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ADA Compliance and Hearing Impairments: Everything Your Business Needs to Know

By | airports, Auction, Business, Casinos, Churches, Education, Government, Hearing Assistance, Hearing Loss, Stadiums, Theater, Tour Guides, Wireless Audio | No Comments

Every public business, organization, or venue should be thinking about how to improve accessibility at their establishment. Not only does it create a more welcoming environment for any and every-one that visits, but it can also be a legal requirement. 

Read on to learn more about how your business can (and must) improve accessibility through ADA compliance and other accessibility-friendly solutions.

What is ADA compliance?

The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990. It prohibits discrimination and seeks to improve accessibility at public government entities and privately-owned “places of public accommodation,” and requires employers with 15+ employees to provide reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities.

What are ADA guidelines for hearing impairments?

The ADA requirements for hearing impairments vary by platform, business type, or entity. For example, all airlines within and into the United States must accommodate hearing loss, according to the Air Carriers Access Act (ACAA), which is typically accomplished by adding captions to airport TVs
 
Other public venues must provide assistive listening devices (ALDs) in each assembly area where audible communication is integral to the use of the space. These venues include movie theaters, concert and lecture halls, schools, museums, hospitals, stadiums and arenas, courtrooms, conference rooms, convention centers, nursing homes, community centers, and the list goes on and on. 
 
If your venue provides fixed seating (e.g., theater or stadium) for 50 or more people, ADA compliant receivers must be available for a percentage of seating capacity. Originally it was 4% of capacity, but that figure was updated in 2010 to give larger venues a bit of a break with a scaled quantity. Additionally, at least 25% or a minimum of two receivers must be hearing-aid compatible.

What is an ADA-compliant device?

ADA compliant products for hard-of-hearing individuals include assistive listening systems (ALS) or assistive listening devices (ALDs). An assistive listening system is defined as an amplification system utilizing transmitters, receivers, and coupling devices to bypass the acoustical space between a sound source and a listener by means of induction loop, radio frequency, infrared, direct-wired equipment or wireless connection.

Who enforces ADA compliance?

Several agencies play a role in enforcing or investigating ADA compliance claims, including The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Department of Labor, and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (ATBCB).

What are the consequences of not following the ADA guidelines?

Failing to comply with ADA guidelines can result in both financial and reputation repercussions
 
On a purely financial basis, your business or organization can be fined by the federal government up to $75,000 for the first violation and $150,000 for additional ADA violations, and state or local governments may tack on additional fines. Additionally, you open yourself up to lawsuits, personal injury claims, and legal or civil penalties from disabled individuals with legitimate complaints or ambulance-chasing entities looking to make an easy buck. 
 
From a reputation perspective, your brand name can also be dragged through the mud for non-compliance, which can also severely affect your business financially in both the short and long term.

What businesses or organizations are exempt from ADA compliance?

The ADA does not apply to places of worship, religious organizations/schools, private clubs, or any other venue historically excluded from federal civil rights laws. However, many of these organizations decide to provide some type of assistive listening option to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all of their members and patrons. 
 
Learn more about our assistive listening solutions for churches and houses of worship.

Does AudioFetch work with ADA-compliant receivers?

Yes, AudioFetch is compatible with ADA-compliant receivers. AudioFetch can be used to broadcast the audio source live, and then businesses can use a regulation ADA-compliant device to receive that audio. 
 
AudioFetch also integrates seamlessly with hearing aids; listeners connect the hearing aid to their smartphone via Bluetooth and are able to listen in real-time.

AudioFetch works with businesses and organizations of all sizes to help you create a more accessible and welcoming environment for your guests, customers, and employees. If you’re ready to get started, contact us or schedule an appointment to learn more and request a free demo. 

AudioFetch Blog Header_Audio Over WiFi at Business Office

How Audio Over WiFi Benefits Your Business Office or Corporate HQ

By | Business, Fitness Centers, Hearing Assistance, Tour Guides, Wireless Audio | No Comments

After working from home for two years, it can be difficult to get employees back into the office. The convenience and comfort of working from home can oftentimes outweigh the collaboration and communication that comes with being together in one space. And while some companies have vowed to go full-time or remote first, such as Google, Shopify, Quora, US Xpress, Pratt & Whitney, many others are eager to have their staff back in the office environment on a daily basis. 

