørn Valentin, Actor and entrepreneur

Seven years ago, actor, model, and entrepreneur Bjørn Valentin couldn't figure out why his fridge one minute was noisy, then completely silent the next. One day it hit him: He had a hearing loss in his right ear. Bjørn's hearing aids help him when he is working, seeing plays, and having conversations when driving.

Bjørn Valentin, born in 1991, works as an actor and model. On top of that, he's the CEO and co-founder of Lentii, a tool for holiday planning. He lives in Aarhus with his girlfriend.

Morten Paustian, Architect

Morten Paustian, a successful architect based in Copenhagen, can't recall a time when he was not wearing hearing aids. Morten found great joy in drawing at school; he feels this was partly due to his hearing and ability to go inside a fantasy world. Morten functions and thrives in society with his hearing aids - when he takes them out, there's silence.

Morten Paustian, born in 1965 in greater Copenhagen, is a trained architect from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Formerly a partner at Kim Utzon Arkitekter, he now runs Paustian Arkitekt.

Lin Ly, Financial controller at Ganni

As a child, Lin Ly was diagnosed with hearing loss, but it wasn't until a colleague at a company party many years later asked her directly, that Lin started to acknowledge it herself. In the years before Lin got her hearing aids, she withdrew from social situations. Now, she finds great joy in reconnecting with the world - and her nieces.

Lin Ly, born in 1982 in a refugee camp in Hong Kong, works as a VAT and accounting controller at Danish fashion brand GANNI.

Ruqiya Saleh, Head of After School Care

No one really knows why Ruqiya Saleh has hearing loss, but it was discovered by doctors when she was four years old. Throughout the years, Ruqiya did well at school, but in adulthood she began to isolate herself from social situations. Only many years later- encouraged by her daughter- she finally got a hearing aid. It has, she says, opened the world to her.

Ruqiya Saleh, born in 1972, works as a Head of After School Care in Copenhagen. She was born in London to Tanzanian parents and moved to Denmark when she was 4 years old.

Discover our collection of royalty-free images of modern lifestyle hearing aids

We'd love for you to share and use the images to help us put an end to the use of outdated images and change perceptions together.

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