Do you know about Telecoils & Hearing Loops in Public Spaces?

Arrowshooter: Couldn't agree more! We installed one in my church last year and found out that there is an educational process that needs to take place! I found that most people thought that the system will automatically turn on their hearing aids! I try and watch people coming and going and talk to them after church to see if they are hooked up properly! As you are well aware, more and more people are reaching that age where they are wearing hearing aids...I would estimate on a given Sunday that 20% of members either have hearing aids or should have! We even have the neck loops available for those who do not have hearing aids but most people are not comfortable putting them on! Appreciate your comments.

@arrowshooter I’m sorry to hear of your experience. That is so disappointing to hear. We shouldn’t have to ask for coils! The should promote them. There’s just a huge disconnect with audiologists who don’t seem to care about truly helping those of us w hearing loss. Many seem to just want to sell you aids. Those who do try to promote all the technology that is available run into the population that doesn’t care or can’t fathom the technology. Then when we have the t-coils and find the very limited number of venues that have loop systems it all becomes discouraging. We tried to get our church to install one but they had an FM system so stuck with that. Our HLAA chapter installed our own loop in the ceiling of the room where we meet. Now we’re having to find a new place and there are no sites in our area. We’re currently trying to get a loop installed in our library. The ability to understand speech is so exponentially improved with tcoils and loop systems I don’t understand why the hearing loss community isn’t broadcasting it and doing more to advocate for it!

Thank you for your feedback. The amount of confusion/lack of awareness is, unfortunately, fairly common but there are many people at HLAA working to change this, nationally and locally.

This past June, the "Get in the Hearing Loop" campaign committee of HLAA introduced a tool kit for all advocates and users of hearing loops. Three popular postcards can be reprinted for anyone's use. They cover
-- how to access an installed hearing loop with your hearing aid;
-- what to ask your audiologist about telecoil activation and
-- what to say to the owner/manager of a public space that is not yet looped.

The full kit with PDFs for downloads is here: https://www.hearingloss.org/programs-events/get-hearing-loop/hearing-loop-toolkit/

Thank you @pegbell for sharing. It’s all great info!

Judysmayo, I've talked to quite a few audiologists about t-coils and hearing loops. They all agree with me (to my face) that both should be more common and are under-prescribed and under used. But I've talked to some of their patients and the patients never heard about hearing loops from their Audi.

While I advocate for hearing loops two of our local libraries have removed their desk top loop systems. When I asked them why they said they weren't being used.

I requested VA to install a hearing loop in the check-in desk and waiting room at our local VA clinic. First I was told that it would be a HIPAA violation, and after I sent them some information on hearing loops they just didn't respond. No sector of population has more hearing heath problems than veterans and this is what we get.

Welcome! This conversation has no expiration date 🙂 and I hope that sharing experiences will help everyone affected and everyone who could make a big difference. Personally, I tried to pilot a desktop loop program at a VA Hosp (Audiology Dept.) in south Florida and at the last minute, was told, "No can do" with no explanation. It's a shame; there are so many senior vets living down here and from what I have heard at audiology conferences - most interns at VA Clinics "always include the telecoil." Younger docs expect wireless solutions that are simple and effective?? Maybe that will help, eventually.

Some years ago, I tried to work with the VA in starting a support group for the Veterans in the area and negotiated on how it could work. One of their staff was a member of HLAA and helped me work out the logistics to make it work. It would have been wonderful to have the vets meet on a monthly basis to augment their working knowledge of their hearing aids (made available by the Veterans) and what we would give them about how they could deal with their hearing loss in daily life. When the high ranking staff heard about our plans, they decided to transfer our HLAA member out of state and scrubbed our plans for a support group for the vets in the area. It was such a disappointment. We were not allowed to advertise our HLAA chapter meetings in the VA Hospital either. What these veterans could use, we learned, was limited within the walls of the hospital unless they wanted to go outside of their hospital system. They do receive what they need but perhaps not all of the in-depth hearing loss information that could help them in the long run.

Here in Sun City Center, FL, we will follow the Mission of the HLAA organization by opening the world of communication to all people with hearing loss by providing information, education, support and advocacy - no matter who they are and where they are located.

Interesting, it seems VA can be our worst obstacle and our best friend at the same time.

I have good relations (I think) with staff at my local VA Audio Clinic. The workers seem both competent and caring. Administration, on the other hand, seems untouchable.

I have hopes of working with VA from both ends - top and bottom. Grass roots requests from our members are what we can do best. And we should work with members of the House of Representatives and Senate VA Oversight Committees to make our needs known. They are the ones most likely to influence VA administration. I urge people to contact their Senators and Representatives, even if there are not on the Oversight Committees, and make our issues known. Change doesn't just happen - it needs a force to put it into motion.

I agree whole hardheartedly. If you can't get them directly, then go around them to those who can change the rules. I have always worked with my own Representatives from Congress and have made inroads with them over the years. This is the ONLY ways to go. If you know whom to contact, then this is the way to begin the process since all our Vets deserve the best alongside the rest of our community. Since all have hearing loss - all deserve to have services. Period.

Does anyone know of any VA facility anywhere that has installed a hearing loop??????