The Dangers of Hearing Induction Loops
A hearing induction loop is a permanently fitted or portable device that can be fitted to reception areas and counters as well as in theatres and meeting or conference rooms that assist the hearing impaired person that wears a hearing aid.
It cannot assist somebody that is completely deaf, it merely increases the volume without the person needing to shout.
The loop, often fitted around a room creates a magnetic field that transmits an audio signal directly to the users hearing aid with the sound produced from either a built-in microphone or microphone placed in front of the person that they wish to hear or speak to.
The person wearing a hearing aid would switch their aid to the "T" symbol to take advantage of the hearing induction loop.
In our modern day society and the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act in the UK and the American Disability Act in the US, hearing induction loops are fast becoming installed in most public areas, such as libraries, banks and restaurants etc.
There is one issue however that is not very widely known and could cause legal issues in the event of a hearing induction loop, especially a portable one being placed in the wrong location.
This is explained below.
A hearing induction loop as stated above will transmit sound within a room to the users hearing aid, there is a distance limit to portable hearing induction loops (usually around 30 feet) and this is where the problems begin.
Take for example a person with a hearing impairment having a consultation behind closed doors of the doctor's practice and the room size happens to be relatively small, there would be nothing preventing a person located directly outside of the door from switching a hearing aid on and listening in to the conversation.
This may not sound all that drastic but the same could of course happen if the person with a hearing problem was inside their solicitors office giving details of their Will for example, then the issue becomes a great deal more serious.
Hearing induction loops are indeed a fantastic invention and greatly aid those with hearing impairments, however as the above shows these can be a dangerous device if incorrectly placed.
It would always therefore be advised that anybody placing a hearing induction loop into areas that are likely to be used for private or confidential conversations to check that the conversation cannot be heard either from directly outside the door or either sides of the room.
It cannot assist somebody that is completely deaf, it merely increases the volume without the person needing to shout.
The loop, often fitted around a room creates a magnetic field that transmits an audio signal directly to the users hearing aid with the sound produced from either a built-in microphone or microphone placed in front of the person that they wish to hear or speak to.
The person wearing a hearing aid would switch their aid to the "T" symbol to take advantage of the hearing induction loop.
In our modern day society and the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act in the UK and the American Disability Act in the US, hearing induction loops are fast becoming installed in most public areas, such as libraries, banks and restaurants etc.
There is one issue however that is not very widely known and could cause legal issues in the event of a hearing induction loop, especially a portable one being placed in the wrong location.
This is explained below.
A hearing induction loop as stated above will transmit sound within a room to the users hearing aid, there is a distance limit to portable hearing induction loops (usually around 30 feet) and this is where the problems begin.
Take for example a person with a hearing impairment having a consultation behind closed doors of the doctor's practice and the room size happens to be relatively small, there would be nothing preventing a person located directly outside of the door from switching a hearing aid on and listening in to the conversation.
This may not sound all that drastic but the same could of course happen if the person with a hearing problem was inside their solicitors office giving details of their Will for example, then the issue becomes a great deal more serious.
Hearing induction loops are indeed a fantastic invention and greatly aid those with hearing impairments, however as the above shows these can be a dangerous device if incorrectly placed.
It would always therefore be advised that anybody placing a hearing induction loop into areas that are likely to be used for private or confidential conversations to check that the conversation cannot be heard either from directly outside the door or either sides of the room.
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