“My dream was to improve the quality of life for myself and for all those who suffer from a loss of hearing.”
Innsbruck, 4th November Geoffrey R. Ball, Technical Director for Vibrant MED-EL Hearing Technology GmbH, received the 2013 Life Award in the “Research” category for his long-standing involvement in the technical development of hearing implants. The Life Award has given people with disabilities with a platform to present their outstanding achievements for more than ten years. As in previous years, the gala evening for the presentation of the internationally recognised award was held in the Congress Innsbruck conference centre. This year’s awards ceremony, held on 12 October, once again honoured people in five categories.
Geoffrey Ball has suffered from conductive hearing loss ever since a fever attack in his childhood. In order to correct this hearing impairment he developed a middle ear implant, the Vibrant Soundbridge, that enables him and countless other affected people to hear once more. “Geoffrey Ball used his loss of hearing in an extraordinary way as the starting point for an exceptional personal initiative to make good this disability using a technical aid that he invented himself. Geoffrey Ball created the conditions for removing the barriers that a loss of hearing can cause not just for himself but also for thousands of other people suffering from a loss of hearing all over the world who have already benefited and who will in future benefit from his invention,” explained Dr. Bernd Oberhofer from the organising body, Alivia Award, in justification of the award.
“It is an incredibly good feeling to be able to help others to enjoy life in all its aspects as I do and to converse with their families, friends and colleagues at work without any problems – something that was impossible for them before,” said the proud award winner.
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