During the past three years, we have discussed the importance of speech intelligibility in hybrid meetings and classroom environments. But there's an area that we talk about less often: individuals with hearing loss.

In our lifetime, the need for eyeglasses hasn't been questioned, and healthcare insurance often covers a percentage of the cost. As anyone over the age of 40 knows well, sight begins to become compromised, and an inexpensive pair of "readers" will do the trick. However, there is a stigma regarding the need for hearing aids. This hasn't been helped by the fact that most healthcare plans don't cover the cost of prescription hearing aids which can run between $1,000 and $4,000 for each device. If hearing loss is in both ears, a patient is looking at an out-of-pocket cost of between $2,000 and $8,000.

Now Hear This

On October 17, 2022, The White House posted the following: 

To lower the price of hearing aids and expand access, President Biden's Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make hearing aids available over the counter, without a prescription. That is now reality. Starting today, hearing aids are now on store shelves across the country—for thousands of dollars less than they previously cost.

Specifically, today, under a final rule issued by the FDA, adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss can buy hearing aids at a store or online without a prescription, exam, or audiologist fitting. FDA estimates this could lower average costs by as much as $3,000 per pair—providing significant breathing room for the nearly 30 million Americans with hearing loss, including nearly 10 million adults under age 60.

Audiovisual Industry Duty

As representatives of the audiovisual industry, we need to be aware of how to prevent environmental hearing loss and understand the solutions available to aid intelligibility and pass along that wisdom. Some of us already suffer hearing loss from attending loud concerts or other reasons, and many come from a time in the music industry when there was little awareness about protecting your ears.

"The availability of hearing aids over the counter (OTC) is a tremendous leap forward in terms of affordability and access for those with hearing loss," said Kim Franklin, vice president of Global Marketing at Listen Technologies. Hearing loss is common and not always associated with advanced age. "It is becoming more prevalent in young people at an alarming rate due to earbuds and headphones," she added.

Over-the-counter hearing aids are available from various brands, including those we know from our industry. "Anyone looking to purchase hearing aids should consult an audiologist or technician to ensure they are getting the best fit, the hearing aids are tuned to their unique hearing needs, and they understand how to use them properly," Franklin added.

Hearing Aids and Assistive Listening Systems

Hearing aids are ideal for personal conversations and audio amplification in quiet environments and where sound is within close proximity. "Assistive listening systems work in conjunction with hearing aids to amplify the sounds that are broadcast through a PA or sound system," Franklin said. "Assistive listening technology facilitates better audio by amplifying the broadcast sound (not ambient sound) directly to the user's hearing aid, delivering a better listening experience."

Assistive listening systems can help everyone, whether they wear hearing aids, have chronic hearing loss, or occasionally find it challenging to hear. "Assistive listening systems are legally required in public spaces where audio is integral to the use of the space (examples include movie theaters, stadiums, and performing arts centers)," Franklin said. "If you have hearing loss or are in an environment where it is difficult to hear clearly, assistive technology exists to help. Know your rights and ask for assistive listening."

Because they are for personal use, hearing aids are not classified as assistive listening systems. "The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires assistive listening in public spaces, which means, by law, venues are still required to provide assistive listening," Franklin said. "We are seeing an increase in large and small companies hiring staff to manage diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which is a move in the right direction ̶ we are seeing a shift towards greater accessibility, including assistive listening."

Pass Along the Wisdom

"Hearing loss is permanent. It's essential to monitor the noise levels around us and take precautions to protect our hearing and the hearing of our children and loved ones. Remind everyone you love to check the headphone audio levels in their smartphone settings and to wear hearing protection at concerts and anywhere noise levels exceed 85 decibels as recommended by the CDC.

Hearing loss is nothing to be ashamed of, so please don't dismiss it or try to hide it. Get your hearing checked and learn how to protect your hearing. Take advantage of today's technology and tools to continue engaging and enjoying life," Franklin concluded.

Not Your Grandmother's Hearing Aids

In anticipation of the October 2022 ruling for the FDA to make hearing aids available over the counter and without a prescription, some AV industry audio companies turned their expertise to offer hearing aids.

Jabra's Enhance Pro 10 is built to help you catch more of the conversation, no matter where it's happening. It enables you to hear speech in loud locations by delivering a 150 percent improvement in speech understanding. It provides better all-direction clarity and sound localization, so you can stay up to speed with everything around you. The Enhance Pro 10 adaptable hearing solution helps suit your surroundings and provides power for all-day use on one charge.

Sennheiser's Speech Clarity technology makes it easy to understand what people are saying on TV. Speech Clarity boosts higher frequencies when you use TV Clear, making language much easier to understand. Choose from five Speech Clarity settings to personalize the amount of boost according to your preferences. Connect the TV Clear earbuds to your TV with the transmitter or directly via Bluetooth to smart devices such as tablets, phones, or laptops. The transmitter uses your TV's audio output jack (optical or analog) and ensures a high-quality experience with audio and video in sync. Once the earbuds are paired with a phone, you can also use them to make hands-free calls.

Sony is re-imagining the hearing device space focusing on innovation, accessibility, and personalization. Sony is working in partnership with WS Audiology ("WSA"), a leading innovator in hearing aid technology for more than 100 years. The first two products to debut from the partnership are the CRE-C10 and the CRE-E10 self-fitting OTC hearing aids, designed with the understanding that one size does not fit all and that people deserve options that best fit their unique needs, situations, and lives. Utilizing the app, the CRE-C10 and CRE-E10 intuitively adapt to each user's speech and surroundings, blending the latest technology with comfort to meet each individual's hearing goals.

Audio specialist Sennheiser will be hosting a free online seminar/roundtable focused on the hearing loss community experience in public venues. The seminar, entitled "The Hearing Loss Community: Bridging the Gap Between Design, Implementation and the End User Perspective," is open all pre-registrants and will take place on May 24th at 1:00 p.m. ET.

