More than thirty-one million or, one in every ten, Americans has hearing loss. This number is expected to double by the year 2030 as more and more baby boomers reach retirement age. Many hearing aids are equipped with a telecoil. Telecoils transmit sound directly into the hearing aid and eliminate extraneous background noise making it easier for a person with hearing loss to understand the speaker.

Hard of hearing people can dream of a future when hearing aids might also serve as wireless loudspeakers, delivering clear, sharp, customized, sound right from inside their ears. They can dream of communities where churches, auditoriums, drive-up business windows and home TV rooms all broadcast their sound directly through these in-the-ear loudspeakers. Thanks to the refinement of “induction loop” systems that transmit directly to hearing aids with telecoils (T-coils), that future can be now.

Induction loop systems take sound straight from the source and deliver it right into the listener’s head. It’s as if one’s head was located in the microphone, or inches from a television’s loudspeaker—without extraneous noise, or blurring of the sound with distance from the sound source.

Loop systems are preferred over other assistive listening technology for several reasons. First, no additional devices such as receivers with headphones or neck loops are required. This helps reduce concerns about cleanliness of shared equipment. People without telecoil equipped hearing aids can still connect to the system by using a portable receiver and headset. Secondly, the user receives input in an appropriate frequency response for their particular hearing loss because sound is transmitted directly through their hearing aid.

Additionally, usage of the system is inconspicuous for those who do not want to bring attention to themselves. All the user does is switch their hearing aid setting to the telecoil mode. Lastly, loop systems are the most cost-effective assistive listening technology available.

Assistive listening devices such as loop systems help keep people with hearing loss “in the loop” by enabling us to hear the speaker without interference from background noise. Loop systems can be used in many venues such as meeting spaces, theaters, classrooms, drive up windows, and even vehicles. This technology is already widely used in throughout Europe.

Equipping your business with this technology would be a wonderful beginning to our campaign to have loop systems installed in venues throughout metro Atlanta.

If you have any questions or would like more information about the loop system or our efforts to get them installed, please contact me at 770-461-0043.

Contributed by: Andrew Waits Au.D. of Waits Hearing Aid Center

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