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APPLICATIONS
Some of the more noteworthy applications of induction loop (IL) systems currently in place are as wide-ranging as are their locations: * Homes: Small loop systems are easily set up in living rooms for TV viewing and social gatherings. More ambitious installations have involved running loop wires throughout the apartment or house, fed from a large loop amplifier that can accommodate many inputs (e.g. TV, stereo and wireless microphones). 
* Passenger vehicles: Portable IL systems are now available that can be set up quickly for a meeting, or installed in passenger cars using noise-cancelling microphones. 
* Airports: Boston's Logan Airport is the first airport in the USA to install 3-D IL systems so that hard of hearing travelers can switch their hearing aids to "T" to receive direct transmissions of public address announcements and flight information. 
* U.S. Senate and House of Representatives: Our elected officials (a growing number of whom are hard of hearing), as well as the visiting public benefit from IL systems installed in many of Washington, DC's great halls. 
* Russian schools: In Sergiev Posad (an hour's drive north of Moscow), hard of hearing children are benefitting from IL technology thanks to funding provided by the Conrad Hilton Foundation and the Perkins School for the Blind. School officials in this economically troubled country are especially pleased with the minimal maintenance requirements of IL systems. Robert Gilmore, Executive Director of the Boston Guild for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and consultant for this project states: "Teachers and staff here are world class educators and nothing goes to waste; the most practical and simple approaches to problems are employed whenever possible, including the use of loops." 
* Italian schools and theaters: The "re-introduction" of IL technology to Italy is being headed by a recent cochlear implant recipient, Mauro Magnani. In addition to working as new technologies consultant for Top Services International in Venice, Magnani is President of the International Federation for the Hard of Hearing. Magnani's work is being supported in part by the local Lions Clubs. The staff at the schools and theaters that are beneficiaries of this support appreciate the positive user responses and the cost- effectiveness of IL systems. 
* Special education programs and schools: A wide range of educational programs employ IL systems in classrooms and auditoriums. Conventional IL systems are often used when signal spillover is not a concern. When adjacent rooms are looped, 3-D systems are used. The 3-D's consistent signal uniformity is a real advantage with active children. Furthermore, children learn to fully utilize their own hearing aids instead of borrowed auditory trainers. Teenagers in particular enjoy the less obvious use of their own aids to receive the IL transmission.
* Taxi cabs, tour buses and tour ships: IL systems have been installed in taxi cabs, tour buses and tour ships in Boston and Washington, DC. The response from those who have made use of the systems has been positive and we expect to see many more installations as hard of hearing people continue to advocate for accessibility. 
* Universities: A professor of psychology uses a small IL system to transmit cues to his students during counseling practicums. His students wear tiny in-the-ear magnetic induction receivers that are invisible to their clients. They receive unobtrusive coaching from their professor who observes them through a one-way window. 
* Houses of worship: Building aesthetics such as bare floors and vaulted ceilings sometimes make the installation of IL systems challenging. Some churches have taken very creative approaches to installations, including running the loop wires on the ceiling of rooms directly beneath the sanctuary, thereby providing signal coverage above and below to both areas, taking advantage of the natural signal spillover that occurs with conventional IL systems. 
* New buildings and renovations: Installing the loop wire is often easier during the construction of the building. In Fort Fairfield, Maine, dozens of loop wires were built into the classrooms of a new school. Not anticipating more than a few hard of hearing children each year, their very cost- effective plan calls for moving the IL system electronics to the room that needs it each year, plugging in the loop wire that was originally installed. Gymnasiums can be especially challenging for IL installations due to their large size and high ceilings. Some school and community center gymnasiums under construction (or receiving new floors) have used concrete cutting machines to slot the base floor or have poured concrete over the loop, followed by the finished wood flooring.

FUTURE

The goal of all people who are concerned with the effects of hearing loss is accessibility...to education, entertainment, information and human interaction. Until a truly "intelligent" hearing aid is available...one that can distinguish, separate and amplify the desired sound apart from background noise...hearing assistance systems will continue to play an important role in the lives of millions of hard of hearing people. Induction loops remain an elegantly simple approach to providing that assistance. 

TELECOIL TIPS

1. When purchasing your hearing aid(s), ask that a telecoil be included. Telecoils are available in all behind-the-ear, many in-the-ear and some in-the-canal aids. For the additional cost of including a telecoil (approximately 10-15% over the cost of the aid) the capabilities of your hearing aid will be greatly expanded.
2. Request that the telecoil be mounted in a near-vertical orientation relative to the in- use position so that you will be able to access transmissions from induction loop systems (room-size and neck worn), as well as hearing aid compatible telephones. 
3. Request the most sensitive telecoil available, one that will offer sound quality and output equal to the hearing aid's microphone. Depending on the hearing aid, a dedicated telecoil preamplifier may have to be requested to boost the coil's signal. 
4. When available, request an "MT" switch. The combination MT (microphone- telephone) mode enables your hearing aid to simultaneously receive acoustic input along with the induction loop signal. This option is especially important in classrooms where in addition to receiving the teacher's microphone transmission, the student needs to hear his/her own voice, as well as fellow classmates. 
5. When available, request a remote control. Just as a TV remote frees you from having to get out of your seat to change channels, the hearing aid remote makes it easier to switch to "T" and adjust volume and tone settings. 
6. Insist on a final listening test, and make sure the dealer's return and service policies include all functions of your new hearing aid. Compare the volume and quality of sound in the telecoil/telephone mode with that of the microphone. They should be very similar without requiring major re-adjustments of settings. Ask to listen to a hearing aid- compatible telephone, hearing assistance device with neck loop, and/or induction loop system. 
7. When using the telephone, experiment with positioning the handset over your hearing aid to receive the strongest signal. 
8. Stereo headphones are actually miniature loop systems! Try switching your aids to "T" the next time you put on headphones. Turn down the stereo's volume if your hearing aids distort. 
9. Keep in mind that all wireless communication systems are prone to interference under certain situations. A hearing aid telecoil may pick up the buzz/hum generated by some nearby electrical equipment. This problem is usually solved by moving away from the noise source. When relocating is not possible, try tilting your head slightly to reposition the reception angle of the telecoil. 

Please contact the authors for detailed references on information cited in this article. Paula Hendricks, M.A., is Educational Director and Norman Lederman, M.S., is Director of Research & Development at Oval Window Audio, 33 Wildflower Court, Nederland, CO  80466,  phone/fax/TDD: 303-447-3607.