No OTC hearing aid except one includes a telecoil, cutting off public venue accessibility

Hearing loops -- electromagnetic systems installed in theaters, airports, courtrooms, and houses of worship that stream audio directly to hearing aids via telecoils -- represent one of the most effective assistive listening technologies available, cutting through background noise by delivering audio signal straight to the device. Over 70% of prescription hearing aids include telecoils, and over 8,000 U.S. venues have hearing loop installations as of 2024. But of the dozens of OTC hearing aids on the market, only one (Lexie Lumen) includes a telecoil. So what? The millions of adults who buy affordable OTC aids to address mild-to-moderate hearing loss are locked out of the public hearing loop infrastructure entirely. So what? At a looped theater or courtroom, an OTC hearing aid user gets the same garbled, echoey experience as wearing no aid at all, defeating the purpose of both the hearing aid and the venue's accessibility investment. So what? This creates a two-tier accessibility system where only those who can afford $4,000+ prescription aids get access to public accommodations designed for the hearing-impaired. This persists because OTC manufacturers optimize for small form factors and low cost, and telecoil hardware adds size and expense. There is no FDA requirement for OTC aids to include telecoil capability.