Audio guides and hearing aids: compatibility tests

To prepare a tour for someone who uses hearing aids, first ask how they prefer to receive the commentary. Test their phone and hearing devices before departure, and prepare another option if audio is not accessible to them. No single setup works for everyone.

A visitor arrives with hearing aids fitted by their audiologist. At reception they are handed another earpiece and asked to place it on top. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it is uncomfortable. And sometimes a whistle forces everything to stop in front of the group.

More than 430 million people need rehabilitation for disabling hearing loss, according to the World Health Organization. There is no single hearing-aid, phone and tour-system setup that works for everyone. This guide explains how to test one specific combination and prepare alternatives.

Why an external earpiece can cause problems

A hearing aid captures sound with microphones, processes it and delivers it to the ear. Bringing another small speaker close can press on the device or send some sound back into its microphone. This can cause feedback: amplified sound re-enters the microphone and creates a whistle.

It is not correct to say that every tour headset makes every hearing aid whistle. Fit, mould, position, volume and earpiece type all matter. Some people may use an over-ear headset, a neck loop or temporarily remove their hearing aid; others may not. Choose the solution with the person, not for them.

Check whether the phone can send audio to the hearing aid

When a phone can send audio directly to a hearing aid or processor, it avoids placing a second speaker next to it. This can provide a cleaner signal and let the person use their usual settings. Compatibility depends on the specific combination.

Made for iPhone, or MFi. Apple publishes a list of MFi hearing devices and explains how to pair them in Accessibility settings. Having Bluetooth does not guarantee direct audio with every iPhone.

ASHA on Android. Android documents ASHA as hearing-aid audio over Bluetooth Low Energy. Both the phone and hearing aid must support that system. The manufacturer and system version can change the result.

Bluetooth LE Audio. Some newer devices use LE Audio and related profiles, but Bluetooth 5 or a generic logo does not prove that audio can reach the hearing aid. Check the exact phone, hearing-aid or processor models.

Bridge accessories. Some hearing aids receive the signal through an accessory that connects to the phone and retransmits it using the manufacturer's technology. This is a valid option, although it adds another battery and item to prepare.

Induction coils, loops and cochlear implants

A hearing aid with an induction coil, also called a telecoil or T position, can receive a signal from an installed induction loop or a compatible neck loop. In a museum with a good loop, this may be the simplest option and should not be dismissed because an app is available.

Cochlear-implant processors also vary. Some stream directly from certain phones; others need an accessory. Follow the processor manual and test with the person rather than assuming it behaves like an ordinary Bluetooth headset.

What to offer when direct audio is unavailable

There are still alternatives:

• ◆the person's own headphones, if comfortable;
• ◆a neck loop or room loop when compatible;
• ◆a loan device prepared by the organisation;
• ◆a transcript or equivalent text;
• ◆a position near the guide in an explanation without a system.

Turning up the volume is not an accessibility solution. It can distort, feel uncomfortable and increase risk for other people.

A five-step test before the visit

Run this check before the group arrives:

• ◆pair the hearing aid or processor with the phone following the manufacturer's instructions;
• ◆play ordinary audio and confirm the selected output;
• ◆open the tour experience and check the output again;
• ◆lock the screen, receive a notification and reconnect to see whether the device you hear through changes;
• ◆walk part of the real route, set a comfortable volume and confirm the fallback plan.

Apple warns that being listed as compatible does not guarantee that a specific combination will work well and recommends testing the phone and hearing aid together. That is the right level of caution for a visit.

How the guide should act

Ask openly: “How would you prefer to receive the audio?” Do not ask for medical details or handle a hearing aid without permission. Offer options and time to test them. Explain how to select the audio output again if a call or notification changes it.

If several people need support, include the check in the access briefing instead of solving it after the explanation has started.

Try Echoris with the person and their devices

Echoris plays the guide’s voice through the audio output selected on the phone. This lets you test the person’s usual setup, but it is not certified compatibility between Echoris and every hearing aid or implant.

Use one phone as the guide and another as the visitor. With the person and their own hearing devices, check audio output, volume and reconnection. Then test the intended route and group. The person should be able to say whether listening is comfortable and choose an alternative if it is not.

Echoris is not a medical device and does not provide live captions inside the tour. If the person needs text or sign language, prepare that support: audio alone does not meet that need.

Prepare the Echoris trial with two phones and follow the five-step check above with the person.

Sources

• ◆World Health Organization — Deafness and hearing loss.
• ◆Apple Support — Use hearing devices with iPhone.
• ◆Apple Support — List of Made for iPhone hearing devices.
• ◆Android Open Source Project — Hearing aid audio support using Bluetooth LE.
• ◆W3C Web Accessibility Initiative — Auditory disabilities and barriers.