The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) states that from August 2004, service providers (i.e. any company, or organisation providing goods, facilities and services to the general public) must install a permanent hearing assistive system where it would be unreasonably difficult for a hearing impaired person to make use of their service. Failure to comply with the Act will result in prosecution.

The installation of a conventional induction loop system with a loop amplifier, loop pad/cable does not help customers who are hearing impaired at store checkouts where metal has been used. In addition these systems often do not cover the full length of the checkout, instead they only concentrate on covering the “pay point”. This means that someone unloading their shopping onto a conveyor belt at the beginning of the checkout is often outside the field of the induction loop and will not hear “Good Morning, would you like a packer?” or other comments that are so important in the building of a relationship between customer and store.

When conventional Induction Loop Systems such as those commonly used in banks and public buildings are installed at a checkout in a Supermarket store they do not work to their optimum performance. The metal construction of the checkout and other metal objects in the store causes unacceptable levels of interference. This results in poor loop transmission and an unacceptable low level of sound to the hearing aid user. If the conventional type of loop system is installed it will almost certainly fail to meet the requirements of the DDA and British Standards “BS6083 Part 4”.

To overcome the problems of the conventional systems used at checkouts, the Checkout SILS (Suspended Induction Loop Sign) has been developed - it is a revolutionary solution.

The Checkout SILS (Suspended Induction Loop Sign) shown carries the words “here to help - help to hear - induction loop fitted”, and an internationally recognised symbol (see illustration), also, the logo of the supermarket Company. We can offer a custom made Checkout SILS (Suspended Inductive Loop Sign) sign including various sizes, company logo, slogan, corporate font and colours and frame colour.

With the Checkout SILS (Suspended Induction Loop Sign) hanging from the store ceiling above the checkout, the problem of interference and poor transmission immediately disappear and, an extra benefit, customers with hearing aids are able to pick up the amplified signal from the beginning of the checkout’s conveyor belt through to the bag packing area.

The Checkout SILS (Suspended Induction Loop Sign) works better than any other loop system available, it enables people with hearing aids to hear in a far bigger area than a conventional loop amplifier and pad/wire system. This makes the hearing impaired customers shopping experience even better.”

When people with hearing aids see an induction loop sign, they just switch their device to the ‘T’ position and it picks up the amplified sounds from their conversation. To ensure the best possible reception, the Checkout SILS (Suspended Induction Loop Sign) has a microphone fitted that can be pointed towards the checkout operator.

The Royal National Institute for the Deaf estimates that two million people have hearing aids and, of those who are deaf and hard of hearing, another three million would benefit from them. The Checkout SILS (Suspended Induction Loop Sign) will have a positive impact on hearing impaired people’s everyday lives.