[InfoComm 2022 Impulses: Sennheiser]

The roundtable discussion will connect the dots among the end user, the design consultant, AV integrator, and the facility manager as relates to ADA compliance for hearing assistance in public places. Register now to hear answers to questions like:

• What are the hearing assistance considerations when planning a meeting space or classroom?
• Has hearing assist technology kept up with end user requirements?
• What are the meeting space and classroom requirements for ADA compliance?

The eminently qualified panel will address these questions and many more during this 90-minute roundtable seminar. Panelists will include:

• Lise Hamlin: Director of Public Policy, Hearing Loss Association of America
• Linda Kozma-Spytek: Consultant & Professional Advisor on Technology, Hearing Loss Association of America
• Nick Mitchell: Vice President, Sales Support Group (North America), Diversified
• Jonathan Owens, CTS-D: Senior Associate, Shen Milsom & Wilke
• Bob Smith: Director of Classroom Innovation, Stanford University

[Sennheiser Launches TeamConnect Intelligent Speaker for Microsoft Teams Rooms]

The roundtable discussion is open to all and will be moderated by David Missall, insights manager consultants & technical application engineer manager, Sennheiser. “I’m really looking forward to hosting this roundtable discussion on an important topic. We have a great panel of experts that are highly qualified to discuss the needs of the hearing loss community in public spaces and how technology is or is not meeting these challenges."

The Senate Video Facility at the Senate of Pennsylvania provides citizens with government transparency through gavel-to-gavel television coverage of Senate sessions plus select committee meetings and public hearings. Wanting to enhance accessibility for hard-of-hearing individuals, the Senate chose the enCaption system from ENCO to provide automated closed captioning for its TV operations. enCaption has also enabled the Senate to provide in-room open captions for hard-of-hearing meeting participants on an as-needed basis.

[AV Designers and Integrators Discuss ADA Compliance]

The Senate’s initial closed captioning efforts many years ago pulled data from the court reporter’s transcription system, but the technology was not sufficiently mature and the results were unreliable. The closed captioning initiative came back to the forefront years later, with both the majority and minority leaders wanting to make the sessions more accessible to constituents.

The Senate Video Facility first considered using a captioning service provider with human transcribers, but ongoing scheduling challenges proved problematic. “With such services, we would need to book captioners in advance,” explained Dave Costanza, the CBNT (Certified Broadcast Networking Technologist) engineer who heads up the Senate’s broadcasting operations. “But while our sessions officially have scheduled start times, other scheduling variables made that option undesirable.”

Automated, Alternative Approach

Costanza had already discovered an alternative approach, having previously seen an early version of enCaption. Hard of hearing himself, he has a personal appreciation for captioning and had made a mental note of the solution. The Senate team requested an evaluation unit of enCaption to try in the Chamber, and with it working successfully and proving less costly than live captioners, decided to keep it.

The Senate Video Facility has since expanded to using four enCaption systems, spanning the Chamber and three hearing rooms. Each space has remotely controlled cameras feeding video switchers, with the program audio feed routed to the enCaption system. The resulting captions are fed to an external encoder for incorporation into the final video signal, which in turn is sent to government and public affairs channel Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) for distribution throughout the state. 

“Our workflow couldn’t get much simpler,” said Costanza. “We just take the audio of our program out and feed it right into enCaption, and away it goes.”

From “On Television” to “In-Room AV”

The Senate Video Facility has also put enCaption to work for its occasional in-room captioning needs, including the Senate’s annual budget hearings. One of the participants who regularly testifies at the meetings is hard of hearing, leading to the need for openly displayed captions. “We had previously handled this through a service provider but faced the same type of scheduling issues, and they also needed an internet connection in the room,” explained Costanza. “Now, our caption encoder can output both open and closed captions from the data that enCaption sends it, so we display the open captions on large monitors that face the audience in the room.”

The What: AmpliVox Sound Systems has introduced the new Crescent Digital Adjustable ADA Workstation with a large work surface and digital height control to make it easy for workers to switch from sitting to standing throughout their work day. The workstation is also compliant with the standards of the American with Disabilities Act to accommodate workers in wheelchairs.

The What Else: The AmpliVox Crescent Adjustable Workstation makes it easy to switch from sitting to standing and back to sitting with an intelligent digital control that can be programmed to remember height settings. It even has visual reminders for the worker to switch height positions periodically.

[The Integration Guide to Conferencing and Collaboration]

Amplivox says the SD5430 Crescent Workstation has a multitude of worker-friendly features including a large, 54-inch x 30-inch work surface to holds all of the users' equipment and projects and whisper-quiet motors, heavy lifting capacity, and stable frame with leveling guides.

The Bottom Line: The AmpliVox Crescent Adjustable Workstation adjusts from 24- to 49-inches with intuitive electronic control paddle, and has a 1.25-inch tabletop to hold up to 325 lbs. The product comes with a six-year warranty.

In every business there is an essential need for getting large displays added to fit their strategies and meet their objectives. No matter what vertical you may be in, the need to accurately display information for your staff or clients is an essential part of the digital experience that people crave. With smartphones being such a part of our lifestyle, having displays gives people the gratification of getting information through digital media. 

Conveying the best content requires having a large canvas available to you. The larger canvas brings higher and clearer resolutions to showcase content to its highest quality. While 8k content is rare to find and difficult to produce, 4k is the best realistic option for anyone to create. Thus, comes the need for ultra-large 4k displays to be utilized properly in commercial settings. 

Certifications for Mounts

When installing large-format displays, it is critical to choose the right mounting solution that can handle all of the weight and dimensions of a display. 

Large displays can be used as digital signage points in public places or as a digital work board at the front of a conference room. For public spaces such as venues, shopping malls, and university campuses, it is important to find out whether your mounting solution is ADA compliant or whether it can be recessed to meet the 4-inch depth requirement to avoid accidents and hazards. TAA compliancy for large-format mounts is also important when looking to be installed in government facilities. 

