7 Accessories to Boost Your ListenTALK Experience

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The best tech accessories compliment any environment by adding functionality to the wireless communication device, increasing engagement, or both. Here at Listen Technologies, we believe in offering accessories that make our wireless communication products better and more functional for you. Here are our latest offerings for ListenTALK:

1. AAA battery compartment

  • What it is: An additional AAA battery compartment to compliment the rechargeable battery that comes standard with every ListenTALK device.
  • How it makes the device better: Offers an additional power source in case the rechargeable battery runs out during use, away from the charger.
  • Who needs it: Anyone who uses ListenTALK out in the field, away from the charger for an extended period. This offers a backup for tour operators and others who spend a lot of time with their ListenTALK systems.

2. Protective case

  • What it is: A silicone-compound case that protects the device’s back, sides, top, and bottom against damage.
  • How it makes the device better: Users don’t have to worry about damaging parts of the device in the case of fall.
  • Who needs it: Anyone using a ListenTALK system who’s worried about damage. Falls are unusual because the device is usually attached to a lanyard or clip and headphones or headset. This case offers additional peace of mind to the ListenTALK systems’ owner and users.

3. Cable management pocket

  • What it is: A Velcro cable management sleeve that holds cords while worn with a lanyard or clipped to a belt.
  • How it makes the device better: This pocket keeps cords out of the way. That eliminates the chance for cords to catch on something and damage the equipment.
  • Who needs it: Anyone using a ListenTALK system who wants to keep the device as safe as possible.

4. Metal D-rings

  • What it is: A ring attachment that allows for users to attach a custom lanyard to the device.
  • How it makes the device better: The metal D-ring gives owners the opportunity to add a lanyard of their choice.
  • Who needs it: Anyone who wants to customize or brand the ListenTALK devices to their company. For example, Disney has its own branded lanyards and wants to use them with its ListenTALK devices.

5. Smartphone cable

  • What it is: This cable connects a ListenTALK device to any smartphone, allowing a remote presenter to use the system.
  • How it makes the device better: The smartphone cable gives the wireless communication system the ability to have two leaders. The remote presenter becomes the leader, and the on-site presenter becomes the sub-leader. Because of the crystal-clear sound quality, there’s no need to shout over anyone or into a speaker. Group members can ask questions and have discussions with the remote leader, providing them with valuable information or skills they wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to gain.
  • Who needs it: The smartphone cable is especially useful for tour operators and anyone doing training. The tour group or class can add an expert to the group without needing the person to be on-site.

6. Mic input/headphone output cable

  • What it is: This cable splits the traditional receive/transmit function of a standard jack to use an independent mic and speaker.
  • How it makes the device better: Allows the system to transmit sound to a secondary room, not just to other ListenTALK devices.
  • Who needs it: Anyone doing training, translating or who needs to transmit audio to a secondary location. For example, a doctor performing surgery could use this cable to transmit crystal-clear audio to another room where medical students were observing the procedure. A translator could use this system to broadcast the translated proceedings of a courtroom or classroom.

7. Line/headset mix cable

  • What it is: A cable that allows the system to broadcast secondary pre-recorded audio or music to the devices.
  • How it makes the device better: Gives a ListenTALK system owner the opportunity to eliminate dead air. When group leaders or presenters aren’t speaking, they can switch over to music or another audio track.
  • Who needs it: Anyone who doesn’t like silence. Sometimes there’s a long pause between stops on a tour, and no one has a question, in training when class members are each given a chance to try a hands-on activity, or between translations. For example, Segway plans to use this new cable to play music and pre-recorded safety messages between tour stops.

 

We believe that the best tech accessories compliment any environment. That’s why we’re committed to offering wireless communication accessories that make ListenTALK better and more functional for you. If you’re ready to accessorize your ListenTALK system or want to give ListenTALK a try, call us today at (888) 296-1623 or go to listentalk.com!

