Hearing Loop , Hearing System , AFILS, Church Loop - All Names for the Same Type of System!

Why Do We Need an Induction Hearing Loop System?

What is a Hearing Loop System?
Loop systems sometimes called "Induction Loops" or "AILS"(Audio Induction Loop Systems) are widely used to help people who use hearing aids to hear more clearly. Loops may be used at home with the television, or installed in public places such as Cinemas, Theatres, Churches and areas that have a public address system installed. A 'Loop System' comprises of some form of input (usually a microphone), a small box, which is the loop amplifier, and a length of cable, which is looped around the area where the hearing aid user will be.

Who can use it?
Most hearing aids can pick up the sound from a loop system. These hearing aids will have a switch position marked 'T' or 'MT'. As an option a receiver can be purchased into which headphones can be plugged allowing normal hearing people to also utilize the loop system.

How does it work?
The microphone carries the sound to the amplifier. With some systems you can connect a lead directly from the audio source into the amplifier. This will usually give a better quality sound. The amplifier sends a signal through the loop of cable, which sets-up a magnetic field within the looped area. A hearing aid set to a 'T' or 'MT' picks up this magnetic field and changes it to sound. The magnetic field produced by the driven loop can be picked up by a hearing aid switched to the T position. In this position the hearing aid is connected to a small pick-up coil, known as a telecoil, inside the hearing aid that intercepts the magnetic field produced by the loop and thereby gives an audio output to the hearing aid wearer. All NHS hearing aids have telecoils and so do many of those available from private dispensers. It does not make any difference how many people with hearing aids are within the looped area; they will all be able to hear the sound. Anybody who is standing within the loop, but who is not wearing a hearing aid, will not hear any sound coming from the loop amplifier.

A public address system is of limited help to the hard of hearing because they are more sensitive to the effects of reverberation and background noise than a normally hearing person, but a loop provides almost a direct link from a speaker's microphone to a person wearing a suitable hearing aid.

Do I need a Licence?
A licence to operate an induction loop in a public building is not required provided the amplifier used meets the BSI specification.

What type of loop system do I need?
Every installation is slightly different and has its own unique points and requirements but will normally fall into one or more of these basic categories.

Portable Loop:
A self-contained device with a loop & microphone built in. They can be placed on a counter top or a table in a meeting room. These are popular in doctor's surgeries as a unit can be left on the reception desk and moved to a consulting room when required with no cables. These are also used to aid individual employees in their day-to-day activities.

Counter Loop:
Fixed unit designed to cover a reception desk or ticket type window. A small unit and loop is mounted beneath the counter and a tiny microphone positioned appropriately above. The unit can be permanently on or switched on as required.

Room / Area Loop:
A larger fixed unit covering an area, the size of the amplifier will depend upon the requirements. The loop itself could be hidden above the ceiling, in the wall or beneath the floor. The signal source could be from one or more microphones or audio source such as the sound track in a cinema or any combination of these depending upon the venue.

Why choose an induction loop?
As already mentioned, an induction loop provides the same facility for the hearing impaired person as a public address system does for the hearing person; indeed many hard of hearing people would claim that a loop system provides better clarity than the latter. 'It is as if the speaker is sitting on my shoulder talking to me personally.' It is a well-established technique, and hearing-impaired people simply need a hearing aid with a T position.

Organizers of events and meetings in public buildings may not realize that loop users cannot tell which direction the sound is coming from. In some situations such as committee rooms the use of some form of visual signalling, or spoken identification by name, may help loop users to tell quickly who is speaking.

There are precautions to be taken to ensure a satisfactory installation and there are also limitations to its use - for example, overspill of the magnetic field outside the intended coverage area that could have privacy implications and/or interference between loop systems located too close together.

Suitable loop systems are commercially available for use in applications ranging from a domestic lounge to a theatre or multiscreen cinema. The audio power required to feed the loop of a large installation may, in some instances, interfere with some sensitive electronic control systems, for example in Theatres and in those instances a more complex loop arrangement may be necessary. On the other hand, an infrared system does not have this disadvantage and is preferred for many Theatres and large halls an infrared system does not have an overspill problem, is simpler to install but has the disadvantage that all users must be issued with infrared receivers. Two types of these may be offered: one with an inductive coupler for use in conjunction with a hearing aid equipped with a T switch, the other supplied with headphones. The use of the latter with a hearing aid without a T switch can cause annoyance to adjacent patrons through leakage from an earphone not acoustically sealed to the wearer's head.

Is it working?
It is important that a public loop system is tested before meetings, to make sure that it is working properly. If deaf people work with you, and are willing to help, they could listen to the loop for you. However, if a hearing person has to check the loop, it is possible to get a loop signal strength meter & a listener. This is usually a loop receiver and headphones. Listen to the loop as though the meeting is in progress, with all the electrical equipment and any nearby loops switched on switched on, and with sound being fed into them.

Responsibilities and Maintenance
Experience shows all too frequently that many loop installations are not used simply because nobody knows where or how to switch on, where the microphones are stored or how to operate them. Whilst the need for security of such attractive items is understood, a balance has to be struck with accessibility. Other loops fall into disuse because a fault has developed or the amplifier settings have been disturbed. Likewise a regular maintenance routine should be established. This should consist of a visual inspection of microphone cables and connectors for signs of wear and tear, checking that spare batteries are available for any radio microphones in use, and a listening test using all microphones to see whether the loop is producing the standard field strength with good sound quality and no interference.

The Disability Discrimination Act
The aim of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) is to stop discrimination against disabled people including the hearing impaired. The Act was recently extended to cover education in schools and colleges and strengthened further in October 2004 as the Disability Rights Commission's (DRC) new Code of Practice came into effect. Service providers, i.e., companies or organizations offering goods, facilities and services to the general public, must make 'reasonable' adjustments to ensure that they do not unlawfully discriminate against disabled people. Employers must also take measures to ensure that existing and potential employees are not disadvantaged in the workplace. Under the Act, 'reasonable adjustments' include the provision of various auxiliary aids, including temporary induction loop systems, to enable a deaf or hard of hearing person to access goods, facilities or services available to the general public. From October 2004, service providers have been required to install permanent induction loops and infra-red systems where it is impossible or unreasonably difficult for a deaf or hard of hearing person to make use of a service. Service providers who fail to make adequate provision for people with hearing disabilities face prosecution. Furthermore, it is not enough to simply install an induction loop system - it must be properly maintained and staff must know how to use it. (DDA, Auxiliary aids and services 5.13)

Some examples of service providers covered under the Act are:
Telecommunications and Broadcasting Organizations
Public utility companies, such as Gas, Electricity and Water suppliers
Leisure centers, Football Stadia, National Parks and Health Clubs
Bus and Railway Stations, Airports and Travel Agents
Shops, Hairdressers, Post Offices, Banks and Building Societies
Hotels, Restaurants, Cinemas, Theatres and Pubs
Hospitals, Waiting rooms, Clinics, Reception Areas
Solicitors' offices, Courts, Churches and Mosques

How can Communications & Sound Systems Ltd help you?

• We are here to answer any queries you may have.
  
• We can quote to provide the system.
  
• We can quote to install.
  
• We can quote to maintain the system.
  
• We are a local company and will be able to get to you easily if a problem should arise.
  
• We are very efficient.

Potential Problems
Hearing aids switched to 'T' or 'MT' can sometimes pick up electrical Interference. In a room full of computer equipment, or with fluorescent lights, unwanted noise occurs on the sound from the loop. This is usually a buzzing noise. This can also be a problem in theatres where there is a lot of computerized light and sound equipment. Although the best place to hear the sound from a loop is inside the loop, there is usually some overspill. If you are planning to loop adjacent rooms, you could find that the sound from one loop can be heard in the next room. This might also cause problems at home if you are looping a room immediately above another looped room, if both loops will be used at the same time.

Some telephones have small loops in the earpiece of the handset. These are more commonly known as inductive couplers. If the telephone is within a looped area - in the lounge perhaps - you will need to switch off the main loop or your hearing aids will pick up both.

The position and orientation of the hearing aid within the looped area will affect the level of sound that your hearing aids pick up and the amount of interference picked up hence the importance of a well-designed system.