Pick Hearing Assistive Technology

Hearing assistive technology, also known as assistive listening devices, includes personal devices for people with hearing loss. These devices are considered separate from hearing aids and cochlear implants, although they can be used with or without such aids. Which device you should pick depends on your lifestyle and needs. The four most common technologies are hearing loops, personal amplifiers, FM systems, and infrared systems. Even with one of these devices, you may also want to consider additional assistive technology within your home.

Steps

Comparing Hearing Assistive Technologies

1. Get a hearing loop to tune into most public sound systems. Hearing loops are audio induction systems sometimes found in public meeting spaces such as auditoriums, town halls, houses of worship, and theaters. With a special headset, you can tune into the system to hear what is being said. They can also be used to listen to televisions or telephones.
   • Hearing loops are typically installed into sound systems; they will not help you pick up on everyday noise outside.
   • Hearing loops are more commonly found in public meeting areas than FM systems or infrared systems.
   • Receivers are typically worn in the ears. They also come as headsets. If you have a hearing aid or cochlear implant with a telecoil, you already have access to hearing loops. Just flip the switch on so that you can access the induction system.
   • Personal hearing loop devices can cost around $300 on average.
2. Choose a personal amplifier to listen in noisy places. Personal amplifiers are devices that pick up on specific sounds in noisy places. Unlike other devices, the amplifier does not need any extra equipment installed. Personal amplifiers can be used while driving, walking, socializing in public, or running errands.
   • These are ideal if you struggle to hear distinct sounds or voices in noisy public places.
   • Amplifiers typically have a handheld device that picks up on noise. This will connect to a neck loop (if you have a hearing aid or implant) or to headphones.
   • Devices can range in price from $30 to $250.
3. Consider an FM system for students. FM systems use radio waves to transmit sounds. They are the most common type of device used in the classroom. The teacher will have a small microphone attached to a transmitter, which will be picked up on the student’s receiver. The receiver can also be tuned into public FM systems, for use in larger areas like an auditorium.
   • FM systems need both a transmitter and a receiver. There may be some public FM transmitters, but you can also get a small one for personal use.
   • FM systems can be used with a hearing aid or implant by using a neck loop, or they can be used without one by using earphones.
   • FM systems typically cost between $600 and $2200. They are considered a more expensive although reliable system.
4. Look for infrared systems in public spaces. Infrared systems are used in a similar way to FM, but instead of radio waves, the sound travels through light. For this reason, infrared cannot pass through walls, and it does not work in bright light. Still, it is often found in places where confidentiality or sound-proofing is important. They are primarily used in movie theaters and courtrooms.
   • Personal units cost between $100 and $200. While cheaper than an FM system, they are also more limited, as they cannot be used outdoors or in bright rooms.
   • Since infrared systems are relatively rare, you may not want to choose this technology unless you visit court rooms and movie theaters frequently.

Determining Your Hearing Needs

1. Visit an audiologist. An audiologist can discuss different options and brands of hearing assistive technology with you to determine which type is best for your lifestyle. They can also measure your level of hearing loss, and provide advice on how to integrate different forms of hearing assistive technology into your life.
2. Diagnose the extent of your hearing loss. Your doctor or audiologist can do a hearing test to determine how well you can hear. They may also give you a self-reporting test. These tests will ask questions that will determine how your hearing loss affects your lifestyle.
3. Find out what options are covered by your insurance. You should check to see if your health insurance has coverage for hearing aids. If it does, you may be able to get the insurance to cover the cost of your assistive device. If not, you may be able to apply for funding from a private charity or state department.
   • Hearing aid loan banks may lend out devices for people recently diagnosed with hearing loss until they are able to get a more permanent solution for themselves.
   • If you qualify for Medicaid, you may be able to get a hearing assistive device through it.
   • Children with hearing loss should have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that details the accommodations that the child requires to have access to a public education. If a hearing assistive device is listed as necessary for your child on this document, they may be eligible to receive a device from the school system.
4. Determine if you need a neck loop. If you already have a hearing aid or implant, you should make sure that you can get hearing assistive technology that will attach to your aid.
   • If you have a hearing aid or implant with a telecoil, you do not need any additional equipment to access hearing loops.
   • Infrared, FM and personal listening devices all come as neck loops that will attach to your implants or hearing aids.

Choosing Hearing Assistive Technology for Your Home

1. Consider installing a hearing loop in your home. An induction hearing loop can be installed in your home or office. A special wire will be installed to run around the room, so that you can pick up on sounds more easily within that space. You might also be able to purchase a portable loop that can sit on a tabletop. For this to work, speakers and listeners must be within {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of the device.
2. Compare hearing assistive phones. There are many different types of phones that can help you hold conversations over the phone. Some increase the volume of the phone while others use text to help you communicate. These options include:
   • Text Telephone (TTY) device: These are special phones where messages are typed instead of spoken. TTY devices can only communicate with other TTY devices. If someone does not have a device, they can use a Telecommunication Relay Service (TRS) to have an operator send a message to you.
   • Amplified telephones: These increase the sound of the phone by 50 decibels. Some might also begin shaking when they ring so that you will notice when there is a call.
   • Voice carry over telephones: These will type out what the other person says on a large screen so that you can understand what they are saying. This is useful if you have trouble understanding voices over the phone.
   • Bluetooth neck loop: If you have a hearing aid, you can listen to a cellphone over a Bluetooth device that you wear around your neck. This will send the conversation to your hearing aid.
3. Determine if you need alarms in your home. If you have difficulty hearing doorbells, ringing telephone, smoke alarms, or alarm clocks, you can get a device that will alert you instead. The most common include:
   • Amplified smoke alarms or alarm clocks: the sound of the alarm is amplified for those who are hard of hearing.
   • Bed shakers: these devices go under a bed or cushion. They can be connected to alarm clocks, doorbells, or telephones. They will shake or vibrate to alert you.
   • Lamp flashers: Like bed shakers, these can be hooked up to a variety of systems. When the alarm is rung, the device will turn lights on and off to inform you.
4. Consider getting a hearing dog if you live alone. Hearing dogs are trained to alert you if certain sounds are emitted. They can respond to doorbells, oven timers, telephones, crying babies, or other sounds around the house. While not a form of technology, hearing dogs may provide security and companionship for people who live alone.
   • While they are not guard dogs, they can alert you if there is an intruder in the home.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Get a Job As a Deaf or Hard Of Hearing Person
• Be a Deaf or Hard of Hearing Parent
• Pick a School for Your Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child
• Start College if You're Deaf or Hard of Hearing
• Choose a Phone if You're Hard of Hearing
• Teach a Deaf or Hard of Hearing Student
• Communicate With Deaf People
• Hear TV Sound Without Blasting Everyone Else Out
• Communicate With a Deaf Person
• Ask a Deaf Person for a Date

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