ListenTIPS: 3 Ways to Become and Advocate for Yourself and Others

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Even though many countries have laws in place for mandatory assistive listening compliance, public awareness of these laws is inadequate. Many venues throughout the world still lack adequate systems to help the many people who have hearing loss. Here are some things you can do to build awareness and be an advocate.

1. Get Involved

There are many groups leading the charge to increase awareness, but they need your help. The Hearing Loss Association of America has a chapter in virtually every state and some states have several chapters. Find one in your area and get involved. They have incredible people and resources available to you. There are worldwide organizations, as well.

2. Speak Up

If you go to a venue where a public address (PA) system is being used, ask the facilities manager for an assistive listening device. If they don’t have one, make note of the facility’s address and fill out a complaint form. It’s only one page and only takes a minute. Here’s what can happen when people speak up.

3. Know Your Rights

Take some time to study your rights under the ADA. Knowledge is power, and being armed with information on your rights goes a long way, even if you only use it in casual conversation. It increases awareness; if people aren’t aware of a problem it can’t be fixed.

 

The biggest difference you can make is to speak up, don’t sit in silence, because you don’t have to. Be an advocate for yourself or for others who have hearing loss.

ListenTIPS: Protect your hearing in 4 easy steps

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We live in a noisy world, with sounds that affect hearing all around us: traffic, machinery, and noisy groups of people. Then there’s the damage we do to our ears when we plug in headphones and jam to catchy tunes.

Our hearing is delicate and all this noise takes a toll. It’s no wonder that approximately 48 million people experience hearing loss in the U.S., making it one of the most prevalent health issues in the nation.

You don’t have to accept that you’ll lose your hearing. Here are four tips to safeguard your ears.

1.    See a Doctor

Never treat hearing loss lightly. A blocked ear or an earache may be a sign of an infection. If you leave an ear infection untreated, it may result in permanent hearing loss. Any ringing in your ears that lasts longer than a short period of time is also a sign of hearing loss.

Have a discussion with your doctor about your hearing concerns before you start a medication. Ototoxic drugs may lead to hearing loss. In many cases, the benefit of the drug outweighs the risk of temporary or permanent hearing loss. Ototoxic drugs include:

  • gentamicin (an antibiotic)
  • cisplatin and carboplatin (chemotherapy drugs)
  • quinine (for malaria)
  • aspirin
  • loop diuretics

2.    Keep It Down

Exposure to loud sounds will damage hearing. The hair cells in your ears turn sound into signals sent to the brain. If the noise is too loud, it damages the hairs, which never grow back. The National Institutes of Health say consistent exposure to sounds higher than 85 decibels can hurt hearing. The average conversation is 60 decibels, so 85 isn’t earth-shakingly loud. In fact, it’s about the same as heavy traffic in a city.

So, what’s louder than 85 decibels? If you’re using your earbuds at the maximum sound level, you’re probably pumping 105 decibels into your ears—doing severe and permanent damage. Guns and firecrackers hit 150 decibels, a police or fire siren is 120 decibels, and a motorcycle is 95 decibels.

Since you can’t stay at home all day in the sound of silence, what can you do to protect your ears?

  • Turn down the sound: One thing my mom taught me was to turn the volume down to zero then slowing turn it up, making lower volumes sound louder.
  • Limit exposure to loud sounds and machinery.

3.    Wear Protection

There are many people whose livelihoods depend on working with or around loud machines. Others live near noisy highways and relocating isn’t an option. If you can’t entirely avoid loud sounds, try wearing protective devices. Ear plugs, noise-canceling headphones, and ear muffs will protect your hearing.

4.    Give Your Ears a Break

Pretty much everyone these days owns a smartphone. Listening to music, podcasts, books, and more via earbuds can be motivating or relaxing, but remember, it can damage your ear. Consider taking short breaks from the sound. When you’re using your headphones or earbuds, take regular 15-minute breaks.

 

Millions of people around the U.S. and world live with hearing impairment. Health problems, medications, and the noise all around us lead to that hearing loss. To protect your hearing, talk to your doctor, turn down the noise, use protection and give your ears a break.

