For many students the use of a radio aid in an educational environment is of great benefit. Sound quality is of primary importance for a student with a hearing loss. Hearing aids alone are often inadequate in an educational setting as the noise level can be disruptive.

Students often find themselves relying on lip-reading, which is not the answer when much of the intelligible speech is lost.

Sound quality is of primary importance. The radio aid can assist students receive clear speech as the speech filter in the radio aid ensures the receiving of the lecturers voice and not surrounding speech or noise.

What is a Radio Aid and how do they work?
The radio aid consists of a transmitter and a receiver. The student wears the receiver connected directly to the hearing aid or by via a personal neck loop (‘T’ switch) and the lecturer wears a microphone and a transmitter. The transmitter and receiver will be tuned to the same frequency channel and information is sent from the transmitter to the receivers. More than one receiver can be tuned to the one transmitter. The radio aid can also be used with cochlear implant processors.

There are sixteen channels, which can be switched instantly allowing flexibility when multiple systems are in use. There are rechargeable batteries, which can be charged over night so there is no on-going cost for batteries, but you can use cell batteries, if for any reason you do not have a charged battery. One set of non re-chargeable batteries gives up to 45 hours operation and the re-chargeable batteries give up to 6-8 hours depending on volume levels.

The radio aid signal is extensive and can reach further than the size of a football stadium. As it is a radio wave, walls or other solid objects will not block it.

All microphones, indicator lights and volume controls have individual guards and lockable covers. The on/off switch is easily accessible yet is protected against damage. All controls, sockets and switches are all clearly marked and red or green lights indicate whether the radio aid is on or off.

DeafHear.ie would be pleased to offer a demonstration to anyone interested in trying it out.

For more information contact your local Resource Centre.

Head Office: 35 North Frederick Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.
Tel: +353 (0)1 817 5700 Minicom: +353 (0)1 817 5777 Fax: +353 (0)1 878 3629
Email: info@deafhear.ie Text messages: +353 (0)1 878 3629