Assistive Listening Devices

Hearing plays an important role in our ability to communicate with others. For persons that do not hear well, it may become difficult to attend social activities and speak with friends and loved ones. Assistive listening devices can give back this ability to communicate.

Hearing aids are microphones placed in the listener's ear. They can be tailored to a person's hearing loss. They do not perform well in all situations, and they may amplify more sounds than we want to hear in noisy settings. Luckily, a variety of assistive devices can be used along with, or in place of, a hearing aid.

3 types of assistive hearing devices:

1. A microphone is one such device that is positioned a few inches from the speaker's mouth and allows the speaker's voice to be heard directly in the listener's ear. A microphone:

• reduces the effects of background noise

• may be used alone or with a hearing aid

• may be used in public places, such as churches or theaters and

• allows private listening to TV and radio, so the volume does not bother others

2. Closed captioning is another assistive listening device that is a standard feature on TVs made since 1993. It allows the use of subtitles for TV and video viewing. Special decoder boxes can be bought for TVs made before 1993.

3. Assistive listening devices have also been designed for telephone use. Phone amplifiers may be built-in or they may be portable. Another device connects to the phone allowing you to send and receive a printed message.

Alerting devices are also helpful and can include bed vibrators, loud signals, or flashing lights. These can be made active by alarm clocks, doorbells, telephones, smoke detectors, or baby monitors.

Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, these assistive listening and alerting devices are now available in most public and government spaces.

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