Virginia Repertory Theatre
Thanks to a generous gift from Sara Belle and Neil November and a partnership with Richmond Hearing Doctors, a new state-of the-art induction loop hearing system has been installed in the November Theatre. Audience members with cochlear implants or telecoil-equipped hearing aids are now able to fully enjoy the show without straining to hear, or missing entirely, the whispers, hushed voices, and other soft sounds that bring depth to so many performances.
An induction loop system turns every telecoil-equipped hearing aid and cochlear implant into a personalized listening device connected directly to the theatre’s sound system. Best of all, a hearing loop system, unlike other personalized listening devices, takes advantage of the customized settings of the listener’s own hearing aid or cochlear implant.
The loop system also works with a handheld receiver and headphone system, which can be worn by anyone attending the theatre. These handheld systems, which can be requested free of charge at the door by anyone who is hearing impaired, receive sound through the loop system transmitted to a set of small headphones.
While the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public facilities to have assistive systems for people with hearing loss, most places – such as movie theaters – simply comply by relying on FM or infrared systems, which are easier and less expensive to install, but do not work as well. These systems require the person to take off their hearing aids and put on headphones, advertising they have a hearing problem and making it impossible to converse with those around them.
According to Dr. Leah Ball at Richmond Hearing Doctors, many hearing aids are already equipped with ‘telecoils’ which are compatible with all hearing induction loop systems, but just have not been activated. The t-coil is low cost, low in power consumption, and, best of all, easy to use.
If you have a hearing aid with a t-coil that is not activated, they will be glad to program them for you, at no charge, so you can take advantage of this excellent listening technology.
Information about the t-coil technology used in our induction loop hearing system is given in the last two minutes of the story.
For more information, please contact Richmond Hearing Doctors at (804) 818-0000. They can help you determine whether your hearing aid(s) have t-coils and how to optimize them for loop listening.