Q: I was at church and it is equipped with something called a “loop system” which is supposed to work with my hearing aids, but I can’t figure out how to get it to work. Can it be set up for my church?
A: It seems like the technology in the hearing aid business changes every day; new circuitry, new accessories, new features, and so on. But once in a while, the virtue of some of the older technology pops up and becomes one of the most important parts of your ability to hear in ever expanding situations. Hence, I would like to re-introduce you to the Telecoil.
The first induction loop was patented in 1937 in Great Britain, and put into a hearing aid for the first time in 1938. The idea was to find a way to get sound into a receiver without using a microphone, which can also pick up ambient noise. This electronic loop uses a magnet to pick up waves sent by an electrical current through a wire loop and is connected to some form of transmitter, (usually a telephone, radio or television). The magnet in the coil picks up the electrical signal sent through the loop and translates it into an auditory signal to the speaker of the hearing aid.
Initially, telecoils, (or T-coils, as we refer to them in the industry), were used to make telephone calls clearer. In older telephones, the magnets in the speakers put out a very strong magnetic signal which was easily picked up by the t-coil in a hearing aid. Prior to this, putting a phone up to a hearing aid in one’s ear would produce that all too familiar whistling we refer to as “feedback”. Using the telecoil turned off the microphone and allowed sound to only come through the magnetic coil. The results were twofold; first, the feedback problem was eliminated, and second, any extraneous or ambient noises were not allowed to compete with the sound coming through the coil.
The first telecoils were very basic and allowed very little in the way of adjustment, (the hearing aids they were installed into had the same issues, this was the biggest challenge in the days of the analog hearing instrument). You could raise or lower the volume on your own, or take it to your dispenser who could make very minor changes using tiny potentiometers. Digital technology has allowed for much more flexibility in modern hearing aids, along with the telecoils installed in them.
Three problems developed, however, all fairly recently. First, the world tuned to micro-technology and this led to the advent of low resistance receivers, which are what you find in most telephones today. They do not put out enough magnetic energy to activate most telecoils, and thus the desired clarity can’t be attained. They will, however, still work with loop systems. This leads to the second and third problems; there aren’t very many loop systems in place, at least not in Ontario. As a result, most manufacturers save the expense of putting in a telecoil by leaving them off unless specifically requested. And if you, the consumer, don’t know to ask, then they don’t get put in, because most dispensers forget how useful telecoils are. There are several FM systems that work by invoking the telecoils in a hearing aid, and several styles of loop system that can be custom made to fit homes and offices.
There are significantly more loop systems installed in churches, museums, theatres and public spaces, (including the NYC subway system), in the US than there are in Canada. In many states it is standard operating procedure for houses of worship to install some system that can help the hearing impaired, and the loop system is the single most compatible type on the market. It allows for assisted hearing without any additional products for those who have telecoils in their hearing aids.
This brings me to Bill Droogendyk, the owner and chief installer of loop systems for his company, Better Hearing Solutions. Bill sells and installs loop systems for all kinds of venues, most recently St. Christopher’s Church in Burlington. Bill approached me several months ago and asked if I would help his customers out by fine tuning their telecoils to work with the systems he installs, and I was more than happy to do that. I had the pleasure of meeting with parishioners and helping them get the most out of their telecoils just after the installation, as well as doing any programming that is necessary for them to get the most out of their church experience. With Bill’s help, the loop system is making a comeback; he began part time but business has begun to flourish, and as a result, more and more public venues are installing this remarkable system and Better Hearing Solutions is leading that charge.
So the next time you go to a church, theatre, playhouse or any other place that requires you to hear details, ask them if they have a loop system for the hearing impaired. If they don’t, take the time to suggest it to the person who runs the establishment. Also make sure your next set of hearing aids have telecoils, they generally don’t increase the cost, but can make you life significantly better.