[AV Designers and Integrators Discuss ADA Compliance]

When dealing with heavy displays, the government wants to ensure that the mount was manufactured in a country that prioritizes safety for the intended users in critical information technology positions. OSHPD grants a certification that is rising in popularity for states that endure instances of seismic activity. For a mounting solution this means that the hardware will withstand earthquakes meaning displays and hardware will stay fixed as the building around it shakes, rattles, and rolls. 

The last and final certification that someone should look for is for the mounting solution to be UL listed. Being UL listed means that the mount meets high safety rating standards and can be seen as a stamp of approval on a quality solution. While these certifications are all critical in determining a mounting solution, thinking about the installation and environment is another key part in determining which solution you should use. 

Mounting Large-Format Displays on the Wall

The installation of large displays can be a cumbersome task. Outside of the extremely heavy weights, the overall size and bulk of the displays calls for heaving lifting. This means there often has to be an installation team of two to three individuals who need to handle the display safely. When mounting to a wall surface or a cart, utilize a mount that can be fastened and linearly adjusted on the wall before applying VESA brackets and then the display itself. 

[The Integration Guide to Flat Panel Displays and Mounts]

With installation brings service of power and data being ran to the monitors. Traditionally displays that need servicing have to be fully removed from the wall and then reattached upon completion. To avoid having to send a three-person crew just to service the display, look for mounting solutions that either articulate away from the wall surface or have forward extension built into them. This will allow for a single person to safely pull the weighted display away from the wall and have full access to the cabling of power and data. Utilizing pneumatics can ease the tension of weight when pulling away from the wall and the use of an integrated in-wall gearbox can make things much easier over the life of the display’s usage. 

Mobile Mounts for Large-Format Displays

Large format displays can also be maximized by moving them from room to room. Traditional carts and stands will need to incorporate newer solutions that have the necessary weight capacities along with center massed anchors that minimize tipping hazards when displays sit 20- to 60-inches off the ground. Along with the safe positioning, maneuverability must be considered when placing large-format displays on mobile carts. Only certain sized cart bases will fit through doorways and is a consideration that needs to be through of when utilizing displays in corporate, education, and live event applications in the future. 

As displays change their footprint, so will the mounting solutions that accompany them. Solutions are available out in the market today, but manufacturers will continue to innovate and design solutions that will be used as displays continue to expand over the next five to ten years. 

When MKJ Communications started engineering and installing critical communications systems in large public transportation hubs like LaGuardia Airport, the most current audio distribution solution used CobraNet technology to deliver audio and video signals over IP networks. For many of these projects, MKJ relied on AtlasIED’s extensive portfolio of CobraNet-compliant communications products.

“AtlasIED’s GlobalCom.IP mass communications ecosystem provides us with a full range of CobraNet-compliant products that meet the stringent paging, messaging, and emergency notification demands of public transportation facilities,” said John Massaro, vice president engineering and operations at MKJ Communications.

Airport Renovation Opens the Door for Dante

While MKJ’s affinity for AtlasIED GlobalCom.IP communications solutions hasn’t changed, today, the company’s choice audio-over-IP mass communications system follows the newer Dante protocol.

“Not that there’s anything wrong with CobraNet,” said Massaro. Many of MKJ’s large transportation projects still function admirably via the CobraNet-based communications platform. But when airports and other transportation facilities update or add new terminals, it’s the ideal time to migrate to a new and more modern audio-over-IP standard like Dante.

Turning AV over IP challenges into opportunities

[The Technology Manager's Guide to the State of AV Over IP]

“The technology has strong backing of more than 2,000 products from more than 400 manufacturers, including AtlasIED, and any products developed in the future are likely to adhere to Dante,” Massaro continued. Moreover, the transition to Dante as the de facto audio-over-IP standard may eventually leave systems integrators with a shrinking number of CobraNet options.

CobraNet Keeps Communicating at Existing Terminals

Still, CobraNet has its place—and that place currently is throughout many of the existing terminals at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The technology continues to seamlessly connect microphone stations, processors, amplifiers, and speakers for efficient multichannel distribution of digital audio. “In the few existing terminals left at the airport, CobraNet continues to facilitate distribution of critical communications for boarding, paging, and emergency notification,” said Massaro. “In transportation facilities like LaGuardia, where upgrades happen infrequently and systems are used for 20 years before they get replaced, CobraNet is still relatively popular. But when areas of the airport do undergo a major renovation, it makes sense to install that latest technology, which today is Dante.”

Embracing IT innovations for AV applications

Uniting Legacy and Leading-Edge Audio-over-IP Platforms

Fortunately, the two protocols can be easily integrated via a network bridge, which MKJ deployed in its $4 million-plus overhaul of Terminals B, C, and D. Equipment comprising the new gate paging and flight announcement systems installed in these terminals are all Dante-compliant, and from AtlasIED’s GlobalCom.IP portfolio. Thanks to the networking bridge, the Dante systems can interoperate with the CobraNet equipment used in the existing terminals and concourses, creating one unified communications network.

“To airport personnel, the only noticeable difference between the two systems is the lower latency of the Dante network and the intuitiveness of the Dante controller’s graphical user interface,” said Massaro. “Digital audio signals traveling from microphone to speaker do so with near-zero latency, and airport staff are able to master the communications controls faster.”

Considerations for delivering real-time AV over IP

Innovative Airport Messaging

Dante also offered MKJ the opportunity to provide audible messaging for the hearing impaired. In the upgraded terminals, MKJ installed inductive hearing loops, which interface directly with the Dante communications system and AtlasIED’s GCK 3.0 notification software.

The GCK 3.0 software also supports customization and automation of messages. “Through the software, we can steer announcements to certain amplifiers, play back recorded messages in any language, automate the boarding process, and convert text messages to speech, for example,” said Benny Ameti, MKJ senior engineer.

[AV Designers and Integrators Discuss ADA Compliance]

This helps with ADA compliance, a feature unique to GlobalCom.IP. Because Dante facilitates the distribution of both digital audio and video signals, MKJ was able to implement innovative visual messaging solutions that complement audio broadcasts. For example, to help travelers with hearing impairments, digital signage automatically displays messages being broadcast audibly. This same signage can be used for wayfinding applications, like directing people to the nearest airport exit during an emergency.

