Assistive Listening Devices (ALD) are sometimes necessary to help
people hear better alone and as a supplement to today’s modern digital
hearing aids. Although modern technology is ever-improving hearing
aids, there are still some situations when other assistive devices are
necessary. Some patients may be in special situations that will not
require the use of a more expensive hearing aid, but rather a more
affordable ALD by itself.
If you continue to experience particular difficulty in specific conditions even with hearing aids such as:
-hearing over the phone
-hearing alarms and other alerts
-listening to the television, radio or other media
-hearing in academic, business or religious meetings
You could be a good candidate for an ALD! ALDs of all shapes, sizes,
and cost brackets are available to help those with many ranges of
hearing loss. Media, face-to-face/one-on-one/meetings, telephone, and
alerting devices can all be programmed or set to help you hear better!
Media and Meetings.
ALDs available for these types of situations bring the sound directly to
you. A microphone is placed near the talker of interest or the
loudspeaker playing the sound by direct hard-wire line or wirelessly
(typically by Bluetooth in modern devices). The incoming signal is sent
back and amplified to the loudspeaker you are using, or directly to your
hearing aid! All sorts of media (e.g., televisions, game consoles,
computers, video players, music players, and people around you - can be
made much clearer and louder! Some systems will use frequency-modulation
(FM), infrared, inductive, or Bluetooth technology is used to complete
this process. Visual assistive systems are also available for media use
(e.g., closed captioning).
Telephone and Cellular Phone Use.
Amplified telephones are available for purchase that simply amplifies
the sound to a greater extent than traditional phone systems. Special
amplifiers that can attach to the phone you currently use are also
available to provide a volume boost of the incoming speech signal. If
you are still having difficulty with the telephone, visual assistive
aids are available (e.g., relay systems or real-time captioning phones).
Alerting and Safety Precautions.
Alerting devices that combine audio and visual assistance are available
to purchase. Usually these devices incorporate light, sound, video, and
tactile sensations (e.g., vibration) to alert some signal. These devices
are often created to help with everyday alerting systems (e.g., baby
monitors, alarm clocks, door bells, smoke detectors).
Find a local hearing healthcare provider to make an appointment with
today! They will be able to guide you to make a decision of whether or
not an ALD a good choice for your hearing journey. Some ALDs are created
to fit specifically to your hearing aid’s make and model. These will
directly couple to your aid, customizing your hearing experience even
further. Call today to determine which assistive listening device
options are best for you!
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