Jennifer Melton proposes installing hearing induction loops in classrooms, auditoriums, and meeting spaces at all Maricopa Community Colleges. This would benefit the deaf and hard-of-hearing student population who use cochlear implants and hearing aids. Hearing loss affects 35 million Americans and 265,000 Arizonans. Hearing loops provide a magnetic field that allows direct sound transmission to hearing aids and cochlear implants without the need for additional equipment. They are a scalable, cost-effective, and inconspicuous solution to improve accessibility and outcomes for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

1. Jennifer Melton

2. • Proposal: Install hearing induction loops in
classrooms, auditoriums, and meeting spaces
at all Maricopa Community Colleges

3. • Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) population
who utilize cochlear implants and hearing aids
• DHH students and community members who
attend events at Maricopa
• 35 Million Americans with hearing loss
• 265,000 Arizonans with hearing loss
• “Small d” DHH population

4. • Severely and profoundly deaf high school
graduates: median fourth-grade reading level
• DHH higher unemployment rate, higher
poverty rate than hearing population
• 70% of DHH students who start college will
not finish
• Key reasons cited by DHH students for
dropping out: sense of isolation at school,
difficulty obtaining assistive services

5. • Copper wire encased in ceiling/baseboard of
classroom, auditorium that is connected to
sound system (PA system, microphone)
• Creates magnetic field that is picked up by
telecoil settings in cochlear implant processors
and hearing aids
• Technology has been available for 30+ years

6. • Mass Personalization
– Custom sound delivered to each user
• No need to for special requests to utilize
• Inconspicuous
– Many DHH individuals will not use assistive
listening devices that require visible equipment
– Hygienic concerns

7. • Scalable
– Cost is based on room size: $2,500 to $100,000
– Lower per-user cost than captioning services
– Unlimited number of users
• No extra equipment needed after installation
– No maintenance costs
– No need to have person available to check out
equipment to users and troubleshoot malfunctions
• Implement in phases to spread out cost

8. • Most of Europe – colleges, museums, airports,
stores, places of worship
• United States
– U.S. Supreme Court
– Michigan State University, University of Iowa,
University of Arizona, Hope College
– NY subway system and taxis
– Louisville, KY library

9. • Number of spaces or percentage of campus
with loops installed
• Number of marketing efforts and outreach
programs completed
• Enrollment levels for DHH population

10. • Persistence and Retention Rates
• Grades
• Graduation Rates
• Drop-out Rates
• Assess grades and drop-out rates for spaces
with installed hearing loops

11. • Americanhearingloop.com website