As part of its ongoing efforts to provide venues, contractors, and system integrators with the latest resources, Listen Technologies Corporation, designer, manufacturer, and distributor of assistive listening products, has gathered and clarified updated information on the California Building Code (CBC). The state of California relies on the CBC to outline the compliance laws for facilities that serve people with hearing disabilities in California – with more specific guidelines than those offered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The CBC is updated and published every three years, and the most recent revision took effect January 1, 2014. The new guidelines are particularly significant for houses of worship, which are now classified as “assembly areas” by the CBC and are not exempt from the laws for such spaces. In addition, meeting rooms and conference rooms are required to have assistive listening.
“We know that our channel partners and clients are often not aware of changes in compliance and how they affect AV projects,” stated Cory Schaeffer, Listen Technologies VP business development worldwide. “At Listen Technologies we spend a great deal of time and effort to first understand the requirements as they relate to our category of products, then to communicate the changes and guidelines in brief so that they are understood and easy to follow. We hope these resources help the contractors and consultants working in the Golden State to communicate to the venue owners, as the venue owners can be held legally liable. Our approach is to talk about ‘why’ these requirements are in place, explain what is required to become compliant and inform the venue owners of the tax benefits available for becoming compliant. It's a win-win.”To access Listen Technologies’ resources regarding the current CBC revisions, visit their website. General compliance standards outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act can be found here.
