Brevard College recently announced the completion of induction looping in the Porter Center, Ingram Auditorium, and the largest lecture hall on campus (McLarty-Goodson 125,) to make campus presentations and performances more accessible to those with hearing loss.
The enhancements have been completed in time for the official kick-off of the summer music season and will be invaluable throughout the year for enjoyment of student recitals, guest lectures, and community performances. Upgrades in the Porter Center and Ingram Auditorium were made possible from a generous bequest from the estate of Lois Maxine Gibbs, to help enrich the quality of experiences in Transylvania County for people with impaired hearing. Classroom 125 in the McLarty- Goodson Humanities building, used for many community events, has also been upgraded during concurrent renovations.
“Brevard College is committed to serving not only our students in BC’s signature programs of music, voice and theatre, but also the extended community in Brevard, Transylvania County, and Western North Carolina. We are intentional about making our campus a learning space for art, performance and discussion, and the induction looping strengthens our role as a resource in the community.” says Kathryn Holten, BC’s Vice President of Alumni Affairs and Development.
In the United States alone, around 36 million, (about one out of every five adult Americans,) report having a measurable degree of hearing loss. Yet one misunderstood aspect of hearing loss is that while hearing aids are great, they do not work in every situation. Hearing aids work best in a quiet environment, but in places with a lot of ambient noise, an assistive listening system is needed to block out unwanted sound and deliver sound directly to people’s ears. People with hearing loss need more signal than noise. In other words, it isn’t helpful if sound is just louder.
An induction loop system transmits an audio signal directly into a hearing aid via a magnetic field, greatly reducing background noise, competing sounds, reverberation and other acoustic distortions that reduce clarity of sound. Systems, like that installed at BC, are invisible and seamless with no equipment (such as awkward headphones) required. All new cochlear implants and most hearing aids have a T-coil included, the built-in equipment necessary to take advantage of the upgrade.
Brevard College is committed to an experiential liberal arts education that encourages personal growth and inspires artistic, intellectual, and social action.