[Athen] Assisted Listening Devices: Assembly Area Interpretation

Bill Grubaugh grubaugh at sfsu.edu
Sun Oct 21 08:43:00 PDT 2012


I’d like to ask 3.5 questions.
1) How are your campuses interpreting the 2010 ADA Standards for the number of assisted listening devices required in Assembly areas?
2.) Are the assisted listening devices for your Assembly Areas compatible throughout; if so, are you calculating your Assembly Areas in mass?
3.) For Administrators or, Faculty who use portable Assembly Area communication technology with amplification capability, are you applying the advisories for this portion of the ADADG?


2010 Standard Change Points:

Assisted listening device calculation no longer uses fixed seating; current standards apply ROOM CAPACITY (fixed, non-fixed and standing room).
Assisted listening device calculation is applicable to all new construction; as well as, existing environments that are being fitted with amplification systems or, undergoing alteration (upgrade and/or replacing audio amplification systems) [replacing a broken speaker is not an alteration].

Assembly Areas:
A building or facility, or portion thereof, used for the purpose of entertainment, educational or civic gatherings, or similar purposes, where audible communication is integral to the use of the space and has audio amplification within the space is required to provide an assisted listening system. This includes a classroom with a speaker at the podium, Public Address Systems, TVs mounted to a wall (the TV or other device that has volume controls has amplification capability).


Additionally; it appears that and under advisory, portable Laptop with speakers are contextually considered audio amplification devices/technology.


I found this helpful. And can be used to check what I've written above.
A three question checklist for discerning if an Assembly Area is required to provide an assisted listening system.
(1) Is the environment an assembly area, classroom, theater etc. (2) where audible communication is integral to the environments function, and (3) does the environment utilize audio amplification? (Accessibility Online. “Assistive Listening Systems”(10/04/2012); ADA Webinar URL: http://www.accessibilityonline.org/).

Thank you in advance for any conversation or further discussion inline or otherwise.

Bill Grubaugh



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