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Re: Hearing aids and performance

Author: kimber
Date: 2011-11-18 15:40

I can't access the NY Times article itself, but hearing loops (telecoil loops) have been around for a long time and are much more popular in Europe. I believe Michigan is also setting the trend for public looping due to a private philantropist's support. Looping requires hard-wiring around the perimeters of the room/location and can get quite expensive.

Loops serve to deliver the sound signal directly to the hearing aid ear, regardless of distance. They work well in theatres, churches, train stations, even doctor's offices. (Classrooms usually use a similiar, but different, FM system so that students can hear only their teacher, not the one in the next room.) The speaker wears the microphone and the microphone transmits the sound directly to the receiver in the hearing aid, eliminating interference of background noise and distance from the speaker.

Disadvantage is that the hearing aid has to have a Tcoil in it - and most of the smaller hearing aids do not, due to size and the perception that Tcoils were 'old' technology. Other set-ups may require the person to also wear a wire loop around their neck to acquire/boost the signal.

Tcoils are a wonderfully simple way to improve hearing aid and listening comprehension.

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