Building Code & Australian Standards - What you need to know.

Current Australian Building Standards (AS 1428.2-2010) call for at least 80% of the any sound reinforcement space to also be covered by a hearing augmentation - listening system (ALD).

Hearing augmentation - listening system must be installed in any for the following - In any conference room, meeting room or the like with a floor area of more than 100 m2. - In any room used for judicatory purposes. - In a Class 9b building, any screen or scoreboard capable of displaying public announcements, must be capable of supplementing any public address system, other than a public address system used for emergency warning purposes only. Hearing augmentation systems must be complaint to AS 60118.4

AS 1428.5 is the recently revised section of the Australian Access to Buildings Code which specifically addresses issues and requirements relative to Assistive Listening. It is mandatory and is aimed at meeting the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA 1992) which states that it is illegal to discriminate against those with any impairment. This of course includes hearing impairment.

One section of AS 1428.5 deals with payment, assistance counters and similar situations:

In brief: An ALS (assistive listening system) must be provided at any place where a service provider deals with a client or customer. This includes all classes of counters. In cases of multiple counters in one location with user choice of counter, there must be a minimum of 20% of counter coverage.