We were engaged to design a hearing augmentation solution for the Port of Echuca historical exhibition. This space included a number of interactive media stations where visitors can hear voices from yesteryear and get an understanding of the era where the Murray River was the lifeblood for goods transport from NSW all the way to South Australia.
Improving accessibility to such spaces is essential to enhance the experience of visitors. Given that 1 in 6 Australians are affected by hearing loss.
When designing the solution we felt that a traditional hearing loop system at each exhibit might not suit all visitors. We know that recent trends in hearing aid technology mean fewer people actually have a T switch, and therefore cannot directly access a hearing loop.
We chose the Roger Phonak System which provides a media transmitter at each exhibit. Visitors collect a receiver at reception with an integrated neck loop or the option to use headphones (supplied or BYO). When you walk through the space visitors connect by pressing the button on the media hub. We did consider options with automated connection but the close proximity between exhibits would have led to visitors accidentally connecting to the wrong soundtrack.
Hearing Augmentation solutions like wifi, infrared and loops were not suitable for this project but our team having access to a range of hearing accessibility systems was able to design a solution within the budget that will be functional and offer future expansion opportunities.
The team at WOM is proud to work with art projects around Australia. And has experience with Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks, Victorian Arts Centre, Village Roadshow and more. If you would like us to work on your project get in touch.
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