HEARING LOOPS: WHY YOUR VENUE SHOULD HAVE ONE

Hearing loss is the second most common disability in the UK. The number of people affected is increasing and estimates suggest that, by 2035, 15.6 million people in the UK will have hearing loss: that’s one in five of the population. Like every public building, places of worship and heritage venues should be accessible to people with hearing loss, normally by the installation of a hearing loop. A leading specialist in the field, Contacta, explains what the law requires.

[A HEARING LOOP delivers the sound from a sound source, such as a microphone, direct to a user’s hearing aid. It amplifies only the sound a listener wants to hear and not the background noise. It helps hearing aid users hear clearly in noisy environments or when they are far away from the sound source and out of the effective listening range of their hearing aids.

Speech or music is picked up by the microphone and converted into a magnetic signal by an amplifier. The signal is transmitted towards users via a hearing loop aerial. That is often a ‘loop’ of cable around a room, or a small loop of wire contained underneath a counter in one-to-one situations. The signal is then picked up by a telecoil within a user’s hearing aid or cochlear implant, which converts it back into sound.

The Equality Act 2010 states that everyone should be treated equally. It replaces previous anti-discrimination laws, including the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

In reference to the provision of hearing loops, the Act states that: “Service providers are required to make changes, where needed, to improve services for disabled customers or potential customers… and to provide auxiliary aids and services – such as information in an accessible format, an induction loop for customers with hearing aids.”

The term ‘potential customers’ is key. While venues might assume they don’t currently have anyone who needs a hearing loop, environments should be inclusive and accessible to all. Plus, it should be remembered that staff and volunteers can also benefit from assistive listening systems.

Part M of the Building Regulations 2010 provides guidance on complying with the regulations that cover the access to and use of buildings. It states that, to obtain the full benefit of situations such as discussions or performances ‘a person with hearing loss must receive a signal that is amplified in both volume and signal to noise ratio’ and that provision must be made for a permanent system in larger spaces.

Requirements of Part M are only met if a hearing loop – also known as an induction loop – or alternatives such as a radio frequency or an infrared hearing enhancement system, is accompanied by signage, so those who need it know it is there.

BS 8300 is a code of practice compiled by the British Standards Institution detailing the required design of buildings for meeting the needs of disabled people. Revisions in 2018 included specific reference to the needs of people with hearing loss, detailing where loops should be located, their installation, maintenance and staff training.

The common feature throughout both the law and the regulations is the need to offer an inclusive experience for people with hearing loss, to give them equal access and to ensure their safety. Assistive listening systems are essential for emergency announcements and alarms as well as entertainment, worship and good customer service.

Installing a hearing loop is only the first step: systems should be regularly tested, which can be done by staff with a small portable device known as a loop listener. A maintenance plan, with annual visits from a qualified engineer, makes sure loops are performing to the correct standard. It also ensures venues continue to comply with the law and standards governing accessibility; and worshippers and visitors return because of the positive listening experience. q

• For more information about hearing loops and other assistive listening systems visit www.contacta.co.uk