The First Congregational Church of Western Springs has installed an Induction Loop System in their sanctuary to improve the audio quality for those attendees who use hearing aids. 

The loop system is a 1/8” diameter shielded copper wire installed around the perimeter of the sanctuary that provides state-of-the-art sound quality for individuals using hearing aids equipped with a telecoil.

The hearing loop provides a magnetic, wireless signal that is picked up by the hearing aid when it is set to the “T” setting.

The loop system consists of a microphone to pick up the spoken word and an amplifier to process the signal to the individual hearing aid.

When a hearing aid user selects the “T” setting, he or she can pick up the sounds spoken into the audio system’s microphone instead of the hearing aid’s internal microphone. The result is improved speech understanding. 

Jane Nepil, a member of the church’s Properties Committee who is responsible for technology coordination, researched the technology at the promptings of another church member, Zada Clark, who read about it in the Chicago Tribune.

“She called me in July and said, ‘hey—this sounds like something we should investigate.’  I started researching it right away” said Nepil.

Nepil originally located a company that installed the system headquartered in Osh Gosh Wisconsin. “We were too far away to use their services, but they referred me to another company, Acoustic Associates, a relatively new company in Palatine, that was beginning to install the systems” Nepil said.

When asked if the Induction Loop was new technology for the hearing impaired, Nepil replied “No. It has been around a very long time and is used all over Europe.  It is in London taxi cabs, in cathedrals, in concert halls –everywhere.  It is relatively new in the United States, but we hope to change that!”

The American Academy of Audiologists and the Hearing Loss Association of America recently announced a public education campaign called “Get in the Hearing Loop.” 

Not all hearing aid users have a telecoil, though more and more do. “For church members who do not have the option of a “T” setting, we still have headsets that can be used” Nepil said.

“Many don’t understand why, if an individual wears a hearing aid, there is a need for additional audio technology in public places” explained Nepil. “It can still be difficult to understand speech in reverberant places such as auditoriums or churches.”

Nepil hopes to inspire other local buildings to install the loops. “It was less than $3000,” Nepil said.  The installation is also minimally invasive. “Our church is a registered historic building and we are always anxious about any new installation. We want to maintain the historical appearance.”

The wire was installed around the perimeter behind the floor molding and imbedded in the mortar between the doorways.  A small groove in the mortar was cut with a diamond saw and easily refilled with new mortar.  

“Dr. Tom Thunder, owner of Acoustic Associates worked very quickly. He analyzed our space, determined it was perfect for the technology, and had the loop installed in time for Christmas services.” Nepil said. 

She also credits the First Congregational Church Women’s Society for quickly providing the funds for the installation. “We had just finished our church rummage sale, the Women’s Society’s biggest fund-raiser” said Nepil. 

Nepil is working with Dr. Thunder from Acoustic Associates to coordinate a presentation about the Induction Loop Technology. 

“We are going to host it at our church later this spring,” said Nepil. "We will send out an invitation to other area churches and organizations like the Western Springs Theatre, and it will be advertised in the local papers and at Patch.com.”

“Our hope is to Loop the Western Suburbs!” said Nepil.

More information about Induction Loop Technology can be found at www.hearingloop.org or www.acousticassociates.com.