To encourage staff to willingly and enthusiastically come back, these in-person-ready companies are looking for ways to make the experience more enjoyable, more efficient and safer for everyone. One unique way they can do this is by utilizing a wireless audio streaming system

Below are five ways that corporate HQs and business offices can use audio over WiFi to improve employee satisfaction and productivity: 

1. Employee Training Solution

Training is essential to ensuring your employees are prepared to complete their work in the most effective, efficient, and responsible ways. But if they’re unable to hear or understand the training material, they’ll never be able to perform their job responsibilities to the fullest potential. AudioFetch can be used as an assistive listening solution or live translation system to help your staff learn and comprehend better, leading to better job performance.

Scott M from the US Playing Card Company has found AudioFetch to be particularly useful for their employee training: “We used the tour pack [AudioFetch Express for tour application] and it made a world of difference on the training session. Thank you!!”

2. Fitness TV Audio System

Many corporate headquarters and larger businesses offer a gym or fitness center that their employees can access at any time. Our audio over WiFi system is a perfect solution for allowing staff to stream gym TV audio to their phones. They don’t have to be tethered to any one piece of cardio equipment; rather, they can move around freely throughout the fitness space and use several machines, all while enjoying (and getting distracted by!) the news, a game, a TV show, or anything else playing in the facility. 

3. Wireless Factory Tour Guide System

During tours of factory floors, where conditions can be dangerous and safety is of the utmost importance, it’s imperative that all participants can hear the tour guide clearly. But churning machinery, beeping vehicles, whirring fans, and other loud sounds can easily drown out the audio and potentially put participants at risk and workers at risk. 

Our portable tour guide system is an ideal solution, and a great replacement for outdated, unhygienic, and expensive listening devices you may already be using. Tour groups use their own personal smartphones to listen with the AudioFetch app, eliminating the need to purchase, keep track of, maintain and sanitize numerous devices. The app is simple and intuitive for users of any age or expertise, plus it’s free to download with no monthly fees for your business. 

4. Controlled Music System

Did you know that music can increase your employees’ productivity?! It’s true. Especially for those staff whose tasks are clearly defined and repeated often, such as factory or warehouse workers. Music improves mood, increases concentration, reduces stress, and increases work speed. 

AudioFetch can be used to provide multiple music channels to your team to reap these benefits and more. Select channels can be programmed, offering options for varying musical tastes and work styles, while limiting employees’ ability to access the internet and thus get distracted. All employees have to do is download the free AudioFetch app, select their channel of choice, and start listening. 

5. Emergency Notification Solution

Quick action and widespread communication is required during an office fire or other emergency situation. Audio Over WiFi technology can be used to stream emergency instructions to employees on multiple floors and throughout thousands of square footage, allowing your staff to mobilize quickly and efficiently.

Helping your employees, clients and visitors hear better without distractions or distracting others can increase productivity and enhance the office space, making it a more desirable environment to return to. If you’re ready to get started, contact us or schedule an appointment to learn more and request a free demo. 

AudioFetch Blog Header - Easter Church Services

6 Articles to Help Your Church Get Ready For Easter This Year

By | Churches, Drive-in Audio, Hearing Assistance, Translation | No Comments

With Easter services just a couple of short months away, we wanted to share some of our most popular blogs about hearing assistance and translation services in churches. Check out the following articles to learn how to create a more inclusive environment for those with hearing impairments, how to welcome members that speak different languages, and how to create a safe space for congregants of all ages.

Help Your Congregation Hear Easter Services

Easter services bring in a larger crowd than usual each year. And while this year’s services will be anything but usual, houses of worship can still expect to see more community members visiting the church for the holiday. Whether your organization is planning to have indoor or outdoor services, there are ways you can help your larger-than-usual congregation hear better this Easter. Continue reading…

How to Make Your Worship Services More Accessible

Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment is a key goal for every type of religious organization. Church members and guests should be provided with resources and tools that allow them to take part in weekly services and other events to the fullest extent possible, despite any hearing impairments or language barriers. 

