Available Is Not Enough: A Better Way to Measure Assistive Listening Success
After working with more than 500 churches and other venues—and observing real use after installation—we saw the same gap repeatedly: the technology was present, but some visitors could not discover it, connect to it, or get a consistently good listening experience.
The four steps
Available
The system is installed, working, and accessible.
Aware
People who need it know that it is there.
Use
They can connect directly or get the right receiver or bridge.
Use Well
They hear clearly, reliably, and comfortably.
A venue can succeed at Step 1 and still fail the listener later. That is why installation numbers alone do not tell the whole story.
Why 70% is already demanding
Even strong results at every step multiply into a lower final result. 95% Available × 85% Aware × 90% Use × 95% Use Well
We propose 70% as a practical first target—not an industry standard. It gives venues and manufacturers a clear outcome to measure and improve.
Who owns each step—and what should they do?
No single organization controls the whole journey. Each stage needs a clear lead owner, practical support from partners, and a result that can be checked.
Available
Lead owner: Venue leadership and AV or facilities teams
Integrators, manufacturers, accessibility organizations, standards bodies, and legislation support this stage.
- Choose the right system, install it correctly, and check it before events.
- Keep receivers, bridges, neckloops, and adapters charged and easy to request.
- Maintain the system and give staff a clear backup process when something fails.
Aware
Lead owner: Venue communications, front-of-house, and event teams
- Place clear signs at entrances, ticket counters, service desks, and listening areas.
- Mention hearing assistance on the website, ticket information, and event page.
- Train staff and make a short announcement before the event.
- Use plain language so visitors do not need to know terms such as Auracast, hearing loop, IR, or FM.
Use
Lead owners: Hearing-aid and assistive-listening manufacturers
Venues, hearing-care professionals, and community partners should create frequent opportunities for consumers to try the system.
- Offer hands-on demonstrations at venues, clinics, community events, and training sessions.
- Let people connect their own hearing aids or use a receiver, then hear the difference in a real environment.
- Support both native Auracast and practical access through receivers, bridge devices, neckloops, and adapters.
- Keep instructions short and make trained help easy to find.
The most important education is hands-on trial. People understand the value fastest when they can try it themselves, hear the difference, and build confidence through repeated use.
Use Well
Lead owners: Hearing-aid and assistive-listening manufacturers
The Bluetooth SIG and the wider industry ecosystem help align technical and user behavior.
- Deliver stable audio, low and predictable latency, and consistent volume behavior.
- Make broadcast selection, naming, reconnect behavior, and signal recovery predictable.
- Keep the interaction between broadcast audio and hearing-aid microphones understandable.
- Collect feedback after real use and fix the stage where the experience breaks down.
Measure the result, not only the installation
A simple first measurement
Place a three-button feedback device near the venue exit and ask listeners to choose one answer:
Later, QR codes or apps can help identify where the journey broke: awareness, access, compatibility, connection, or audio quality.
Available is the beginning.
Use Well is the finish line.Publish the result. Measure the outcome—not only how many systems a venue has installed.
VenuCast provides Auracast and assistive-listening solutions. The four-step model and 70% target are practical proposals for discussion and measurement, not established industry standards.