It is widely recognized that the Department for Education South Australia is very progressive in optimizing listening conditions for all learners when building new School buildings and renovating existing facilities.
Hear and Learn recently completed installation of 15 SoundHouses in an Adelaide Primary School to achieve full soundfield and full hearing augmentation outcomes.
The Education Facilities Design Standards July 2020 is very prescriptive in requiring instructional audio be captured and distributed evenly throughout learning spaces so that all learners get the same listening experience, and to allow teachers to avoid voice fatigue. Also, the Standards recognise that all of this audio needs to be transmitted to receivers in hearing aids worn by learners, teachers and visitors provided by Government or privately procured.
Receivers in aids are evolving. There are more than one brand of receiver in aids now, and these receivers use different transmission platforms. Adopting any technology which involves only one transmission method means that a learning space is not future proofed.
We procured a report from an independent audiologist recently which highlights reasons to adopt agile hearing augmentation solutions like Hear and Learn’s UConnect products.
“Hearing Australia accesses hearing aids from a number of manufacturers that are tendered. Currently they have a contracted tender with Signia (now WS Audiology), as well as a second tender for paediatrics clients with Phonak (Sonova Australia).”
And
“Modern hearing aid technology is moving faster than ever with implementation of new technologies year after year, highlighting the need for hearing augmentation, building codes and education/school building policies to be more agile to keep up with this evolving technology. “
And
“With current developments in Bluetooth technologies, trends indicate many hearing aid manufacturers are working to implement new Bluetooth 5 protocols that may allow for a new methods to achieve hearing augmentation in the future.
And
“Most hearing aids have a proprietary connection for external devices. There is currently no universal platform that is able to be used in all devices.