People with hearing loss have the best sound in the house at Parker Presbyterian!
Parker Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Parker, Colorado recently installed a hearing loop, making it the most recent church in Colorado to “get in the loop”. Congregation members with hearing loss can now have the sermon broadcast directly to their ears via a hearing loop. Parker Evangelical Presbyterian Church, located at 9030 Miller Road, Parker CO 80138, chose to install a hearing loop during a larger renovation of the sanctuary. The renovation included new carpet, a new seating arrangement, and a hearing loop. The hearing loop installation occurred immediately prior to the new carpet installation.
The Project
The idea for the hearing loop project initially came via a recommendation from a member of the congregation. It became evident to the building committee that many people in the congregation would benefit from a hearing loop. Moving forward, a member of the building project committee spearheaded the vendor search and selection process. The vetting process included speaking with other Presbyterian congregations that hearing loops. After speaking with several happy Assist2Hear customers, Assist2Hear was selected to design and install the hearing loop system at Parker Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
There are always many moving parts during a renovation project, Parker Presbyterian being no exception. In this example, the hearing loop installation was to occur immediately prior to the new flooring installation. Material delays caused the project to be pushed back by several months. Once the material arrived, the church Facilities Manager, Cliff, performed the demolition of the existing carpet in the sanctuary. The demo turned out to be quite a task, involving a significant amount of scraping, sanding, and even an ATV! Finally, a last-minute change in the flooring finish underneath the pews required a modified materials approach by Assist2Hear.
How Does a Hearing Loop Work?
Hearing loops transmit sound directly to a user’s hearing aid, without the use of additional receivers or other equipment. Hearing aid wearers simply change their hearing device to the telecoil (t-coil) or M-1 program in order to do so. The telecoil program is very common in hearing aids. The Hearing Loss Association of America cites that approximately 81% of hearing aids and 100% of Cochlear implants currently have the telecoil option available in them.
Each hearing loop system is designed specifically for the location in which it is to be installed. At Parker Presbyterian, a “phased array” design is being used to ensure a consistent sound for the user, regardless of their orientation in the sanctuary. A phased array design selection is also appropriate to limit the spill of the system onto the main worship platform, where a bevy of instrumentation is frequently used.
Other Parker Hearing Loops
Residents and visitors to Parker Colorado can enjoy hearing loops throughout Parker and the nearby South Denver communities. Most notably, the Parker Library, which has two hearing loops for public use in its upstairs community rooms. In fact, residents of Douglas County can enjoy hearing loops in every library within the Douglas County library system! Another nearby hearing loop is the Lone Tree Performing Arts Center, a state-of-the-art, 350-seat theater in nearby Lone Tree.
Assist2Hear is happy to help you learn more about the cost of a hearing loop installation in your church. Submit an inquiry online today at www.assist2hear.com
Norman residents with hearing loss can now participate with ease in Norman City Council meetings
Citizens with hearing loss in the city of Norman, Oklahoma can now hear better in city council meetings thanks to the installation of a hearing loop system! The city of Norman chose to install the hearing loop during the recent remodel of the Norman City Council Chambers. The new hearing loop will allow citizens to hear every word of the city council meetings with ease and clarity. Attendees can bring the sound from the council person’s microphones directly to their ear using their hearing aid’s telecoil program. Assist2Hear, Inc., a leading national installer of hearing loop systems, installed the Norman City Council hearing loop.
The hearing loop covers the entirety of the Norman City Council chambers, including all public seating and the dais. This means that both the public and the members of Norman City Council can benefit from the hearing loop system.
A hearing loop system is also present now in the small meeting room located at Norman City Hall. A phased array design in both spaces allows for meeting privacy, as well as ensures a uniform sound for users.
“Privacy and seating orientation are key considerations when designing a hearing loop system,” says Erin Nichols, the head loop engineer for Assist2Hear. “In this space, privacy was important. Both spaces have considerable seating around the perimeter, which was important to consider in the design phase. Less experienced installers might have chosen to just ‘run a wire around the room’ in the smaller meeting room. This might have been easier, but it would not have met the customer’s needs, and users seated along the edge of the room would have had poor signal, in addition to a huge amount of spill leaking through the walls!”
Most citizens who use the new Norman City Hall hearing loops will simply change to the “telecoil” program on their own hearing aid to use the system. According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, 81% of hearing aids on the market today have a telecoil in them or a telecoil option. 100% of implants such as Cochlears contain a telecoil. If someone does not have a hearing aid or does not know if their hearing aid has a telecoil in it, hearing loop receivers and headsets are available at the information desk located just outside the city council chambers.
Residents of the city of Norman can also enjoy hearing loops at the following locations:
- Norman Central Library
- St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church
- St. John’s Episcopal Church
Any venue looking to explore hearing loop technology can receive a free quote through Assist2Hear. To do so, a form is available on their website, www.Assist2Hear.com.
Another Methodist Church Gets in the Loop!
Assist2Hear is pleased to announce that yet another United Methodist church has chosen to install a hearing loop! This past Easter Sunday, congregation members with hearing loss at the United Methodist Church of Johnstown got to enjoy the Word clearly and easily via the new hearing loop system. The church is located at 108 King Avenue in Johnstown, Colorado.
The hearing loop installation was a stand-alone project for the church. This means the loop was installed as a retrofit, not during a time of new construction or a remodel. To install the hearing loop in the church, carpet modification and restoration were necessary. All installation services – hearing loop wiring and carpet work – are performed by Assist2Hear employees. In doing so, Assist2Hear is able to make system installation affordable for customers.
How to Use the Hearing Loop
The hearing loop system is accessible for all worshippers, regardless of whether or not they use a hearing aid; however, the majority of hearing loop users will listen with their own telecoil-enabled hearing aid. To use the hearing loop, a user simply changes their hearing aid to the “telecoil” or “M1” program. Additionally, hearing loop receivers and headsets are available for use for those without hearing aids or telecoils. Attendees who need a receiver can pick one up at the audio booth, located in the rear of the church sanctuary. If someone is unsure if their hearing aid has a telecoil program, giving their audiologist a call can help clarify.
A Unique Church History
The United Methodist Church of Johnstown has a long and colorful history in Colorado. In 1903, the church merged with a local Episcopal congregation to become the first United Methodist church west of the Mississippi! Today, the engaged and friendly congregation is led by Pastor Jeremy Scott. For more information on the United Methodist Church of Johnstown, its many methods of outreach to the community, and the schedule of services, please visit its website at www.johnstown.church.
Hearing Loops in the United Methodist Faith
The United Methodist faith is deeply committed to making worship accessible to congregation members with hearing loss. United Methodist churches with hearing loops can be found throughout the nation. Assist2Hear has installed many hearing loops within the faith. Some of these hearing loop installations include:
- St. Andrews United Methodist Church (Highlands Ranch, CO)
- Littleton United Methodist Church (Littleton, CO)
- Washington Park United Methodist Church (Denver, CO)
- Boston Avenue United Methodist Church (Tulsa, OK)
- Asbury United Methodist Church (Tulsa, OK)
For a complete list of Assist2Hear loop installations, please visit our online hearing loop directory. For more information about a hearing loop installation for your church, send an inquiry to info@assist2hear.com or give Assist2Hear a call!
