by Hearing Loss Association of America
The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) publishes a comprehensive consumer guide to assistive listening systems (ALS)—the three main technologies used in public venues to send amplified audio directly to a listener's ear or hearing device. The guide is freely available on hearingloss.org and is written for people with hearing loss, not audio engineers.
The guide explains how FM systems, infrared (IR) systems, and induction hearing loops each transmit audio to a receiver or to a hearing aid and cochlear implant via its built-in telecoil (T-coil). It compares the strengths and limitations of each system, identifies the types of venues—cinemas, courtrooms, places of worship, transit stations—where they are commonly installed, explains ADA requirements for venues with public address systems, and describes how to request access or borrow a receiver. It links to HLAA's dedicated hearing loop advocacy programme.
People with hearing loss who use hearing aids or cochlear implants with a telecoil programme, as well as those who use headset receivers in public venues. Also useful for facility managers, architects, and event planners responsible for ADA-compliant assistive listening installations.
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