Forum Proceedings

Mark Ross, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Audiology
Department of Communication Sciences
University of Connecticut

Former Vice President of the SHHH Board of Trustees

One of the biggest problems faced by people with hearing loss was exemplified several times during our meeting, and that is hearing the other people around a banquet table in a large room. This would be exacerbated in some social event (weddings, parties, etc.) in which a band was playing.

What I think would help tremendously are small (one to two inches) FM mike/ transmitters, limited range (10-15 feet), each with a different numbered frequency, and each worn by a different person around a banquet table (maybe eight or ten of them). They would transmit to a mixer (I visualize a rectangular, battery powered unit, about 10 inches long) that would retransmit the signal to a personal receiver worn by the hearing-impaired person. The mixer would contain on/off switches (with a light) for each numbered frequency. That way, the listener could control which mike to activate. If two or three people were engaged in a conversation, this would also work, as long as one person talked at a time.

Many people with hearing loss would be reluctant to take advantage of such a device, but still others would. We can never bat a 1000. I'd like to think that it was at least available (if technically feasible) if someone wanted to take advantage of it.

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