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

Not to my knowledge but I will find out! It's a really good question.

I think some of the "on eat ground" audiology staff have embraced the idea of installing a loop, but it never seems together anywhere when the issue is submitted to administration.

If there are no loops at all in the VA system that would be indicative of a policy we don't know about and give us a starting point for effective advocating.

A friend of ours, an audiologist, tells us that the auditorium in the VA Medical Center in Long Beach, CA is looped. I've forwarded the question to someone who can post your question to a listserv within the VA, anonymously. Will keep you in the "loop" and let you know when I hear back. 🙂

Yes, by the VA. No, by previous private audiologist.

Can you share some details with us?
Were the loops room size? In what kind of room?
Or were they the counter-top type?
Where is the facility?

No one has ever told me about hearing loops.

https://www.hearingloss.org/hearing-help/technology/hat/
For information on hearing loops and other large area assistive listening technology, see information at the link.

Thank you for your response. You are not alone. If you depend on hearing aids or implants it could be very helpful to know how to make your devices work with hearing loops that are installed in public spaces. Attached is the "request-for-info" card that was created by the HLAA. The link to HLAA from maryjax is full of resources. That's the national site for Hearing Loss Assoc of America and you can also find out if there is a local chapter near you.

YES--I was told by my Costco person (not an audi) that my aid had a TCoil when I bought it, but I didn't have a smartphone. After my hearing suddenly got much worse, I got an IPhone, which worked with my aid--but later I changed to an android phone in the hope that Live Transcribe would make things much better. Wrong!!! My phone couldn't pick up conversations around a table. I bought a $200 mic to pair with my aid, but it was useless, even at a table for 4 in a restaurant, let alone during meetings where it wasn't strong enough to pick up voices across the table. A huge problem today is the tiny percentage of us who have zero cell reception. The techs in the cities can't even imagine such a strange turn of events, so they're clueless. I was told that our office modem (to get 'net and phone service) would work with my smartphone, but it doesn't, not even if I'm sitting right next to the modem. That was one reason that I was willing to switch to an android phone, as I can only use my cell when away from home. I'm still struggling with the need to be able to use the phone in my office. E-mail saves the day! I'm looking at a Williams Pocket Talker plus neckloop now.

Hi Joyce, First of all, the information sent you above explains that t-coils receive signal from an induction loop (hearing loop). Those loops can be in several forms. One is a room, or area, loop. That will pick up sound from an audio input like a microphone, TV, or movie and transmit that sound through a loop driver to the loop itself. If you are in the loop you can hear the sound IF your t-coils are activated and switched on by you. The second form of a hearing loop is the "counter top" type designed to allow you to hear a clerk or teller at a service window. The clerks voice is picked up by a mic and transmitted to a small wire loop. That loop may be in the mat your are standing on or otherwise concealed. Again your t-coil must be switched on for you to hear. Then there are some "neck loops" worn by a user that receive a bluetooth signal and transmit that signal to your t-coil by induction loop. And to make things even more confusing there are some products advertised as "neck loops" that are really a microphone worn around your neck which transmits to your hearing aids by bluetooth. These kind are NOT an induction loop. If you can't hear the hearing loop signal your t-coil may not have been activated by your audiologist. You should have a program labeled as "t-coil.

Then for your phone to work in you office you need to be connected to your office modem through a router which is a bluetooth connection. Your phone must be paired to the router which is usually password protected. Someone in you office should be able to help you.