What is an assistive listening device?

An assistive listening device (ALD) enables people with hearing loss to enjoy face to face communication, discussions in large groups, telephone reception, and an awareness of emergency warnings signals such as a smoke alarm or ambulance.

Assistive learning devices can involve putting a wireless microphone next to a teacher in a classroom or by source of sound such as a TV speaker or loud speaker system. The ALD device then brings the sound directly to the hearing impaired person’s ear by way of a hardwired or wireless link. The sound comes to the person uncluttered and pure without the mix of noise or other voices.

In addition to wireless mikes, there are amplifiers that can be attached between the phone and the handset. These may be powered by batteries and can be used either with or without a hearing aid.

There are devices that can alert hearing impaired people to emergency sounds in a home, school, work place or even with travel. For instance, if the smoke detector goes off, the device may trigger a loud noise or flashing light. Or if there is a fire, a bed shaker (called a vibrational device) may alert the hearing impaired person to wake up and take action.

Ask your doctor about assisted listening devices and find those that help you communicate better and improve your quality of life.

Assistive listening devices refers to a wide variety of devices that are used in addition to or instead of hearing aids to help you hear. Most are situational -- that is, you use them in situations in which you have difficulty. For instance, there are listening systems for TVs, radios, or stereos that minimize interference from surrounding noise and amplify the desired sound for the listener. Hearing aid-compatible phones allow hearing aids to be used at a comfortable volume with minimal feedback. Other examples include personal listening systems that help with interpersonal conversation in noisy locations, wireless connectivity to cell phones, and alerting devices that flash a light, for example, when the phone or doorbell rings.