I love the theater. I even dabbled in performing in college. But as my hearing loss progressed, enjoying a show got harder. The hush before the curtain and the energy in the room came with an asterisk. Will the assistive listening system work tonight? Will I have to track down an usher to replace a faulty receiver or captioning device? Will I spend the second act guessing at the dialogue?
Discovering open captions brought theater back to me. But not everyone finds their way back. For some people with hearing loss, the cost of a ticket is too high to risk a performance where they may struggle to follow the dialogue.
That’s why I’m so excited about Auracast for Theatres, a new playbook from RNID, developed with support from GN Hearing. It is one of the most practical, people-centered resources I’ve seen for helping venues get hearing access right.
Why Auracast Matters
Auracast is Bluetooth broadcast audio. It lets a venue stream sound directly to compatible hearing aids, earbuds, headphones, and receivers. For people with compatible devices, that could mean clear sound without a separate receiver. For people without compatible devices, venues can provide receivers, including neck loops that work with telecoil-enabled hearing aids. Either way, the goal is better sound with less hassle and more choice.
I recently experienced firsthand why Auracast could change hearing access for the better. At a GN event in Seoul, I tapped into an Auracast stream in a noisy, echoey hall, and the panel discussion suddenly came through clearly and effortlessly. My husband, who has typical hearing, was just as impressed.
Auracast is gaining momentum, but it’s not everywhere yet. Not even close. This playbook may accelerate access by making it easier for venues to understand what steps are needed and how to implement them.
Access on Paper vs. Access in Practice
What I love most about this playbook is that it doesn’t stop at the hardware. A system can be installed and still leave people struggling. I’ve experienced both sides of this.
A while back, I went to see a show at a small local theater. Its website said it provided hearing access, but once I arrived, nobody seemed to know where to find the devices or how to turn them on. Their intentions were good, but good intentions alone won’t help me hear.
Contrast that with a comedy show at the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie. The box office staff knew the listening devices well and communicated clearly. My receiver was clean and fully charged, and the venue played a test message before the show so people could confirm the devices were working. The manager found me in the lobby. They had realized the system didn’t work as well in our section, so he handed us new seats near the stage. I laughed along with the crowd at almost every joke.
Same kind of technology. Completely different experience. The difference was planning, training, and care.
What the Playbook Covers
The guide is organized into six chapters:
- Why Auracast matters
- Learning from people with lived experience
- Planning the accessibility project
- Technical design and delivery
- Audio strategy and day-of operations
- Communicating and promoting the service
This structure is smart because accessibility isn’t just the sound engineer’s job. It touches the box office, the website, the ushers, and even the performers. The playbook urges venues to involve people with hearing loss when choosing and testing systems, to train front-of-house staff, and to make access information easy to find before people book. If we can’t find that information, many of us won’t risk buying a ticket.
Auracast won’t remove every barrier, and it doesn’t replace captions, telecoils, or other access options. Different people need different combinations of support. But it adds an important new way to experience the dialogue, music, and emotion of live performance.
A Model for Venues Everywhere
The playbook was created for UK theaters, but its lessons travel. As Auracast-enabled hearing aids become more common, venues in the US and around the world have a real opportunity to build access into their plans from the start, not bolt it on as an afterthought.
I hope theater managers, sound engineers, and access coordinators everywhere take a look. If your favorite venue doesn’t yet offer Auracast, ask whether it’s on their accessibility roadmap. If it does, ask how they make sure audiences know about it and can use it. A friendly nudge from an audience member can go a long way.
You can explore the full playbook at rnid.org.uk.
Here’s to more nights at the theater where clearer sound brings us closer to the performance.
Readers, will you share this playbook with your local theater or performance venues? Let’s help make better hearing access part of every venue’s plan.
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