Creekside Theatre in Lake Country now more accessible | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Creekside Theatre in Lake Country now more accessible

Lake Country cultural development coordinator Ryan Donn, left, and clinical audiologist Nichole Sorensen.
Image Credit: Contributed

LAKE COUNTRY – Sponsorship makes Creekside Theatre shows accessible to individuals with hearing loss.  

The Creekside Theatre is pleased to announce the installation of the Auris Loop assistive listening system through a sponsorship generously provided by Lakeside Hearing & Tinnitus Centre.

“Lake Country has been making large strides towards being a more accessible, inclusive community and eliminating barriers to participation in events and activities,” said Mayor James Baker.

“It's wonderful that public facilities are becoming more accessible to people with hearing loss,” said Ryan Donn, Cultural Development Coordinator for Lake Country. “Thanks to sponsorship from Nichole Sorensen, owner and registered Audiologist at Lakeside Diagnostic Hearing & Tinnitus Centre, an assistive listening system has now been installed at Creekside Theatre. Individuals of all ages that use hearing aids will now be able to enjoy great shows and live music performances at the Creekside Theatre in Lake Country.”

Headphones will also be available for anyone that would prefer to use them.

In most places, hard of hearing people hear the broadcast sound, but only after it has traveled some distance from a loudspeaker, reverberated off walls, and gotten mixed with other room noise. Induction loop systems take sound straight from the source and deliver it right into the listener's head. It's as if one's head was located in the microphone -- without extraneous noise or blurring of the sound due to the distance from the sound source.

Today’s digital hearing aids enhance hearing in conversational settings. Yet for many people with hearing loss the sound becomes unclear when auditorium or theatre loudspeakers are at a distance, when the context is noisy, or when room acoustics reverberate sound. 

“To explain the technical aspects – a hearing loop magnetically transfers the microphone or theatre sound signal to hearing aids and cochlear implants that have a tiny, inexpensive “telecoil” receiver.  This transforms the instruments into in-the-ear loudspeakers that deliver sound customized for an individual’s own hearing loss,” said Nichole Sorensen, registered Audiologist and owner of Lakeside Hearing.

“In many settings, hearing aids are insufficient, because turning up their volume magnifies extraneous noise and reverberation as well as the desired "signal." Assistive listening systems – like the Auris Loop system installed at the Creekside Theatre – clarify sound by eliminating the negative effects of distance, noise, and reverberation,” explained Sorensen.

Users can discreetly use their existing T-Coil enabled hearing piece rather than wearing conspicuous headphones or other receiving devices. This is an enormous advantage for hearing aid users. There is no need to use special receivers. Not only is this more convenient, but it is especially conducive to use by those people who are reluctant to wear a visible assistive listening device.

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