Assistive Listening Devices for Personal Use
Welcome to our Our informative guide for selecting personal assistive listening devices.
Are you or a relative finding it harder to hear? Is it a struggle to listen to conversations in noisy places, or more so than it used to be?
The CDC estimates that 16% of Americans have some degree of hearing loss. This can have a huge negative impact on a person’s quality of life as it has been linked to depression, stress, and reduced physical and mental health. Untreated hearing loss also has many negative effects on child development.
Fortunately, several personal assistive listening devices will enable you to listen at a comfortable volume and reduce background noise. Although people who have hearing challenges may have hearing aids, the hearing aids themselves are often not enough to ensure that speech, music, and TV programs can be heard.
This is because hearing aids tend to amplify all sounds, both wanted and unwanted. In settings with high background noise, this can contribute to rather than solve the problem.
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What are Personal Assistive Listening Devices?
A personal amplifier is a handheld device with a microphone and headphones. The device takes in sound through the microphone, amplifies and clarifies it, and then transmits it directly to the listener’s ears through the headphones.
It allows the person you are speaking with to attach the mic to their clothing so you can plug it into your amplifier and hear more clearly because there is a greatly reduced signal-to-noise ratio. One advantage to personal amplifiers is that they are relatively inexpensive, only around $200.
The disadvantage is that since you are connected to the speaker with a wire, personal amplifiers are not useful for situations that require you to move around a lot.
Situations that require mobility or hearing from a distance, e.g. concerts or the theater, require a more flexible system.
Where Can Personal Assistive Listening Devices Be Used?
In the past, there may have been a stigma attached to persons wearing earphones in public places or even at work. These days it’s common to see people with some kind of listening device as a permanent attachment.
The biggest challenge that persons with hearing impairment face is filtering out the surrounding ‘noise’ from the sound/voice that’s important at that moment in time.
So no matter what the environment.
- Watching TV
- Meetings/office
- Family get-togethers
- Outdoor or indoor
- Doctor/hospital visits
- Legal settings
- Restaurants
Personal Assistive Listening Device
Pocketalker Personal Amplifiers
The Pocketalker range of products offers functionality to assist individuals with hearing loss. Hear what you want to hear by amplifying the sounds and voices most important to you. The Pocketalker filters and enhances sounds closest to the listener while minimizing background noise.
Ideal for one-on-one conversation, small group discussions, TV listening, or conversing in the car.
How does Pocketalker work?
Pocketalker comes with a discreet belt clip-on receiver and one can choose from a range of earphones or earpieces for a clear listening experience. Plug your earphones or headphones into the Pocketalker headphone jack.
Position the internal microphone near the preferred sound. Adjust the volume to your comfort. Transform your senses. Listen to life, listen to the sounds you choose.
Typical Application of the Pocketalker Assistive Listening Device:
- It ideal for one one-on-one conversations in high-noise environments – like coffee shops
- Allows for clearer hearing when watching TV
- Wearable devices allow for mobility – in a car where there may be road noise.
Digital Personal Amplifiers (Digiwave)
The Digiwave personal communication receivers and transceivers can be used in one-way, listen-only situations or for two-way interaction.
Whereas Pocketalker just receives, filters and enhances audio, Digiwave consists of transmitters and receivers (transceivers). With Digiwave all parties have transmitting and receiving devices ensuring crystal clear sound. Ideal for discussions in the car, TV listening, and sharing ideas at a meeting and in other one-on-one or small group settings.
Digiwave’s receiver guarantees crystal-clear reception and comes with a range of earphones or earpieces.
Typical Application of Digiwave Assistive Listening Systems:
- Ideal for one-on-one conversations in high-noise environments – like coffee shops
- Allows for conversation between hard-of-hearing patients and caregivers
- Allows for clearer hearing when watching TV in a communal room
- Wearable devices allow for mobility – in a car where there may be road noise
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Where are Assistive Listening Systems Required?
Many countries require assistive listening systems to be provided in venues where audible communication is critical to using the space.
In the United States, these venues include classrooms, courtrooms, public meeting rooms, convention centers, and other public places.
Our compliance guides below will help you determine the exact requirements for your situation:
ADA Guide
Guide to assistive listening requirements under the Americans With Disabilities Act.
International Guide
Guide to hearing support requirements and legislation around the world, including the EU, and UK.
