Assistive Listening Devices
Assistive Listening Devices amplify sound to aid in communication, and are used by individuals with hearing loss.
Most students who use assistive listening devices will also need access to captioned media. If you are planning to show media in class or online (such as videos or audio files) that are not already accurately captioned, review the information on how to get your materials captioned. Making sure media is captioned for those in your class who are hard-of-hearing reinforces our commitment to providing equal access!
Roger Pen
The Roger Pen is a wireless device consisting of a neck loop (worn by the student who is hard-of-hearing) and small microphone (worn by the instructor/speaker). In some cases, the Roger Pen microphone can be placed in a centrally located area rather than worn by the instructor/speaker. The student will also wear either headphones, ear buds, or hearing aids. The Roger Pen transmits the instructor/speaker’s voice directly into the student’s hearing aid, ear buds, or headphones. The instructor/speaker’s voice is not amplified to the rest of the class, nor is the instructor/speaker’s voice recorded by the Roger Pen in any way.
The student who is hard-of hearing will be asking you to wear the Roger Pen microphone as a disability accommodation. The Roger Pen can be worn around the instructor/speaker's neck using a lanyard. Or in some cases, the student may lay the Roger Pen on their desk or in a location where the whole classroom can then be heard. Wearing the Roger Pen will allow the student who is hard-of-hearing to understand what you are saying and to hear you more effectively. If you have any guest speakers as part of the class lecture, please have them wear the Roger Pen microphone as well.
The student who is hard-of hearing will be responsible for bringing the Roger Pen to class each day and for retrieving it from the instructor/speaker at the end of each class period.
FM Loop Device
The FM Loop is a wireless device consisting of a neck loop (worn by the student who is hard-of-hearing), on/off control box, and small microphone (worn by the instructor/speaker). The FM Loop system transmits the instructor/speaker’s voice directly into the student’s hearing aid. The instructor/speaker’s voice is not amplified to the rest of the class, nor is the instructor/speaker’s voice recorded by the FM Loop in any way.
The student who is hard-of hearing will be asking you to wear the on/off control box and the lapel microphone as a disability accommodation. The on/off control box should be clipped onto your belt/waistband at the hip area, and the lapel microphone should be clipped to the general shirt collar area or jacket lapel (much like a traditional microphone). For those wearing a dress without a belt loop or waistband, please hold the on/off control box in your hand at all times when you are speaking.
Wearing these items as part of the FM Loop system will allow the student who is hard-of hearing to understand what you are saying and to hear you more effectively. If you have any guest speakers as part of the class lecture, please have them wear the on/off control box and lapel microphone as well. The student who is hard-of hearing will be responsible for bringing the FM Loop system to class each day and for retrieving it from the instructor/speaker at the end of each class period.