Why Accessibility and Assistive Listening Devices Are Hard to Access: A Reality and Economics Problem
Assistive listening technology is meant to remove barriers. Yet in many public venues today, assistive listening exists — but is difficult to actually use.
Summary
Accessibility often fails not because technology is missing, but because real-world systems are hard to access. This is not only a design problem — it is an economic and policy problem that unintentionally discourages usability and innovation.
A personal starting point
I’m writing this not only from an industry perspective, but as a user.
I have single-sided deafness (SSD). In noisy environments, assistive listening isn’t optional for me — it determines whether I can participate at all.
When assistive listening isn’t truly accessible
At CES, one of the world’s largest technology exhibitions, accessibility support officially exists.
There are policies. There are accessibility desks. There are assistive listening devices.But when I tried to actually access assistive listening on the show floor, I didn’t succeed.
● The desk wasn’t easy to find
● Staff were busy or unsure
● The process required asking, waiting, and explaining
In the end, I gave up. No one intended to exclude me. But the friction built into the system did.
Why assistive listening systems are underused
In many venues today, assistive listening equipment is:
1. Stored behind counters
2. Available in limited quantities
3. Dependent on staff awareness
4. Awkward to request
Under laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act, venues are required to provide assistive listening — but they are not allowed to charge users for it.
The intent is right. But the side effect is that assistive listening often becomes a cost-only obligation, not a user-centered service.
So systems technically exist — yet are rarely used. And when assistive listening is hard to access, accessibility fails in practice.
Why innovation has stalled
Because venues cannot charge for assistive listening access:
● There is little incentive to improve usability
● Technology stagnates
● Systems are maintained at “minimum compliance”
This is why assistive listening solutions in public venues have barely changed for decades. The problem is not a lack of technology — it’s a lack of sustainable incentives.
Why Auracast changes the model
Auracast introduces a different approach to assistive listening accessibility
Instead of venues handing out receivers, Auracast allows:
● The venue to provide a broadcast
● Listeners to use their own earbuds or hearing aids
● No checkout, no waiting, no asking
Access remains free — but friction disappears.
Accessibility works best when it’s invisible, immediate, and user-controlled.
A realistic view: progress is real, but slow
Auracast is slowly gaining ground.
Today, the main drivers are:
● Hearing aid manufacturers
● Android phones, especially Samsung and Google
However, adoption has been slower than many expected, largely because Apple has not yet joined the Auracast ecosystem.
In accessibility, scale matters. Fragmented platforms slow venue adoption and delay real-world impact.
Accessibility should work before people have to ask
As someone with SSD, I don’t want special treatment.
- I don’t want to ask for favors.
- I just want to listen — like everyone else.If assistive listening systems exist but are difficult to access, we should be honest: they are not working as intended.
Accessibility should not depend on knowing where to go, who to ask, or how to explain your needs. Ideally, it should appear as an obvious, easy option — before people even have to look for it.
Even if that option costs no more than a cup of coffee, the difference it makes to a few hours of experience can be enormous:
● Clear speech
● Less fatigue
● Real participation
Choice matters: not everyone brings their own device
Auracast won’t solve everything overnight.
It’s important to be honest: today, a significant number of people still don’t bring compatible earbuds or hearing aids.
Real accessibility shouldn’t force people into a single path.
It should offer options.
● For those who bring their own devices, Auracast removes friction completely
● For those who don’t, there should be nothing wrong with offering a simple, affordable option — even at the cost of a cup of coffee — to dramatically improve their experience.
Perhaps it’s time to ask whether a strict “no charging” model, while well-intended, is unintentionally limiting real-world accessibility.
When users are not allowed to choose — even when they are willing to — the system ends up serving compliance better than people.
A closing thought
Auracast won’t fix everything overnight. But it points toward assistive listening that people can actually use — not something they’re expected to be grateful for.
Accessibility works best when it thrives, not when it merely complies.