“If I enter a restaurant and say that I have a hearing impairment, or that I am profoundly deaf – the staff think they need to shout for me to hear them but that’s not the case.”

Marion Marincat, 38, lost 80% of his hearing aged 26 and was diagnosed with progressive bilateral hearing reduction and tinnitus, a condition where there is a constant ringing noise in the ear that can potentially last several years or a lifetime. After his shock diagnosis, Marion’s relationship with sounds and noise changed forever.

He said, “I couldn’t socialise in most public spaces such as bars, restaurants or coffee shops due to loud background noise,” says Marion, “at 26 years old, I nearly gave up on a social life altogether.”

After discovering that at least 20% of people in the UK are sensitive to sound or hard of hearing and struggling with the initial embarrassment of having to wear hearing aids, Marion made it his mission to do something about the lack of audio accessibility and unwanted noise so people with hearing issues can still comfortably socialise in public spaces. Subsequently, hearing wellness brand Mumbli was born with Marion at the helm as CEO.

Mumbli provides a permanent solution to Audio Accessibility for venues and events. Using state of the art sound monitoring sensors, Mumbli helps venues assess their acoustic performance and noise levels in specific areas, and make better decisions about accessibility and inclusion. Currently crowdfunding on Seedrs, the brand’s audio experts, data analysts and hospitality specialists then produce regular or live in-platform reports on sound in the space. Mumbli translates complex acoustic and noise data into user-friendly insights and recommendations for businesses to implement.

Mumbli’s audio accessibility rating and method is recognised and supported by the UK Noise Association, European Federation of Hard of Hearing and the World Health Organisation.

Data analysis revealed that some venues are losing £20,000 a month due to excessive noise where customers are forced to socialise elsewhere or the licence to operate imposes restrictions. Mumbli aims to help businesses solve the issue of unwanted noise whilst increasing their customer base by 20-30%, where the venue receives the Certified for Sound kitemark as Audio Inclusive.

“As someone with a hearing disability, I need a quiet table which has enough light so I can lip read and a waiter that speaks clearly, or points to the menu what they recommend or do not have.

“The hospitality industry needs to have spaces that are designed for sound and noise monitoring from the outset – or have quieter areas available for people who are sensitive to noise.

“In recent years, brands have embraced other inclusivity options, such as vegan options and wheelchair access, but haven’t yet made the choice to tackle excess noise. Venues which are too loud keep away 20% of the population – a lost revenue opportunity for owners and operators.”

“At the moment, in the UK owners or operators of public spaces do not have an obligation to provide inclusive space for people with hearing challenges”.

Like most people who have received a hearing loss diagnosis, Marion has been learning to adapt to life with his disability. Unable to hear any alarm when he wakes up in the morning, Marion has to use alternative gadgets and once his morning starts, he faces a day in a society that isn’t inherently adapted to people who are hard of hearing.

“There is a lot more effort going into having to participate in conversations and daily activities that most people don’t think twice about.”

Ultimately, Marion’s mission with Mumbli is to provide a win-win solution – to grow the hospitality sector in a socially-responsible way, whilst providing the hard of hearing community with more inclusive social spaces.

“After all”, says Marion, “everyone has the right to hear and be heard.”