Keynote Address: Microelectronic Technology and the Hearing Impaired: The Future

The potential of microelectronic technology to help alleviate or eliminate the communication problems of hearing-impaired persons is discussed from a futuristic point of view. The need for computer literacy training is related to rapidly changing career opportunities. The proposition that an understanding of computer programming is essential to being computer literate is presented. Computer literacy, artificial intelligence, and videodisc technology are described and related to the extensive training that will be required to use newly developed prosthetics.