[Athen] listening systems

[Robert Beach]

Hi all,

We have a student who is HH and wants to use an FM listening system in classes.  We have one borrowed from another institution for the moment and she really likes it.  The one she really likes (Telex SoundMate SR100) is apparently no longer made.

The SR100 has a transmitter that the speaker wears.  The listener has the receiver that they plug their headset into to listen.  It has adjustable frequencies to match the two devices up and still avoid interference from other sources.

The student says this system is great for the anatomy lab and the math class.  However, the anatomy class is different because the instructor encourages a lot of class discussion and she is not picking up on that.  I'm thinking a conference type of microphone system may fix that problem, but not sure how well it would work.  Using the headset is fine as she does not use hearing aids.

Does anybody have any experience with a system like I'm describing and can make some recommendations of systems to look at or ones to avoid?  I have been in contact with a company that has recommended 2 different systems that "sound" like they could work.  One is the Array AG300 3-Channel FM Kit and the other is the Comfort Contego Communication System.  The Contego system would support the class discussion setting better, but I'm not sure it will accommodate the other classes as well.

Any info you all can share on these systems or similar ones that you have experience with would be greatly appreciated.

Have a great 3-day weekend!



Robert Lee Beach
Assistive Technology Specialist
Kansas City Kansas Community College
7250 State Avenue
Kansas City, KS  66112
Phone:  (913) 288-7671
Fax: (913) 288-7678
E-mail:  rbeach at kckcc.edu