Audio Directions (NJ) donated and installed a two-way hearing loop system at the reception desk in the new Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) headquarters office in Rockville, MD. This system is designed for use by staff and visitors who can now take advantage of the telecoil built into their personal hearing aids or cochlear implants, or in any standard telecoil listener.
One induction loop amplifier, installed under the desk, processes audio input from two microphones and drives the audio signal, wirelessly, through the loops built into a custom seat cushion (for staff) and a rubber floor mat (for visitors). The telecoil built into all brands of hearing aids and implants is the “receiver” of the audio signal.
Looped seat cushions and floor mats, manufactured in the U.S. by Audio Directions, work with a wide range of loop amplifiers and microphones, and in virtually any environment where clarity and comprehension is critical. Background noise is filtered out by the system and the distancing, facemasks and safety shields of the pandemic response are overcome by the quality of sound driven to the personally prescribed hearing aids/implants.
James Stowell, CEO of American Hearing Loop and the CTO of Audio Directions, tested the clarity of sound so that it meets the international standard, IEC60118-4. Not familiar with that code? Read more here or call 1-833-234-4411 for more of the “411.”
Barbara Kelley, executive director of Hearing Loss Association of America expressed gratitude for the generous donation. “We’ve always strived to be a model of communication access in the workplace. We’ve had a hearing loop in our meeting room for years and look forward to a state–of–the–art meeting room in our new office when we are back to full capacity when the pandemic is over. The donation of a hearing loop at the reception desk is icing on the cake.”
HLAA represents 48 million people with hearing loss in the U.S. and its mission is to open the world of communication to people with hearing loss through information, education, support and advocacy. Membership information is available here. Veterans are invited to join HLAA at no cost and will receive a subscription to Hearing Life magazine. If you’re not familiar with the Get in the Hearing Loop Toolkit, published by HLAA, please visit here.