Age and design are no barriers to hearing accessibility

[THOSE WHO HAVE RESPONSIBILITY for heritage buildings may be concerned that accessibility features can change or damage the features that draw so many people to them; but every public space has a legal obligation to make itself accessible to disabled people and that includes those with hearing loss. Unlike other more visible disabilities, hearing loss often gets overlooked.

There is a broad range of assistive listening systems available that mean visitors with hearing loss coming to enjoy a tour, a performance or to worship will receive the same clear sound as everyone else – without impacting on the building.

The rights of disabled people are protected in the UK by the Equality Act 2010, which aims to prevent discrimination. It states that auxiliary aids and services, such as a hearing loop, should be offered to improve the service for customers and potential customers.

The Act states that public venues should make a ‘reasonable adjustment’ to be accessible to people with hearing loss. The definition of what is ‘reasonable’ remains open to interpretation.

Further recommendations for the integration of assistive listening technologies in public buildings are detailed in Building Standards introduced in 2018 and in 2021, so there is a wealth of guidance available.

More than that, however, public buildings have a moral duty to be welcoming to all and to offer an equitable experience to every visitor.

Professional engineers are sensitive to the needs of the building as well as its visitors and there are assistive listening systems available to meet the needs of every setting.

They all work in similar ways – transmitting sound from a source such as a microphone and converting it into a signal that can be picked up by a hearing aid or a small receiver, which then converts the signal back into sound. The background noise is cut out and people with hearing loss can clearly hear what’s being said.

The most commonly used system is a hearing loop. The ‘loop’ refers to copper wire that’s laid either in the flooring or ceiling of a building. Once powered up, the loop creates a magnetic signal that is converted into sound by the telecoil in a person’s hearing aid.

That is the only technology that is globally accepted and works in the same way everywhere; so no matter where visitors or worshippers come from, their telecoil-enabled hearing aids will work with a loop. It is also the only technology that has an agreed global standard.

Radio frequency (RF) systems use wireless radio waves to transmit sound to a receiver: portable units that headphones can be plugged into or an inductive neck loop for hearing aid users. RF systems are an option where metal in a building affects the signal strength of a hearing loop or the installation of loop cables may not be possible. They can be also used for tour guiding.

Infrared (IR) systems carry the audio signal via invisible IR light. Visitors pick up an audio signal using a compatible receiver. If a venue has a number of presentations in different rooms, visitors can walk from one to the other and receive clear audio seamlessly.

A site visit by an expert installer such as those at Contacta is the first step in determining which system will be best for the space. The installer will take a range of measurements and run tests to ascertain how well one might perform.

They also take into consideration the architecture and aesthetics of the building: can a loop cable be laid invisibly under a new wooden floor, for example? Could it be fitted under carpet using copper tape without causing damage?

They will combine that with their knowledge of performance standards for each system, to make sure the assistive listening technology they recommend is suitable from every angle, meets standards and gives visitors with hearing loss the highest quality of sound. q • To find out more visit www.contacta.co.uk