let’s talk audio loopsnchearingloss.org/loops.pdffort atkinson oshkosh grand opera house juliette...

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Introduction Why hearing loss matters.

Why aren’t hearing aids and CIs enough?

What are our Assistive Technology Options? Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs)

Assistive Listening Systems (ALSs)

Let’s Talk Audio Loops How do they work?

Why do consumers like them?

Why venues like them?

Advocacy

Loops and Telecoils

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It Matters

3

It Matters

4

Distance Double the distance; QUADRUPLE the loss

Varies with frequency (highs don’t “travel” well)

Noise What you want to hear is easy to lose in the din

The “signal to noise” ratio matters

Reverberation Even without noise, sound you want to hear gets

“spread out” as it bounces around the room

Hear the “straight line” first, but then delayed versions of the same thing at lower volume.

The Big Three

Speech

Plus a Little Noise

More Noise

Too Much Noise

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Reverberation

Reverberation and echos

reduce speech intelligibility

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Reverberation

Reverberation and echos

reduce speech intelligibility

Sound recordings & Spectrograms (Out vs. In Loop)

Recording: LeRoy Maxfield Montage: Richard Einhorn Images courtesy:

Sam Atcherson, PhD

“The second lesson: Be patient therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.” 4/23/2015 Juliette Sterkens, AuD

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Hearing Aids and CIs Best in Quiet and Close

Not so good at a distance

Not so good in noise

Not so good when sounds bounce around

ALDs can solve those “Big Three” problems

Bring the sound you want to hear right to your ears

Eliminate or at least reduce the noise

Eliminate the reverberation (bounced sound)

Minimize the loss of signal from conversion

Make a HUGE difference in how much you understand

Why We Need ALDs*

* Assistive Listening Devices

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There are many different types of Assistive Listening options Transmission

FM (analog radio)

InfraRed (light)

Bluetooth (digital radio)

Wired (electronic)

Loops (magnetic)

Types Personal “devices”

Area “systems”

Assistive Listening

All of these have advantages and disadvantages, but can help. Tonight we’re going To focus on Loops.

FM Type Assistive Device sends the audio via FM waves to the user:

Broadcast:

Often found in Churches

Often used in Schools

Requires you to pick up and return a device

May not work with hearing aids unless a neckloop is used

Personal

4/23/2015 Juliette Sterkens, AuD

Infra-Red Assistive Devices send audio to the user via infrared signals

• Mostly used at theaters

• Line of Sight

• Broadcast


Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz Radio


Sound (Voice from

speaker)

Microphone Hearing

Loop Amplifier

Loop wire

T-coil in Hearing Device

Why do hearing device users love loops?


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Neckloop

Chairpad Silhouette Desktop

Headphones

Phones

Other Telecoil Sources

What is needed to hear in a loop?


Where to find this T-coil or telecoil?


On a scale from 1 to 10 rate your ability to hear in the venue using hearing devices only (no telecoil)?

1 = "I heard nothing" 10 = "I heard every word“

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Heard every word 10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

Heard nothing 1

Only 14% of respondents indicated their listening experience was an 8, 9 or 10

4/23/2015

n=866 Average=4.9

Juliette Sterkens, AuD

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your ability to hear in the venue using the Telecoil in the Loop?

1 = "I heard nothing" 10 = "I heard every word“

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Heard every word 10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

Heard nothing 1

Over 85% of respondents indicated their listening experience in the loop equaled an 8, 9 or 10

4/23/2015

n=866 Average = 8.7


A few quotes from hearing loop users:

• Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!!

• Recently I attended a meeting at the

Convention Center and was able to hear

well even though I was in the back!

• Probably the first time in 20 years that I have have been able to hear the sermon clearly…


Why Consumers like Hearing Loops

Broadcast sound in form of magnetic waves wirelessly to hearing aids with T-coils

No need to pick up a separate device

No receiver, neckloop or headphones

Universal Worldwide system

No Hygienic concerns

Totally discrete


Why Venues like Hearing Loops

Most users won’t need receiver Nothing to pass out Nothing to retrieve (or lose) Nothing to maintain No batteries to charge

No limit on how many can benefit Low Cost (per user and long term) The few users Users without telecoils can use a T-coil

receiver with headphones or earbuds. Happy T-coil users (Customers/Parishioners)


What if a person doesn’t wear a hearing aid or if their device doesn’t have a telecoil?


To be effective loops need to meet The IEC 60118-4 Standard

International Standard

(IEC 60118-4)

Even frequency response

100 - 5000Hz

Uniform magnetic signal strength

across the listening field

Acceptable level of

electromagnetic interference

International

Electrotechnical

Commission


http://www.iec.ch/index.htm

4/23/2015

Universal symbol for

hearing loop installed

T= T-coil

(Telecoil)


Find Hearing Loops here…

4/23/2015 St. Raphael Catholic Church - Oshkosh, WI

4/23/2015

Find loops here:

Fort Atkinson Oshkosh Grand Opera House


And here:


At Pharmacy Counters & Check-outs


Library Information

Desks

Minocqua


And the largest hearing loop in the Midwest:


Back in June 2010 – less than 2 dozen places were looped in the Fox Valley


4/23/2015

Progress in Wisconsin January 2014: Nearly 450 looped venues


Concerns: • Cost to install or hide the wire can be higher but

less $/user than using FM/IR technology & good for business as users prefer 8 to 1

(Cost less on remodel or on new construction.)

• Occasionally, existing EMI can be difficult to resolve prior to a loop installation (Trained installers can solve these problems.)

• With the world going wireless will some form of FM or Bluetooth® technology replace loop systems soon? (Not likely anytime soon.)


Cost discussion

– In the home: $250 - self installed

– Church *with basement access: $2500 to $5,000 depending on the sq. ft.

– Church *without Basement access Cost varies depending on sq. ft. & carpet work

– Medium sized auditorium $15,000+

– Large auditorium $50,000+


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Finding Systems

• Look for Signs

• Websites – www.loopamerica.org

– www.hearingloop.org/vendors.htm

– www.hearingloss.org/sites/default/files/docs/Hearing_Loop_Directory.pdf

– www.thehearingloopgroup.com/looped-US-venues.html

– www.aldlocator.com

http://www.loopamerica.org/

http://www.hearingloop.org/vendors.htm

http://www.hearingloss.org/sites/default/files/docs/Hearing_Loop_Directory.pdf

http://www.hearingloss.org/sites/default/files/docs/Hearing_Loop_Directory.pdf

http://www.thehearingloopgroup.com/looped-US-venues.html





http://www.aldlocator.com/

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From ALD Locator

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Wake Area

Advocacy

– Know of a potential site? (let HLAA-NC know).

– Emphasize the benefits of loops to • Consumers

• Venues

– Support other alternatives (don’t disparage)

– Refer to successful sites


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