Improving digital signage installations with AV over IP technology

Phasing in Dante, Keeping CobraNet

Legacy and leading-edge technologies like CobraNet and Dante can coexist peacefully, as MKJ demonstrates in the initial phases of its communications upgrade of several terminals at LaGuardia Airport. For markets like the transportation industry, which roll out expansion projects in multiple phases, being able to bridge old and new communications networks keeps the facility operating at full capacity while the upgrades are rolled out. 

No matter which Dante-based AtlasIED amplifiers, microphone stations, controllers, and communications endpoints MKJ installs, audio broadcasts can be shared seamlessly between the existing CobraNet-based network and new Dante network.

Hawthorne Elementary School in DeKalb County, GA recently renovated its media center. With new furniture, power and data were required at each collaboration table. The tables are used by both students and faculty and are essential for working in groups. Also essential was ensuring ADA compliance for the space.

The challenge was avoiding trip hazards in the media center. Nisewonger AV looked at several options for getting power and AV to the collaboration tables, and selected FSR Smart-Way to meet the project’s demands.

Smart-Way features a low profile and has the capacity to carry both data and power. Nisewonger AV demonstrated the Smart-Way system by laying out the raceway for the Hawthorne Elementary principal Lisa Limoncelli. 

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Campus Tech 

“Hawthorne had a plan for use when we installed the tables with access to power and USB ports,” Limoncelli said. “Unfortunately, we did not have a way to execute that plan. We had several ideas but nothing that was a good fit. Fortunately, Nisewonger kept looking for a solution for us and found out about Smart-Way. Having an easy and low-profile way to bring power to the tables has enabled us to use them the way we had intended.”

Nisewonger AV used 25 feet of the Smart-Way Raceway with a 90-degree corner, bringing power and data to three tables with a total of four electrical outlets. The Smart-Way system provides the ability to have power for charging devices. This accessibility makes the collaboration space efficient for both setup and the collaboration session. There is no need to search for an outlet; AV and data connections are also available through the Smart-Way system.

“Our main goal for installing Smart-Way was to have power in the tables we installed in our media center,” Limoncelli said. “The power would allow students to plug in their Chromebooks, tablets, etc. and work on projects together or independently. The power provided by the Smart-Way system also allowed teachers to conduct small group lessons with the ability to stream in video, use videoconferencing, and provide demonstrations on a large monitor that was connected to the tables. An added bonus we found was an additional meeting space with the ability to use the large monitor and go over documents and data with teachers, parents, therapists, etc. Overall, the Smart-Way system has enhanced our instruction and accessibility to in- formation by making the use of technology seamless.

“The Smart-Way system has allowed teachers to pull small groups of students for individualized instruction and still have access to the same technology that their peers are using in the classroom. The Smart-Way system enables our students to work with technology collaboratively by sharing research, coding solutions, web-based learning, and interactive videos, without the inconvenience of being confined to the classroom charging cart.”

The What: FSR recently launched a new on-floor wire-management solution. The company’s new Smart-Way On-Floor Raceway System for wire management is designed to install on top of any flooring, offering users a quick and affordable installation.

The What Else: The raceway compartments provide ample space for power, communications, and AV connectivity with capacity to hold 14 12 AWG (0.130-inch diameter) power conductors, and nine Cat-5E (0.215-inch diameter), or five Cat-6A (0.250-inch diameter) data cables.

The Smart-Way is 0.5 inches high, ADA compliant, available in slate-gray or bright aluminum finishes, and is sold in 6-foot sections. Its design includes centering V-grooves in the track to locate pilot/clearance holes for securing fasteners, adding to the ease of installation, and an optional Elbow Kit is available to make 45 or 90-degree angles that don’t compromise the minimal bend radius of wire.

“FSR is known as the industry’s leading provider of floor boxes, but really our main goal is to offer customers real-world solutions for anywhere AV, power, and data enter a room, whether it’s ceilings, floors or walls,” said Jan Sandri, FSR president. “At this year’s InfoComm show, we were very excited to launch a brand-new product that significantly expands our offerings: our Smart-Way Floor Raceway System. It’s the most cost-effective and easiest way to get your power, data, and AV across the room to where you really need it.”

The Bottom Line: The raceway is intended for offices, conference rooms, collaborative work environments, or anywhere wire management is desired. The Smart-Way On-Floor Raceway System is expected to ship August 15, 2019.

The What: Middle Atlantic Products has expanded its FlexView Series line with new FlexView Series IFP display carts that incorporate device mounting and built-in power distribution. The new professional display carts are engineered to support IFPs and larger displays ranging from 60 to 102 inches with a large VESA mounting and a weight capacity of up to 300 pounds, accommodating even the 84-inch Microsoft Hub. The new FlexView Series IFP display carts will be on display at InfoComm 2018 in Legrand’s booth C3683.

The What Else: The new display cart lineup is available in a wide array of colors, with optional finishes in high-pressure laminate (HPL) colors including new textured, metallic HPLs, to allow presentation, collaboration, and digital signage technology to blend into surrounding environments and to serve a broader range of customer AV needs. With these options, the series can correspond with preconfigured technical furniture solutions, enabling cohesive designs for any learning or meeting space.

“While touchpanels and IFPs are becoming the new standard for education and corporate environments, mounting them can be tricky and the available solutions don’t address the design requirements that are important to end users,” said Brett Leatherwood, product manager for display mounts, Middle Atlantic Products. “Resolving those problems were at the heart of the FlexView Series IFP design. Not only do they feature secure mounting and robust storage and power capabilities required by today’s most popular IFP displays, they boost the aesthetic standard for mobile AV carts and digital signage solutions with attractive finishes and offer height-adjustable options, making it easy to comply with ADA access guidelines.”

