St. Anne’s Church has installed state-of-the-art hearing technology in the Church on Church Circle to benefit the more than 57 percent of adults, 60 and over, who suffer from some hearing loss. The Hearing Loop is the only system that sends sounds from the microphones used by clergy and readers directly into a hearing aid. This provides the clearest, cleanest sound and does not require a headset as it works with the Telecoil, the tiny wireless receiver in 90% of modern hearing aids.
The Telecoil turns a hearing aid into an in-the-ear speaker for the sound system, eliminating reverberations and ambient noise. Loop Receivers with headsets are also available to anyone who has hearing loss but does not wear hearing aids.
Says the Rev. Dr. William Bell who spearheaded the effort, “Hearing loss is an invisible handicap which isolates people. This is a way for us to care for those people and allow them to fully participate again in the services and the life of the church.
“I am particularly grateful to our parishioner, Alicia Spoor, an Audiologist who has served as President of the Maryland Academy of Audiology. She was a tireless educator and consultant.”
St. Anne’s Episcopal Church of Annapolis has been in Annapolis, located on Church Circle, for 325 years. It has the largest Sunday church attendance in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.