The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2024 - 16

Figure 2: An illustration of how assistive listening systems work
The purpose of an assistive
listening system is to
deliver clear audio (free of
background noise) to the
listener's ears.
Assistive
listening systems
use technology
to deliver audio
from a source
to an assistive
listening device.
Making the Case for
Assistive Listening
Systems in Courtrooms
Hearing loss is real and on
the rise. According to the
National Institute on Deafness
and Other Communication
Disorders, approximately
13% of people in the U.S.
aged 12 or older have hearing
loss in both ears. Disabling
hearing loss, defined by the
World Health Organization
as hearing loss greater than
35 decibels in the betterhearing
ear, affects roughly
5% of adults aged 45-54.
For adults aged 60 and
older, the number of people
with disabling hearing loss
increases to 25%. Hearing
loss is also not just an issue
in the U.S. The World Health
Organization estimates that
by 2050, nearly 2.5 billion
people will have some degree
of hearing loss, and " 700
million will require hearing
rehabilitation. "
16 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2024
Consider these statistics
within the context of
a bustling courtroom.
Imagine the ambient noise
in this environment-HVAC
systems, testimony, side
conversations, footsteps,
coughing-all reverberating
on hard surfaces, creating
din, and making it difficult
to focus, hear, and
understand what a judge
or witness is saying. Add
distance, multiple speakers,
unfamiliar terminology,
distractions, language, and
remote participants on video
conferencing platforms
to the mix and it's easy
to see why courtrooms
are challenging listening
environments, even for
people without hearing loss.
Ensuring all courtroom
participants can hear and
understand is critical to a
fair and efficient trial. It's
also a requirement under the
Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA). The ADA
requires courts to provide
accommodations such as
assistive listening systems to
individuals who have hearing
loss or are hard of hearing.
Types of Assistive
Listening Technologies
Interpreters may encounter
diverse types of assistive
listening systems in
courtrooms. Each system
helps listeners hear better
by delivering clear audio
directly to their ears, but the
technology used to achieve
that goal can vary. Popular
assistive listening technologies
in courtrooms include:
Infrared (IR): Infrared
assistive listening systems
broadcast sound from
transmitters to receivers
via infrared light. A listener
wears a small receiver on
a lanyard around their
neck that connects to
wired headphones. Audio
from a microphone or
other designated source is
transmitted through infrared
light to the receiver. If the
person leaves the room,
the audio cannot reach the
receiver since light cannot
pass through walls. For this
reason, infrared systems
are common in courtrooms,
judges' chambers, and
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https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing#:~:text=1%20in%208%20people%20in,based%20on%20standard%20hearing%20examinations.&text=About%205%25%20of%20adults%20ages,54%20have%20disabling%20hearing%20loss https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing#:~:text=1%20in%208%20people%20in,based%20on%20standard%20hearing%20examinations.&text=About%205%25%20of%20adults%20ages,54%20have%20disabling%20hearing%20loss https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing#:~:text=1%20in%208%20people%20in,based%20on%20standard%20hearing%20examinations.&text=About%205%25%20of%20adults%20ages,54%20have%20disabling%20hearing%20loss https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing#:~:text=About%202%20to%203%20out,in%20one%20or%20both%20ears.&text=More%20than%2090%25%20of%20deaf%20children%20are%20born%20to%20hearing%20parents.&text=Approximately%2015%25%20of%20American%20adults,over%20report%20some%20trouble%20hearing https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing#:~:text=About%202%20to%203%20out,in%20one%20or%20both%20ears.&text=More%20than%2090%25%20of%20deaf%20children%20are%20born%20to%20hearing%20parents.&text=Approximately%2015%25%20of%20American%20adults,over%20report%20some%20trouble%20hearing https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/regulations/title-ii-2010-regulations/ https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/regulations/title-ii-2010-regulations/ https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss http://www.atanet.org

The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2024

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