The International Association for Hearing Accessibility (IAHA) has established a new working group to assess hearing accessibility regulations worldwide, identify areas for improvement, and coordinate with local stakeholders to expand access to assistive listening technologies.
More than one billion people globally experience some degree of hearing difficulty, according to IAHA, yet many continue to face unequal access to services, information, and entertainment. The organization says regulations governing assistive listening systems are implemented and enforced inconsistently across countries and regions.
The launch of the working group was prompted in part by emerging standards for Auracast™ broadcast audio. Its members include representatives from user organizations, manufacturers, and industry bodies such as the European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH), the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA), and the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, in addition to IAHA.
The group aims to help ensure that hearing accessibility legislation and standards remain technology agnostic while also being structured so that compliance can be verified and enforced. The broader goal is to encourage public venues to provide the widest practical level of hearing accessibility, regardless of the assistive listening technology being used.
The initiative will also support local organizations working to communicate the benefits of assistive listening systems to venue operators and provide education on the characteristics of an effective installation.
Developing a Regulatory “Gold Standard”
As an initial step, the working group plans to develop what IAHA describes as a “gold standard” for assistive listening regulations. The framework is expected to help guide the approach taken by policymakers, advocates, and other stakeholders in individual regions.
The group is chaired by Andrew Thomas of IAHA, with AuraFuturity founder Andrew Bellavia serving as vice chair. Bellavia is also a longtime contributor to Hearing Health & Technology Matters and a co-host of This Week in Hearing.
The working group is now formalizing its structure, assessing current needs, and outlining potential activities in advocacy, education, end-user empowerment, and regulatory development.
“The advent of new technologies to assist people to hear well is a good time for us to be examining standards and legislation to the benefit of the end user”
said Andrew Thomas.
“IAHA is the ideal organisation to serve as a resource and drive progress towards universal availability of effective assistive listening systems for people with hearing loss.”
About the International Association for Hearing Accessibility
The International Association for Hearing Accessibility (IAHA) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to improving hearing accessibility by promoting and supporting assistive listening technologies. It unites manufacturers, experts, and advocates to advance inclusive communication in public spaces. Learn more on the IAHA About page.
Source: IAHA
