Muharrem is hearing impaired. When he followed his sister outside of a building, he had absolutely no idea that in a matter of seconds his role was going to change and his perception of things would be different than what it was before. Since Muharrem is hearing impaired, he communicates with people by sign language and other visual forms of communication. Muharrem did not realize that his sister had partnered up with Samsung to design an environment that would allow him to see the world without barriers.
Hidden cameras were placed throughout the town to monitor the reaction of Muharrem as random strangers on the street began speaking to him using American sign language. For the first time in his life, Muharrem lived in a world where everyone could speak his language.
Samsung used this opportunity to remind people that something as simple as trying to make a call for customer service is taken for granted by the hearing world and can be a challenge for individuals who are hearing impaired. They also highlighted that sometimes it is just the smallest changes that can have the greatest impact on people.
Approximately 2 percent of individuals between the age range of 45 and 54 deal with some form of hearing loss according to the NIDCD.. As people age, the percentage gets higher. It is also estimated that 26 million individuals in the age range of 20 to 69 have high frequency hearing loss because of working in construction or attending loud concerts. The Hearing Loss Association of America along with other associations are great resources for Americans who are dealing with hearing loss.