Communication + Hearing Protection

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Factory tours are an ideal way to show investors, VIPs, the community and others the value of your business.

Noise in factories and plants is a significant issue.

Every year, 22 million people are exposed to noise at work that’s so loud it can potentially cause permanent hearing loss. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration estimates $242 million is spent each year on workers’ compensation due to hearing loss. In 2017, OSHA fined businesses more than $1.5 million for not adequately protecting employees from noise.

Hearing protection is essential for everyone on the manufacturing floor, even those on factory tours. So how can you adequately protect your guests’ hearing while showing off your facility?

Hearing protection is vital for everyone

Loud noises can be dangerous. They can cause hearing loss—temporary or permanent. However, the extent of the damage is determined by the length of exposure and the noise level. Experts say noises above 85 decibels can cause permanent hearing damage. For example, a conversation usually is around 60 decibels. An idling bulldozer hits 85 decibels.

Loud noises damage or destroy hearing, but how? Inside the inner ear is the organ of Corti, which is responsible for hearing. It reacts when its microscopic hair cells are activated, ultimately stimulating the nerves for hearing, which carry sound to the brain. The frequency of the sound determines which and how many hair cells are activated. When you listen to loud noises, you can damage or break the hair cells. That, in turn, hurts your hearing.

Communication + hearing protection

When you’re hosting important people on factory tours, they need to be able to hear you. It’s also helpful if you can listen to them. However, you don’t want to take any chances with their hearing.

ListenTALK is the solution you need. This easy-to-use communication system is wireless and portable, and you determine what kind of headset to use. If you’re on a noisy factory floor, you can choose headphones that offer added ear protection. What makes it even better is the sensitive internal mic. Even on a noisy factory floor, you don’t need to hold it up to your mouth. All you need to do is wear it around your neck on a lanyard and push the talk button to speak. Plus, the tour leader unit isn’t the only one with a mic. Everyone on factory tours can talk to the leader and each other, for guaranteed clear two-way communication. It’s also lightweight, and guests can attach it to their belts or purses with a clip, or use a lanyard.

Because loud noises can permanently damage hearing, it’s important not to neglect hearing protection for everyone on your factory floor. That includes your guests on VIP factory tours. ListenTALK will help protect everyone’s hearing, while also providing crystal-clear communication. Are you ready to try a unit?

Adventure awaits with ListenTALK

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Have you ever experienced your tour from the perspective of your guests? Are you sure it’s as exciting as you think it is? We’re here to tell you that there’s always room to improve. Should you be adding a story? Maybe using a prop?

That’s a lot of questions, but really, how can you make your tour stand out?

It’s time to treat your tour like a performance, but not a one-person show. Nothing will kill a good tour mood faster than a tour guide delivering a no-interruptions-allowed monologue. Each tour should be different because each participant will add their own flair to the experience.

When starting your tour, make sure each attendee is hooked up to a ListenTALK device. Nothing foils the tour experience more than a tour guide that can’t be heard.

• Tell them a story. Good tour guides know the facts and retell them in a way that invokes excitement and involvement. Great tour guides will take you on an adventure through time and space.
• Know your flow. The bulk of your tours will be the same day by day but allow yourself to cater to the adventurous souls of your participants. You’re allowed to spend more time engaging them with the things they’re interested in and breeze through other parts of the tour. Don’t fear the flow.
• Set your script—then stray from it. The majority of your tours will follow the same script tour after tour but allow yourself to stray from the script. Take your time to create the tour narrative beforehand, then get to know your participants. When you allow your participants to engage in your storytelling, their questions and comments will help you personalize each tour.

Groups are more engaged when they can actually hear. You’ll be surprised that as each member of your group wears their own ListenTALK device, tour engagement will shoot through the roof. The back of your group will be just as enthralled with the adventure as the patrons in the front.

Taking your tour groups on an adventure will be more memorable than presenting them with a memorized monologue.

Now, go ahead. Take a risk. Tell a story. Adventure awaits with ListenTALK.

