IAHA

05/06/2026

Looking for a straightforward way to keep up with hearing accessibility?

Our bimonthly newsletter provides a regular snapshot of what’s happening across the sector, covering technologies, standards and implementation, alongside a curated selection of articles and updates.

Find Out More: https://buff.ly/ZQHKX0T

04/06/2026

More Auracast in the wild!

The Rochester Broadway Theatre League (RBTL) has introduced Auracast at the West Herr Auditorium, allowing audio from the theatre’s sound system to be streamed directly to compatible hearing aids, with headphones available for those without compatible devices. thanks to the HLAA's Rochester chapter.

Alongside this, the venue continues to provide a range of accessibility options, including FM listening devices and audio and ASL descriptions.

Find out more: https://buff.ly/4mEv9sk

04/06/2026

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) is inviting theatre workers to share their experiences with Auracast as the technology becomes more widely used across arts venues.

With a number of trials and early deployments already underway, the survey is looking to understand what works in practice (and what doesn't) as awareness and adoption continue to develop. It's good to see a survey that's seeking out real world experiences of Auracast in action.

If you're working in theatre and have experience of Auracast, have your say here: https://buff.ly/JgoDI1n

03/06/2026

Hearing loss can be tiring. Reduced speech clarity often forces the brain to work harder to fill in gaps, relying on context, attention, memory, and prediction just to keep up with conversation. It's often referred to as Listening Fatigue.

Great article by Dr Larry Cardano here, on behalf of Hearing Tracker. Exploring the concept of listening fatigue in people with hearing loss, and why everyday communication can become mentally demanding even when speech is only partially unclear.

Larry also outlines ways to manage listening effort, from environmental changes to hearing care support and communication strategies.

Read the full piece here:

An audiologist explains why conversations can feel mentally draining for people with hearing loss—and how hearing care, communication strategies, and recovery time can help.

02/06/2026

Staying in Seoul, SNUH has introduced a smart hearing loop system across eight units in five hospital locations, including outpatient and consultation areas.

The installation supports both telecoil hearing aids and Auracast™ broadcast audio, designed to improve accessibility and reduce the impact of background noise in clinical settings.

Find out all about the rollout here:

Seoul National University Hospital has installed a “Smart Hearing Loop” system in key hospital areas.

01/06/2026

“Live performances can be challenging for people with hearing loss, often limiting how they experience the moment. Auracast helps address this by delivering ‘front-row’ sound directly to personal devices, so audiences can enjoy events together."

GN, in collaboration with IAHA members Ampetronic, recently hosted a live event in Seoul to demonstrate Auracast during the World Congress of Audiology, featuring a live demo of the tech in a real world music setting.

The event included a live demo of the technology and a performance from K-pop group Big Ocean, whose members have hearing loss, highlighting how accessible audio can shape more inclusive shared experiences.

Read the full story here:

Breaking Barriers Through Sound

29/05/2026

"Visible, understandable, and trustworthy to use." It's how we expect connection to the internet to be when we're in a venue.

The ability to communicate and participate is a right we all should be able to enjoy but for those with hearing loss, it can be a different story when it comes to being able to access assistive listening technology.

In this blog post, Andreas Jonsson from IAHA member, AB Transistor Sweden, illustrates the impact barriers to communication have and why consumers need to have confidence they'll be able to hear: https://buff.ly/4DNkGVC

28/05/2026

“Because large-scale K-Pop concerts have traditionally been a "dead zone" for fans with hearing loss due to extreme crowd noise and reverberation, we wanted to test the Auracast system with those who face the most significant acoustic barriers throughout the two and a half hour concerts.”

Big news from IAHA member Hearcycle, a not-for-profit organisation in South Korea, who've successfully trialled Auracast broadcast audio technology at a leading K-Pop artist's concert in Seoul.

The installation was a pilot project using two of Ampetronic’s AURI transmitters. Over the three shows, a total of 16 fans with severe hearing loss were invited to attend and test the assistive listening system. Primarily cochlear implant users, they were given compatible neckloop receivers while non-hearing-impaired staff/participants used standard headsets to monitor and experience the audio.

Find out all about it here: https://buff.ly/7qP7c1Z

27/05/2026

“We are encouraged to see continued growth in hearing instrument adoption across global markets. The 2025 figures reflect increasing awareness of the importance of hearing health and the positive impact that professionally fitted hearing solutions can have on quality of life, social participation, and healthy ageing.”

The European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA) reports continued growth in global hearing aid sales, with its member companies selling 23.16 million devices in 2025, reflecting an ongoing demand for professionally fitted hearing instruments alongside increasing awareness of hearing health and access to care.

Worth noting that despite this, they also report that only 36% of people living with hearing loss are actually using hearing aids.

More info from EHIMA here: https://buff.ly/RyKU5z4

26/05/2026

We've been raising awareness at the EFHOH Conference!

IAHA Chairman Andrew Thomas was recently invited to present to delegates at the annual general meeting of The European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH).

The conference was held in the heart of European decision-making, bringing together hard of hearing community leaders, the European Commission, the European Parliament, civil society, academia and the tech industry, with the programme also featured a demonstration of assistive listening systems, offering insights into innovative and potentially transformative listening experiences to participants.

More info here: https://buff.ly/eC6MzTI