Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 18 Feb. (Europa Press) –
The Minister for Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Children and Families of the Canary Islands Government, Candelaria Delgado, unveiled on Tuesday several devices aimed at enhancing the inclusion of individuals with auditory disabilities.
The devices, known as magnetic loops, are being set up in public venues such as the Ministry, Courts, and Employment Centres, with the goal of removing communication obstacles that those with varying auditory limitations encounter.
“As you may have observed, this government is deeply committed to utilising all available resources to dismantle accessibility and communication barriers, whether through its own funding or, as in this instance, with support from the EU. This initiative is part of project 6, which focuses on accessible and inclusive environments, under component 22 of the Shock plan for the care economy, aimed at bolstering equality and social inclusion policies,” the minister clarified.
In total, 252 loops are being installed by Ilunion, through Laborsord, the successful bidder for the supply and installation of these devices, across various public service locations managed by the Canary Islands government.
Alongside the removal of communication barriers for those with hearing difficulties, an adaptation and enhancement tool is also offered to staff, enabling them to attend without needing to raise their voices excessively, as noted by the Minister.
“The aim is to provide individuals with hearing impairments access to all available resources that facilitate interpersonal interactions in noisy environments or settings where sound reverberates, and in scenarios where distance from the interlocutor or the presence of multiple speakers hampers communication and access to information,” explained Sergio Verdasco, Director of Accessibility at Ilunion.
The magnetic loop system transmits wireless magnetic signals that are detected by cochlear implants and hearing aids.
For these devices to capture the signals, the hearing prostheses must be set to the ‘T’ position.
The press briefing was attended by the Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Francis Candil; the Director General of Disability, Dulce Gutiérrez; and the Director of Ilunion Accessibility, Sergio Verdasco.
Tenerife and Gran Canaria will each receive 111 magnetic loops, followed by Fuerteventura (10), La Palma (9), El Hierro and Lanzarote (4), and La Gomera (3).
