Thursday, May 16, 2002

HOLLAND -- The city of Holland will soon be in the loop.

On Wednesday, Holland City Council voted to install an induction loop system in City Hall. The technology will give people with hearing difficulties a direct link to the public address system by flicking a switch on their hearing aid.

The city will investigate the costs of adding the system to the Civic Center.

"I'm delighted to have the city be an example for the rest of the community, and I'm delighted to have the community be an example for the rest of the country," said David G. Myers, a Hope College professor who launched an initiative to bring the technology to Holland.

City officials praised Myers for leading the effort.

The technology is common in several European countries where it is used in churches, movie theaters, lecture halls and museums. Induction audio loops, which involve looping a wire around a room and hooking it into a public address system, allow a speaker's comments to be transmitted through an electromagnetic field to certain types of hearing aids.

The city along with other nonprofit groups are eligible for grants from the Community Foundation of the Holland-Zeeland area for $400 or 40 percent of the cost of installing the system. The deadline to sign up is June 30 and installation must be completed by March.

Installing an induction loop system will require a minimal investment by the city. The city's cost will be $1,235 because of the foundation's grant and a 10 percent rebate provided by Ampetronic, the manufacturer of the system. It will be installed by PremoVation.

"At that cost, there is no excuse for not putting it in a public building. We should look at it in other buildings," Mayor Pro-Tem Craig Rich said.

Response has been phenomenal since Myers organized an informational session about the technology in January that was attended by about 150 people representing churches, government, businesses and other institutions.

"By this time next year, most of the major churches will be outfitted (with the technology)," Myers said. "It's just so obviously a good idea."

Myers installed a loop in his family room that allows the television to broadcast directly to his hearing aids.