The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that certain kinds of public and private facilities that normally provide amplification systems for their audiences ‚Äì such as theaters, movie houses, arenas and stadiums, auditoriums, meeting and lecture rooms, concert and performance halls, and courtrooms ‚Äì must have assistive listening systems installed for people who want to use them.  Clearly visible signs must be posted that indicate the availability of the ALS and the location in the facility where the appropriate receivers can be obtained.

GEC provides the following services to assist with live-event ADA compliance:

Real-Time Captioning
Take audience participation to a whole new level through the instantaneous projection of the words being spoken onto a screen.

Allows anyone with difficulty processing spoken language (people with hearing disabilities, people who do not speak English well, people who do not process spoken language) to participate in a group setting (meetings, seminars, conventions).

The simultaneous transmission of the spoken word is performed by a real-time captioner who is either on site or writing from a remote location using a telephone and/or satellite transmission. The highly skilled real-time captioner writes at speeds of close to 225 words per minute with over 97% accuracy with the use of integrated software systems designed specifically for this purpose.

This type of captioning is most often used with television broadcast, live sports events, and large meetings in convention halls. Supports compliance under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Computer Accessed Real-time Transmission (CART) is the fastest and most accurate voice-to-text information system in the world. Our CART specialists use an integrated communication system to provide you with an instantaneous transcript of the spoken word. CART is usually used in the context of meetings and seminars.

Remote CART Services 
Sometimes it's not practical for a CART specialist to provide their services on-site. For this reason we've developed the ability to offer our CART services through the internet. All that is required of the client is a telephone line to send the audio portion of the event being real-timed and a computer with internet access to receive the simultaneous text.

Clients can choose to read their text at a single location or from multiple locations at the same time. They can choose to display the text on a single laptop for individual viewers, over company website or via large projection screen for multiple viewers.

Assistive Listening Systems
ALS or ALD (D for device) ‚Äì makes a wireless, electronic connection between the sound source and your ear. This ‚Äúbridging‚Äù effect eliminates the effects of distance, background noise and reverberation so that you can hear and understand better. Because an ALS transmits the sound directly from the source to your ears, it‚Äôs like having the sound source right next to you. You no longer have to be concerned about how far your seat is from the speaker or loudspeakers.  Even if you are in the back of the room, the sound volume of an ALS can be adjusted at your ear to be as loud as you want, without at the same time increasing the loudness of the background noise in the room.  Even if the room is noisy or very reverberant, you should still be able to hear clearly, since the listening system is bypassing all the acoustical conditions in the room.

Many people who don‚Äôt wear hearing aids use an ALS in assembly areas like movie theaters, live stage productions, and auditoriums and sports arenas to make the listening task easier and more effective. 

International Symbol of Access for Hearing Loss

How does an ALS work?
Usually, an assistive listening system simply piggybacks on a standard public address (PA) or sound amplification system.  In such instances, the sound sources (either from microphones or the audio track of a movie) are amplified and then broadcast through loudspeakers to the audience. Specialized equipment integrated into this system transmits the same signals to the ears of the person wearing an ALS receiver.  There are three general types of systems, named for the method of signal transmission: induction loop (IL), FM (frequency modulation), as in FM radio, and infrared (IR).

Induction loop (IL) systems use a wire around the room to transmit an electromagnetic signal that is picked up by a small device ‚Äì called a telecoil -- in the hearing aid.  Users simply switch on this telecoil (the ‚ÄúT‚Äù setting) and adjust the volume of the hearing aid, if necessary. However, not all hearing aids ‚Äì particularly the very small ones ‚Äì have telecoils, which are mainly used for improved telephone access.  For those people whose hearing aids do contain telecoils, an IL system is the most convenient one of all ‚Äì the special ‚Äúreceiver‚Äù being their own hearing aids (see Figure 2).

If your hearing aid doesn‚Äôt have a telecoil, or if you don‚Äôt wear a hearing aid, you can still use an IL system by wearing a receiver that has a telecoil in it.  An earpiece or headset delivers the sound to your ears or through your hearing aid.

FM systems are variations on the commercial FM radio. Radio signals are broadcast by an FM transmitter connected to the sound system used in the facility. These signals are received by individual “radios” – small pocket-size receivers tuned to the specific frequency used in the transmission (see Figure 3). There are a number of alternative ways to make the receiver-to-ear connections.

Infrared (IR) systems operate on infrared light that is beamed from one or several IR transmitters to small, specialized receivers. There are several types of IR receivers: stethoscope-style that dangle from the ears, a headset type that fits over the ears, and a small pocket-size type similar to the FM receiver. With the first two, the receiver-to-ear connections are straightforward; they are placed directly in or on the ear (see Figure 4). The alternative ways to make the receiver-to-ear connections with the third, pocket-style IR, is the same as with FM receivers.

Each system has its advantages and disadvantages. A system that works well in a courtroom would not be appropriate for a multiplex theater; an outdoor facility needs a different system than an orchestra hall. Differences in confidentially, interference, cost & installation requirements.

Sign Language
People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing use a variety of communication methods. Many people who are deaf or who lose their hearing use American Sign Language (ASL) and are very proud of the deaf culture that accompanies the use of ASL. American Sign Language is a complete language, with its own grammatical structure and syntax.

Other communication methods include Cued Speech, Manually Coded English, Pidgin Sign English (PSE) and Signed Exact English (SEE). Someone who knows and understands ASL may not understand SEE or Cued Speech and vice versa. Other deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals may use speechreading (commonly known as lipreading).

To ensure effective communication, consult the person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing on their preferred method. Effective Communication and Program Access 105 Interpreters People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may request interpreting services to ensure full participation in events, meetings and conversations.

Interpreters will interpret between spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL), Manually Coded English, or Cued Speech. Several interpreters may be needed for long programs. The average time a person can comfortably interpret is about 45 minutes. Most interpreters in lecture, workshop and meeting situations work in teams of two and trade places every 20 minutes. In a theatrical or performance setting, two or more interpreters typically work at the same time to convey a sense of dialogue between characters.and operability make it impossible to simply use one type of ALS in every place.

For more information about live-event ADA compliance, contact us and we will reply within one business day.