Assistive Listening Devices

[eeyore45]

bumpety bump bump

 

[MOM POPPINS]

Just wanted to say we also tried the recievers last year(3/2004) at WDW and were completely exhausted at trying to get one that worked. My DD finally said just to forget it she would rather not even try another one. I was hoping to get one at MGM since there are so many shows there. I will report how it works out when we return.

 

[eeyore45]

 

[Talking Hands]

Bump

 

[eeyore45]

 

[spotdog]

I am following this thread. I do not work for Disney, but I am a Sound Tech in a Seattle theatre.

I do check our infrared ALD frequently. Feel free to send a private email, I get so little feedback about ALD systems. I have already learned that voices, both speaking and singing, are the most important thing that hearing impaired people need amplified.

I really apprecitate it when those who use the ALD write to the venue and tell me what worked and didn't work for them. Just addressing the note to

Sound Technician
RE: ALD System
"Theatre Name"
Address, City, State, Zip

would usually make it to the right person.

When you tell the ushers about problems it often never makes it to those of us who can do anything to improve the situation ...but when you put it in writing and send it to the Head Sound or Audio Technician, we ARE held accountable for the quality of the ALD. :guilty

 

[pxlbarrel]

 

[eeyore45]

 

[pxlbarrel]

Has anybody got any updated information? Any recent trips that we can learn from?

 

[Talking Hands]

I think I put this in another post. There are 2 types of ALD. One has not plug-in for a headset but is a headset itself. The other has a plug in for a head set. THis is the one that people with CI need to get. Ask for the one to be used with CI. Since I can't have any type of headset that goes into my ear canal area this is the one I use and bring my own headset.

 

[Talking Hands]

Bumping up

 

[pxlbarrel]

Just wanted to let you know that my dad tried the ALD (the one that goes around the neck and works with the t-coil) at Epcot on Monday and it didn't work. In fact, it was worse than not working since he heard absolutely nothing with his hearing aid turned to the t-coil setting. We were watching the movie in the China pavillion. After fiddling with the device for a while, he finally switched back to one of the other programs in his hearing aid and tried to listen to it that way. He didn't want to try it anywhere else after that.

I would suggest that anybody who tries these out also try to get a lesson from the people at guest relations on how that thing works. We never got anything from them except that it works with the t-coil and the volume control was pointed out to us. I dunno....was it supposed to be intuitive? We couldn't figure out if the thing was turned on, off or if we needed to do anything else with it.

I'm afraid my dad didn't get as much out of this trip as the rest of us since he really couldn't hear any of the attractions anywhere in WDW. His favourite attractions seemed to be the 3D movies (especially the ones in which the "smello" vision was involved.) The Candlelight Processional was not as enjoyable for him as the rest of us since he heard music but couldn't recognize any of it. Ironically, Marlee Matlin was our narrator. My dad never did learn sign language when he lost his hearing (well, almost all of it) 5 years ago.

 

[Talking Hands]

I am so sorry to hear that your father had problems with the ALD. I know that at least on Monday night that the gentleman that knows all about all the equipment was at Candlelight as I was chatting with him. I really enjoyed Marlee Matlin and Brian, who was interpreting the music at the first show.
I found that the CM at Guest Services really know very little about the ALDs and how they operate. They just know how to hand them out. I don't think some even know how to check to make sure it is working properly before you leave Guest Services. There is a track in there at least in City Hall that you can turn it on and listen to make sure it is working. If you don't mind I'm going to forward your comments to the person who handles this so he knows what the frustrations are.

 

[pxlbarrel]

If you don't mind I'm going to forward your comments to the person who handles this so he knows what the frustrations are.

Please do. He was excited about the possibility of actually hearing some of the attractions and was very disappointed when it didn't work for him. I felt so bad.

 

[welovedis]

Can someone either post or PM me with Mark Jones email addy? I have his number but would prefer to email him for some information about our trip next week.

Thanks in advance!