RNID calls for businesses to do better on induction loops

Summary

A 2009 news report of RNID volunteers' checks on hearing loops in UK post offices, supermarkets, banks, shops and theatres.

Key findings

• RNID campaign volunteers made about 500 reports in the first months of 2009 on 210 UK businesses, including post offices, supermarkets, banks, shops and theatres.
• In nearly half of the reports the loop was not working properly, and in nearly one in four there was no loop at all.
• Other complaints were that staff lacked training and that loops were not switched on.
• RNID used the findings to call on businesses to make sure their loops worked, citing the legal risk under the Disability Discrimination Act.
• The news article does not identify the volunteers' test equipment or procedure; it does not establish that they used no meter or protocol.

Limits

Volunteer reports gathered for a campaign, with no sampling method, test protocol or measurements against IEC 60118-4 described in the news report, so the share of failing loops cannot be generalised. The data are from the UK in 2009 and reach the library only through a short news report.

Read the original

www.disabilitynewsservice.com/rnid-calls-for-businesses-to-do-better-on-induction-loops

Link checked 13 October 2026. We link to the original and do not host copies.

Cited in

• Auracast, hearing loop, infrared, RF or Wi-Fi: which suits which room?Disputed
• Can Auracast serve ticket windows, service counters and reception desks?Open
• What do listeners prefer, and how often do they use venue systems?Partly answered
• How is an installed hearing loop checked against IEC 60118-4, and how often does it pass?Partly answered
• Where do hearing loops fall short: metal, spill, noise and upkeep?Partly answered
• How do listeners learn that a venue has assistive listening, and which signs and symbols do the rules ask for?Partly answered
• What works for announcements and ticket counters on buses, trains, stations and airports?Partly answered
• What works in theatres and cinemas, and what do the rules ask of them?Partly answered

Cite this source

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