What Does Hearing Accessible Mean?
A hearing accessible venue, event, workplace or website gives people with hearing loss the same information everyone else gets, in a form they can use: sound sent straight to hearing aids, captions on the screen, interpreters when asked. Here is what the ADA requires, what to ask for in Florida, and how HLAA-FL helps venues get there.
Hearing accessible, in plain terms
"Hearing accessible" means a place or an event has removed the barriers that hearing loss creates. Sound is delivered clearly to people who use hearing aids and cochlear implants, spoken words are available as text for people who read better than they hear, and sign language interpreters are provided for people who use ASL. It also means staff know these tools exist and how to hand them out.
There is no single badge for it. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), state and local governments and most businesses and nonprofits must communicate as effectively with people who have hearing loss as they do with everyone else. How they do that depends on the setting, and the person with hearing loss gets a say in what works.
Source: ADA.gov: Effective communication
What is an assistive listening system?
An assistive listening system (ALS) sends the sound from a microphone or sound board directly to the listener, skipping the distance, echo and crowd noise between the speaker and the seats. There are three common types:
- Hearing loops (induction loops). A wire around the room sends the sound as a magnetic signal that any hearing aid or cochlear implant with a telecoil picks up directly. No receiver to borrow, nothing to return. Most people with hearing loss prefer loops because the sound arrives in their own aids, tuned to their loss.
- FM and radio systems. A transmitter broadcasts to small receivers the venue lends out, worn with headphones or, for hearing aid users, a neckloop that feeds the telecoil.
- Infrared systems. Same idea, using invisible light, which keeps the signal inside the room; common in courtrooms and theaters.
The ADA's 2010 Standards for Accessible Design, section 219, require an assistive listening system in every assembly area where audible communication is integral to the use of the space and audio amplification is provided: auditoriums, theaters, houses of worship, lecture halls, courtrooms, meeting rooms and similar spaces. Spaces with no amplification are exempt. The standards set the number of receivers by seat count (a room of 50 seats must have at least two), and at least 25 percent of receivers, never fewer than two, must be hearing aid compatible, meaning they work with a neckloop and a telecoil. A sign with the International Symbol of Access for Hearing Loss must tell people the system is available.
Sources: ADA 2010 Standards, sections 219 and 216.10 · U.S. Access Board guide: assistive listening signage · Hearing loops and telecoils in Florida
Captioning: CART and open captions
CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is a trained captioner writing what is said as it is said, shown on a screen in the room or streamed to a laptop, tablet or phone. It is the most accurate form of live captioning and the one to request for meetings, classes, conferences, medical appointments and government hearings.
Open captions are captions everyone sees, burned into a film or displayed on a screen at a performance. Closed captions can be turned on by the viewer. Movie theaters must offer captioning devices; a growing number of Florida theaters also schedule open-caption showings. Automatic captions from a phone app or a video platform are a helpful backup but not a substitute when accuracy matters.
Interpreters and the effective communication rule
The ADA requires covered organizations to provide "auxiliary aids and services" so that communication with a person who has a disability is as effective as communication with anyone else. For hearing loss, the ADA's own list includes qualified sign language and oral interpreters, real-time captioning (CART), open and closed captioning, assistive listening systems, written materials, and telephone relay services.
- State and local governments (Title II) must give primary consideration to the aid the person asks for.
- Businesses and nonprofits (Title III) should consult the person and may choose an equally effective alternative.
- The organization pays. It cannot charge you for an interpreter, captioner or receiver.
- An organization can decline only if a specific aid would be an undue burden or fundamentally change its service, and it must still offer another effective option.
Hospitals, doctors' offices, courts, schools, hotels, theaters, restaurants and government meetings in Florida are all covered. Ask in advance, in writing, and name the aid you need.
Source: ADA.gov: Effective communication · Hearing loss in medical settings
Hearing accessible workplaces and websites
At work
Employers with 15 or more employees must provide reasonable accommodations. For hearing loss that often means a captioned telephone or captioning app, CART or captions for meetings and training, a remote microphone that streams to your hearing aids, visual alerts for alarms and paging, and a quieter workspace. Put the request in writing to human resources and keep a copy.
Online
A hearing accessible website captions every video, provides transcripts for audio, and never makes sound the only way to get information. Live streams and webinars need live captions. Florida governments and organizations that host public meetings online should caption them and, on request, add an interpreter.
What to ask a venue in Florida
- Do you have an assistive listening system? Which kind: hearing loop, FM or infrared?
- If it is not a loop, do you have neckloop receivers for people with telecoils, and where do I pick one up?
- Is the system turned on and tested before every event? Who on staff knows how to use it?
- Do you offer captioning: CART for meetings, open-caption showings for films, captioning devices at the box office?
- How far in advance do I need to request an interpreter or CART, and who do I contact?
- Is the ticket counter or reception desk looped or fitted with a counter loop?
A venue that cannot answer these questions is probably not hearing accessible yet, whatever its website says. Ask kindly and ask early; most venues want to help and simply have not been asked.
How HLAA-FL helps venues become hearing accessible
HLAA-FL's hearing loop initiative works with houses of worship, theaters, government chambers and businesses across Florida to explain the options, connect them with qualified installers, and spread the word once a loop is in. Our chapters advocate for captions at public meetings and cinemas, and our members test systems and report what works.
If you manage a venue, or you are a member who wants your church or city hall looped, start with our loop initiative page or contact us. If you have been refused an accommodation, our advocacy page explains how to file a complaint.
HLAA-FL hearing loop initiative · Advocacy and your rights · Contact HLAA-FL
Hearing accessibility questions
Is a hearing loop required by the ADA?
Not specifically. The ADA 2010 Standards require an assistive listening system in assembly areas that use audio amplification, and the venue may choose a hearing loop, FM or infrared system. Whatever it chooses, at least 25 percent of the receivers, and never fewer than two, must be hearing aid compatible, meaning they work with a telecoil. Loops meet the requirement without receivers, which is why HLAA recommends them.
What is an assistive listening system?
A system that sends sound from the microphone or sound board directly to the listener, bypassing distance, echo and crowd noise. Hearing loops send it as a magnetic signal to a hearing aid's telecoil; FM and infrared systems send it to small receivers the venue lends out, used with headphones or a neckloop. The ADA requires one in assembly areas with amplified sound, with a sign showing it is available.
How do I request captions at an event?
Contact the organizer in writing as soon as you register, name the service you need (CART for live captioning, or open captions for a film), and say why: you have hearing loss and need captions for effective communication under the ADA. Ask who will confirm and by when. For government meetings in Florida, ask the clerk or ADA coordinator. The organizer pays; you cannot be charged for it.
Can a business refuse to provide an interpreter or captioner?
Only in narrow cases. A covered business or nonprofit must provide an aid that results in effective communication unless that specific aid would be an undue burden or fundamentally alter its service, and even then it must offer an alternative that works. It cannot ask you to bring your own interpreter, rely on a child to interpret, or charge you. Ask for the decision in writing if you are refused.
Help make Florida hearing accessible
Ask for a loop at your church, captions at your city meeting, a neckloop at your theater. HLAA-FL can help you make the case.