Category Archives: hard-of-hearing

Finding Auracast™ Assistive Listening?

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

Auracast™ is the latest hot topic in audio & hearing research and technology. Articles are written about it. It is debated and discussed in hearing loss and accessibility meetings. Hearing aids and cochlear implants are sold as Auracast-ready. But what does this all mean? What is Auracast™ and where can we find it to experience it?

New technology in a worldwide market.

Commonly referred to as Auracast™ Broadcast Audio, this is a new and evolving Bluetooth® trademark Assistive Listening System (ALS) for public and personal use. The technology is added to the list of already existing access options, such as FM, IR, hearing loops and WiFi. That said, all currently available technologies remain relevant and Auracast™ will coexist with them into the future.

In this emerging and competitive worldwide market, it takes time for manufacturers, installers and venues to catch up with Auracast™ broadcasting and for audiences to become ready for Auracast™ receiving. Right now, we still need it all. Note that those with telecoils in their hearing aids or CIs will also be able to connect to Auracast™ Broadcasting by plugging a neckloop into the provided Auracast™ receivers.

Broadcasting and receiving

Auracast™ uses L.E. (Low Energy) Bluetooth Audio to broadcast (transmit) sound wirelessly from one Auracast™ transmitter to many Auracast-ready receivers (listening devices). Bluetooth compatibility between Auracast™ transmitters and Auracast™ receivers enables people to share their audio with others. The technology promises improved sound quality. But those who are hard-of-hearing may wonder how well Auracast™ will perform in background noise, their archenemy?

Transmitters can be anything from integrated commercial Auracast™ broadcasting units to Auracast-enabled TVs, laptops, pads, computers and smartphones. Receivers are Auracast-compatible listening devices and instruments, such as earbuds, headsets, hearing aids, cochlear and bone-anchored implants and smartphones.

So, where can one listen to Auracast™?

This is a bit of an issue. In the State of Minnesota, no Auracast-broadcasting venues are currently known to Loop Minnesota nor to the people who contact us because they want to listen to the advertised clearer sound with their Auracast-ready hearing aids or cochlear implants.

As of this writing, one could say that public broadcasting installations lag behind advertising & sales efforts, media attention and people’s expectations. Of course, practical issues like pricing and the availability of reliably trained local installers may also contribute to delays.  

That said, Auracast-listening opportunities might already be out there. But where?  If anybody knows of an Auracast-equipped broadcasting venue in our State, please let Loop Minnesota know. Contact us through this website. We want to establish an Auracast™ location list for our website – as we have done for Hearing Loops.

Getting ready

Eventually, Auracast™ will come to venues near us. Meanwhile, consumers are advised to check on the Auracast™ status of new purchases, such as hearing & listening technologies, home entertainment equipment, smartphones etc.  Although Auracast™ access in public places will happen gradually over time, we want to get ready. But for now – we watch and wait.

Senior Living Hearing Assistance? Ask About it!

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

By now, it is well known that Aging tops the list of the many causes of hearing loss. The older people become the more problems they have hearing and understanding speech in background sound. This seriously limits socializing for those who hope to find new friends and connections in Senior Living facilities, their new homes.

Sadly, it is not a given that Senior Living places meet the communication needs of the hard-of-hearing (HOH). This has become apparent during personal visits to such facilities. Also, Loop Minnesota gets requests for information about assistive hearing technology from residents.

Limits to participation and quality of life

At issue: Community & Activity locations often lack appropriate accommodation for those with hearing challenges. People feel excluded from participating in physical, religious and leisure activities. Maybe facilities count on residents having hearing aids. However, hearing aids also have their limits in noise-confused environments.

Hearing loss increases the risks for isolation, depression and even dementia. And so, one would expect Senior Living facilities to advertise Hearing Access technology prominently in ads that cater to older adults, their target population with varying degrees of hearing challenges.

