A variety of devices can be used to improve communication, alert you to environmental events, or to improve your capability to cope in society. These assisted hearing devices are used just about anywhere; at home, work, social gatherings, meetings, church, theaters and even some while travelling in a car. These assisted hearing devices can be used any time they help serve a special need.

Check with your hearing aid dispenser if you feel that any of these would help your communications needs.

Alerting systems

These devices signal to make you aware of the presence of an alerting signal; whether it be the doorbell, phone, alarm clock, paging device, baby cry, safety device or any other signal to be responded to.

They are usually wired to a device (doorbell, phone, etc.) or are activated by another means (smoke, voice, etc.). When wired to a signaling device, simple codecs (number of lights flashes or vibrations, for example) tell which of the alerting sources has been activated. In other cases, the signal is made much louder so that it can be heard easily, or its tone is changed to that which you can hear. These can usually be placed in various locations throughout the home or even outdoors.

Types of assisted hearing device and systems

The following systems can be used either as individual systems, or as group systems. Many are used with TV, radio, and Hi-Fi systems. They are also used in large rooms. Some are small and quite portable; others are large and not movable.

Still, all of these are intended to overcome the problems that occur when trying to listen to a signal (speech or other) that is some distance away. They all have the microphone close to the speaker (or other signal you want to listen to) to reduce the effects of background noise.

Hard wired systems

These systems have an audio amplifier which is wired into headphones or to a remote loudspeaker. The system is less popular with the hearing impaired because it restricts them to a specific location.

AM/FM radio systems

These use low-power transmitters attached to sound amplifiers, which broadcast within the immediate area to either personal hearing aids equipped with a telephone pick-up coil, or to specially-designed radio receivers. These systems are subject to strict FCC (Federal Communications Commission) restrictions on power and frequency. These systems allow the user to leave the immediate ares of the signal and still receive sound clearly.

The FM system has been designed specifically to pickup speech signals directly at the source and transmit them, clearly and without distortion, directly to the user's ear. FM systems create a basis for optimum speech intelligibility, independent of the acoustic surroundings.

There are two types of FM systems: a Personal FM System and a sound-field FM system. Personal FM Systems have a microphone (transmitter) worn by the teacher and a receiver worn by each individual student.

The receiver may be worn with earphones in each ear or may be attached to the user's personal hearing aids. The size of the personal FM receivers can very, some are the size of a small Walkman. Others consist of a small attachment which boots directly onto each hearing aids. Sound-field FM Systems consist of a transmitter worn by the teacher and one or more speakers positioned in or around the classroom.

Induction loop systems

In a typical induction loop system, a loop of wire encircles the assistance area. An audio amplifier drives the loop producing a magnetic field. Some hearing aids contain an induction coil which responds to the magnetic field (the telephone pickup coil feature).

Infrared systems

In these systems, wavelengths are used which are just below the visible spectrum. Users of the system must wear an infrared receiver which must be in a direct line with the infrared transmitter to receive the signal.

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