A mission to make hearing care easier to access

Armando Di Lello was diagnosed with hearing loss at the age of four and received his first hearing aids. He recalls the negative experiences he had in school due to his hearing aids, which were bulky and noisy. Now 34, Di Lello is on a mission to make high-quality hearing care more accessible.

Di Lello opened SimplyHear, an independent clinic in Winnipeg's St. Vital neighbourhood, to offer affordable hearing aids and reduce the barriers to care. He emphasizes the importance of a positive relationship with hearing aids from an early age to prevent the negative experiences he had as a child.

Di Lello has extensive experience in the hearing care industry, having graduated from a hearing aid practitioner program and worked in both budget-conscious and premium sectors of the industry. He left a high-paying job to start SimplyHear because he saw a gap in the market where clients couldn't afford hearing care or face long wait times.

The Canadian Association of the Deaf reports that there are 357,000 culturally deaf Canadians and 3.21 million Canadians who are hard of hearing. Research indicates that 77% of seniors aged 60 to 69 have hearing loss, with this percentage increasing to 94% for those aged 70 to 79.

Hearing aids can range in price from $2,000 to $8,000, depending on the technology level, brand, and features. Di Lello aims to keep SimplyHear's prices low, with pairs of hearing aids starting at $3,800. The clinic also helps clients navigate funding programs and has partnered with the Lions Club of Winnipeg to improve access for those facing financial barriers.

Di Lello's efforts are praised by Billie Cross, MLA for Seine River, who emphasizes the importance of belonging for people with hearing loss. Di Lello himself feels that running his own clinic is surreal, wishing it had existed when he was a child.