Ask about available Hearing & Listening technology

Unfortunately, most people don’t think to ask about communication access when they choose their future homes. If possible, go for an on-site visit and see for yourself. Besides the marketing agent who is usually the “Tour” guide, ask to speak to the AV (Audio-visual) technician.

What kind of hearing accommodation is available? Who operates and maintains the system(s)? Are staff trained in their use? Do residents know that hearing assistance is available, and do they know how to use it?

Public Address (PA) systems are the most common. It was explained to me that they are easy to handle and have plenty of volume. However, louder is not necessarily better for those with hearing loss. It can actually make things worse.

That said, well-maintained and upgraded loudspeaker – or PA – systems are a good start. They also support the addition of other choices, such as hearing loops and/or neckloops to be used with T-coil-equipped hearing aids, FM (Frequency Modulation – basically a radio system), Infra-Red (IR) and Wi-Fi. These technologies can and will coexist for years to come. In the future, we will add the emerging Low Energy (L.E.) Bluetooth broadcast & receiving technology known as Auracast™ to the list.

And so, we have options and changes are happening even as I write this. However, the important thing is for Senior Living residents to hear now.  

In the end, Bingo and Yoga for all!

Without access to communication, people can’t fully participate.  And so, don’t be taken by surprise. Ask about assistive hearing technology. Be included – not excluded – in your new home. After all, it’s a matter of quality of life!

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Also check out my blogs at https://hearing-loss-talk.com/

 

Hard-of-Hearing Accommodation in State-funded Capital Projects

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

2024 is a Bonding year for the State of Minnesota. This is when organizations, companies or venues can apply for State funding help with capital projects. These are often referred to as infrastructure projects, such as the construction of new buildings or the renovation, replacement and/or refurbishment of existing buildings.

Since 2017, capital projects that involve public gathering spaces where audible communication is an essential part of such spaces, access accommodation for Hard-of-Hearing patrons must be provided.

Therefore, State grant applicants have to be aware of the 2017 mandate 16C.054 ACCOMMODATION FOR HARD-OF-HEARING IN STATE-FUNDED CAPITAL PROJECTS. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/16C.054

This means that everyone involved with the project – from grant applicants to architects, designers, and contractors etc. – must be familiar with the cited acoustics and hearing loop assistive technologies and their compliance criteria. Please review the exact details of this communication access and accommodation mandate.

If acoustics standards and criteria can’t be met or if the installation of hearing (audio) loops is not possible, an Exemption must be sought on either one or both of these requirements. Be familiar with the Exemption application process.

The Minnesota Commission for the Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) will review the petition. To avoid delays, be clear about the exact reasons why an exemption should be granted. Propose alternative ways of how the public space will accommodate the hard-of-hearing public in a manner that is at least ADA compatible. Design plans & details as well as site pictures help.

In the end,

Writing a State of Minnesota grant application for funding help with capital building and renovation projects. If audible communication is involved in such spaces, be aware of the above 2017 mandate. Public money draws access accommodation for the hard-of-hearing public.

Facility Upgrades Endanger Existing Hearing Loops

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

Loop Design and Installation

Recently, a meeting room for hard-of-hearing people got an AV upgrade. New ceiling PA microphones were installed together with some other refined audio gear. Afterwards, the hearing loop no longer worked. Hopefully, the workers only forgot to reconnect the loop and did not cut the wires or remove equipment, thereby destroying the system.

Once they have been professionally installed and certified, hearing loops are pretty much maintenance-free. They are tied into the other AV equipment and work on their own, automatically and without fuss. And so, it is easy to forget about them.

Include existing hearing loops on project management checklists!

Project managers must make sure that existing hearing loops are not forgotten and are not harmed during during any renovation jobs. All to often workers and even electrical and AV contractors are not familiar with hearing loop systems and do not recognize the set-ups. This is why hearing loop wires and electronics must be identified for any workers before any refurbishment jobs begin.

