Looking for low key date ideas this Valentine’s Day? Why not go out for dinner and a movie? The theaters in Louisville have everything you could want: larger than life entertainment, popcorn buckets the size of your head and a comfortable chair. But what if you wear hearing aids?
Assistive Listening Devices
Having hearing loss can make everyday activities slightly harder. While most can simply drive to the movies, sit down and enjoy the show, this is not the case for those with a hearing impairment. The combination of surround sound, noisy patrons and background noise can all mix together to make fun activity seem like an impossible task.
In comes assistive listening systems. They are able to broadcast sound directly from the source to your hearing aid, thus eliminating any distracting background noises. There are three types of systems: hearing loop, FM and infrared. Most movie theaters employ the hearing loop as their system of choice.
The basis of assistive listening systems is the telecoil. Most modern day hearing aids come telecoil enabled. This wire (also called a t-coil) works as a miniature wireless receiver. It picks up electromagnetic signals and turns them back into sound within the hearing aid.
Hearing Loops
A hearing loop consists of three parts:
- A sound source
- An amplifier
- A thin loop of wire that surrounds the room
As long as you are within the loop, sound can be picked up and sent as an electromagnetic signal to the hearing aid. This is what you will find in a movie theater.
Americans with Disabilities Act
You may be tempted to assume only fancy multiplexes have this system in place but you would be wrong. Even small neighborhood venues must comply with the 1990s Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires that all places of public accommodation with fixed seating that either accommodates at least 50 people or has an audio amplification system (or both) must provide an assistive listening system.
As you can see, the only thing standing in your way to a lovely movie date is buying you and your loved one a ticket. To learn more about how to live your best life with hearing loss, contact your Louisville audiologist today.