Those that do not hear well may not be able to respond to these cues. A knock on the door, a question, or a ringing phone may not be heard. It may become difficult to attend a play or a dinner party, or just to speak with a loved one. Assistive listening devices, can give back this ability to communicate. These devices can be tailored to a person's hearing loss.
Hearing aids are microphones placed at the listener's ear.
They do not perform well in all situations. They may amplify more sounds than we want to hear in noisy settings. Luckily, there are a variety of assistive devices can be used in addition to, or in place of a hearing aid. One such device positions a microphone a few inches from the speaker's mouth. This allows the speaker's voice to be heard directly in the listener's ear.