Burlington County has installed new technology in several government buildings to make meeting rooms, courts and offices more inclusive and accessible to hearing-impaired residents.
The improvements include installation of hearing loops; portable hearing hotspots; and transmitters and receivers in various county offices, including human services, the health department and the county library in Westampton.
Hearing loops assist the hearing impaired by directly transmitting audio into telecoil-enabled hearing aids or “neck loop” devices via magnetic fields. Doing so amplifies the voices or sounds from a microphone or an audio system and greatly reduces background noises.
Most prescription hearing aids and implants have telecoils. Transmitters and receiver systems use low-power radio frequencies to transmit sounds to receivers, such as headphones or neck loops.
The county used funding from a $75,000 New Jersey Department of Human Services grant to install hearing accessible systems in the county commissioners’ meeting room and other locations where residents receive services or interact with county employees and officials. They include the county prosecutor’s office lobby, the county clerk’s office and the Superior Court.
“We are so pleased to have received from the county listening-aid devices in our jury assembly room for court uses,” said Assignment Judge Jeanne Covert. “The county’s generosity demonstrates a real commitment to the court system in the Burlington Vicinage.
“Without even needing to ask,” she added, “they provided these much-needed devices, which will greatly improve the ability of those who are hard of hearing to participate in the fundamental civic engagement of jury duty.”
Hearing transmitters at the library will better assist impaired visitors, and several transmitters and portable loop systems in the health department building can be used in multiple rooms upon request.
The county has also contracted with Purple Communications to offer interpreting and captioning services that can help hearing-impaired residents communicate with county employees.
