It’s always fun to try a new entertainment venue. But it can be a challenge, especially if you need hearing aid for interpretation. I checked the theater’s website and saw that there would be assisted listening devices available. Excellent!
Or maybe not so well. While it is best practice to call ahead to understand the hearing aid options available and ensure the operating room is prepared for your arrival, I decided to experiment. This is a place I hope to frequent more in the future. I wanted to see what would happen if I just showed up cold, creating a base experience to grow from.
The result was not good; I didn’t expect it to be. But his intentions were. And thus begins the educational process.
Where are the hearing devices?
My experience started off strong when I asked the reviewer where I could find assistive hearing devices. “We don’t have them,” he said. “Yes,” I replied, “it says so on the website.” She just shrugged.
I asked a different usher. This time I was luckier. “Oh yes, we have them. Where are they? Nobody has asked for them in a long time.”
She ran out to search. Luckily we arrived early as we knew it would take a while to get ready. We saw her run up the stairs and come down empty-handed. Then go up the stairs again. And go back. He walked to a closet hidden in a side wall of the hallway and emerged with something in his hand. «I found them,» he smiled.
Our usher friend changed the batteries. “These haven’t been used in forever,” he laughed as he handed her one with an earpiece. «Try it and tell me how it works.»
“Just an earphone?” I asked. «Yeah, that’s all we have.»
Is the system turned on?
Admittedly, the usher came by a few minutes later to check on me, which wasn’t good since there was no sound coming through the device. She ran away and came back. “The system was not on, but now it is. “This hasn’t been used for a while.”
Still, no luck. She left and returned once again. “Try channel C2. I thought they said G2.” (Welcome to my world, I thought!) We changed the channel and the system worked! The show was about to begin.
One ear headphones not working
Despite all the installation time, the device turned out to be useless. Yes, the sound was coming out of the earpiece, but it was not synchronized with the sound I heard in the other ear. There was no way for my brain to address the mismatch. The assistive listening device made listening more difficult than easy. I put it aside and did my best to continue the dialogue without it.
After the show, I gave my opinion to the helpful usher and let him know I would be back the following week for another event. She promised to pass on the information.
Taking two was better, but still not the charm
We returned to the location the following week to try again. This time the ushers knew the devices and took me directly to a kiosk where the devices were ready and charged. Check! The assistive listening system was turned on and the correct channel was programmed into the device. Check!
But the “headphones” still had only one earpiece, making the device unusable. Luckily, I brought my noise canceling headphones and the plug worked with the device. I heard every word loud and clear.
Hearing access is usually a multi-step process
It shouldn’t be, but in my experience, hearing access is usually a multi-step process. My third visit to the place was similar to the second, except the manager was now considering purchasing headphones with two earbuds. She even made me watch some online with her.
There is still work to be done, but the place seems open to change. I gave them my contact details and look forward to having more conversations with them. The more they understand, the better access to communication will be, not just for advocates like me who come prepared, but for everyone.
Readers, do you educate venues about assisted listening?
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