Yet, because houses of worship are exempt from the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or because many believe that addressing these requirements is too complicated and expensive, they neglect to take steps to create this welcoming community. Fortunately, we’re proud to offer a solution that is both simple and inexpensive to install. Our audio over WiFi solutions are designed to make it simple and affordable for any type of religious organization to make their services more accessible and welcoming to all types of audiences. Learn how AudioFetch helps those with hearing impairments and language barriers. Continue reading… 

How to Broadcast Your Church Services to Cars in Parking Lots

Many churches and houses of worship are continuing to modify how they deliver messages to congregations to practice social distancing for older or immunocompromised members. Online tools, virtual hangouts, social media, and drive-in church services in parking lots are all still in effect.  

We’ve worked with thousands of churches since the start of this global pandemic to help them create drive-in services. We are able to offer drive-in audio streaming through our products in two ways: Using AudioFetch to broadcast to smartphones or using an FM transmitter to broadcast to the car radio. Continue reading to learn more about these options

Is Audio Streaming Right for Your House of Worship?

A house of worship should be a place that brings people from all walks of life together for fellowship. With young and old, bilingual speakers and various disabilities all coming together in one space, a house of worship needs solutions to help meet its congregation’s audio needs. It used to be that adding assistive listening devices for churches wasn’t worth the trouble; programming changes and ongoing upkeep made it an expensive and burdensome addition. But modern solutions are able to eliminate all of that and leverage existing technology that works for everyone.

Here are a few of the reasons why a hearing assistive system could be a God-send for your house of worship. Continue reading…

Audio Solutions to Help Your House of Worship

Baby boomers represent about one-quarter of the American population and as they age, they may begin to experience hearing loss.  Along with that, approximately 5% of the total population experiences some type of hearing disability.  This makes it important for any religious organization to consider and anticipate their needs and give consideration to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), even if houses of worship are exempt from ADA requirements. Many houses of worship are looking for ways to leverage technology to make assistive listening and accessibility simpler, more effective, and less costly.  

For decades, houses of worship have used inductive loop systems to assist the hearing impaired, but these systems are cumbersome, expensive, and still require the use of a hearing aid which many people find embarrassing. Recent developments in hearing assistive technology, however, can be a great solution both for houses of worship with tight budgets to assist parishioners experiencing hearing loss.  Some devices use BlueTooth technology, which allows the pairing of cell phones and hearing aids to assist the congregation in hearing the service directly without having to use a headset.  

Audio streaming solutions that use built-in WiFi technology work similarly to BlueTooth. These assisted listening solutions for churches allow listeners to hear the service via an app on their own device (phone or tablet) using their own earbuds or headset which can be great for those who do not want to wear a hearing aid but still need the audio boosted. Continue reading…

How to Promote AudioFetch at Your Business or Organization

Installing AudioFetch at your business is a breeze. Getting customers to use it shouldn’t be difficult either! We offer several ideas for announcing the addition of AudioFetch wireless audio streaming at your church and getting more members to use it. Continue reading…

If you’re looking for an effective and cost-efficient audio solution for your house of worship for Easter, AudioFetch is it! Contact us by calling 844-HI-FETCH or scheduling an appointment to discuss your needs and get a free quote.

AudioFetch Blog Header - 2022 Wireless Audio Streaming Predictions

5 Predictions for Wireless Audio Streaming in 2022

By | Education, Food for thought, Hearing Assistance, Home Audio, Wireless Audio | No Comments

As A/V technologies grow more advanced and consumers become more reliant on their smartphone devices, we expect the field of local audio over WiFi to continue growing in the new year. Below are our 5 predictions for wireless audio streaming in 2022.

1. Increased Focus on Accessibility 

If there is one positive thing to come out of the past two years it’s that we have all become more aware of the health challenges and disabilities of others. That includes individuals with hearing impairments. 

