The telecoil in the hearing device works with any hearing loop in any venue, assuming that the telecoil is properly set up and the hearing aid is telecoil-compatible.”Ĭontemporary image of a Bible with headphones. Although FM and Infrared systems meet ADA requirements (if neckloops are included), these technologies require everyone to acquire a listening device at the venue that only works at that venue. “As a result, churches are looking to hearing loops as the technology of choice for their parishioners. “There's been a real increase in the awareness of the effectiveness of hearing loops in the last 10 or 12 years,” confirms Bill Droogendyk, president and owner of Better Hearing Solutions in Hamilton, Canada. Using ALD alternatives such as FM/infrared/WiFi wireless transmission can introduce signal latency delays, “wreaking havoc with the already precarious speech understanding difficulties of those who live with hearing loss,” she says.įor these reasons, loops are enjoying a resurgence in the marketplace against other assistive listening options, simply because the loop technology is simple, universal and proven. Sterkens, who advises the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) on hearing loop technology. To do the job properly, an ALD system “must be directly hearing aid-compatible, meaning the sound pick up must go directly into the hearing aid or CI,” reports audiologist Juliëtte P.M. “A lot of people like the convenience and anonymity of not having to ask for an external listening device-plus avoiding any germs and other sanitary issues potentially associated with shared ALDs.”Īdd the fact that loop technology is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and there still is no substitute for this assistive listening technology for serving people with hearing loss.ĭesigners take note, though. “If a person has a hearing aid with a telecoil, they can just walk in the room and pick up the signal from the loop,” notes Brian Taylor, vice president of design and installation at Stage Sound in Roanoke, Va. The magnetic wireless signal sent from the loop directly interacts with the telecoil in people's hearing devices-without any need for a personal receiver and additional headsets/earpieces. The reason is simple: Hearing loops (loops) ensure that anyone in the room with a telecoil-enabled hearing aid/CI can hear what is being captured by the room’s microphones, when that signal is fed into a transmitter connected to a wire loop encircling the room. But if those people are wearing hearing aids or have cochlear implants (CIs), then the time-proven combination of hearing loops and hearing aids/CIs with telecoils ( (installed to meet the IEC 60118-4 standard) remains the technology of choice. There are a number of ways to deliver assisted listening to people with hearing loss, including FM, Infrared, and now WiFi delivered wireless audio. The question is, which ALD technologies and considerations should be given the most attention in the church market? To find out, Church.Design spoke to a number of experts for the lowdown. These devices ensure that people with hearing loss are fully included in all aspects of the service.įor church designers and integrators, the fact of declining hearing ability means that ALDs must be considered throughout the design, procurement and installation processes of a church new build or renovation. The aging of the Baby Boomers means that assistive listening devices (ALDs) are playing an increasingly important role in houses of worship.
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