Addressing the Issue of Hearing Loss

Before installing an audio streaming solution to help your customers hear the audio they want, it’s important to be educated about the effects of hearing loss. Of the five human senses, hearing is the one that allows people to communicate with friends, family and coworkers and to enjoy entertainment. When we hear well it is a blessing, yet astonishingly, 1 in every 8 people over the age of 12 in the US has hearing loss in both ears. Age is a factor in hearing loss, particularly for people over 60, and men in that age group are twice as likely to suffer severe hearing loss as women.  

Hearing problems have significant effects on a person’s social life and sense of well being. Imagine the college student that can’t find a seat at the front of that huge classroom to hear the professor, or the parent attending their child’s school play, or one of your buddies who has joined you at the local pub to enjoy game day. Some people aren’t even aware that they have suffered hearing loss and when they do find out, it is very difficult to admit to others.  Oftentimes, people are reluctant to wear a hearing aid–afraid of the stigma or perception associated with them–which is why those with hearing loss can feel isolated.

Recognizing this chronic problem, some theaters such as Austin-based Alamo Drafthouse, are now offering open-captioned films for hearing impaired moviegoers.  While captioning is helpful in a movie theater, it’s not available for other group entertainment – concerts, speeches, rallies, lectures, plays, sports games, etc.  In those instances, WiFi audio streaming system would be more helpful.

Offering your hearing-impaired customers a solution that streams audio over WiFi to their cell phone provides a discreet and helpful way for them to hear what they want wherever they may be. If you’d like to learn more about audio solutions from AudioFetch, contact us!