Members Rejoice: Churches Ask Congregants to Bring Their Phones to Service

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Instead of asking parishioners to turn off their cell phones during worship service, what if they could use them to hear your sermon clearly, no matter where they are in the building, or how well they hear? Venues everywhere are embracing the omnipresent smartphone as an assistive-listening solution and using the devices to get churchgoers more involved in the service.

But how does that work? It’s simple: Wi-Fi. Streaming audio over Wi-Fi isn’t a new technology. However, recent advances improved the technology and reduced latency, so there’s basically no audio delay. That’s made streaming audio over Wi-Fi to smartphones the perfect solution for assistive listening as well as live audio. Here’s why you need it and how it works:

Build Connections
Delivering sound over Wi-Fi to devices parishioners already carry is a simple way to re-engage churchgoers who’ve felt disconnected because they can’t hear or understand.

Maybe you’ve got parishioners who spend parts of the service in the cry room or lobby with their children. Or maybe members of your congregation have hearing loss—statistics show that’s likely as high as 20 percent of your congregants. Perhaps your worship service is a popular place, and audio for overflow seating is an issue. Or do you have parishioners who need translation, but have no way to broadcast it? That means you’ve got people who can’t engage and won’t feel connected to the service. You can help them feel that essential spiritual connection through the power of Wi-Fi with audio delivered straight to their smartphones.

Simply Connect
Audio over Wi-Fi is not only easy for you to install and simple to use, but it’s also affordable. With a small investment—less than $800—churches can deliver clear audio to parishioners in the building with Audio Everywhere from Listen Technologies. All you need to do is connect your audio system—like a TV or microphone—to the local area network using a secure server. It may sound complicated, but it’s as easy as plug and play. Then parishioners connect to your Wi-Fi, download a free app to their smartphones, and start streaming audio. They can listen via their own headphones or earbuds. Or if they have Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, they can stream straight to their ears. And it’s scalable, so that you can accommodate small groups or thousands of users.

Churches can use this as an addition to existing assistive-listening solutions, like radio-frequency systems and hearing loops. Or it can be a standalone assistive-listening solution. Congregants use their own smartphones and headphones, so there’s no equipment for you to buy, store, or maintain.

An audio-over-Wi-Fi system is affordable and easy to install, but invaluable for your members who struggle to hear.

Spread the Word
Once you’ve installed Audio Everywhere, it’s essential to help your parishioners know about the system.

● Publicize: Use your regular news bulletins and website to promote your new listening solution. Also, post signs and posters about the system.
● Teach: Train your staff and volunteers how to use the system and troubleshoot. That way they’ll be ready to show parishioners what to do and answer questions.
● Celebrate: Share the success of Audio Everywhere with online reviews and word of mouth. Laud your increased engagement and attendance at church services.

Streaming audio over Wi-Fi to smartphones is an ideal solution for assistive listening. So, embrace the power of the smartphone and help your parishioners connect with their worship community with Audio Everywhere from Listen Technologies. Go to www.audioeverywhere.com/assistive-church/ to get started today!

ListenTALK in Action

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Last year, ListenTALK hit the shelves with a bang. One of ListenTALK’s first customers was Hale Center Theatre in Sandy, Utah. Here’s how it works, where Hale Center Theatre is using it and why they love it:

How ListenTALK works

This on-the-go two-way communication system was built with flexibility in mind. Each device is a transceiver—which means it both transmits and receives audio communication. Creating a group of transceivers is simple! With the tap of a button, ListenTALK devices can be paired on the fly and multiple groups can be created in a matter of seconds. While on a tour, all you have to do is press the Talk button if you want to…talk! If you’re a tour leader, the only reason you’ll need to press the Talk button is to mute yourself. Pretty easy, right?

With a simple setup, you get an innovative communication solution that ensures everyone can come on your adventure with you.