The Flexview expansion offers both fixed and height adjustable solutions. The height-adjustable cart models are equipped with the company’s e-lift feature and comply with ADA regulations (section 308) regarding reach ranges. The height adjustability from 40 to 60 inches to the center of the display is paired with a scalloped base, which ensures unimpeded access for interacting with the screen up close and at the desired ergonomic setting that’s comfortable for each user.

The Bottom Line: The system design optimizes each cart model for maximum uptime and reliability with premium storage, passive thermal management, and 8 outlet power distribution with surge protection, according to the company. FlexView Series IFP carts provide equipment storage with 2RU vertical mounting and a removable, tool-free Lever Lock for small-device mounting. Heavy duty, locking four-inch casters make mobility easy, and the carts’ UL rating ensures the safety of the solution.

Accessory camera mounts and soundbar brackets are available as enhancements, as are leveling feet that allow users to quickly convert a cart to a stand.

When the core of your business is audio and visual, remember an inherent handicap: not everyone can hear or see perfectly. According to the most recent statistics, approximately 15 percent of American adults (37.5 million) aged 18 and over report hearing difficulties. Meanwhile, it’s estimated that 1.3 million people in the U.S. are legally blind.

These unfortunate statistics have long mattered to AV integrators whose installations must meet requirements set down by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the civil rights law first established in 1990 that prohibits discrimination based on disability. Increasingly, AV integrators are seeing the scope widen in an interesting way, with corporate clients requesting AV environments that are accessible to the hearing and vision impaired, even when not specifically required by the ADA.

There is frequently confusion between the ADA and its broader accessibility umbrella. “Accessibility is a generic term that refers to an environment where people with and without disabilities would be accommodated in activities such as getting into and out of a space or building, reaching objects and controls, and operating systems such as audiovisual systems,” said Timothy Cape, CTS-D, principal consultant for Technitect, a technology design and management consulting firm. “ADA Compliance is a term that refers to environments that adhere to the ADA laws and guidelines, providing ‘substantially equivalent or greater accessibility and usability.’

Understanding how to incorporate accessibility solutions for the hearing and vision impaired—such as assistive listening, audio description, and closed captioning—is proving to be helpful in behind-the-scenes corporate projects including boardrooms and videoconferencing. “Most major organizations are looking into accommodations now or have them already,” said Dave Watts, marketing manager for EEG, a closed captioning solutions provider. “Last year we helped a tech giant in Seattle deliver live captions to about 100 meeting rooms across five cities for a large corporate summit they had planned. The EEG encoders used for the project were virtual, which kept their costs down and also allowed them to implement the solution with very little lead time as there was no hardware to ship.

“The infrastructure for captioning can be more widely used now more than ever because of the recent emergence of inexpensive and relatively high-quality automatic speech recognition technology,” Watts continued. “Now professional transcriptionists can be used to cover high profile events, and automatic captioning can be used to fill in gaps when needed.”

Along with captioning of video, another solution for the hard of hearing are assistive listening devices (ALD), which are used to improve hearing ability for people who are in situations where they can’t distinguish speech from noise. The DURATEQ is a ruggedized handheld device from technology provider Softeq that is frequently used at major attractions and national parks, providing amplified audio via an FM transmitter, as well as the ability to connect with hearing aids.

Softeq’s DURATEQ can also be used to assist the visually impaired by connecting to audio description services, which augments experiences via live or recorded speech that describes the surrounding environment. “There are professional audio describers that go into a space and describe meaningful content to people who are not sighted,” said Paul Fruia, VP of engineering for Softeq. “In a museum, for example, they would describe the dimensions of the space, provide perspective on where things are located like exhibit locations and exits, and add details like, ‘the floor has a lush green shag carpet.’”

If a blind board member were in a meeting where there’s just vocalization, then there would not be a need for audio description. However, if there’s a presentation involving graphics or video, then there would be a need for that service in the boardroom. “There are two ways to approach that,” Fruia explained. “If it’s a PowerPoint presentation made by an employee, and there’s no audio description built into it, you would need an audio describer who can see and hear what’s going on—perhaps via video on a platform like Webex—and would speak into a microphone. The blind person who’s wearing the device would then hear that audio description in conjunction with the main program.”

“The other option is that if the audio visual program is professionally created, it could be a requirement that it includes the audio description track, as well as captioning. The film industry is starting to integrate this content more frequently onto separate channels, and large corporations are probably considering this as well for their marketing pieces,” Fruia predicted.

Providing captioning for a hearing-impaired board member could have multiple signal paths, as well. “All of our live AV accessibility solutions work by delivering an audio reference of the input video to a choice of a contracted human captioning service or to our automatic captioning service, Lexi, over a standard broadband connection—in real-time, these services return a text transcription of your audio over the very same connection,” said EEG’s Watts. “If the attendee is remote and the video is being streamed, the stream can be directed to our cloud-hosted caption encoding service, Falcon, simply by entering the provided ingest URL into your streaming media encoder settings. This will route the live RTMP stream to Falcon, which will handle the audio/caption exchange, then forwarding the fully captioned RTMP stream to the designated streaming service. Our Captioncast module also enables attendees to view the captions on personal devices, simply by visiting a unique URL which we create for each customer.”

As greater demand for accessibility continues to emerge on the corporate level, AV integrators who come in prepared stand to save the project time and money—while ensuring a full experience for all. “Knowledge of ADA design requirements, and the many exceptions, can make design of AV systems in compliance from the beginning of a project, rather than having to redesign and/or reinstall parts of the system during installation or after it is completed,” Cape pointed out. “Including ADA in the design process can also simply make a good impression on clients—both architects and owners—who are required to have these accommodations in their spaces. It helps system owners to comply with the law, and fulfill its intent, which is to remove barriers for people with disabilities, allowing for access and participation in events and services that might not have been possible otherwise.”

Want to see growth in your systems integration business? Listen up. Consider the particular applications that are ideal for ALDs (assistive listening devices): venues/rooms where it may be difficult for many people to distinguish speech from a variety of noises.

