ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES (ALDs)
What are ALDs?
You may have certain communication needs that cannot be solved by the use of a hearing aid alone. These situations may involve your use of the telephone, television or radio. It might include being unable to hear door bell, or an alarm clock. There are special pieces of equipment which have been developed to help solve these problems.
Typically, a hearing aid amplifies all sounds, whereas an ALD increases loudness of only the desired sound (e.g. TV or radio) without increasing the background noise loudness. There are many types of systems available today, including such devices as:
TV listening systems: These allow the user to set the volume which enables them to hear, while the family can adjust the volume for their comfort.
Direct input hearing aids: Hearing aids with direct input connections which connect to a TV, radio, or to microphones or personal FM systems as well as other ALDs.
Telecoil devices: An option available with some hearing aids is Telecoil. These devices within the hearing aid couple electromagnetically with most telephones, allowing the hearing aid to be at a comfortable sound level without feedback squealing.
Amplified telephones: In addition to devices which amplify telephone speech (volume control phones), there are Text Telephones (TTY/TDD) which allow users to type messages, Visual Ring Signalers (VRS), Tactile Ring Signalers (TRS) and many other telephone related devices. If you are a Florida resident, you may qualify for specialized equipment at no charge, available through Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc. In Charlotte County, Florida, some equipment may be available to you from HIP.
Ask your audiologist about ALDs which may help improve your hearing life.
|