 

In action at Hale Center Theater

Backstage tours are nothing new at Hale Center Theatre, but you haven’t seen them like this before. Last year, Hale Center Theatre built a brand-new, state-of-the-art venue. This beautiful building is unlike anything else in the Salt Lake Valley, and officials needed a communication system that matched the impressive structure. Quinn Dietlein, Hale Center Theatre’s development director and annual giving manager, obtained ListenTALK specifically for backstage tours but has incorporated “all sorts of fun multimedia uses,” thanks to its versatility. Hundreds of people are going on these tours every week, and hundreds of people are walking away impressed with the new theater…and ListenTALK!

 

Why tour guides and participants LOVE it

Remember Quinn from the paragraph above? Well, not only is Quinn a director, he’s a performer. Each tour he takes through the theater has a different flare. Upon meeting his tour group, he learns about participant’s interests and uses that information to tell a personalized story for each group as he takes them through the theater. His tours are as entertaining as the plays he acts in, but one thing is for sure: Quinn is talking all day long. The first time Quinn used ListenTALK for a tour, his excitement was palpable. No longer was he raising his voice, walking backward, or trying to reach every guest. With ListenTALK, guests are participating more, asking more questions, and staying engaged. Now, Quinn speaks normally, and his participants are able to catch the nuances of his personalized tours.

Hale Center Theatre discovered it last year: ListenTALK creates an environment of inclusion and is the perfect tour solution. It’s easy to use for every kind of tour and everyone who uses it, loves it.

 

Are you ready to try ListenTALK? Call (888) 296-1623 or go to https://www.listentalk.com to get started with your free demo kit today.

Use Audio Everywhere to Provide a Better Customer Experience

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Are you still using 20th Century tech for audio streaming? Are you worried that switching to a more technically advanced system—like Wi-Fi—will take more expertise than you have? Or that the learning curve for your guests or customers is too high?

 

Well, lucky for you, technology is on your side—switching your audio to a Wi-Fi streaming system can be as easy as plug-and-play. Globally, there are 1.9 billion smartphone users, why not provide audio for your guests on a device that they are already familiar with and comfortable using—a system so simple to use that everyone with a smartphone will figure it out in a matter of seconds. Audio Everywhere from Listen Technologies is the most advanced Wi-Fi streaming system on the market.

 

Easy to install

There aren’t many systems as easy to connect as Audio Everywhere. The system connects to your existing Wi-Fi network, uses existing audio channels from your music systems, set-top boxes or other audio sources. In addition, it uses negligible internet bandwidth and won’t interfere with the user’s internet access. Best of all, it’s scalable—you can use one or many audio sources and for hundreds of simultaneous users.

 

Installation takes very few steps:

  • Power-up your server.
  • Connect a CAT-5 cable to your wireless network.
  • Connect the audio from your audio sources, like the output of a mixing console.
  • You’re ready to stream!

 

Audio Everywhere from Listen Technologies is a breeze to set up but will make a huge difference in your customer experience.

 

Simple to use

Because 77 percent of adults in the U.S. own a smartphone, most of your customers can use  Audio Everywhere without any problems. To get started streaming:

  • Download the Audio Everywhere app from the App Store or Google Play.
  • Connect to the venue’s wireless network.
  • Open the app and start streaming audio!

 

Your customers or guests will appreciate being able to hear critical calls in games, your inspirational message, dialog on their favorite TV show, or breaking news. Plus, they can quickly switch between shows or audio sources. The Audio Everywhere app is easy to use and delivers reliable, crystal-clear audio.

 

If you’re not using wireless audio streaming, it’s time to embrace innovation. Switching from a wired system to a seamless, simple streaming solution is as easy as plug-and-play with Audio Everywhere from Listen Technologies. You’ll have it connected quickly, and your customers or guests can start streaming audio in a matter of seconds. Call us today at 1.800.330.0891 or click here to get Audio Everywhere!

Technology Spotlight: What You Need to Know About Assistive Listening Options

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Performing arts centers around the world—like the brand-new Hale Centre Theatre in Utah—turn to induction loop technology for assistive listening systems. But that’s probably not the right fit for a courtroom. And what works in a classroom might not work in a movie theater.

