Movie event at Shaw Theatres Balestier organised by The Listening Lab and in collaboration with Advanced Bionics

Saturday, 9th March 2024, marks a momentous day for The Listening Lab as it was the first collaborated event with Advanced Bionics (AB) where invitations were extended to our existing AB Cochlear Implant (CI) users to an afternoon of movie screening of Kung Fu Panda 4 at Shaw Theatres Balestier.
The deciding factor of the event location was due to the fact that Shaw Theatres Balestier is one of the many venues and locations where The Listening Lab’s Hearing Enhancement System team have implemented Induction Loop Systems in.
These systems are implemented to compliment the Telecoil feature which are built-in the Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids. These systems generate magnetic fields which induces the Telecoil component in the Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids, and will then be converted to audible signals directly from the source which the users are able to enjoy, without any compromise on the audio quality regardless of distance from the audio source. Think of it like the noise-cancelling function in wireless earbuds or headphones.
Hence, attendees were educated on the availability of the built-in Telecoil component and also to be on the lookout for The Blue Ear Sign which indicates that the area or venue is Telecoil-Friendly and they would be able to take advantage of the available Induction Loop Systems by switching to their Telecoil Setting.
Since it was free-seating, the attendees were spread out throughout the 75-seater theatre and had their Telecoil setting properly set to enjoy the movie screening without having any troubles with crosstalk from the adjacent theatre that was concurrently playing a different movie. This proves to show that with proper loop design and installation, it can be effective in controlling the overspilling effect between adjacent rooms.
A Cochlear Implant is a form of intervention for individuals who have severe to profound hearing loss. It requires a procedure to insert the internal implant under the skin. The Cochlear Implant works by sending electrical signals to an individual’s inner ear hair cells, in turn, sends bioelectrical signals to the brain, sending the perceptions of sound to one’s consciousness.
The growing number of those who require Cochlear Implants are of the young and vulnerable rather than those who are in their Silver Age. Infants born with significant levels of hearing loss require prompt decisions regarding implantation to prevent the risk of permanent impairment in their ability to listen and speak normally.


Here are a few firsthand accounts shared by the event attendees.
“It was clearer than in other cinemas” – Jun Rong, 10-Year-Old Advanced Bionics Cochlear Implant user.
“Quite surprised to see the reaction of our son. Wished we turned on the Telecoil setting earlier during the happier scene (we didn’t know until Mid-movie)” – Aditya, Father of 2-Year-Old Son with Advanced Bionics Cochlear Implant.
“This (Telecoil) is something that I’ve been curious about and got answered during this event. It would be great that we could do a map immediate to use and experience firsthand it’s benefits” – Leanne, Mother to 10-year-old son with Advanced Bionics Cochlear Implant.
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