VisionAware

Transcript of Overview of Assistive Listening Devices Video

NARRATOR 1: People using devices in various settings.

NARRATOR 2: One-to-one communication, as well as communication in a group setting, will most likely present quite a challenge if you have combined hearing and vision loss. Due to the loss of vision, the ability to read someone’s lips and facial expressions is compromised, making it harder to understand what people are saying. There are devices called “assistive listening devices,” or ALDs, that amplify the voice, often making it easier for the user to understand what is being said. In addition to enhancing speech in one-to-one or group interactions, these devices can also enhance speech coming from the television, the radio, a computer, or a talking book machine.

NARRATOR 1: Two women at a desk.

PAIGE: I’m going to demonstrate to you how you can use an assistive listening device to enhance the volume on your talking book machine, so that you can hear and understand the words better.

MARY: Okay.

PAIGE: So the device that you have, an assistive listening device, it has a transmitter which is a microphone, and you can set that on top of your talking book machine. This is where the speaker is, so the sound comes out of there. Now there are some machines, you can plug the microphone directly into it, but this demonstration, we’re going to show how you can use the external microphone. And then you control the volume with this little receiver that you have. So when you start your talking book machine…

NARRATOR 1: She turns a dial. [recorded voice reading a book]

PAIGE: And then you can put that in your pocket, and you can walk around the room, and do other tasks while you’re listening to the book.

MARY: That gives me a lot of freedom.

PAIGE: It does give you freedom. The information goes directly into your ear.

You can also do the same thing with the computer.

NARRATOR 1: They open a website.