 

Technology for assistive listening isn’t one-type-fits-all. So, you need to consider all types of technology to find the right fit. There’s infrared, radio frequency, hearing loops, and Wi-Fi, along with their associated products. Here’s what you need to know about all of them:

Infrared

In this type of system, infrared light waves—like the technology in many TV remotes—transmit sound to an IR receiver and headphones. The system floods a room with infrared light using IR radiators. Users don’t need hearing aids. They get sound via a receiver and headphones or earpiece. So, it’s an excellent solution for classrooms, courtrooms, and corporate boardrooms. And it’s ideal for anywhere a private audio signal is necessary. That’s because the signal can’t pass through walls or be received outside a specific area. This system is relatively low-cost and can deliver multiple audio sources. One of the drawbacks of IR, though, is that it is traditionally dependent on line of sight in order to receive the light signal.

 

Listen Technologies offers ListenIR, which delivers higher-quality audio, with twice the power and coverage of other receivers. Listen’s receivers are IR transparent, allowing them to receive light waves from all angles, greatly reducing signal drop out. The system, which can have six simultaneous channels, is streamlined for better management with simple and smarter maintenance solutions. The receivers are easier to store, wear, and use because they’re half the size and weight of other listening devices. Our innovative battery technology saves money as well as the hassle of battery management and disposal. Plus, the integrated neck loop/lanyard delivers better audio to users with cochlear implants and telecoil hearing aids. If you’re looking for a private, lower cost, easy-to-use assistive listening solution, check into the ListenIR system.

Radio frequency

If you’ve listened to a radio or used a walkie-talkie, then you’re familiar with radio frequency. In an assistive listening system, sound is transmitted via radio frequency to a receiver and headphones. It also may deliver the sound directly to a receiver connected to a cochlear implant or telecoil hearing aid. Like the IR system, users don’t need hearing aids. This system can be used in small or large spaces, but it isn’t ideal in situations where privacy is necessary because the signal isn’t contained like an IR system. People often use this low-cost system in classrooms, public meeting spaces, churches, conference rooms, and nursing homes.

 

If you’re looking for a superior RF assistive listening product, Listen Technologies offers two options, with a maximum of 32 simultaneous channels. The 72 MHz system has a range of up to 1,000 feet, and is ideal for churches, performing arts centers, theaters, and more. We also have a 216 MHz system, with high-quality transmitters and receivers. The 216 MHz system is ideal for places where a larger RF signal is necessary, like at convention centers and stadiums. An RF system is perfect for everywhere from classrooms to concert halls. With an RF system from Listen Technologies, you’ll have a low-cost and high-quality assistive listening product.

Hearing loop

Many users consider the hearing loop the best option for assistive listening systems. Using an electromagnetic field, it sends sound to people with telecoil technology in their hearing aid or cochlear implant. When a person with a T-coil hearing aid or cochlear implant walks into a venue with a hearing loop, they set their T switch to on and instantly have audio streaming directly to their ears. Optionally, a hearing loop can also send the signal to a receiver connected to headphones or an earpiece, so people without hearing aids can use them. The drawback of this system is that it requires installation, so they’re usually more costly than IR and RF systems. That’s because a hearing loop requires the venue operator to install wire or flat copper tape loop on the floor of the entire venue. Also, like an RF signal, this system is not secure.

 

Listen Technology’s ListenLOOP is the leader in hearing loop technology. We help people with hearing loss have a superior listening experience without distracting background noise that can lessen hearing clarity. One of our latest installations was at the Hale Centre Theatre in Utah.

 

“The hearing loop is giving so many of our patrons an experience they have never before had,” said Quinn Dietlein, Hale Centre Theatre’s development director and annual giving manager.

 

A hearing loop is the most convenient assistive listening system for users. It delivers high-quality audio, and even people without hearing aids can use it.

