Consumer education and advocacy for hearing clearly in public places
About Hearing Loops
“Having a hearing loop in our City Council and County Commissioners’ meeting rooms, it allows me to clearly hear what is being said, and it also allows me to participate fully in the discussions among the officials and the citizens in my community.”
– Colorado Springs
"For those of us with severe hearing loss, a hearing loop and telecoil use makes the difference between hearing and not hearing. I cannot understand anything said, even with a cochlear implant, without a loop system in an indoor presentation or performance.
As a result, access to what is available to everyone else who hears is unavailable to the hearing impaired. Costs to loop are very small compared to the benefit.
Simply, it is lack of access to what is routine and always available to normal hearing people."
– Grand Junction, CO
"Attending a church service family members mentioned how difficult it was to understand the priest’s heavy accent.
For the first time that I can remember, I commented, “With my hearing aids and the T-Coil technology, I understood him just fine.
– Glenwood Springs, CO
How to use a Hearing Loop
With a telecoil:
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Easy! Simply press a button in your hearing aid, cochlear implant, or assistive device.
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If you don't know how, ask your audiologist or hearing aid provider for training.
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There's no fuss, as you don't need to ask for any equipment. You're inconspicuous and no one ever knows.
Want to experience the hearing loop?
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yes, it's okay to try it out and learn
Don't have hearing aids, but need a better quality sound? Have hearing aids, but without a telecoil?
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No problem. Checkout a headset and a receiver (usually a black box a bit larger than a deck of cards)
The Problem and Hearing Loop Solution
People with hearing loss need the highest quality sound to be able to fully participate. Reverberation, fans, air conditioners, music playing in the background, and even rustling of papers by nearby degrades the sound. It can be frustrating not to be able to clearly understand all the words. As a result, some people may not fully participate or may choose to stay at home instead.
Hearing aids are tiny technological marvels but they do have limits. They do not fix hearing as glasses fix vision, it just isn’t possible. And incredible though they are, they can struggle to pick up speech from people who are more than a few metres away, or to distill speech in noisy or echo-y places.(1)
A hearing loop bypasses background noises by providing a wireless sound from a PA system directly to 1) a headset, 2) a person's hearing aids (with telecoils) or 3) cochlear implants.
Hearing loops provide the greatest benefits to people who rely on assistive listening systems, and to venues required by the ADA to provide hearing accommodation.
A 2014 study reported by Hearing Review asked 866 adult users of T-coil equipped hearing aids and cochlear implants to rate their ability to understand speech in places such as places of worship, theaters and auditoriums and conference rooms. Less than 14 percent rated their ability to hear without a hearing loop above a seven. However, while listening in a looped area, 86 percent rated their experience between eight and ten. (see image) (2)
Why are Hearing Loops Preferred?
Research shows that audio frequency induction loops are strongly preferred by hearing aid users over FM and Infrared systems and allow venues to provide their hard-of-hearing patrons with the optimal and most convenient listening experience.
Why hearing loops are strongly preferred over an FM system (3)
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Easy to Use: To hear clearly, individuals simply switch their devices to the telecoil program and automatically receive clear customized sound. There is no need to arrive early, stand in line, or wait to return equipment after an event or meeting.
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Quality Sound: A hearing loop sends sound directly to the telecoil receiver in a user’s hearing device. The system eliminates most background noise and greatly improves understanding of speech and music. Additionally, the sound received is customized by each user’s unique hearing instrument.
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Discrete: Being able to hear well with a hearing loop is inconspicuous; users do not stand out as being hard of hearing which encourages participation and inclusion.
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Better Hygiene: For people with hearing aids and cochlear devices, there is also no concern over the sanitation issues associated with wearing headsets or ear buds provided by venues and worn by other users.
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Versatile: Hearing loops provide effective, seamless communication across the broadest spectrum of environments—from auditoriums, theaters and places of worship, to meeting and class rooms, pharmacies, ticket counters and even in users’ homes.
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Transient Solution: A hearing loop enables clear sound for a person with hearing loss at pharmacies, information desks, subway ticket counters, and taxis, or when passing through airports and train stations.
Types of Hearing Loops
Types of Hearing Loops
Throughout the world, more and more organizations are installing hearing loops: See examples on this website
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Rooms: auditoriums, classrooms, conference rooms, council chambers, fitness rooms, lecture halls, meeting rooms, places of worship, reception rooms, theaters, etc.
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Service counters and ticket windows: airports, banks, government services, grocery stores, hospitals, pharmacies, etc.
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Transportation: trains, buses, cabs, airports, transportation stations, etc.
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Door intercoms.
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Portable and temporary hearing loops: small meetings, around tables, automobiles, personal home hearing loops.
References
(1) https://www.ideasforears.org.uk/
(2) Hearing Loops: The Preferred Assistive Listening Technology (2015). article above.
(3) Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)
(4) Kochkin S. 2010. MarkeTrak VIII: Customer satisfaction with hearing aids is slowly increasing. Hearing Journal. pp. 11-19.