Their invisibility reinforces the stigma of hearing loss, so one design company is turning them into bold statements of style and self-expression.
What would it feel like to stop hiding something that’s so much a part of you? Something that’s usually tucked away, not meant to be seen?
For decades, hearing aids have been invisible by design – muted in colour and tucked behind hair. In the UK, 18 million people experience hearing loss, yet only two million people wear a hearing aid. For many, existing stigma and outdated perceptions of disability keep them from wearing one. But can something designed for function also be a tool of self-expression?
This cultural perception is beginning to shift – with more designers shaping conversations around the intersection of disability and fashion. Among them is Auzi, a luxury jewellery brand transforming hearing aids into visible, intentional accessories.
The idea for Auzi began with a birthday gift.
When Jeweller Daniela Groza designed a custom hearing aid cover for Dec McLaughlin, he immediately felt the difference. It sparked a question: why were hearing aids still being treated as something to hide?
“Hearing aids could become something more than functional devices; they could be expressions of identity,” Groza reflects. Inspired, she began sketching jewellery mockups that blended luxury with practicality, turning an often-hidden necessity into something that can be celebrated.
What began as a revelation became the brand purpose for Auzi, where McLaughlin and Groza merged fashion and functionality to challenge how hearing aids are perceived.
“Hearing aid jewellery became not just a product, but a mission, to empower and inspire people to see beauty where they least expect it,” she affirms.
Auzi is designing jewellery that incorporates hearing aids a part of the wearer’s core style, proving that beauty and accessibility can coexist.
Auzi, meaning “to hear” in Romanian, is a nod to Groza’s heritage. “Auzi celebrates hearing, connection, and individuality,” McLaughlin explains. The name carries a dual meaning – not only does it signify listening, but it also plays on “Au”, the chemical symbol for gold.
“It’s a tribute to my background in chemistry and our focus on luxury materials,” he adds. “There’s also a subtle link to ‘audio’, reinforcing our mission to elevate hearing aids through design.”
For decades, hearing aids have been associated with ageing, disability and invisibility – social perceptions that label disability as weak and inferior.
“There still seems to be a stigma attached to wearing a hearing aid, whereas there is little stigma now associated with vision loss and wearing spectacles,” says Kevin Munro, an expert in audiology, in an interview with The Hearing Review.
From the ‘beige’, behind-the-ear models, to the skin-tone variations designed to blend in with hair colour, hearing aids were crafted to go undetected. This design philosophy reflected a broader societal stigma – the belief that disability, particularly, hearing loss, should not be seen.
Hearing aids often became markers of what was perceived as being inferior or something to be ashamed of. This societal bias perpetuated the notion that to be disabled, was to be invisible, further isolating those who relied on assistive technologies.
Auzi doesn’t just create jewellery; they’re trying to change the way we think about hearing aids altogether. Founder Dec McLaughlin expresses his frustration with the common “beige, clinical-looking” design, which, intentionally or not, further contributes to the stigma surrounding hearing loss.
By introducing hearing aids jewellery that replaces neutrality with bold, luxurious designs, Auzi shifts the narrative – challenging the idea that they should remain hidden.
While this stigma has deemed hearing aids invisible for years, a growing movement is now challenging that perception, shifting how we view assistive devices as a society.
What was once purely a medical device is now evolving into something more dimensional, with custom hearing aid jewellery emerging as tools of individuality – framing the coexistence of fashion and functionality.
As assistive technology continues to intersect with fashion, brands like Auzi are proving that hearing aids can be more than functional devices—they can be symbols of empowerment and personal style.
As a jeweller, Daniela is a graduate of the Edinburgh College Of Art, and she sees functionality at the heart of her design process. Each piece is crafted to ensure that it doesn’t just look striking but integrates seamlessly with hearing aids.
“I ensure that each piece serves its intended purpose flawlessly,” she explains. “For example, all buttons and microphones remain accessible, maintaining an uninterrupted user experience.”
Each jewellery cover is custom-made to fit specific hearing aid models, ensuring it doesn’t interfere with the device’s operation. Groza works with a variety of materials including 18k gold and fine gemstones, including amethysts and diamonds.
“The pieces are made as light as possible,” she says. “The stones are microset at the same level as the metal, not protruding too much in order to maintain the hearing aid’s shape.”
“Hearing aids are often hidden, but I wanted to create something that celebrates the person behind them.” Groza’s designs feature bold shapes and asymmetrical forms – “I want people to feel empowering and unapologetically unique,” she adds.
The organic curves and asymmetry in many of Auzi’s pieces symbolise individuality, which Groza likens to fingerprints. “No two pieces are ever identical,” she explains. “Each design is a visual statement that says, “You’re one of a kind, and that deserves to shine.”
