CUSTOMER HEARING
THE REGULATION, SCENARIOS AND SOLUTIONS
If you run a business that interacts with the public you should have measures in place to ensure that
you abide by the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) that makes you accessible to all. But it’s not
just about ticking all the compliancy boxes. These regulations can help businesses achieve a
high level of service that can be considered a valuable marketing asset. Biz-Mag has called in
hearing expert Gordon Morris to help us untangle the rights and wrongs of providing services to the
hearing impaired.
I have been hearing impaired speech is at an intelligible
for over forty years and deaf- level, background noise is
ness has truly shaped the unbearably increased.
way I perceive the world. I
always endeavour to educate My disability has driven me to
people about deafness and dedicate my career to trying
the false assumption that if a to ensure that hearing
person is wearing a hearing systems of a high quality are
aid, and then they can hear. used in public places. The
This is not the case - much equipment available for the
can be achieved with well- hearing impaired has
fitted hearing aids, but they changed during my lifetime.
by no means solve all the We are now dealing with
problems. In fact, often by brilliantly designed, compact
resolving one problem systems that offer ease of use
another is created, i.e. when and efficiency.
There is a wide range of hearing technology convert into sound. These systems are perfect
available on the market today. The Induction for situations where confidentiality is required,
Loop System is the most commonly known as infrared transmissions will not permeate
type of assistive hearing equipment. This walls, ceilings, or floors.
basically consists of a loop, an amplifier and a
microphone. A person with a hearing aid can FM Radio Systems allow users to be in
switch to ‘T’ position and listen to the sound control of what they are hearing, and are
that is transmitted through a magnetic field especially effective in conferences, meetings
that is created by the loop. This system is and for personal use. They use an audio input
brilliant where there are large groups of from, for example, a microphone, which feeds
people who need to hear, but is not good for into an FM transmitter. The user’s FM receiver
situations where privacy is important as the picks up the radio frequency signal and clear
sound can overspill outside the loop area. sound can be heard. Alerting devices and
phone systems are also available.
Infrared Systems are also popular. They
work in the same way as a TV remote control, We can see that all of these products have
i.e. an emitter sends out an invisible beam of their specific benefits and are suited to certain
infrared light which individual receivers environments and situations. It is important to
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