Assistive Listening Devices
People with all degrees and types of hearing loss can benefit from assistive listening devices.
You may have certain communication needs that cannot be solved by the use of hearing aids alone. These situations may involve the use of the telephone, radio, television, and the inability to hear the door chime, telephone bell, and alarm clock.
Typically, a hearing aid makes all sounds in the environment louder, while assistive listening devices minimize or eliminate environmental noises.
Various kinds of assistive listening devices are listed below:
Personal Listening Systems
Designed to carry sound directly to the listener. Includes FM systems and personal amplifiers.
TV Listening Systems
Designed for listening to the TV, radio, or stereo without interference from surrounding noise.
Direct Audio Input Hearing Aids
Can be connected to the TV, stereo, tape and/or radio, microphones, auditory trainers, and personal FM devices.
Telephone Amplifying Devices
Telephones that are “hearing aid compatible”.
Musician’s Monitors
Professional musician’s monitors are designed for live concert sound reinforcement, film and/or video production. They work with any wireless or hardwired receiver for stereo, binaural, or monaural sound quality.
Ear Molds: Swim Molds
People who do not want water in their ear canals can have floatable swimmer’s earplugs made of a water resistant material for either shower or swimming use.
Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) in Beaverton
Assistive Listening Devices are like “binoculars for your ears” — they make speech and important sounds clearer in noisy or challenging environments. Whether you’re at church, the movies, watching TV, or talking on the phone, ALDs help bridge the gap when hearing aid alone aren’t enough.
How ALDs Help
ALDs work alongside hearing aids to:
Boost speech clarity over background noise
Improve sound quality in places with poor acoustics
Reduce the effect of distance (so you hear the speaker even across the room)
Types of ALDs
Wireless systems (Loop, FM, Infrared) — great for theaters, classrooms, or churches
Personal amplifiers — small, portable devices for one-on-one conversations
Accessories — headphones, neck loops, and adapters that connect directly to your hearing aid
Newer options — microphone arrays that focus on the speaker’s voice
Other Helpful Devices
Beyond ALDs, there are also everyday tools for people with hearing loss, such as:
Visual alert systems (doorbells, smoke detectors, alarm clocks)
Captioned Telephones
Real-time captioning (CART)
Things to Know
- ALDs are not always covered by insurance
- They may need to be purchased through a specialist or catalog
- Public facilities (churches, theaters, schools) are required by the ADA to provide accessibility options