This spotlight on hearing has lead to a focus on providing more and better accessibility options in theaters and churches. We predict this focus will continue to grow in 2022, with even more businesses and organizations using audio over WiFi for hearing assistance. The venues we anticipate will grow the most are schools and universities, hospitals and conferences and convention centers.

2. Social Distancing Will Still Be Important

No, unfortunately, we are not yet done with social distancing. As new variants continue to spread throughout the word (and there will be more no doubt, Omicron is not the final one), we’re going to have to continue maintaining safer distances in certain public establishments and spaces.

Wireless audio streaming is a simple, flexible and affordable way to permit social distancing, while allowing businesses to stay open and provide entrainment options. Expect this to continue throughout most if not all of 2022.

3. New Applications Will Be Discovered

We get calls from folks all the time that want to know, “Will AudioFetch work for X?” or “Can I use AudioFetch for Y?” And 99.9% of the time, our answer is yes! 

AudioFetch is so flexible, so simple and so affordable, there are near-infinite uses. We could never rattled them all off or list them all on our site. Heck, we haven’t even thought of some of them! But if it has to do with helping people hear better in public venues or at home, AudioFetch can probably help! 

Take Itchy-O for example, a 57-member avant-garde marching band and performance music group based in Denver, CO. The Itchy-O band leader uses AudioFetch to communicate with the other members as they dance throughout the crowd during their performances. We certainly couldn’t have imagined this application, but what a cool use and perfectly suited use for AudioFetch! 

4. More Businesses Using Wireless Audio Distribution

Interest in using AudioFetch for wireless audio distribution has grow significantly in the past couple years as businesses look for more flexible and affordable audio solutions that meet the needs of today’s tech-savvy consumer. AudioFetch has replaced the existing wireless audio distribution system for a music festival and race track, and we expect to see even more businesses using AudioFetch in this way in 2022. 

5. Continued Interest in Home Entertainment Options

We’ve all spent a lot of time at home these past couple years. And while there were certainly times when the cabin fever seemed unbearable and we would have rather been ANYWHERE else on the planet, collectively, we have all learned how to be at home more, and some folks even now prefer it.

Just because we’re staying home more, however, doesn’t mean we don’t want to be entertained. This is clear when you look at all the home-focused technology to come out of CES this year. We especially loved Samsung’s The FreeStyle projector that would be perfect for hosting outdoor movie nights with AudioFetch Home as the audio solution! 

We are choosing to stay positive and have an optimistic outlook for 2022. We look forward to working with even more large franchises, mom and pop businesses and individuals to help more people hear better in both commercial and residential spaces. 

AudioFetch Blog Header - Holiday Hearing Solutions

Holiday Hearing Solutions: 4 Ways AudioFetch Can Help People Hear More Together

By | Churches, Drive-in Audio, Hearing Assistance, Theater, Translation, Wireless Audio | No Comments

One holiday down, on to the next one! Now that Thanksgiving is past, businesses and organizations are gearing up for all the fun and festive Christmas events. 

To bring communities together in safer ways and help make these events more enjoyable for guests, businesses and organizations are using AudioFetch wireless audio streaming solutions. 

Discover four ways that AudioFetch is being used to help people hear more together this holiday season: 

Holiday Drive-Through Events

Last year, many organizations from community centers and city planning groups to zoos and botanic gardens held drive-through events for the holidays. These events were required to adhere to social distancing guidelines and indoor restrictions, but they ended up being extremely popular and requested again this year. 

If you are planning to host a drive-through or drive-in event for the holidays, we can help with your audio sound system. Our wireless audio streaming solutions allow you to broadcast audio to smartphones or tablets. Listeners simply download the AudioFetch App, and then they can hear in real-time from their cars using a smartphone or Bluetooth speaker.

Christmas Church Services 

The Christmas season always brings in larger crowds at churches for holiday-themed sermons and midnight masses. The messages during this time are special, and it is especially important that they are heard plainly by everyone. But that can be difficult with the background din of shuffling, kneeling, echoing and children, especially for those with hearing impairments or language barriers. 

Our assisted listening devices for churches can help 100% of people hear 100% of the services. With AudioFetch, you can broadcast the services to your congregation’s phones or other smart devices. Church members download the free AudioFetch app, and they can start listening immediately. 

AudioFetch is the simplest and most affordable assistive listening solution for churches. It’s cheaper and easier than installing a complex hearing loop system, and it entirely removes the concerns of using shared listening devices. Since congregants use their own personal smartphones, there is no risk of spreading viruses and germs and you don’t have to sanitize devices after every use. 

If your congregation has members that speak Spanish, French, Mandarin or any other language, AudioFetch is an invaluable solution here, too. A live translator can speak into a microphone attached to AudioFetch, which will broadcast the translated services to anyone listening via the app. Using AudioFetch as translation equipment for churches creates a welcoming environment for all church members and any new folks that only join during the Christmas season. 

Holiday Theater Performances and Concerts

The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, Elf, Bing Crosby Christmas Concerts, School Christmas Pageants. Traditional shows, new favorites and local events can be enjoyed at theaters and performing arts centers big and small around the world at this time of year.

AudioFetch is an ideal assistive listening device for theaters. Not only is it more affordable than the traditional hearing loop systems that theaters have used in the past, but it’s also simpler and more convenient than any other assistive listening solution out there. 

Plug AudioFetch in, connect to WiFi, and start broadcasting audio immediately. And there’s no need to keep track of clunky and unhygienic devices since listeners use their own smartphones and earbuds. It’s a simple and convenient solution for theater owners and theater-goers alike. 

Holiday Tour Groups

Tours often pick up during the holidays when friends and family look for unique ways to experience the season together. Whether it’s a holiday-themed exhibit at a museum or a walking tour to experience the seasonal sights and sounds of a city, tours can be a fun way to enjoy each other’s company outside the home.

To make that experience even more enjoyable and protect the health of both attendees and tour guides alike, businesses and organizations are using our wireless tour guide audio system. The tour guide simply speaks into a microphone attached to our AudioFetch Express, and the tour group members can listen via their smartphones and personal headphones. 

If you’re looking for an effective and cost-efficient audio solution for your business or organization this holiday season, AudioFetch is it! Contact us by calling 844-HI-FETCH or scheduling an appointment to discuss your needs and get a free quote.

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World Lutheran Deaf Outreach Ministry Provides Hearing Assistance with AudioFetch

By | AudioFetch News, Churches, Hearing Assistance | No Comments

We’re proud to work with businesses and organizations that help to bring communities together and raise awareness about hearing health around the world. We wanted to highlight a commendable organization that we’ve recently had the pleasure of working with to provide an assistive listening solution–World Lutheran Deaf Outreach Ministry.

Meet World Lutheran Deaf Outreach Ministry

World Lutheran Deaf Ministry Logo

World Lutheran Deaf Outreach Ministry (WLDO) seeks to connect with the 98% of deaf and hard of hearing individuals who do not attend church because of hearing concerns. Various factors–sentence structure, passive voice, inefficient hearing assistance devices–have historically made attending services a challenge, but WLDO is changing that! Through resources, training, worship, and small group study, WLDO is helping deaf and hard of hearing people come together where they previously couldn’t. 

WLDO has deaf ministries in locations around the country, including Emmanuel Lutheran Church of the Deaf in Milwaukee, WI, Our Savior Deaf Lutheran Church in Madison, WI, Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Delavan, WI, Life in Christ Church in Peoria, AZ, Trinity Lutheran Church in Litchfield Park, AZ, Holy-Three-In-One Lutheran Deaf Church in Houston, TX, and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson, MS. 

How WLDO Discovered AudioFetch for Assistive Listening

We were introduced to WLDO through a customer that had previously purchased our home audio streaming solution, AudioFetch Home. “My hearing is significantly impaired (60% loss) and I really can’t understand TV programs,” says Galen Stanely, who purchased AudioFetch Home in November 2020. “With AudioFetch Home streaming to my Bluetooth hearing aids via my iPhone, the audio is crystal clear. I use it every day.” 

After having such a positive experience with Home, Galen recommended AudioFetch to his pastor. “Our WLDO pastor ministers full time to hearing impaired and deaf people in our area and all across the US,” Galen added. “He uses the highly mobile AudioFetch Express for both worship and small group study while visiting many churches and congregations.”

The Most Affordable Assistive Listening Solution for Churches

Houses of worship around the world use AudioFetch Express as simple, affordable, and flexible assistive listening devices for churches, as well as to provide real-time translation services. AudioFetch eliminates the need for maintenance-intensive and unhygienic assistive listening devices or expensive and complex hearing loop systems. It’s simple to install and easy for listeners to use via the free AudioFetch app on their smartphone or tablet. 

If you’re looking for an effective and cost-efficient way to provide accessibility for your hearing-impaired members, AudioFetch is the ideal solution! Contact us by calling 844-HI-FETCH or scheduling an appointment to discuss your house of worship application and free get a quote. 

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Performing Arts Centers Use AudioFetch for Assistive Listening Solution

By | Hearing Assistance, Theater | No Comments

As theaters and performing arts centers around the globe begin to reopen, one key thing is on their mind–how can we provide a safe yet entertaining experience for guests? This question has led many to reconsider their accessibility solutions for guests with hearing impairments. 

How have theaters traditionally provided hearing assistance? 

There were two key methods for providing assistive listening solutions–shared hearing devices and hearing loops. 

Handing out hearing devices is no longer acceptable–these shared devices have always been a headache to clean and maintain, but now the stakes are much higher than a little headache. 

Hearing loops have been used for decades, but they can be complex, inconvenient and expensive, and after many theaters had to close their doors for the better part of a year, every penny matters.

Enter AudioFetch. Theaters and performing arts centers around the world are turning to AudioFetch as their assistive listening solution for three key reasons:

  • Simplicity – Plug AudioFetch in, connect to WiFi and start broadcasting immediately.
  • Affordability – At just $549 and no monthly fees, AudioFetch Express is a fraction of the cost of other assistive listening solutions.
  • Convenience – No more keeping track of clunky, finicky and unhygienic assistive listening devices. Listeners use their own smartphones.

Check out these three performing arts centers that recently tapped AudioFetch to provide assistive listening. 

The Star Performing Arts Center

The Star Centre - AudioFetch Audio Over WiFi

The Star Performing Arts Center is a Civic and Cultural Zone in Singapore. The Center comprises many elements: The Star Terrace, an airy outdoor theater; The Star Loft, an exclusive event space and rooftop terrace; The Star Gallery, a state-of-the-art multi-purpose hall; and The Star Theatre, Singapore’s first 5,000 seat theater. The Star Theater is the key venue in the Center and is fitted with a high-end audio, video and production lighting system, providing an exceptional audio-visual experience. And with the addition of AudioFetch, they’re also able to provide next-gen assistive listening capabilities for their diverse audiences.

GoggleWorks Center for the Arts

GoggleWorks Arts Center - AudioFetch Audio Over WiFi

GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading, Pennsylvania is focused on transforming lives through unique interactions with art. Since 2005, GoggleWorks has encouraged their community to develop skills, ask questions, experiment freely and investigate the human spirit through workshops, classes, visiting artists, community outreach programs, summer residency, youth programs and camps, on-site studio artists, film screenings, art exhibitions and communal maker studios. The building is a former goggle factory, hence the name, and is composed of 145,000 square feet of creative and community space. 

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre front FB - AudioFetch Audio Over WiFi

Metropolis Performing Arts Center is a non-profit organization based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Their theater houses 329 seats and hosts hundreds of performances each year, including concerts, comedy and cabarets. Through the Metropolis School of Performing Arts, they provide students of all ages with private lessons, group classes, workshops, camps, productions and community engagement. 

If you’re looking for an effective and cost-efficient way to provide accessibility for your hearing-impaired patrons, AudioFetch is the ideal solution! Contact us by calling 844-HI-FETCH or scheduling an appointment to discuss your theater application and get a quote. 

