While many people may think of assistive listening devices as only for those who may be hard of hearing, they are actually beneficial to others as well. They can be used in classrooms, lectures, presentations and even in board meetings when translation services may be required for some participants.
Of course, the primary use of most assistive listening devices will be in providing crisp, clear sound without background noise to help those with hearing difficulties to hear spoken language, music or sounds.
These devices are very different than the options available even a few years ago. Top commercially available assistive listening devices are very compact and lightweight, comfortable for the listeners to wear even for extended periods of time.
Tour Guide Options
A tour guide system of assistive listening devices isn’t just for tour guides. It can be used by speakers, presenters, religious leaders or teachers to deliver top quality sound directly to specific listeners.
The speaker wears a body pack transmitter which is a compact and lightweight. In addition, he or she wears a very small headband microphone, and each listener also wears a headset and a small receiver unit.
The speaker can be as far as 250 feet from the receiver units and still provide crystal clear sound. This is a great option for hard of hearing individuals as they can sit comfortably in even a large room and still hear every word spoken from the podium or from the speaker.
With this system, as with the wireless options, it is strictly designed for one-way communication. The people using the hearing devices cannot directly communicate with the speaker through the system. This does have its benefits as it is possible to connect as many users as possible without any decrease in sound quality or worry about interference during the presentation.
Wireless Options
While the tour guide system utilizes small wires to connect the receiver/ transmitter to the headset or microphone, there is always the option to go to fully wireless assistive listening devices. This just requires the addition of wireless receivers and transmitter as well as the appropriate microphone and headset to allow the complete transfer of top quality sound without the need for any hard connections.
Look for assistive listening devices which are fully ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant. This ensures the sound quality produced by the sending transmitter and the headsets and receiver units produce top quality sound.
If you need Assistive listening devices for your group, school, event or venue talk to us. At Anchor Audio, Inc. we have different options to consider allowing you to have just the system you need.
