If you’ve developed hearing loss, you may believe that you can’t enjoy activities you love like you used to, such as going to the movies. Fortunately, this isn’t true at all – you just may need to do a little preparation or ask for some accommodations. Below we review tips for making the most of the movie theater if you have hearing loss.
Wear Your Hearing Aids
If you own hearing aids, it’s important to wear them when you go to the movie theater. According to one 2018 study, “[Hearing aid] users indicated fewer difficulties when watching TV than non-HA owners, suggesting that HA usage alleviated difficulties with TV listening.” This also translates to watching movies in a theater.
If you’re concerned about scenes from the movie being too loud with hearing aids in, you can simply turn down the volume on your devices or talk to your audiologist about creating a special program for going to the movies.
Use Assistive Listening Devices
Since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, all theaters that have fixed seating for 50 or more people have to provide an assistive listening device (ALD) system. While some ALDs must be used in conjunction with hearing aids, others can be used alone. Some common ALD systems include:
- FM systems. These use radio frequencies to transmit amplified sound through a receiver that you can wear for the duration of the movie.
- Infrared light systems. These transmit sound to receivers that can be adjusted to whatever volume that works for you.
- Induction loop systems. These transmit sound signals to the telecoil in your hearing aid or cochlear implant.
Make sure you talk to the staff at AMC Hampton Town Centre 24 prior to the movie starting to get set up with an ALD that works for your needs.
Ask About Captioning
There are two captioning options available for movie-goers:
- Open captioning. This is when text appears on the big screen for everyone to see.
- Closed captioning. This is when you have a personal device near your seat that presents text.
Though open captioning screenings are less common than closed captioning systems, you can talk to your local theater about offering special open captioning screenings for popular films.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment with a hearing aid expert, call Hampton Roads ENT ~ Allergy today.