Once the work is completed, the testing and verification of proper loop function is a project management responsibility. After extensive updates, the loops might have to be recalibrated in order to continue to meet the requirements of the IEC 60118-4 (International Electrotechnical Commission) loop performance standard. And so, hearing loop concerns during facility upgrades definitely deserve a place on project management checklists!

What can go wrong?

  • Physical damage. Wires hidden under carpeting or floor tiles are often cut during floor renovations. Yet, loop wires can also be installed in other locations, even along ceilings which makes them vulnerable to being pulled or damaged.
  • Hearing loop signage maybe be removed and never replaced. Hard-of-hearing people will not know that the venue has a loop and the loop will not be used.
  • Loop wires are disconnected from their specialized amplifier and the amplifier itself might be removed from the electrical cabinet.
  • Disconnected loops are not reconnected to existing or upgraded AV features.
  • Hearing loop function is not tested at the end of the job. Loops are left inactive, damaged or malfunctioning.
  • Loops are not recalibrated for best function and compliance. As a result of invasive construction, electrical and/or AV work, hearing loops may be out of compliance with required performance standards. Failure to recalibrate will result in substandard loop performance. Project managers must see that this does not happen. Yet another reason to test the loops after any job completion!

For all these reasons, existing hearing loops must be included on the project management checklists during facility upgrades. They cannot be forgotten. They have to be protected from physical damage. At the end of the refurbishment job, loops must be tested. They must be integrated with any previous or upgraded AV features and comply with IEC standards.

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To learn more about hearing loss, also visit my website  https://hearing-loss-talk.com/

 

 

 

Assistive Listening Technologies – Present and Future – to Coexist

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

 

COVID-19? Need for Hearing Loops & T-coils

We still need it ALL!  This conclusion came out of the discussions at the World Congress of the International Federation of Hard of Hearing People (IFHOH). The World Congress was held in September 2022 in Budapest, Hungary.

Worldwide, the ongoing challenge is to help those with hearing loss understand and communicate better in background sound, especially in larger venues. This is when hearing aids and cochlear implants (CIs) are typically not enough. So far, hearing loops & telecoils are the universal, wireless way of providing clearer sound signals and of connecting many people to one sound source, such as a speaker.

As the search for new technology is on, all eyes and ears turn towards Bluetooth®. The new buzzword of the World of Hearing Loss is Auracast™.

A different kind of Bluetooth

Auracast ™ is based on a totally different Bluetooth version from what we have in our hearing instruments right now. This has led to many misunderstandings. In the future, people with hearing loss need re-designed and re-engineered hearing aids and CIs that are Auracast-compatible.

Auracast™ is a wireless, universal broadcast audio using Low Energy Bluetooth as a means of transmission. Besides other helpful and innovative features, it will allow for broadcasting from one Auracast-capable sound source to many Auracast-compatible receivers. Such receivers will include hearing aids, CIs, earphones etc.

On a smaller scale, our “Auracast-capable” phones, TVs, pads and computers will act like mini radio stations. And so, many people can listen at the same time to the same phone call, music or podcast with their “Auracast-compatible” hearing aids and CIs.

But how about large venues, such as conference halls and places of worship? Must they be fitted with Auracast-broadcast technology? At what cost?  Obviously, it is a gigantic project to make the world Auracast-accessible and there are many unanswered questions.

One thing is for sure: It will take time, patience and money. Also, we might expect a lengthy transition period. Not everybody will be on board at the same time. This is one of the reasons why present technology will continue to serve us well. We still need it all.

Hearing Now! 

Meanwhile, we all need to hear and understand better now. IFHOH recognizes this by stating that “it is important that the globally used and proven systems of Hearing Loops, FM, IR + Telecoils not be dismissed.”

In its “Budapest Declaration,” IFHOH recommends that hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturers continue to integrate telecoils in their products. “Telecoils need to come with clear user instructions and with clear information and training to the hearing health professionals.“  Also, it will be important for future hearing aids and CIs to include both Telecoil and Auracast™ technologies for some time.