Wi-Fi

The latest in assistive listening technology is Wi-Fi. It’s precisely the same system as you use for your phone, laptop and tablets at home and just about everywhere else. A Wi-Fi system uses radio waves to send information across a network. With a Wi-Fi signal, any smartphone or tablet can turn into an assistive listening product.

 

Listen Technologies always is looking for the best and latest tech for assistive listening. Now with Audio Everywhere from Listen Technologies, end users get best-in-class assistive listening and best-in-class Wi-Fi audio streaming. Users just need to connect to the Wi-Fi network, download the free app for iOS or Android devices and select a channel. Then the system will connect directly to Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids through the Wi-Fi-enabled device. It’s great for everywhere from churches to bars, universities to corporate centers.

 

Seventy-seven percent of Americans own a smartphone, and about 50 percent own a tablet computer, so it makes sense to turn to Wi-Fi for the latest in assistive listening technology.

With several types of assistive listening technologies, there is a right fit for everyone, everywhere. So, when you’re deciding on a system, consider the venue and whether IR, RF, loop, or Wi-Fi is best for the situation.

 

Experience More with Assistive Listening Systems

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When Hale Centre Theatre was planning its brand-new building in Sandy, Utah, leaders knew they wanted the space to be as inclusive as possible with the best assistive listening system available. That meant installing a state-of-the-art hearing loop in the theatre.

 

“We feel like theater, really well done, offers a much-needed escape in an ever-busier world,” said Quinn Dietlein, Hale Centre Theatre’s development director, and annual giving manager. “We also feel that this opportunity should be available to as many people as possible. The hearing loop is giving so many of our patrons an experience they’ve never had before. We have had close friends with hearing loss literally in tears after enjoying a show and being included like never before.”

 

More Americans experience hearing loss than you might think. Hearing loss makes it difficult for people to fully experience something like a play at the Hale Centre Theatre, but assistive listening systems can help. So what are assistive listening systems, who needs them, and are they required?

 

What does assistive listening mean?

Assistive Listening Systems, also known as assistive listening devices, take sound from a source and transmit it to a receiver that delivers the sound to a user’s ear. The systems use one of several types of technology:

  • Infrared: IR is a great solution for classrooms, corporate boardrooms and courtrooms – basically anywhere a private audio signal is necessary. It uses infrared light to send audio to an IR receiver and earphones. No one can receive the signal outside of a specific area and it won’t pass through walls.
  • Radio Frequency: An RF signal doesn’t require line of sight, as IR does. Audio is transmitted via a radio frequency to a receiver and earphones.
  • Loop: Many people consider the loop to be the best all-around solution for assistive listening systems. Loop systems use an electromagnetic field to send sound to anyone with telecoil technology in their hearing aids or cochlear implants. Venues can also choose to transmit the signal to a receiver and earphones.
  • Wi-Fi: Systems like Audio Everywhere from Listen Technologies provide audio streaming solutions for churches, universities, bars and more. Wireless audio is available via a free downloadable app, enabling guests to use their own iOS and Android devices for assistive listening.

Assistive listening systems use a variety of technologies to deliver sound to hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other receivers.

 

Who needs assistive listening systems?

Approximately 48 million Americans, or 20 percent of the country’s population, have some degree of hearing loss. About 15 percent of school-aged children experience hearing loss and by age 65, one in three Americans has some hearing impairment. The degree of hearing loss within this group varies from minor to profound. But having an assistive listening system available will help them listen more clearly and understand more of what they hear.

 

Who must have an assistive listening system?

Luckily for Americans with hearing loss, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides some relief. The ADA requires that public spaces offer an assistive listening system unless the requirement is an undue burden. Theaters, courtrooms, lecture halls, legislative chambers, stadiums, and convention centers are some places that are required to have an assistive listening system by law. Public assembly areas where audible communication is integral to the space must be compatible with t-coil hearing aids, and the number of receivers required is based on the seating capacity of the space.

 

Hearing loss is a common condition in the United States. Assistive listening systems help people hear, ensuring that millions of people aren’t left out of essential experiences in public spaces and some workplaces.

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