Audio over IP has long been embraced by audio professionals as the dominant method for distributing sound over large areas and in commercial buildings and spaces, noted Andrew Glasmacher, product training manager, Listen Technologies. “Cat-5 is efficient and easy to run, and it allows for multiple channels of audio. A companion to this technology is the integration of smart devices into these audio networks. It makes sense that assistive listening technology would follow the same protocols.”

Assistive listening via Wi-Fi utilizing one’s smartphone or smart device is the technology most poised for growth in many applications, he added. “It was not without its challenges: latency was a major stumbling block. Latency is the delay of a signal reaching the listener, and delay seriously affects intelligibility. Recent advances in Wi-Fi audio technology have reduced latency to an acceptable level making it a viable and practical option when it comes to assistive listening.”

The growing number of Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids on today’s market serves to expand the demand for Wi-Fi audio. “A smartphone or smart device could now potentially stream Wi-Fi audio directly to a person’s hearing aids,” Glasmacher said, “taking advantage of those hearing aids’ customized tuning, and increasing convenience and discreet assistive listening by eliminating the need for the user to wear any other headset.”

Always Be Compliant

Which applications require the technology for ADA compliance?

“In each assembly area where audible communications are integral to the use of the space, an assistive listening system shall be provided,” Glasmacher said, quoting the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. “This typically includes, but is not limited to, classrooms, lecture halls, courtrooms, public meeting rooms, motion picture houses, theaters, and auditoria.”

In fact, compliance goes beyond what the law says; it’s a matter of social responsibility, according to Kevin Stoner, general manager, Media Vision. “Any organization that wishes to convey meaning through audible communication should be aware that a large percentage of the population will not get it without assistance. Advertising the availability of these devices is also the right thing to do, whether the law mandates it or not, because most will not request help and will struggle in isolation.”

The investment, he added, is a small and sensitive one that has a significant benefit to quality of life. “Houses of worship have a true understanding of that, and they are one of our largest user groups. While churches are exempt from the ADA mandates on the provision of assistive listening devices, they tend to have an aging population in need, and proactively, they take the right steps to supply assistance. Not all private facilities are exempt, however. Large corporate training rooms must meet ADA standards, and this is a great thing because in the corporate world disabilities may be more hidden.”

At Sennheiser, new versions of MobileConnect and CinemaConnect apps for accessible streaming allow users to not only adjust volume but also to adapt speech intelligibility and sound quality to their particular requirements. These features were developed in close collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology.

“With MobileConnect and CinemaConnect, we have developed a new kind of technology for the real-time transmission of audio content,” said Jörn Erkau, managing director, Sennheiser Streaming Technologies. “In the future, cinema and theater goers will be using their own smartphones, which, with our apps, can serve as a receiver for accessibility solutions.”

Sennheiser is advancing the availability of assisted listening solutions for universities with its MobileConnect solution. By offering the ability to live stream audio via WiFi to a user’s own device, also known as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), the system is ideally suited to academic institutions wishing to quickly and cost effectively enable access to education to hearing impaired students.

“MobileConnect is a disruptive solution that elegantly rethinks accessibility,” said Xenios Maroudas, portfolio manager of business communication, Sennheiser. “MobileConnect utilizes existing network technologies and a BYOD approach. The system thus reduces the total cost of ownership for organizations such as universities by removing barriers to being able to offer a genuinely practical to the needs of hearing impaired students.”

The system’s ConnectStation is a streaming server providing near latency-free multichannel audio streaming over Wi-Fi in auditoriums, classrooms, theaters, and gymnasiums—wherever the campus Wi-Fi is available. The MobileConnect app makes the service intuitive to use and can also be tailored to a user’s particular hearing needs via the Personal Hearing Assistant, allowing users to adjust the volume and to adapt speech intelligibility as well as sound quality.

Caveats

While many clients are anxious to employ Wi-Fi as a cost-effective way to address their assistive listening requirements, there are some important parts of the ADA that should be considered, Glasmacher cautioned. “First, it is the responsibility of the venue to provide a specific number of assistive listening devices to its customers based on seating capacity. A person’s smartphone or smart device does not count as providing an assistive listening device. There are ways to approach this, however, such as acquiring inexpensive or refurbished smart devices that can be checked out by patrons, if needed. For house of worship applications, it may be possible to ask clergy members to donate old smart devices for this purpose.”

As we near the holiday season, airport travel is going to spike, typically causing added anxiety for passengers. However, as technology continually advances, airports can utilize various solutions to help alleviate some of the major pain points of traveling, such as navigating a crowded and confusing airport, printing boarding passes, and more.

Interactive Solutions to Enhance the Customer Experience
Implementing digital signage is one surefire way to simplify the passenger experience. Through the use of digital solutions, airports can share updated and accurate flight information, provide interactive mapping for wayfinding, and reduce perceived wait times for customers with shared entertainment. Interactive, self-serve kiosks can also allow users to check themselves in, print tickets, and locate facilities. By empowering the passenger, these interactive solutions can also reduce staffing and operational costs.

Airports often experience heavy levels of foot traffic, specifically in entryways, security lines, and boarding areas. It can be difficult to grasp the passenger’s attention with so many activities occurring at the same time, but these are also great places to share pertinent information. Digital signage displays offer the opportunity to constantly change content, and provide an eye-catching element that static signage simply cannot do.

Marketing Benefits
In addition to helping travelers stay informed, digital signage in airport settings can also benefit retailers, as ad options are endless with digital signage. Airports house a plethora of vendors and shops, including food and drink stands, restaurants, gift shops, apparel stores, and more. In utilizing digital signage, retailers have the ability to show multiple ads on one display and the opportunity to reach many different audiences.

Digital signage also reduces operational costs in that static signage needs to be continually printed, hung, and taken down again and again; digital signage can instantly be changed to reflect new sales and promotions.

