For people with hearing loss who wish to hear better, options are often limited to sitting closer or turning up volume. But the John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, a Eugene performance venue, found another option. In 2017 it added technology to improve the listening experience, and now many destinations throughout Oregon have installed these ingenious devices. 

Local businesswoman Ginevra Ralph is co-founder of the Oregon Festival of American Music and director of education for the Shedd Institute. She spearheaded the Loop Lane County Committee to advocate for hearing-loop installation. Ralph’s friend and retired commercial real estate broker Sue Prichard has a family history of hearing loss and started wearing hearing aids in her late 40s. After some live performances where she couldn’t hear well, Prichard joined the fundraising effort to have hearing-loop technology installed in the Shedd’s halls and rooms. 

A hearing loop sign and device sits on a reception desk

Hearing loop system set up at a customer service desk.

Here’s How It Works

A hearing-loop system uses a wire loop installed around the perimeter of a room, usually in the walls or under the carpet. The wire is connected to an amplifier. The output from either a microphone or a sound system is delivered to the loop, which hearing aids easily pick up. A person who has a cochlear implant or a hearing aid with a telecoil can flip a small switch on the coil and clearly hear the speaker. 

“Traveling with hearing loss can be unsettling and uncomfortable,” says Prichard. In Europe she experienced loops as a common feature in airports, taxis, subways, hotels, grocery stores and banks. “To be able to go somewhere new and easily hear through a hearing loop is so reassuring and helpful,” she notes. “It’s wonderful because you don’t have to put on big headphones, you don’t have to self-identify as hard of hearing. You just click to turn it on, and suddenly you can hear. It’s direct and clean.”

More than 40 million Americans have hearing loss, and public and private spaces are recognizing that travelers want to visit accessible destinations. Thanks to Ralph’s advocacy, Google Maps is mapping Oregon’s existing loops and adding more. “The list of looped places grows all the time,” Ralph says. 

You can help advocate for more hearing loops on your travels by asking if the technology is available. Look for signage that indicates a public place has loops, which can be identified through signage with the letter “T” and an outline of an ear.

A hearing loop sign on the check in counter at the Gordon Hotel. A desk agent is in the background.

Hearing loop at the Gordon Hotel's registration desk

Hearing Loop Locations

Visitors can find loops at destinations throughout Oregon (PDF). The Center for Hearing Access at The Shedd Institute is a great resource.

In addition to the fully looped venues listed below, many hotels and other attractions have looped customer service and ticket counters. Call ahead for more information.

Information Centers

Places to Go

Sound Advice Hearing Workshop Dec 13

Sound Advice Hearing Workshop

Sound Advice! is a free peer-to-peer, monthly, workshop hosted by The Shedd's Loop Oregon Committee. Learn how to navigate hearing loops to better enjoy performing arts and increase…