Hearing Loops at RPL

Right on time for National AcccessAbility Week: RPL has hearing loops!

Helpful for customers who experience hearing loss, hearing loops are a closed system used at service desks that can cut out background noise by transmitting sound directly to the customer’s hearing device.

The technology uses a microphone, amplifier, and a “loop cable” (which acts as an antenna) to guide the sound of the speaker’s voice to hearing devices equipped with a T-coil, helping conversation between customers and staff be clear and discreet inside bustling businesses.

They’re always on; listeners can pick up the audio once they are within 4 feet of the countertop system. Anyone with a compatible hearing device can look for the logo to be directed to accessible service lanes. And now, customers can find hearing loops at library branches!

Through a generous donation from the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs of Regina, RPL installed hearing loop systems at the main service desk of each RPL location. We’re proud to be among the first public libraries in Canada to implement this technology!

This year’s theme for National AccessAbility Week is "Forward Together: Accessibility and Inclusion for All," emphasizing the need for collective efforts to create a barrier-free Canada.