Hearing loops to boost council chamber accessibility

Published on 27 January 2022

West Wimmera Shire Council will install hearing loops at its Kaniva and Edenhope council chambers to better support those with hearing aids.  

At a special meeting on Thursday, Council agreed to spend $28,000 to install the hearing loops systems and buy a portable hearing system to use at other locations.

Mayor Bruce Meyer said it was a great initiative.

“This is a step forward for Council and it will provide better access for visitors with hearing aids,” he said.

Hearing loop is a special type of sound system for use by people with hearing aids. 

The system will be laid under the carpet, meaning each system is specifically designed for each room.

Individuals simply switch their devices to the telecoil program to automatically receive clear customized sound.

A hearing loop sends sound directly to a user’s hearing device, eliminating most background noise and greatly improving understanding of speech and music.

Cr Meyer said being able to hear well with a loop was inconspicuous and users did not stand out as being hard of hearing.

“This encourages participation and inclusion,” he said.

The portable hearing system provides users with a lanyard receiver that they wear around their neck and transmits the audio to their T-equipped hearing aids. Headphones can also be plugged into the lanyard.

Cr Meyer said the portable hearing loop system could be used in other facilities across the shire, particularly community halls.

“We have meetings in some halls where the acoustics are not ideal,” he said.

“This system will make our two council chambers very good, and a portable system will be great for us to shift around.”