The International Association for Hearing Accessibility has launched a working group to assess assistive listening regulations worldwide, develop a regulatory “gold standard,” and coordinate efforts among manufacturers, user organizations, and industry bodies.
The International Association for Hearing Accessibility (IAHA) has formed a new working group aimed at evaluating hearing accessibility regulations across countries and regions, identifying gaps in enforcement, and coordinating with local stakeholders to broaden access to assistive listening technologies.
The initiative comes as more than 1 billion people worldwide live with some degree of hearing difficulty, yet continue to face unequal access to services, information, and entertainment, according to IAHA. The organization notes that regulations governing assistive listening systems are applied inconsistently across jurisdictions.
The working group draws its membership from across the hearing care and technology ecosystem, including the European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH), the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA), and the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, alongside IAHA itself. Its formation was prompted in part by the emergence of Auracast broadcast audio standards, which are reshaping expectations for assistive listening in public venues.
Developing a Regulatory “Gold Standard”
As an initial priority, the working group intends to develop what IAHA describes as a “gold standard” framework for assistive listening regulations—one designed to inform policymakers, advocates, and regional stakeholders in their approach to accessibility legislation.
A central objective is ensuring that hearing accessibility laws and standards remain technology agnostic while still being structured in a way that allows for verifiable compliance and enforcement. The broader aim is to encourage public venues to offer the widest practical level of hearing accessibility, regardless of the assistive listening technology deployed.
The group is chaired by Andrew Thomas of IAHA, with AuraFuturity founder Andrew Bellavia serving as vice chair.
“The advent of new technologies to assist people to hear well is a good time for us to be examining standards and legislation to the benefit of the end user,” says Andrew Thomas, in a release. “IAHA is the ideal organisation to serve as a resource and drive progress towards universal availability of effective assistive listening systems for people with hearing loss.”
Advocacy, Education, and End-User Empowerment
Beyond regulatory development, the working group is currently formalizing its structure and outlining potential activities across four areas: advocacy, education, end-user empowerment, and regulatory development. It will also support local organizations working to communicate the benefits of assistive listening systems to venue operators and provide education on what constitutes an effective installation.
IAHA is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to improving hearing accessibility by promoting and supporting assistive listening technologies. It unites manufacturers, experts, and advocates to advance inclusive communication in public spaces.
