How to Use Borrowed Equipment From the Site

Under the ADA to provide equal access, the site (venue, organization, institution) provides the assistive listening system and equipment at NO charge.

The minimum quantities of the receivers, headphones, and neckloops that always need to be on hand is based on the capacity of the site. Online Receiver calculator Northwest ADA Center (webpage). 

Using your telecoils with the site’s equipment:

To use hearing loops:

  • With hearing aids or cochlear implants that have a telecoil, NO equipment is needed. Just switch to your telecoil program (this website). This is one of many reasons why users prefer and love hearing loops! Easy!
  • Without hearing aids or hearing aids without a telecoil, borrow a receiver and or headphones. Or, you can borrow a receiver and bring your own wired headphones with a 3.5 mm jack.
  • Watch a YouTube video “How to Use a Hearing Loop” (5:41, webpage) by Thunder Hearing (webpage)
Using a hearing loop. Left side: Diagram showing the telecoil inside a hearing aid. Right side: A hearing loop receiver, a box about 3x5 inches and headphones plugged in.

To use an FM/RF or Infrared (IR) system

  • With hearing aids or cochlear implants that have a telecoil, borrow a receiver and neckloop. Switch to your telecoil program (this website).
  • Without hearing aids or hearing aids without a telecoil program (this website), borrow a receiver and headphones. Or, you can borrow a receiver and bring your own wired headphones with a 3.5 mm jack.

Some sites are not aware they they are required to have neckloops on hand, based on the capacity of the room.

Images Left: Receiver + neckloop + Right Receiver + neckloop + earbuds + earhook
Silhouettes of 3 people with different telecoil and instrument configurations
adapted from HLAA Washington State

Troubleshooting