In this free presentation, national expert Dr. Juliëtte Sterkens, Au.D., discusses why hearing loss is such a challenging, isolating problem and how hearing loops in both community and personal spaces can dramatically increase access to music and the spoken word for people with hearing loss. This event is for people with hearing loss and their family and friends, church leaders, public facility and retail managers, architects and contractors, hearing and speech specialists, physicians, and anyone who is or will be impacted by hearing loss.
What is a “hearing loop” and how does it work? A hearing loop is an assistive listening technology for individuals with reduced ranges of hearing. It consists of a physical loop of copper wire which is placed around a designated area (such as concert halls, ticket kiosks, high-traffic public buildings, auditoriums, places of worship, courtrooms, meeting rooms, homes, and even taxis) that broadcasts a magnetic field throughout the space which can be picked up by any hearing aid or cochlear implant equipped with a generic T-coil, or “telecoil”, receiver (and most modern hearing ads and cochlear implants already are so equipped). Unlike other assistive listening systems, it does not require the use of a special headset. The loop allows the sound source--whether a musical performance, a speaker or film--to be transmitted to the hearing-impaired listener clearly and free of other distracting noise.