There are more than 10 million people living in the UK who have some form of hearing loss, that’s 1 in 6 of the population with more than 800,000 considered severely or profoundly deaf. So, assessing where your organisation could benefit from being ‘deaf aware’ could have huge benefits for your business and encourage people to choose your services.
Making your business more accessible not only to clients, but potential employees, can develop your business and improve the accessibility of your services. With a potential market share of £4 billion a year it also makes financial sense to assess your organisation’s needs with regards to installing a hearing induction loop.
The Equality Act 2010, which replaced the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995, states that you must make ‘reasonable adjustments’ so that your services are accessible. Without making these changes, you may be discriminating against people and could face legal action.
So what are induction loops? A Hearing Induction Loop enables people with hearing loss to hear sounds more clearly by reducing the effect of background noise. For example, in banks or shops, they help people to hear staff more clearly and in cinemas or theatres they can enable people to hear performances better. There are different pieces of equipment depending on the type of service or business that you may need to consider.
A Portable Loop provides limited coverage and is really designed for one to one conversations for people with hearing loss. A Room Loop is designed for larger areas and is ideal for auditoriums, entertainment venues, large meeting rooms and lecture halls. A Counter Loop is specifically designed to provide hearing facilities to premises such as shops, banks, post-office counters and transport.
Assessing the accessibility issues of your business and choosing the right induction loop for your organisation will provide the best possible experience for customers and staff alike. Ensure you use a qualified and trusted installer who will provide advice on the most suitable loop for your premises.
For more information or advice about hearing loops, deaf awareness or any other issue relating to this article, please visit www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk
