was successfully added to your cart.

AudioFetch Blog Header_ADA Compliance

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 - 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 - Home Sale 2021

Who Needs a Home Audio Solution This Christmas

By | Home Audio | No Comments

Still looking for that perfect holiday gift this year? Give your loved ones something that will help create a more peaceful and enjoyable home environment–AudioFetch Home audio solution.

AudioFetch Home is a small device that connects to your television (or any other audio source) and automatically broadcasts the sound to smartphones or tablets via the free AudioFetch App. This home audio solution uses wireless internet, so there are no messy wires or cords to deal with. You can set it up with your existing wireless network at your home, or use the built-in WiFi. It’s a plug-and-play installation that shouldn’t take more than five minutes to get you up and listening!

No matter who you’re still shopping for, AudioFetch Home is a fun, useful, and unique gift. Check out how AudioFetch can benefit these five individuals and lifestyles:

1. Seniors or Those with Hearing Impairments

It can be difficult to get everyone in the household to agree on the appropriate TV volume, especially with the rise of multi-generational households over the past two years.

AudioFetch Home is a simple, affordable, and convenient TV sound amplifier. Simply plug it into the TV (or another audio source) and AudioFetch streams the sound to smartphones or tablets. Up to four people can listen simultaneously, choosing their appropriate personal volume. And each listener uses their own AirPods, headphones, or earbuds, so there are no clunky neck loops to deal with or separate devices to maintain/fight over. 

2. Tiny House or Mobile Home Dwellers

Families that live in tiny homes, RVs, and other sub-150-square-foot spaces need one key characteristic to ensure a peaceful environment–consideration. Everyone has to be considerate of where they put stuff, when they cook meals, and how loud they listen to the TV. 

With AudioFetch Home, you don’t have to worry so much about that last one. By streaming TV audio through the AudioFetch app, one person can watch TV at any volume while another person sleeps a mere few feet away.  

3. Open Concept Occupants

Lofts and other open-concept layouts are trending for a variety of home types. This design provides a more open and spacious feel, however, it can be very noisy and distracting for other family members. AudioFetch Home is a great solution for open concept dwellers–one person can enjoy a movie or TV series while another person studies in the quiet, all while sitting just a few feet apart. 

4. Backyard Entertainers

Does your dad love to host backyard BBQ blowouts and outdoor movie marathons? Is your cousin the king of holiday yard decorations, creating award-winning audio-visual displays? AudioFetch Home will help them create the ultimate outdoor entertainment experience, without getting racking up noise complaints night after night. 

5. Home Gym Enthusiasts

More people are working out at home than ever before, and to stay motivated, they need an enjoyable and functional home gym setup. That not only includes the right workout equipment, it also includes an AV solution to keep spirits up and minds distracted. 

AudioFetch is a simple, affordable, and flexible solution that lets home exercisers listen to TV audio in real time from their smartphone. No more blasting the volume to hear over the whir of the treadmill, or struggling to maintain the proper volume for various programs. 

We’re currently running our biggest sale of the year! From now until December 31, take 25% off* AudioFetch Home when you purchase online. Simply enter the code HOME25 at checkout. You have until December 21 to order with expedited shipping to receive it in time for Christmas. But why wait? Pick up an AudioFetch Home (or 3!) today. 

*Offer ends 12/31/2021. One use per customer. Cannot be combined with other coupons or offers. Good for purchase of AudioFetch Home product only. Must be purchased online. 

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.

AudioFetch Blog Headers - Hearing Impaired Accessibility

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. 

AudioFetch Blog Header - How to Hear TV without Hearing Aid

How to Hear the TV Better Without Needing a Hearing Aid

By | Home Audio | No Comments

According to a study published in the International Journal of Audiology, 80% of people between the ages of 55 and 74 who could benefit from using hearing aids don’t wear them. 

This isn’t simply a case of not wanting to wear hearing aids in public because they make the wearer feel embarrassed or old. Hearing aids can be uncomfortable if they’re not properly fitted. They’re also expensive, and oftentimes out of reach for many people. Additionally, hearing aids may not be as effective as they were at first or as effective as the wearer had hoped. For any and all of these reasons, some people choose not to use hearing aids even in the privacy of their homes.

This presents challenges for everyone living under the same roof. The person that needs the hearing aids must turn the TV volume up full-blast to be able to hear, drowning out any other noises in the household and driving partners, children and grandchildren crazy. 

Fortunately for the whole family, there’s a better way!

AudioFetch Home, our newest wireless audio streaming product, helps people hear better, reduces distractions and creates a more enjoyable and high-tech home environment. 

AudioFetch Home - Home Audio Solution

AudioFetch Home is a small device that connects to your television (or any other audio source) and automatically broadcasts the sound to smartphones or tablets via the free AudioFetch App. This home audio solution uses wireless internet, so there are no messy wires or cords to deal with. You can set it up with your existing wireless network at your home, or use the built-in WiFi. It’s a plug-and-play installation that shouldn’t take more than five minutes to get you up and listening!

If you or your loved ones could benefit from using an assistive listening device to hear the TV better, now’s the time to purchase an AudioFetch Home–we’re currently running a 20% off promotion for the holidays! Simply add AudioFetch Home to your cart and enter the code HOMEFORHOLIDAYS. This deal is up at the end of November, so don’t wait!

AudioFetch Blog Header - Coworking Spaces

How Coworking Spaces Can Take Advantage of Local Audio Over WiFi Streaming

By | Business, Coworking Spaces, Education, General, Hearing Assistance | No Comments

We’re constantly coming up with new and clever ways that businesses can benefit from our local audio over WiFi streaming solutions. Silent discos can use it to provide clandestine music to dancers. Real estate agents can use it to broadcast house details curbside to curious homebuyers driving by. Microbreweries can use it to provide information during tours of their brewing facilities (we are in Colorado, after all!). The products and their application are so versatile, the possibilities are nearly endless! 

Coworking spaces are one niche industry that has really sparked some ideas recently. The coworking industry has grown significantly in recent years. Freelancers, large corporations, and everyone in between are enjoying the flexibility, affordability, and other benefits of working in a shared office space. 

This focus on collaboration, innovation, and versatility really aligns with our ethos at AudioFetch, and we’re thrilled to be working with coworking spaces like EVO3 Workspace in Summit County, Colorado to provide additional benefits for their resident businesses and guests. 

Following are a few useful, unique and fun ways that coworking spaces can take advantage of local audio over WiFi streaming:

Provide Accessibility at Events

Coworking spots frequently host events, such as expert speaker series, coding workshops, maker fairs, and other things that help to promote and educate their members and the local community. These events can draw diverse crowds, with diverse audio and visual needs. 

AudioFetch provides hearing assistance capabilities without requiring the installation of an inductive hearing loop, or any separate hearing assistance devices. Listeners simply download the free AudioFetch app on their smartphone, and tune in to the live presentation. 

Provide Translation Services at Event

Within the diverse crowds that events draw, there may be some folks that would benefit from listening in a different language. This is especially important for educational events or training workshops. UNESCO research indicates that people learn best in their native tongues. 

AudioFetch solutions can be used to broadcast a live translation stream for anyone that needs it. You simply need someone available to translate the speaker or instructor’s message into the right language for your audience. Listeners then just launch the AudioFetch app on their smartphone, and select the channel with the translation feed. 

Allow Passive Listening of Events in Offices

Coworking members are often growing startups and zealous freelancers, eager to absorb as much knowledge and experience as possible, and limited only by hours in a day and days in a week. The members want to attend every event and workshop hosted by the coworking space, but they need to be at their desks working against deadlines and objectives.   

AudioFetch lets them have the best of both worlds! Members can tune in to the presentation or class that’s happening in the common area or conference room, while still heads-down at their computer working away in their office. It’s every founder’s dream–the ability to be in two places at once! (Now, if only that was possible for catching up on sleep and exercise!)

Curate Music Streaming Channels

Piping in a single music station or playlist throughout the entire coworking space is not ideal. It’s too loud. It’s too quiet. It doesn’t set the right tone. I hate that artist. With such a diverse membership base, there’s no doubt there will be opinions on the music selection. 

Rather than broadcasting a single music station for everyone to hear, AudioFetch can be used to provide options and eliminate distractions. You can create a custom channel for different music genres to appeal to various musical tastes. You could even allow members to play “DJ” for a week at a time, perhaps hosting a contest or raffle to bestow this honor each week. 

Curate Podcast Streaming Channels

In addition to designating select channels for music, you could also use a few channels to stream relevant podcasts throughout the day. Depending on what type of people and businesses make up your membership, you might consider Entrepreneurs on Fire, StartUp Podcast , The Gary Vee Audio Experience, The Growth Show, or So Money

Create a “Founders Podcast” Channel

Some of the biggest draws of coworking spaces are collaboration and networking opportunities. Let’s imagine that one of the members sells dog treats from spent grain from a local brewery down the street. They need some help updating their website and driving sales. There’s a freelance web developer two offices down, and a digital marketing firm two rows over. These folks could all be working together to make some doggos and the environment a little bit happier and healthier, they just need to know the others exist! 

A unique value-add for your members could be a “Founder’s Podcast” show. This podcast would allow each member to provide an overview of their business and service/product offering, any updates or announcements, and requests for help or current challenges they’re solving for. The recordings from each of the members would then be combined and played continuously for all members to hear, providing a unique way for members to promote their business and for all members to learn about and connect with others. 

Create a Unique Tour Experience

Providing a tour of the facility for prospective members is a key step in the sales process. Members need to see and experience the basic features–offices, desk spaces, conference rooms, kitchen, amenities, training centers, office supply, etc. But these things are table stakes–every coworking space has them. 

To set your space apart from others, showcase how you embrace and support innovation during the initial visit and tour. Utilizing AudioFetch’s advanced wireless tour guide technology, potential members can explore the coworking space while listening to details via the AudioFetch app. This also creates efficiencies for your reception or office management staff. Rather than being pulled away from their duties every time someone needs a tour, they can simply alert visitors to the app and resume their work.

Coworking spaces are just one of many, many applications for the AudioFetch local audio streaming solutions. If you have a unique application you’d like to chat about or have ideas for utilizing AudioFetch in creative ways, we’d love to discuss with you! Give us a buzz at 1-877-564-8845 or drop a line today!

AudioFetch Blog - Wireless Audio Streaming

3 Ways AudioFetch Can Help You #HearMoreTogether

By | Hearing Assistance, Churches, Education, Sports Bars, Stadiums | No Comments

Sound brings communities together. At AudioFetch, our #HearMoreTogether campaign is designed to raise awareness about hearing loss and excessive noise. When you can’t hear what’s going on around you, it can feel very isolating. Our assistive listening devices promote a stronger sense of community by ensuring that everyone can hear more, together.

To help you #HearMoreTogether, we’re giving one lucky community a FetchExpress assistive listening device. To be entered to win, get your community together and post a photo or video on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #HearMoreTogether and answer this question in the caption: How would an AudioFetch system help you and your community #HearMoreTogether?

Need some inspiration? Here are 3 ways AudioFetch can help you and your community:

1. Hear Clearly at Houses of Worship

For many people, especially older adults, their primary community is a house of worship. Members come to be inspired by faith and often stay to socialize after the services. That’s why it’s so important for these spaces to be accessible.

If your church, synagogue, or mosque has an aging population that’s experiencing hearing loss, an assistive listening device will help you #HearMoreTogether. These devices also help houses of worship like Chet’s Creek Church use translation services to reach a wider audience.

2. Cut Through the Noise at Arenas and Sports Bars

Whether it’s an arena or a bar, most sporting venues invest in high performance audio, such as a theater sound system. Why not enhance your system with a stadium listening system or sports bar sound system? Although nothing beats the thrill of a cheering crowd, the noise levels at a game can be distracting or even damaging.

With AudioFetch, fans will #HearMoreTogether by plugging into an assistive listening device that cuts through the noise by streaming audio over wifi. Venues like Cavu Brewing use AudioFetch so you can hear the game as clearly as you would at home, while still enjoying the camaraderie of a sports bar. Go team!

3. Listen to Lectures at Universities and Community Schools

Universities and community schools benefit from assistive listening devices and education sound systems, too. After all, it’s hard to learn when you have difficulty hearing. AudioFetch helps students and faculty #HearMoreTogether by incorporating wireless audio streaming into the classroom, lecture hall or auditorium.

Educational institutions such as Barry University use AudioFetch to make their campus accessible to students with hearing loss and hearing impairment. This allows them to make sure all students feel welcome in their community.

#HearMoreTogether with AudioFetch

These are just a few examples of the ways AudioFetch can help your community. Now we want to hear from you! Share your ideas on Facebook or Instagram with hashtag #HearMoreTogether! Learn more about the giveaway here.

If you’d like to learn more about how AudioFetch could help your venue, contact us today!

AudioFetch Blog Header - Stadium Listening

New Stadium Listening Solution by AudioFetch

By | AudioFetch News, Stadiums | No Comments

Experiencing a live sporting event, concert, speaker or other big performance involves all five senses. Seeing the video screens and special effects. Smelling the hot dogs cooking on the grill. Feeling the cool summer night breeze. Tasting that first sip of ice cold beer. Listening to the play-by-play commentary or catching all the hit songs. Each of these senses is important, but it’s that last one–hearing–that is so important for live events. 

Hearing enables us to connect with the world and people around us, and allows us to enjoy life to its fullest. It also helps keep us safe in potentially threatening or emergency situations. So when fans can’t hear in noisy stadiums or arenas, they can miss out on the high points of the event or even critical announcements. 

That’s why we’re so excited to announce a new local WiFi audio streaming solution–Stadium Listening

“Accessibility and experience are incredibly important to stadiums and large arenas,” says Tim DePumpo, CEO of AudioFetch. “They want each and every person at that event to enjoy each and every aspect of the performance. And audio is a major, if not the most important part.”

This new solution allows thousands of listeners to hear live local audio on their smartphone or tablet using the AudioFetch app. It’s ideal for attendees with hearing disabilities or simply those that want to clearly hear the main event over hollering vendors, cheering fans, blaring vuvuzelas and other miscellaneous event din. Any venue that draws a large crowd–sports stadiums, concert arenas, large auditoriums, indoor or outdoor amphitheaters–can use this new audio streaming solution to provide hearing assistance for attendees. 

“When we first developed AudioFetch, we were focused on smaller venues and smaller crowds–maybe 50 to 100 people watching games in a sports bar, or 20 people running on treadmills at the gym,” says Tim. “As the company has grown, so have the crowd sizes that want to listen. We’ve gotten interest from stadiums and large arenas around the world, and knew we needed to come up with a solution for mass listening.” 

For the stadium or event venue, it works similarly to our other local audio streaming products. Just three easy steps get you up and running: 1. Connect the audio source(s) to AudioFetch using the included cables; 2. Connect the AudioFetch to the WiFi router; and 3. Attendees download the AudioFetch App and listen in real-time. (And if you want to get technical, that’s really only two steps on you!)

For attendees, it’s the exact same process as any other venue. Simply download the AudioFetch App for Apple or Android, connect to the local WiFi and start listening! 

“We’ve spent years developing the technology to make this mass listening possible,” Tim adds. “And also spent years making sure customers and users never know how much tech is behind it. It’s so simple to get more people hearing better, and that’s our number one goal.” 

For more information on this new stadium listening solution or to learn how AudioFetch can help you and your customers hear better, contact us today

element5 digital OyCl7Y4y0Bk unsplash scaled - AudioFetch Audio Over WiFi

Making Your School Safer and More Inclusive

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

It’s back to school time, and that means new school supplies, new clothes, new routines (and maybe a bit more quiet around the house). Parents will be dropping their children off at school, hoping that they will be learning in a physically and emotionally safe, and caring environment. It’s time for your school to start planning everything from field trips to new equipment and regulations. School budgets can be tight so it’s important to have affordable tech solutions that are easy to install and maintain. A wireless streaming device can have multiple uses for schools saving them money, time and perhaps even lives. 

Here are three ways an education audio streaming system could improve your school.

ACTIVE DANGER DRILLS

Parents and children have a right to expect that they are safe in school. Unfortunately, school safety has become an increasingly dominant factor in our educational institutions, and along with fire drills, schools now hold “active danger” drills

In an active danger drill, there can be a lot of noise and teachers need to hear what the issue is (fire, tornado, a crime, etc.) and get instructions. As part of any emergency procedure, it is of utmost importance that the administration and first responders are able to communicate directly and quietly with teachers. 

Of course, one way to do this is through text message, but this can become an organizational hassle as many carriers limit the amount of phone numbers that can be included in one text. A faster and clearer way to communicate with teachers and staff is by streaming local audio over WiFi directly to their smart device. This way, all teachers are alerted at one time and can receive real-time instructions about the situation. 

FIELD TRIPS

While streaming audio may, hopefully, never be used in an emergency, it has further safety use on field trips. Using a personal PA system for teachers, students can be communicated with during travel or any time. Students wandering off or lagging behind can hear instructions about where to find the group. And if the group is inside a museum, library, or other quiet zone, this type of communication keeps the field trip from being distracting to others.

STUDENTS WITH HEARING LOSS

Each year many schools test students for hearing loss. Children may be born with hearing loss or it may develop from infection, disease or injury. Those children diagnosed with hearing loss need accommodations and assistance in hearing teachers, computer, and video lessons. For some children, being placed in the front row of the classroom may be enough to enable them to overcome minor hearing loss for learning. 

However, for others, an audio streaming assistive listening device would be helpful. Streaming audio can be offered to any child via iPad, computer or cell phone – thus overcoming extraneous distractions and noise – to enable the student to hear the teacher or recorded lessons. Not only that, it can also be less embarrassing for the student than wearing a hearing aid.

There are even more creative ways an audio streaming solution could improve your school. If you’re interested in learning more, contact us today!