In the end…

Yes, change is coming but it will be a while. For clearer sound in loud places, telecoils and hearing loops are still very much needed. And therefore, assistive listening technologies – present and future – will indeed coexist for quite some time.

Reference: Budapest Declaration.pdf (dropbox.com)

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For information on Hearing Loops and Assistive Technologies, contact us on this website.

Also, visit my website where I post blogs on all sorts of issues concerning hearing loss. https://hearing-loss-talk.com/

 

Hearing Loop Advocacy Talking Points

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

Spread the word

Advocates speak in favor of a particular cause with the purpose to inform and to change behavior. In this case, the “cause” is equitable access to communication for the hard-of-hearing in loud, echoey places by means of hearing or induction loops.

Although nobody needs to be a “loop specialist”, it is important to be reasonably familiar with some basic facts of the technology. Also, a polite, non-confrontational approach makes people more willing to listen.

And so, how can people make an impact and convince decision makers that a hearing loop would be indeed a good investment for their places of worship, convention venues or business areas, such as information or customer service windows? Following are some tips that can be considered while making a case for loops.

  1. Personal Experience.

 

Describe in a few words how connecting hearing aids to loops by means of telecoils improves clarity of speech, fosters inclusion and improves quality of life. Make it your story. By now, just about every family has at least one relative who struggles with hearing loss. An emotional appeal can be quite effective.

2. Sound Demonstration

From your smartphone or laptop, share a YouTube to illustrate the difference between the un-looped and looped sound environments. Although there are others, here are two examples:

New York Subway station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahbz0VvlZF0

Church readings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOKuf_Eu1J4

3. Basic explanation of how a loop & telecoil system works – if asked.

Note: The actual hearing loop is an electrical wire. Telecoils are wireless antennas in hearing instruments.

Sound from a speaker’s microphone activates the hearing loop wire. Telecoils in hearing instruments tap into the magnetic energy of the loop. The magnetic signals transfer wirelessly to the hearing instrument, which changes them back into audible sound. The audible signal is now clearer and stronger without any or minimal background noise.

Detailed explanations can be found at loopminnesota.org. People can also contact us for more information.

5. Know some of the advantages that loops provide

  • Once installed, they are long-lasting and virtually maintenance-free
  • Loops are invisible and discreet, which eliminates the risk of stigma attached to hearing loss
  • Loops are user-friendly and easy to use
  • Loops make businesses accessible to the hard-of-hearing. Advertise your loop!
  • Hearing loops for service windows, check-out counters and information desks are becoming quite popular. 2-way communication systems tied in with a loop are available as kits. All-in-one portable devices are also popular. There are plenty of choices out there. These are some examples for starters.

 

6. What about disadvantages?  

  • The physical installation is often seen as an invasive drawback. Loops for larger areas – places of worship, libraries, convention halls or meeting rooms – are best installed during new construction or during venue refurbishments.
  • Cost. This depends on the size of the loop and on the complexity of the design. It is best to have a certified loop contractor do an on-site inspection.

 

7. Gratitude and follow-up

  • Thank people for their time and their willingness to listen.
  • Ask if and when you can check back with them. Usually, other members or committees have to be consulted on the feasibility of the project. However, it is important to keep the channels open and the discussion going.

 

In the end,

It is up to those who are hard-of-hearing to advocate on their own behalf for equitable communication access by means of hearing loops. For now, loops and telecoil systems are the only and best bet for helping hard-of-hearing people understand speech clearly in large, loud and echoey places. So, spread the word on the communication advantages of hearing loops in the interest of inclusion and quality of life.

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Note: Any links to websites or mention of products or technology are for information and illustration only. Loop Minnesota does not favor or endorse one brand, manufacturer or distributor over others.

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Also visit my website hearing-loss-talk.com where I post blogs on all sorts of issues concerning hearing loss.