A community theatre in Lake Country is making itself more accessible to people with hearing loss.
Thanks to a new sponsorship provided by Lakeside Hearing & Tinnitus Centre, Creekside Theatre was able to install the Auris Loop assistive listening system.
“Lake Country has been making large strides towards being a more accessible, inclusive community and eliminating barriers to participation in events and activities,” said Mayor James Baker.
“It’s wonderful that public facilities are becoming more accessible to people with hearing loss,” said Ryan Donn, cultural development coordinator for Lake Country. “Individuals of all ages that use hearing aids will now be able to enjoy great shows and live music performances at the Creekside Theatre in Lake Country.”
Headphones will also be available to people upon request.
Loop systems are different than other sound systems because they take the sound directly from the source to the listener’s ears. In comparison, most people who struggle with hearing only receive sound after it’s bounced off the wall and been mixed with other noises around the room.
Auris Loop assistive listening system.
Hearing aids help when people are talking one-on-one but can’t help as much when speakers are far away in a noisy room.
Nichole Sorensen, registered Audiologist and owner of Lakeside Hearing said a hearing loop transfers the sound magnetically from the microphone or speaker to hearing aids or cochlear implants.
“In many settings, hearing aids are insufficient, because turning up their volume magnifies extraneous noise and reverberation as well as the desired ‘signal,’” she said. “Assistive listening systems – like the Auris Loop system installed at the Creekside Theatre – clarify sound by eliminating the negative effects of distance, noise, and reverberation.”
Users can discreetly use their existing T-Coil enabled hearing piece instead of wearing headphones or other devices.
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