Hearing Assistive Technologies for Hard-of-Hearing People: State of the Science

Why Assistive Listening?
Why isn’t a hearing aid enough?

How does the Assistive Device Help?

Classifying Assistive Listening Systems

User-based Classification      

Personal Assistive Listening    

Wide-area Assistive Listening

Educational Assistive Listening

Telephone Communication Assistive Listening

Technology-based classification

FM Assistive Listening

FM Considerations

Infrared Assistive Listening

IR Considerations

Induction Loop Listening

Induction Loop Considerations

Hard-wired/Stand-alone

Commonalities

A Generic Assistive Listening System (courtesy of C. Lazlo)

Generalized Transmission Model for Assistive Listening Systems

Microphones

Compatibility and Coupling

Benefits, Drawbacks and User Concerns

Demonstrated Benefits

FM and Hearing Aids for Adults – Benefits and Drawbacks

Slide 26

User Concerns

User Concerns

User Concerns

User Concerns

Developing Standards for Assistive Listening in Public Places

Subjects

Stimuli

Procedures

Apparatus

Determining Standards

Listening Level Recommendation

Reverberation & Noise Recommendation: STI should not be less than .84

Noise Interference Recommendation:
No worse than 18 dB S/N

Clipping Recommendation: No greater than 18 dB from peaks

Future Research and Development Directions

Bluetooth (www.bluetooth.com)

Slide 43

Acknowledgement