Hearing Loops and Telecoils in Florida
A hearing loop sends the sound from a microphone straight into your hearing aid or cochlear implant, without the echo and chatter of the room. Here is how it works, how to switch your device to the T setting, and where Florida is looped.
What is a hearing loop?
A hearing loop (also called an audio induction loop) is an assistive listening system built into a room. A wire around the space, connected to a special amplifier, carries the sound from the venue's microphones as a magnetic signal. Any hearing aid or cochlear implant processor with a telecoil picks up that signal directly, so the speaker's voice arrives in your ears clean and clear, with no distance, no reverberation and no background noise. Nothing to borrow, nothing to pair, nothing to charge.
HLAA describes hearing loops as a form of hearing assistive technology that lets people with hearing loss take part more fully at work, in worship and at community events. Loops installed to the international standard (IEC 60118-4) deliver consistent sound throughout the room, including for people with severe to profound loss. That is why HLAA-FL has championed loops in Florida for years and why they remain the most widely used assistive listening system in churches, theaters and public buildings.
Source: HLAA: Hearing loop technology
What is a telecoil (t-coil)?
A telecoil is a small coil of wire inside a hearing aid or cochlear implant processor that turns the device into a wireless receiver. HLAA notes that about 70 percent of hearing aids have one, but it often ships switched off. Ask your audiologist to activate a telecoil program and show you how to select it. If you are buying new hearing aids, ask for a model with a telecoil and Bluetooth LE Audio; HLAA recommends both so you are covered in looped venues today and Auracast venues tomorrow.
Telecoils also work with the handset of most landline phones and with neckloops plugged into a smartphone, FM receiver or TV listener, so one program covers a lot of situations.
How to use a hearing loop
- Look for the blue ear symbol with a T at the entrance, at the counter or on the program. Ask staff whether the loop is switched on.
- Switch your hearing aids or processor to the telecoil program (often labeled T, or a loop icon in your app). Some devices have an M/T program that mixes the loop with the room microphone.
- Sit inside the looped area. Coverage is usually the main seating area; balconies and lobbies may not be included.
- If sound fades or hums, try a different seat or ask staff to check the amplifier. Tilting your head slightly can change signal strength.
- Tell the venue it helped. Staff rarely hear from loop users, and feedback keeps the system maintained.
No telecoil? Some looped venues lend portable loop receivers with headphones or earbuds. A telecoil-equipped neckloop with a smartphone, or a streamer from your hearing aid manufacturer, can also work.
Where hearing loops are in Florida
Florida has hundreds of looped venues, concentrated in the Sarasota and Manatee area, the Tampa Bay region, The Villages, Southwest Florida and Tallahassee, with others across the state. Loops are most common in three settings:
- Houses of worship: sanctuaries and chapels of many denominations, often the first place a community gets looped.
- Theaters and performing arts centers: main halls, cabarets, community theaters and some cinema screens.
- Government and public buildings: council chambers, courtrooms, libraries, senior centers and ticket counters.
Anywhere the ADA requires assistive listening (assembly areas with amplified sound), a loop is one way to comply, and HLAA's Get in the Hearing Loop program helps venues understand their obligations and options.
Looped venues in Florida
We are rebuilding our directory of looped venues in Florida as a searchable list by county, replacing the older lists on this site. If your church, theater, clubhouse or public building has a loop, or you know one that does, please tell us so we can include it.
HLAA's Get in the Hearing Loop program
Get in the Hearing Loop (GITHL) is HLAA's grassroots communication access program promoting hearing loops in public places. It supports people with hearing loss, advocates, venue operators and installers with education and consultation, including how loops fit ADA accessibility requirements. HLAA-FL members who want a loop in their church, clubhouse or city hall can use GITHL materials to make the case, and our chapters can help with demonstrations.
Source: HLAA: Get in the Hearing Loop
Hearing loop systems for churches and venues
If you run a church, theater or meeting room, a loop is the assistive listening option members actually use, because it works with the hearing aids already in their ears. A professional installation includes a site survey for metal interference, a loop driver sized for the room, wire placed under carpet or in the floor, and certification to the IEC 60118-4 standard. Costs depend on room size and construction; ask installers for a certified design, references from similar venues in Florida, and a commissioning report showing the measured field strength.
- Get more than one quote and ask each installer whether the design meets IEC 60118-4.
- Post the loop symbol at the entrance and in the bulletin, and train ushers to switch the system on.
- Add a counter loop at the information desk or ticket window; it is inexpensive and heavily used.
- Consider adding Auracast alongside the loop as more hearing aids support it, rather than instead of it.
HLAA-FL does not sell or install loops and does not endorse installers. We are glad to point venues to the national GITHL materials and to Florida members who can share their experience.
Hearing loop questions
How do I know if my hearing aids have a telecoil?
Check the manual or your hearing aid app for a T, telecoil or loop program, or ask your audiologist. About 70 percent of hearing aids include one, but it may not be activated. Very small in-the-canal models often lack a telecoil. If yours does not have one, a telecoil-equipped neckloop or a manufacturer streamer can connect you to loops.
Are hearing loop systems for churches expensive?
Cost depends on the size and construction of the room and whether the floor is open for wiring. A small chapel or counter loop costs far less than a large sanctuary with a balcony. Ask installers for a certified design to the IEC 60118-4 standard, references from similar Florida venues, and a commissioning report. HLAA's Get in the Hearing Loop program offers guidance for venues.
How do I find a hearing loop near me?
Look for the blue ear-with-T symbol at entrances and counters, and ask venues directly whether they are looped. In Florida, loops are most common in churches, performing arts centers and public buildings in the Sarasota and Manatee area, Tampa Bay, The Villages, Southwest Florida and Tallahassee. HLAA-FL is rebuilding its statewide looped venue directory and welcomes reports of looped locations.
Will Auracast replace hearing loops?
Not for a long time. HLAA notes that Auracast adoption is early, that many hearing aids in use today have no LE Audio support, and that loops and Auracast will coexist for the foreseeable future. Venues should keep their loops and add Auracast as demand grows. When buying hearing aids, choose a model with both a telecoil and Auracast support.
Is a venue required to provide a hearing loop?
The ADA requires assistive listening systems in assembly areas with amplified sound, such as theaters, auditoriums and council chambers, but does not require a loop specifically; FM, infrared or a loop can all meet the rule. Loops are popular because users need no extra equipment. Houses of worship are generally exempt from ADA Title III but many install loops voluntarily.
Help loop Florida
Volunteer with HLAA-FL's Hearing Loop Initiative, tell us about a looped venue, or ask your church or city hall to get in the hearing loop.