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AudioFetch Home: The Next-Gen TV Ears Alternative

By | Hearing Assistance, Home Audio | No Comments

Do you remember TV Ears? If you watched any television during the late 90s, you couldn’t avoid seeing a commercial for this product. TV Ears were (and still are, in fact!) a sound amplifier for people with hearing impairments to use in their homes, allowing them to hear the TV better. In the late 90s/early 00s when it first came out, TV Ears was a high-tech and extremely useful product–there was nothing like it on the market, and it helped millions of people enjoy hearing the television without distractions or distracting others. 

While TV Ears is still around today, and spawned several lookalike products such as Neosonic and Simolio, they’re no longer the pinnacle of hearing assistive technology for home use. These TV amplifier systems still use the same equipment from more than two decades ago–a dedicated headset that awkwardly hangs in front of the neck–and they lack the flexibility and convenience of more modern hearing assistive systems.

AudioFetch Home, our next-generation audio streaming solution, is today’s simple, affordable and convenient solution for TV sound amplification. Learn why AudioFetch is a modern TV Ears alternative:

No Clunky, Outdated Devices

Those outdated, uncomfortable headsets and neck loops are a thing of the past. With AudioFetch Home, you use a device that everyone already has with them pretty much every second of every day–their smartphone! Using the free AudioFetch App and personal headphones, users have a more personalized and more convenient experience. 

The AudioFetch App software is also continuously updated and maintained in the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores, so you never have to worry about the technology becoming outdated or obsolete. When the AudioFetch Home hardware needs updating, it’s done automatically from our cloud-based servers. All internet-connected AudioFetch hardware looks for new updates at every power up and hourly through its lifetime, so you don’t have to do a thing to be sure you have the latest and greatest.

More Coverage

TV Ears products and the like only offer single-room listening coverage, typically about 100 feet. And anything that comes in between the device and transmitter–be it walls, furniture, or other obstructions–can cause interference in the audio signal. 

AudioFetch Home streams audio over WiFi, so there’s nothing that can block the signal and cause interference. The built-in WiFi covers approximately 200 feet, and you can expand that coverage by using AudioFetch Home with your existing wireless network. That means double the coverage of the TV Ears product at the very least!

More Listeners at an Affordable Price

With the old-generation TV sound amplifiers, you need a separate device for every person that needs to hear better. The costs really start to add up if that’s more than one person! 

With AudioFetch Home, up to four people can listen simultaneously without adding any new hardware or devices. Each listener uses their own personal smartphones and headphones to listen via the free AudioFetch app. At just $229 for AudioFetch Home, that’s a screaming deal for four listeners! That would run you at least $450 to purchase four separate TV Ears devices.  Even better — there are no monthly or recurring fees with AudioFetch and you get a two year warranty on the product. 

A Wider Range of Uses

AudioFetch Home is also suitable for a variety of other home audio applications. Use it as a home gym audio solution to hear the TV while running on the treadmill. Host drive-in movies in your backyard without disturbing the neighbors. Impress your friends and family with a more high-tech man cave setup. The possibilities are nearly endless and only limited by your imagination!

AudioFetch Home is the simple, affordable, flexible and convenient option for amplifying and clarifying TV sound in your home. Order your AudioFetch Home online today. If you have questions or need more information, you can contact us or schedule an appointment at your convenience.  We look forward to hearing from you (pun intended!). 

AudioFetch Blog Header - Global Audio Over WiFi Solutions

AudioFetch Provides Better Hearing in 23 Countries

By | AudioFetch News, Hearing Assistance | No Comments

We started AudioFetch with one goal in mind–to help people hear better. 

Having worked in the fitness industry for several years through our sister companies Broadcastvision Entertainment and Waio, Inc., we saw an opportunity to build a platform that would empower anyone with a smartphone to hear what they were watching in real-time, no matter the location. 

