Hearing Access
Both the large and small halls now boast decent hearing access for people with hearing impairments . Good quality loudspeakers are in place in both halls , together with a hearing loop for people who have T-switches on the hearing aids or Cochlear implant devices .
Anyone can use these systems simply by turning the equipment on and flicking one switch to direct the sound to the chosen hall . There are two cordless microphones - one is hand held and the other is a lapel microphone . Provided the batteries in the microphones have a decent charge and the mikes are turned on and positioned near enough to the speakers ’ mouth , the sound will be well amplified through the speakers and also transmitted through the hearing loop for those able to utilise it .
The story in the church is not so good . Whilst it has a sound system and a hearing loop , neither of them seem to be functioning well enough to deliver adequately to those with the most severe hearing impairments . There are also feedback problems for all of us and issues when we try to run a video embedded into a PowerPoint projection . It is not clear what the solution ( s ) might be . Advice is currently being sought from the company that provided the hall loudspeakers and associated equipment and the lapel mike for the church .
In the meantime users of the hearing loop in the church are asked to try various seats seeking a place that works best for them and to ensure they have their T-switches turned on . It should be noted that the hearing loop does not work in the choir seats ( unless users have their heads positioned to face the floor ) or the annexe at the rear of the church - but it should work in the pews .
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St Margaret ' s News 7 February 2017