Hearing Accessibility in OLLI’s Reuter Center Classrooms
We strive to make our classrooms accessible to those with hearing loss. All rooms have installed microphones, and all of our instructors are asked to use microphones. We encourage students to let instructors know when they have trouble hearing or to let the OLLI staff know so that we can collaborate to provide the most accessible experience possible. In addition, most of our classrooms have assistive-listening options:
- Rooms 102A/B and 206: We have installed a hearing loop system that transmits directly to hearing aids with a T-coil; headset assistive-listening devices are also available on request. Please ask in the OLLI office, Reuter 208. You will be asked to leave a driver’s license or identification, which will be returned when you return the device.
- Rooms 205, 207 and 230: Individual hearing loops are available on request. Please ask in the OLLI office, Reuter 208. You will be asked to leave a driver’s license or identification, which will be returned when you return the device.
- Room 120: Speakers use a microphone.
Some References about Hearing Loops and T-Coils
Hearing loop systems transmit sound directly from a microphone into the telecoil (T-coil) in a hearing aid, bridging the distance between speaker and listener. They are increasingly common in lecture halls and other public spaces. View a video from the Hearing Loss Association of America that provides an overview.
Telecoils (T-coils) are built into most hearing aids currently on the market. If you consult with an audiologist, be sure to ask about T-coils. Read more about hearing loops and t-coils from the Hearing Loss Association of America.
Some References about Age-Related Hearing Loss: Why It Matters
- Approximately one in three people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss (Quick Statistics About Hearing)
- Nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing (source).
- Age-related hearing loss is gradual and may go unnoticed (source).
- Among adults aged 70 and older with hearing loss who could benefit from hearing aids, fewer than one in three (30%) has ever used them (source).
- Age-related hearing loss is reported to be a source of loneliness, isolation and decline in social activities, as well as communication disorders and dissatisfaction with family life (source).
Resources
- Learn more about age-related hearing loss from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Hearing Disorders can help determine whether further hearing tests are needed.
- Impact of Hearing Loss on the Quality of Life of Elderly Adults
- Untreated Hearing Loss in Adults—A Growing National Epidemic
- Impact of Hearing Loss on Communication Partners
Personal Sound Amplifiers
Personal sound amplifiers are not a substitute for hearing aids, but they can be useful in settings like a noisy restaurant. In classrooms or lecture halls, other assistive-listening devices are usually more helpful. Please note that OLLI offers the use of headset assistive listening devices in all of our classrooms. Please ask to borrow a device in the OLLI office in Room 208 of the Reuter Center. You will be asked to leave a driver’s license or identification, which will be returned when you return the device.
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