Loop New Mexico is the award winning initiative of the Albuquerque Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America. It's purpose is to raise awareness and availability of hearing loops throughout the state so that hard of hearing New Mexicans and visitors can participate more fully in all aspects of life in the Land of Enchantment wherever it is necessary to hear in order to participate.
WHAT IS A HEARING LOOP?
A telecoil is a small copper coil of wire that can be found in over 70% of all hearing aids currently available and in all cochlear implants. When
turned on it receives an electromagnetic signal from a hearing loop and sends it through the digital circuitry of the hearing device
where is becomes sound. This process, in effect, places the
mouth of the speaker using the microphone right next to the user's ears, providing dramatically improved clarity and intelligibility.
This symbol identifies a looped facility
BENEFITS OF HEARING LOOPS OVER OTHER SYSTEMS
WHY ARE ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEMS NECESSARY?
The higher the frequency of a sound the less strength that sound has thus shortening the distance it can travel and still be heard This is particularly problematic to the hard of hearing, most of whom have a higher frequency hearing loss. The effective range of hearing aid microphones is only about six feet and once sound is coming from a distance greater than that those microphones will have difficulty picking it up.
The loudspeakers of most public address systems are not set to provide extra amplification to higher frequencies and users would find that sound unpleasant, but that's the added amplification the hard of hearing need if they are to be able to understand the sounds they are hearing as words.
No matter how high the volume on the loudspeakers is set, hard of hearing listeners will still have difficulty hearing the higher frequency sounds as they will be "covered" by the louder, stronger, lower frequency sounds and they will thus have difficulty understanding the words being broadcast. An assistive listening system places the sound right at the user's ear via earphones, ear buds or the telecoils in hearing aids thus compensating for the weaker high frequency sounds to some degree.
Website Designed by Stephen Frazier © 2016 at Homestead™
Loop New Mexico is proud
to support
A program of the Hearing
Loss Association of America
A hearing loop is a type of assistive listening system used to transmit sound to the hard of hearing. Such systems are now required in most public venues that feature a public address system.
In its simplest form a hearing loop is an insulated wire loop that surrounds a seating area. The loop is connected to an amplifier and microphone and it transmits
a silent electromagnetic signal to telecoil equipped hearing aids or cochlear implants that those devices turn into sound
Users without telecoil equipped hearing aids or CIs are provided with a receiver that contains a telecoil and a headset or ear buds to hear the proceedings.
A hearing loop assistive listening system (ALS) allows those with telecoil equipped hearing aids and CIs to access the system with the simple touch of a button - no need to borrow a receiver and headset and then return it after the event. There's no chance that their hearing aids might be damaged or lost when removed to don the headset.
The Committee for Communication Access in New Mexico (CCAnm) on which Loop New Mexico is represented, has conducted two surveys dealing with hearing loss issues and technology. To review the surveys, click on the link following the name of the survey below:
Assistive Listening System User Survey ................
Telecoil Counseling Survey ......................................
Information on
hearing loss.