When we think of accessibility, most people think of addressing the needs of those with physical disabilities. There are wheelchair lifts and ramps, priority seating, properly placed handrails, wider doors, and kneeling systems to reduce the gap between the bus and the curb.

But what is being done for passengers and travelers with hearing loss? In many cases, very little. 

Did you know that there are literally tens of millions of people worldwide with hearing loss, many of whom will use some form of public transit at some point? According to the CDC, the reported number of Americans with mobility-related disabilities is around 41 million, or about 12% of the country. 

Meanwhile, the number of Americans living with hearing loss is reported to be between 50 and 73 million, according to data from the  Hearing Loss Association of America and the Center for Hearing Access, respectively.

When the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990, hearing loss was recognized on a federal level as a disability. To this day, some 35 years later, hearing loss is still often overlooked when planning for accessibility needs, despite the massive number of people dealing with a loss or decrease in the quality of their hearing.

Challenges for Individuals with Hearing Loss

The three most significant challenges for individuals with hearing loss are the effectiveness of hearing aids and their internal microphones, the quality of the sound source, and the presence of background noise and interference.

Firstly, hearing aids are most effective when the sound source is at a distance of three to six feet away. Beyond that, the hearing aid doesn’t receive sound in a high-quality enough condition to work with it and improve it. In the case of announcements, whether on a bus, train, or otherwise, the PA system speakers are often further away than this ideal range.

The second factor is the quality of the sound source. 

There is a perceived quality of sound and the actual quality of the sound. What this means is that, for those with no hearing loss, something may sound great. However, once a person has hearing loss, they realize that previously satisfactory sound quality is no longer acceptable. 

Additionally, the sound quality from the PA speakers can vary significantly, as can the severity of the person’s hearing loss. 

For example, a person can visit five different fast-food or bank drive-through lanes and will likely have five different experiences based on the quality of the sound equipment. Those of a certain age will remember the saying, “garbage in, garbage out.” If the sound system is not producing good sound, the hearing aid will also not deliver good sound to the wearer.

The third factor is background noise and interference. 

Background noise can be electrical in nature, such as a buzz or hum, or organic, including road and traffic noise, as well as conversations from other passengers. In quiet environments, there is no clear-cut fight between good and evil — just spoken word versus background noise. 

However, once a person enters public, the battle ensues. A person with hearing loss needs the ratio of intended sound (speech) versus background noise to be excellent. 

A good example is when a 21-year-old goes to a nightclub; they can carry on a conversation despite the noise and music. Try that at 40 or 50 years old. It is much more challenging as hearing loss sets in — the noise must be far lower in volume than the conversation.

What Can Improve the Experience?

There is one way to improve the quality and experience of listening in the transport sector — with assistive listening systems (ALS). Assistive listening systems are exactly as they sound; they allow the intended sound to be transmitted and heard in a way that eliminates or mitigates the three issues above. They can work on buses, trains, boats, and cars.

There are various versions of ALS, but there is a minimal number of them suited for transit use. 

Hearing Loops, or Induction Loops, are the primary way. This technology transmits sound directly from the sound source into a passenger’s T-coil-equipped hearing aid or cochlear implant. This allows the passenger to take advantage of their personal, prescriptive corrections within the programming of their hearing aids to get clear and concise sound. It also eliminates or reduces any competition from background noise. These allow passengers to have the best chance of hearing and understanding an announcement.

This technology is being implemented worldwide in buses and taxis as we speak. It is required in the UK on all public buses by October 2026. The U.S. and Canada don’t yet have this requirement, but perhaps one day they will. But public transit is not the only one implementing it. 

Similarly, private fleets operate tour businesses. For them, improving accessibility increases customer satisfaction, which can translate to increased revenue from repeat business.

The second, and potentially a solution for the future, is Auracast by Bluetooth. This new and developing technology will eventually allow passengers to receive sound, similar to that of a hearing loop user, in their hearing aids. 

However, currently, there are very few users with Auracast-enabled hearing aids. So for now, this would require the use of a device to receive the sound. This could be a dedicated Auracast receiver, an Auracast-enabled headset, or similarly equipped earbuds.

Another way to improve accessibility for travelers is to provide window intercom systems at points of sale and interaction where there is glass between staff and visitors. Try talking through a thick pane of glass with your hands covering your ears. This is what it is like for a person with hearing loss to communicate at a ticket window.

Companies, such as Contacta Inc., make accessibility possible with hardware capable of providing audio to passengers with hearing loss. This equipment is R10 compliant and is designed to withstand the challenges of vehicle-installed hardware like electromagnetic compatibility and vibration. 

Additionally, their window intercom systems provide not only speakers and microphones for staff and travelers alike, but they also come equipped with hearing loops.

By implementing a hearing loop on public or private transport, passengers with hearing loss will have an opportunity to hear announcements and tour information clearly and equally, as well as other passengers who don’t have hearing loss. And in the end, that is the goal — to provide equal access to all.