Rather than following traditional jewellery aesthetics, Groza adapts her designs to the needs of hearing aid wearers. “For me, the beauty lies in the details—small, thoughtful adjustments that transform practical solutions into something truly extraordinary,” she says.
This approach challenges the notion that hearing aids should be discreet, instead offering wearers an option that reflects their sense of style.
For many wearers, the act of customising their hearing aid becomes more than just a stylistic choice – it’s a way of transforming something once seen as purely medical to something personal.
Repurposing hearing aids into custom jewellery covers become not just accessories, but symbols of empowerment.
Groza’s designs include gemstones that represent a certain meaning – for example, the custom cover Aurora Gold features a blue cubic zirconia stone that embodies calmness and self-confidence.
Reclaiming ownership over disability is a powerful act of self-determination, and for many, visibility is an essential part of identity. For decades, assistive devices have been designed to be discreet, reinforcing the idea that disability is something to minimise or hide.
However, by choosing to wear a hearing aid openly—and even customising it—individuals challenge the long-held belief that disability should remain invisible.
“When you add art and beauty, they become something more: symbols of strength, individuality, and pride,” McLaughlin argues.
This shift in perspective mirrors broader movements in disability pride, where individuals reject the idea that assistive devices exist as a burden to their identity.
Instead, they embrace these tools as part of self-expression. Groza’s designs embody this new wave of thinking, using kintsugi-inspired elements and precious gemstones to turn hearing aids into intentional statements.
By incorporating design and creativity into these devices, wearers hold power over how they present themselves, reclaiming the space they occupy and celebrating their uniqueness.
This is not just about aesthetics; it’s a shift in attitudes—encouraging a future where disability is not only accepted but seen and celebrated.
In the digital age, social media has become a powerful tool for reshaping societal perceptions of disability and assistive devices. ‘HoH TikTokers’ like Elizabeth Harris (@lizzytharis) are leading internet circles by showing their hearing aids to normalise visibility, dismantle stigma, and encourage self-expression.
Hashtags like #HearingAidsAreCool and #DisabilityAwareness have become online outlets for those embracing their hearing aids not as something to hide but as something to showcase with pride.
“When someone wears a piece of hearing aid jewellery, they’re saying, this is part of who I am, and I’m proud of it,”
Dec McLaughlin, Founder of Auzi
Brands like Auzi are stepping into this space – social media allows them to directly engage with an audience that values inclusivity and fashion, showcasing their custom jewellery pieces as both fashionable and functional.
With more than 3.3 million views on their pinned video via TikTok, they’re reshaping the narrative around what it means to live with hearing loss, and, by extension, showing hearing aid wearers that they can turn their devices into expressions of identity.
Through these digital platforms, Auzi is part of a larger movement, helping to make hearing aids visible, fashionable, and, above all, a statement of individuality.
“Beauty and art are transformative – they challenge perceptions and invite new ways of thinking,” McLaughlin says. This philosophy extends beyond hearing aid jewellery and speaks to a broader movement reshaping the way we view disability devices.
In recent years, assistive devices and prosthetics have seen a similar transformation. Prosthetic limbs, once viewed solely as medical devices, have been reimagined by brands like The Alternative Limb Project, turning artificial limbs into futuristic works of art.
Similarly, Brian Stanley, who lost his eye to cancer, is making waves on social media for designing his prosthetic eye with a built-in flashlight – an example of individuals breaking new ground in reimagining the disability aids industry.
This shift reflects a growing movement towards assistive devices being seen as part of personal style rather than just medical necessities. Instead of being intended to blend in, these innovations highlight the individuality of the people who wear them.
Hearing aid jewellery is a natural extension of this change– offering an alternative to the expectation that hearing aids should be “clinical” and concealed.
As discussions around accessible fashion and inclusive design continue to grow, hearing aid jewellery could see collaborations with high-fashion brands.
Luxury brands have long embraced statement eyewear, turning prescription glasses into bold accessories rather than just vision aids. “Hearing aids are on a similar trajectory,” McLaughlin reflects.
What was once designed to be invisible is now being embraced and celebrated through intricate, expressive designs. From handcrafted pieces to the possibility of high-fashion collaborations, hearing aid jewellery is challenging long-held assumptions about assistive devices and the people who wear them.
“By normalising and elevating their aesthetic appeal, we’re helping to pave the way for hearing aids to be embraced not just as necessities, but as extensions of personal style,” he adds.
This growing acceptance of reimagining hearing aids as part of one’s style signals a much-needed shift in how disability aids are perceived, with brands like Auzi at the forefront.
Featured image courtesy of Dec McLaughlin.