Our Editor Charlie Swinbourne has appeared on BBC1’s Watchdog programme talking about hearing loops, a device which can help people who wear hearing aids to hear more clearly in public places.
With Christmas coming up, the programme’s investigation looked into access for deaf and disabled people in restaurants, and Charlie was interviewed along with a wheelchair user and a blind person.
Of 50 restaurants, the programme’s team found that only two had a hearing loop system in place.
Charlie said: “Hearing loops have been around for years but the problem has always been that often the technology is broken. I think often deaf people are the last thing on the list because deafness is invisible, so it’s very easy for deaf people to feel like they are forgotten.”
Watch the episode on BBC iPlayer by clicking here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06rjw5j/watchdog-series-36-episode-8
Enjoying our eggs? Support The Limping Chicken:
The Limping Chicken is the world's most popular Deaf blog, and is edited by Deaf journalist, screenwriter and director Charlie Swinbourne.
Our posts represent the opinions of blog authors, they do not represent the site's views or those of the site's editor. Posting a blog does not imply agreement with a blog's content. Read our disclaimer here and read our privacy policy here.
Find out how to write for us by clicking here, and how to follow us by clicking here.
The site exists thanks to our supporters. Check them out below:
- BSL Zone: TV programmes in BSL for the Deaf community
- Deaf Umbrella: what support is available for deaf students?
- Bellman & Symfon: home alerting solutions, including the mobile phone transceiver!
- SignVideo: Instant BSL video interpreting online
- SignHealth: check out the BSL health library
- 999 BSL: call 999 in an emergency, in BSL
- Appa: Looking for RSLIs, TSLIs and CSWs, apply here!
- Signly: Adding BSL to websites
- Signworld: Learn BSL online!
- DCAL: world-class research into deafness, cognition and language
- Action Deafness: “A Deaf-Led Charity” – interpreting & community support services
- Sign Solutions: Instant access to Interpreters, training and BSL translation nationwide
- InterpretersLive: On demand BSL video interpretation
- Lipspeaker UK: specialist lipspeaking support
- BID: Deaf services, including advice and support, interpreting, employment and letters
- Performance Interpreting: BSL interpreting at concerts
- National Deaf Children's Society: The leading charity for deaf children
Alistair
December 4, 2015
Am a keen user of hearing loops but I don’t think they would be useful in restaurants? They are not suitable for dialogue. Cinemas, lectures etc…yes.
Editor
December 4, 2015
Hi Alistair, in one of my answers (which wasn’t used) I spoke about the importance of deaf awareness, lighting, background noise and music, I totally agree there’s a lot more to it than just using a hearing loop in a restaurant. (Although I do think they’re useful for dialogue and could help a hearing aid user understand a waiter.) Thanks Charlie
Sue
December 4, 2015
I recently visited a Boots Hearing Centre and although they eventually found the loop equipment in a drawer (!), they didn’t know how to turn it on. It could have been broken but the staff had no clue how it worked. My local hospital eye clinic has a loop but the staff had not received any training and didn’t know what it was. There’s still a long way to go!!
pennybsl
December 4, 2015
There are now excellent ‘radio / FM ‘ aids which could be a small microphone clip or like the ‘Roger’ pen…the Deaf person would be able to utilise it efficiently in crowded and nosiy places with whoever is talking to him/her.
I admit that long-forgotten loops still exist in ‘alien ways’…when I accidentally clicked on the hearing aid’s T/loop button in mainline stations I get voices and cacophony of sounds different from what was actually happening around me!
Also passing security scanners, I got foghorn sounds.