What is ADA Compliance?
Beyond the vast benefits of integrated digital solutions in airport settings, it’s important to understand the qualifications and requirements that go into this type of product—specifically ADA compliance.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990 in order to prohibit discrimination and ensure equal access and opportunity for those with mental and physical disabilities in the areas of employment, public entities, public accommodations, commercial facilities, telecommunications, and more. Also, in 2010, additional provisional regulations were added to review the area of Accessible design—to ensure that public spaces have, among other accessibility features, clear pathways and curbed ramps.

What does this mean for airports?
For airport settings, these laws affect the planning of digital signage applications in various ways. For instance, there are restrictions surrounding how far a video wall can extend from a surface, as well as how low they can hang. There are also guidelines when it comes to touch-enabled solutions and accessibility.

To ensure an airport’s digital signage solutions are ADA compliant, integrators should look to the following:

Video Walls: Video walls that are between 27 and 80 inches off of the floor must be less than 4 inches off of the wall to allow for the visually impaired to safely and easily walk past.

Before slim and sleek displays were available, large and bulky displays made this regulation a bit more complicated. Many times integrators were tasked with recessing the display into the wall, which can take quite a bit of time and is costly.

With the introduction of slimmer and lighter displays—like Samsug’s commercial display units that measures about 2 inches or less in depth—integrations are much easier. Used alongside mounts that offer easy installation and maintenance, like the Peerless-AV SmartMount Full-Service Thin Video Wall Mount, it is much easier to meet ADA compliance.

Kiosks/Interactive Digital Displays: ADA regulations also apply to the construction and functionality of digital signage kiosks. If a device has touchscreen features, the maximum touch point cannot exceed 48 inches, with a max reach of 10 inches. A reach larger than this requires a shorter kiosk.

With enhanced technology, integrating ADA-compliant kiosks has become easier. Advanced IR sensors are used to determine height and cater the placement of touch items on displays in accordance with ADA regulations.

A multitude of additional options exist for compliance in digital signage, including voice-responsive software, Braille keyboards, and tactile signs.

For devices that offer payment functions, the ADA guidelines require that the numeric keys have a raised dot on the “5” key, and that the function keys visually pop out from the background.

Selecting and Positioning the Right Hardware
In any project—whether it’s for an airport install or elsewhere—it’s important to understand the cost implications that different solutions will incur. While it may be appealing to select a display at a lower price point, the result can be added maintenance and servicing fees, as well as needing a totally new, replacement unit earlier than planned.

Another point to consider is the accessibility of the display: Is it easily reachable on the wall, or is it on a high ceiling? Can the software be remotely updated? All these considerations will affect the total operational cost. Placement and product both have to be considered when implementing new digital signage.

Energy consumption of the display will also impact the overall operational cost: Will the display be powered by an LED or LCD display? LCD displays, which utilize the light modulating properties of crystals, do indeed use less energy than traditional tube displays. However, by moving to LED-backlit displays rather than traditional LCD displays, airports can find a further 30- to 60-percent reduction in energy and power consumption. This can be a huge savings for applications with multiple displays.

Overall Benefits to Implementing an ADA-Compliant Solution
Technology has become an integral part of most consumers’ every day life, helping to solve and alleviate all manner of problems—and the opportunities for airports are endless. Digital signage can provide personalized guest services like wayfinding and ticketing information, while simultaneously helping to market retailers within the terminals.

The What: Peerless-AV has launched a new line of vertical lift carts (SR584VL2, SR584VL3). Designed for corporate and education settings, the ADA-compliant, UL rated carts quickly adjust the height of interactive displays with the touch of a finger.

The What Else: In lieu of purchasing multiple displays for multiple rooms, schools and businesses can now order one display and create a mobile solution that is used in numerous classrooms and conference rooms upon need, saving time and money. The carts’ highly mobile solution uses 4 inch lockable casters, corner bumpers to prevent damage to walls and doors, integrated handles to help maneuver the cart, and an extension cord wrap for fast deployment.

Other features include height adjustment up to 15.75 inches (400mm) with the touch of a finger; lockable rear enclosure for storage of a PC, power supply, and cabling; capacity to add an external Wi-Fi antenna; accommodation for displays ranging from 90.2 to 209 pounds; and UL rating for safety assurance, passing tip, load, and drag testing. For huddle rooms or conference rooms dedicated to collaboration, Peerless-AV also offers a line of vertical lift wall mounts (SF684VL2, SF684VL3).

The Bottom Line: ADA compliance is a crucial consideration when deploying interactive displays in education and corporate environments. Meeting the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, Section 308, Peerless-AV’s new vertical lift carts allow users to raise or lower a display to their preferred height or for wheelchair accessibility.

New York City took a significant step forward in civic engagement in March when Mayor Bill de Blasio signed new legislation that requires hearing loop technology to be installed in public assembly areas constructed or renovated using city dollars—to the tune of at least $950,000. The law, said to affect close to 300 current projects, is believed to be the first enacted by a major municipality and is intended to ensure that that all public meetings be held in facilities equipped with assistive listening systems.

Listen Technologies and its partner Ampetronic have played a part in cementing hearing loop technology as a standard, advocating with others to bring about changes in the American National Standards Institute’s A117.1 standard, which is legally enforceable in most states.

“There’s more attention to hearing loss than ever before, because it is the numberone disability,” said Peter Papageorge, vice president of sales and marketing, Americas for Listen Technologies. Papageorge has seen a shift in discourse about hearing disabilities both among end users and AV contractors and designers over the past 18 to 24 months. Now, he said, the attitude is: “We need to do this, as opposed to, we have to do this.”

That change is due in no small part to the work of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), an advocate for induction loop technology. But New York’s new so-called Hearing Loops bill (officially named Int. 882-A) does not focus solely on loop technology. It also states that the mayor must post on his office’s website, beginning mid- 2018, “a list with the locations of facilities owned or operated by the city at which an assistive listening system such as an induction loop, infrared, FM, or other type of system, is permanently available or in the process of being installed.”

