Agenda Item 14.4.3
Report No 211/14cncl
TO:
TECHNICAL SERVICES COMMITTEE — MONDAY 8 DECEMBER 2014
SUBJECT: HEARING ASSISTANCE FOR ANDY MCNEILL ROOM
AUTHOR: TECHNICAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT - RAE-ELLEN
SWINDELLS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report provides information for a hearing assistance solution for the Andy McNeill Room.
RECOMMENDATION
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT Council approve the installation of a public address and
Hearing Assistance system in the Andy McNeill Room
1.
BACKGROUND
At the October Access Advisory Committee Meeting information was given regarding
Councils current hearing loop installed in the Alice Springs Town Council Chambers.
This hearing loop was thought to be portable however on further investigation the system is
hardwired into the current audio equipment.
It was recommended that Council investigates installing a hearing loop system in the Andy
McNeill Room.
2.
.DISCUSSION
in the Andy McNeill room there is no provision for a hearing impaired person.
The large air-conditioning unit that runs along the ceiling in this room makes it hard for the
hearing impaired to be able to hear a presenter talking.
There are two types of hearing systems that can be installed:
Hearing Assistance:
FM systems are commonly used to transmit sound from one person to another over
distance. They consist of a small microphone attached to a transmitter, and a receiver. FM
is an abbreviation for frequency modulated which
,
is the type of radio signal used to transmit
sounds from the transmitter to the receiver. FM systems are also sometimes referred to as
radio frequency (RF) aids.
The microphone and transmitter, either as two separate items or combined in one unit, are
worn by the speaker while the receiver is worn by the hearing aid user. Some hearing aids
have the receiver built in to the device. Otherwise, the receiver may be coupled to the
hearing aid through an audio input port, or coupled to a loop that is worn around the neck.
Using radio-frequency transmission, the signal is carried from the talker to the listener
without being corrupted by noise or reverberation.
There is also the option of installing a public address and Hearing Assistance system.