And now, nearly two decades later, those locations can be found in 23 countries around the world!
In addition to the hundreds of businesses in the United States, we ship to and support businesses in Australia, Norway, Europe and the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Italy, Singapore, France and many more! Check out the map below to see where AudioFetch is being used.

We’ve been honored to provide hearing assistance and audio entertainment options to all different types of businesses and organizations. Fitness centers, houses of worship, museums, farms, drive-in movie theaters, amusement parks, warehouses, hospitals, airports, universities and K-12 schools, sports bars, railroad tours, casinos and resorts, apartment complexes, country clubs, retirement communities, local news stations, film festivals–we could write three more paragraphs listing the various types of businesses and organizations that are leveraging AudioFetch! That’s because our wireless audio streaming technology is so flexible, efficient and affordable, and because every venue wants their guests to have a better experience.

If you’d like to know if AudioFetch supports your type of business or location, well, the answer is almost always YES! Contact us today or schedule an appointment to discuss your application.

Please note: While many of our customers are public venues, we also work with private businesses to provide services for their internal staff. If you’d like to test our AudioFetch technology in the wild, please be sure to check that the business is a public venue before visiting.

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How AudioFetch Creates a Welcoming Environment with Assistive Listening Solutions

By | Hearing Assistance | No Comments

Whether you’re a restaurant serving food to guests, a travel group providing tours, a church serving your members, or an organization hosting an event, you have one universal goal in mind–you want every person to have a positive experience so they’ll come back again and/or tell their friends about it. 

Businesses and organizations go to great lengths to provide this positive experience, but there’s one area they often overlook–accessibility. 

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), some 38 million American adults over the age of 18 report some trouble hearing. That’s approximately 15% of people that could be struggling to hear when they’re at your establishment. 

You can make your establishment more accessible to those with hearing impairments by using our next-gen assistive listening solutions. Following are three ways AudioFetch can help your business or organization create a more welcoming environment for customers and guests:

1. No Hearing Aids Required

Lots of people don’t wear hearing aids when they need them. In fact, according to the  International Journal of Audiology, a whopping 80% of 55-74 year olds 55-74 don’t. That’s a lot of people who’ve made a conscious decision to go without a device that could benefit their lives. 

Why would they do such a thing, you ask? Well, there are numerous reasons people don’t wear hearing aids when they should. For some, they find hearing aids bulky or uncomfortable. For others, it makes them feel old or embarrassed. And for still more, they simply forget to bring it out with them. Whatever the reasons, not wearing a hearing aid when someone needs one can leave them feeling left out and isolated, a negative experience you don’t want them to have at your business.

Our assistive listening solutions eliminate all of those reasons. All the listener needs is their smartphone (which we all know no one ever forgets to bring out!) and headphones. 

2. No Asking to Use a Shared Device

Even when an establishment provides assistive listening devices, people oftentimes won’t ask for one. Again, the reasons here can be myriad–they don’t want to call attention to themselves and their hearing loss, they don’t know the devices are available, or, more common these days, they don’t want to use a device that may have been touched by others. 

AudioFetch solves this problem. Since listeners use their own smartphone and headphones to hear the audio, they don’t need to ask for or handle any additional devices. AudioFetch is ideal as an assistive listening system for churches, theaters, and schools and educational facilities. Travel and tourism businesses also benefit from replacing their shared hearing devices with our wireless tour guide system.

3. No Tech Skills Needed

If you know how to download and open an app, you know how to use AudioFetch. 

Listeners simply search for AudioFetch in the app store (or scan the QR code on signage we provide), download the app, and then open it. If there’s only a single audio channel, they’ll hear it immediately. If there are multiple channels, they simply select the one they want (which is easy to determine with the signage we also provide!) and listen in. 

Listeners will never be asked to enter any personal information. They’ll never be asked to create an account. They’ll never be asked to do anything but sit back and enjoy the sound! 

At AudioFetch, we’re devoted to helping people with hearing loss or impairment stay connected with the world around them, and helping businesses create a more welcoming environment for these individuals.  If you have questions about how AudioFetch can be used for assistive listening at your establishment, do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to helping your business create a more welcoming environment for everyone.