Listen Technologies and its partner Ampetronic have also played a part in cementing loop technology as a standard, advocating with others to bring about changes in the American National Standards Institute’s A117.1 standard, which is legally enforceable in most states. ANSI A117.1 codifies the IEC 60118-4 international performance standard and makes it illegal to install a sub-standard hearing loop. The standard states that ignorance of the law is no excuse for noncompliance, and those responsible may be subject to criminal or civil penalties.

Tony Strong, national sales manager for Williams Sound, also noted that it has become easier than ever to file a complaint about public facilities that do not comply with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations at ada. gov. “Everyone complains there is no ADA police. The Department of Justice is the ADA police, and there are ADA administration offices in major cities all over the country,” he said.

“If you are found to not be in compliance, they’ll write you a letter and you will have 30 or 60 days to remedy the situation. If not, then you face a fine,” said Strong. The 2010 revisions to the ADA, which went into effect in 2012, stipulate a civil penalty under title III of up to $75,000 for the first violation and up to $150,000 for any subsequent violation.

Yet, despite legislation and increased advocacy for those with some level of hearing disability (about 20 percent of the U.S. population, according to the HLAA), not everyone is aware of the regulations or the penalties. “Every [assistive listening system] manufacturer has a calculator on its website or its sales team has one” to calculate what equipment is legally required for how many hearing-impaired people at any applicable location according to the ADA, said Curtiss D. Singleton, vice president of sales, the Americas, at Media Vision. “But from my experience, many resellers have no idea that there are these ADA requirements. There are consultants that have no idea that these requirements stand, based around the 2012 update.”

Media Vision’s MV-ALS-SYS4 four-user assistive listening system for ADA compliance

Consequently, said Singleton, “Every project we quote to our resellers where ADA is required, we automatically quote it. It has nothing to do with trying to sell more ALS [assistive listening system] equipment—it’s a discussion topic. It’s up to the reseller to take that to their customer and let them know.”

According to Strong, awareness varies depending upon whether he is talking to an integrator’s engineers or its sales people. “The engineers know that it is required. But on the sales side, they’re still saying that people don’t use it or don’t ask for it—which is a cop-out. If you have something that you know is required by law and this is the customer that needs it—they have a public venue with a public assembly area and they use amplification—but you still don’t present it, you’re leaving money on the table. And you’re doing your client a disservice,” he said.

ALS equipment makers are beginning to add DECT wireless products operating in the unlicensed 1.9GHz band to more traditional loop, IR, FM, and WiFi systems. Each has its applications, but price is often the ultimate deciding factor, and that can be challenging for manufacturers when a customer is interested in merely meeting the law’s minimum requirements.

The ALS sector is evolving beyond hearing aids as users, especially younger ones, discover new applications for the products. Indeed, there is a schism in the market, said Strong. On one side are those favoring older loop technology. “But now we’re seeing those who aren’t necessarily trying to outfit hearing aids but are trying to get assistive listening or a secondary language or college campus information in a way that they are used to understanding, using their cellphones.”

Hearing impairment is perhaps the most common disability affecting Americans—20 percent or more by some counts— yet it receives far less attention than more apparent conditions. As a result, accommodating those with hearing impairment has generally not been as high of a priority among contractors, venue owners, and the public at large as it could be. This is changing, as awareness has increased and more advanced assistive listening solutions have been brought to market, but it is still a slow uphill climb to get the industry on board. This has become the central mission of Listen Technologies since its founding in the late ’90s, and we are proud to be helping drive the dialogue while serving the marketplace.

NAME:Cory Schaeffer

TITLE: Vice President of Business Development

COMPANY:Listen Technologies

DIRECTION: The essence of Listen has been driven by Schaeffer’s passion for connecting people to positive experiences. This passion has not only fueled Listen’s growth worldwide, but more importantly it has influenced the culture at Listen Technologies.

We recently debuted our iDSP (Intelligent Digital Signal Processing) products, and we believe them to be a game-changer. In creating these solutions, we considered all aspects of how the product would be used, focusing on the end-user experience and, at the venue, ease of dispensing, inventory management, and battery management—all based on input from consultants, system integrators, venue owners, and end users. The iDSP 72MHz receiver revolutionizes how an RF system works, offering precise clarity with 20 dB less hiss than other RF receivers. The result is a significantly improved listening experience.

In the years leading up to these products’ introduction, I learned quite a bit by doing my own field research on assistive listening. I made a habit of asking to use the solutions offered by different venues. I got to experience our products and those of our competitors in the real world. I asked venues and those with hearing loss what problems they regularly face. Venues noted problems with battery life—for instance, a performance of Les Miserables lasts three hours, so venues would have to swap out a device for one with a fully charged battery at intermission. Because of this, we knew the iDSP would need a lithium ion battery, offering longer and more reliable performance.

I also found that some venues, although well meaning, did not have a real grasp on the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines, which state that 25 percent of assistive listening devices need to be compatible with hearing aids and telecoil components. They were simply not held accountable to full compliance to that end. So with our iDSP products, we included an integrated neck loop to serve people who have hearing aids and cochlear implants with telecoils—they’re ALL hearing aid-compatible, so venues will be in full compliance without having to worry about it.

We also tried to focus on other features some might overlook. Those with hearing loss understandably don’t want to draw undue attention, so we made the elements small, light, and easily concealable (half the size and weight of anything else on the market). Additionally, the units can be easily programmed and designated for different “zones” and users. For example, instead of “Channel A” and “Channel B” marking different frequencies, the devices can be labeled “Sanctuary”, “Cry Room”, etc. We also made the battery changing station multi-featured and foolproof, with a number of intuitive settings and features. And perhaps most importantly, we made sure that the sound quality set a new standard for assistive listening devices in the field.

We (and others in the market) are listening to venues, contractors, and those using the devices day-to-day. We have responded with a set of products that better serve each of these parties. But true change will come only when contractors and venues take a more vested interest in offering the right solutions to their patrons. Again, no one person is at fault for a widespread pattern of negligence and ignorance about these topics—it’s a series of problems that has gone unchecked for years. But we are listening, and things are changing.