Induction Loop Systems – A Guide to Legislation

BS 8300 (2002)
British Standard BS 8300 is the code of practice for the design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people. The standard recommends that “a hearing enhancement system, using induction loop, infra-red or radio transmission, should be installed in rooms and spaces used for meetings, lectures, classes,  performances, spectator sports or films, and used at service and reception counters where the background noise level is high or where glazed screens are used” (9.3.2). It pinpoints the following areas for consideration: seated waiting areas; ticket sales and information points; fitness suites and exercise studios; churches; crematoria and cemetery chapels, educational, cultural and scientific buildings.

Copies of BS 8300 can be viewed at your local reference library or purchased from the British Standards Institute, 389 Chiswick High Road, London, W4 4AL. Tel: +44 (0)20 8996 9000. Web: www.bsi-global.com

The Disability Discrimination Act (1995)
The aim of the DDA is to stop discrimination against disabled people including the hearing impaired. Under the Act, all UK service providers, i.e.,organisations offering goods, facilities or services to the general public, must make reasonable’ adjustments to ensure they do not unlawfully discriminate against disabled people. Employers must also take measures to ensure that employees are not disadvantaged in the workplace. Examples of ‘reasonable adjustments’ include the provision of auxiliary aids, such as induction loop systems, to enable a hard of hearing person to access goods, facilities or services where it is impossible or unreasonably difficult for them to do so. The DDA was strengthened in 2004 when the Disability Rights Commission’s (DRC) Code of Practice came into effect. The DRC is an independent body, established by Act of Parliament, which supports disabled people in getting their rights under the DDA and gives advice to disabled people, employers and service providers.

For more information on the DDA, visit the DRC’s website at www.drc-gb.org A GUIDE TO AUDIO-FREQUENCY INDUCTION LOOP SYSTEMS • PAGE8

Building Regulations Part M1 : Access to and use of buildings (2000)
Current building regulations for England and Wales state that newly erected or substantially reconstructed non-domestic buildings should make reasonable provision for people to gain access to and use their facilities (Requirement M1). In particular, the regulations state that reasonable ‘aids to communication’ should be provided for the hearing impaired in auditoria, meeting rooms, reception areas, ticket offices and at information points. One of the aims of Requirement M1 is to ensure all people can participate in proceedings at lecture/conference facilities and entertainment, leisure and social venues. According to the regulations, aids to communication will satisfy {part of} this requirement if ‘a hearing enhancement system is installed in rooms and spaces designed for meetings, lectures, classes, performances ... and at service or reception counters when they are situated in noisy areas
or behind glazed screens’ (section 4.36/4.36b) The regulations acknowledge that a person with a hearing disability needs to receive a signal that is amplified in both volume and signal-to-noise ratio and that induction loop, infrared, radio and sound field systems can provide this advanced level of sound (section 4.35, Design Considerations).