Approximately 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss.[1] For most, the loss increases over time, diminishing activities previously enjoyed like going to the symphony, attending a play, or even participating in worship.

 

While devices such as hearing aids help improve the experience, they often don’t work well in audience settings. It’s the reason Hear Us Now® is passionate about creating a better assisted listening experience.

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How hearling loss impacts the experience of events

 

Dallas-resident, David Neisius and his wife, Jean, have been season subscribers at the Meyerson Symphony Center for the past 33 years.

 

“I began noticing my hearing loss 20 years ago, and it increased over time,” shares Neisius. “I now have 80% loss in one ear and 70% in the other. I’m dependent on hearing aids. One of the challenges that few people talk about with hearing loss is that you begin withdrawing when you can’t participate in activities you used to enjoy.”

 

Neisius’s experience is common. Most people affected by hearing loss stop attending events. It can feel isolating to be in the middle of the crowd and not have context for what the others around you are experiencing. Many find themselves participating in the arts or worship via television because their hearing devices support it.

 

“During the COVID quarantine, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra televised some of its performances. This allowed me to listen with the features of my device. I was able to hear and appreciate the interplay of the instruments for the symphonic piece. It made me explore what options the symphony had hoping there was something new. This is how I learned about the Hear Us Now® system.”

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How a T-loop system impacts the experience

 

At the Meyerson Symphony Center, David used the Hear Us Now® system with a T-loop rather than with earphones. A hearing loop sends sound directly to the telecoil receiver in a user's hearing device. Neisius called ahead of time and the Meyerson staff placed the loops in an envelope at the desk near the entryway for him to use.

 

“The first time Bradley Hunter Welch had his organ concert on a Sunday afternoon, I could understand every word he said about the piece and the organ. Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition had so many plays between individual instruments. It was 3-dimensional. The sound was so rich, it was like heaven.”

 

Subsequent to experiencing the live event, Neisius listened to the television replay of Pictures at an Exhibition, “The two-dimensional sound was nothing like the depth of sound experienced by being there using the Hear Us Now® system with the T-loop.”

 

One of the best parts of using the hearing loop system with Hear Us Now® is that because Neisius’s hearing aids were in place and working, he could speak with his wife between movements enhancing the shared experience.

 

[1] https://www.hearingloss.org/wp-content/uploads/HLAA_HearingLoss_Facts_Statistics.pdf