Assistive Listening Devices - Amplifed phone w/ digital message center

What are Assistive Listening Devices?

An assistive listening device, or ALD, is any device or system that amplifies everyday sounds to overcome hearing difficulties caused by distance, background noise, or poor acoustics.

ALD's can be used alone or in combination with hearing aids, depending on your level of hearing impairment and the intended use or setting. For example, amplified telephones - wired, cordless, cell and digital - help to improve reception, balance soft/loud sounds, and filter background noise, and offer other useful features, such as visual cues for incoming calls and messages. There are also amplifiers for TV's, computers, answering machines, pagers and many other devices and appliances.

Other assistive technologies enable people to hear better in noisy environments by broadcasting sound directly from the source to the hearing-impaired listener. The best-known is the induction loop. "Looping" involves wiring an entire space, such as a TV room, classroom, or large public venue, to create an electromagnetic field that carries the primary sounds to a "telecoil" in hearing aids and other devices to help suppress the ambient noise that typically interferes with the listener's ability to 'tune in' to a TV program or hear a teacher, public speaker, or performer more clearly.

There are also ALDs specifically geared to children. In addition to personal amplification devices, FM, sound field, and looping systems are common classroom hearing technologies and can be adapted to the home.

The audiologists at Adobe Hearing Center, Oro Valley and Tanque Verde Audiology, and Tucson Audiologists can evaluate your child, recommend a hearing rehabilitation program, and advise on an appropriate combination of hearing aids and ALDs, as needed.

However, while assistive technologies can be very helpful, we do encourage you to consult with an audiologist before investing in any assistive device or system, for children or adults. Some ALD's are more appropriate for people with severe impairment or deafness than those with mild hearing loss, and can involve extensive installation and require training and practice to master. Unfortunately, there are individuals and companies that advertise amplifiers and other devices that do not 'assist' as advertised.

We can also advise you on insurance coverage and financial assistance.

For more information on assistive listening devices, please go to Hearing Resources.


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	What are Assistive Listening Devices? An assistive listening device, or ALD, is any device or system that amplifies everyday sounds to overcome hearing difficulties caused by distance, background noise, or poor acoustics. ALD's can be used alone or in combination with hearing aids, depending on your level of hearing impairment and the intended use or setting. For example, amplified telephones - wired, cordless, cell and digital - help to improve reception, balance soft/loud sounds, and filter background noise, and offer other useful features, such as visual cues for incoming calls and messages. There are also amplifiers for TV's, computers, answering machines, pagers and many other devices and appliances. Other assistive technologies enable people to hear better in noisy environments by broadcasting sound directly from the source to the hearing-impaired listener. The best-known is the induction loop. "Looping" involves wiring an entire space, such as a TV room, classroom, or large public venue, to create an electromagnetic field that carries the primary sounds to a "telecoil" in hearing aids and other devices to help suppress the ambient noise that typically interferes with the listener's ability to 'tune in' to a TV program or hear a teacher, public speaker, or performer more clearly. There are also ALDs specifically geared to children. In addition to personal amplification devices, FM, sound field, and looping systems are common classroom hearing technologies and can be adapted to the home. The audiologists at Adobe Hearing Center, Oro Valley and Tanque Verde Audiology, and Tucson Audiologists can evaluate your child, recommend a hearing rehabilitation program, and advise on an appropriate combination of hearing aids and ALDs, as needed. However, while assistive technologies can be very helpful, we do encourage you to consult with an audiologist before investing in any assistive device or system, for children or adults. Some ALD's are more appropriate for people with severe impairment or deafness than those with mild hearing loss, and can involve extensive installation and require training and practice to master. Unfortunately, there are individuals and companies that advertise amplifiers and other devices that do not 'assist' as advertised. We can also advise you on insurance coverage and financial assistance. For more information on assistive listening devices, please go to Hearing Resources.	Types of Assistive Systems Bluetooth systems Personal Frequency Modulation (FM) Systems Infrared Systems Induction Loop Systems One-to-One Communicators Amplifiers for wired/cordless/cell/digital phones, computers, answering machines, pagers, and other devices and appliances. Visual ALD Systems Text Telephones Computerized Speech Recognition Closed-captioning TV Resource Links American Speech-Language-Hearing Association - Assistive Technology Better Hearing Institute Military Audiology Association More on Assistive Listening Devices at AANet's Hearing Resources...

Independent audiologists allied by a common vision

What are Assistive Listening Devices?

Types of Assistive Systems

Visual ALD Systems

Resource Links