Listen Technologies, a leading provider of assistive listening products for more than 17 years, has won an International Association for Universal Design (IAUD) Award in the category of communication design. Listen Technologies’ ListenIR was recognized for promoting universal design as the product is sustainable and universal and promotes diversity and inclusion.
The purpose of the IAUD Awards is to recognize groups and individuals who have conducted activities aimed at realizing a universal design society in which everyone, regardless of age, gender, nationality, ethnicity, culture, customs or other factors, can live comfortably, without feeling any undue inconvenience. IAUD Awards are given to entries that meet or genuinely strive to meet universal design standards of user engagement in the design process, user friendliness, sustainability, inclusion, dialogue and knowledge transfer.
The IAUD Awards selection committee praised ListenIR, an assistive listening system that uses infrared (IR) technology to provide quality audio in classrooms, corporate boardrooms, theaters, courtrooms and wherever a private audio signal is needed, for solving some of the intractable problems of assistive listening and elevating the quality of sound for users. The committee also noted ListenIR’s inclusivity as one system that works for all people with and without hearing aids or cochlear implants.
With ListenIR, audio is delivered wirelessly from a transmitter within the venue to small receivers that the individual wears on a lanyard around his/her neck. Receivers transmit the audio signal to a neck loop lanyard that sends the signal directly to a cochlear implant or telecoil-equipped hearing aid. Individuals without these aids can receive the audio signal through headphones. Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are free for individuals to check-out and use; venues loan patrons receivers for use during their visit.
“Listen Technologies is honored to receive an IAUD Award in recognition of ListenIR and our efforts to promote universal design,” said Tracy Bathurst, chief technology officer, Listen Technologies. “Universal design inspires the innovative solutions we develop to help the millions of people around the world who have disabling hearing loss and struggle to listen to and understand speech across a wide range of environments and activities. Listen Technologies designs assistive listening systems that deliver pure, focused, powerful sound to individuals in settings where hearing is critical but difficult because hearing and understanding speech is a universal right.”
