Every week, there are likely people in your congregation who are missing parts of the sermon, the announcements, or the worship lyrics — not because your sound system is bad, but because they have hearing loss that a standard PA system simply can’t overcome. An assistive listening system solves that problem, and it’s worth understanding both the legal side and the practical side before you decide what your church needs.
Are Churches Actually Required to Have One?
This is where it gets a little nuanced. Religious organizations are generally exempt from the federal Americans with Disabilities Act because of how the law defines covered entities. However, some states layer their own building codes on top of federal law, and those codes can apply to religious facilities regardless of the ADA exemption. Arizona’s adopted building codes generally follow the International Building Code framework, which includes accessibility provisions for assembly spaces — so depending on your specific building, occupancy, and any state or local code requirements, an assistive listening system may be expected even though the federal ADA itself wouldn’t require it of a house of worship.
The bigger point: legal requirement aside, this is simply good ministry. If members of your congregation can’t hear clearly, that’s a barrier to worship you have the ability to remove.
What the Standard Actually Calls For
Where assistive listening systems are required or chosen voluntarily, the building code guidance (drawn from ADA Standards for Accessible Design, which many state codes reference) typically calls for:
- Receivers covering a percentage of your total seating capacity, scaled to room size
- A minimum number of those receivers being hearing-aid compatible (compatible with telecoils, or T-coils, built into most modern hearing aids)
- Clear signage at the entrance indicating that an assistive listening system is available, using the international symbol of access
Types of Systems
There are three main technologies churches use:
- Induction loop (hearing loop) systems — a wire loop around the seating area creates a magnetic field that hearing aids with a T-coil pick up directly, with no separate receiver needed. Many users find this the most seamless option since it works with equipment they already wear every day.
- FM systems — broadcast audio over a dedicated FM frequency to portable receivers and headsets.
- Infrared systems — use light-based transmission, which has the benefit of not crossing through walls into adjacent rooms (useful if you have multiple services or rooms running simultaneously).
Each has tradeoffs in cost, room size suitability, and how invisible the experience is for the user. A church running multiple simultaneous services or a multi-purpose building often leans toward infrared or FM specifically to avoid bleed between rooms.
What This Means for Arizona Churches
Many Phoenix Valley churches were built or renovated years ago, before some of today’s code guidance existed, and simply never added assistive listening as part of their original AV install. If your church has never had a hearing loop or assistive listening system, it’s worth a conversation — both to check where your specific building stands on code requirements and, more importantly, to make sure everyone in your congregation can actually hear the service clearly.
We Can Help You Sort This Out
Brilliance AV designs and installs assistive listening systems as part of complete church AVL packages across the Phoenix Valley. We’ll look at your room, your seating capacity, and your specific needs, and recommend the right system — without overselling you equipment you don’t need.
Want to know what your church actually needs for accessible audio? Contact Brilliance AV for a straightforward assessment.
