“It’s shocking,” says Karen Finch, Managing Director of The Hearing Care Centre and a hearing aid audiologist who campaigns on behalf of those with hearing loss.

“One in seven people in this country has a hearing loss, so by failing to provide an induction loop, businesses are cutting them off and preventing them from accessing their services.”

“Not only is it bad business but it probably contravenes the Disability Discrimination laws, which require businesses to make reasonable adjustments for customers with disabilities.”

The Hearing Care Centre researcher visited supermarkets, shops, theatres, hotels, churches and post offices to find out if they had a hearing loop and if it was working properly.

Some had loops that were broken or not switched on; some had loops but no signs saying they were available and in others, staff either didn’t understand what the loop was for or had had no training.

Karen Finch is particularly disturbed about how little thought some workers had for people with hearing difficulties.

“Our researcher told us that in one instance the first member of staff they spoke to turned their back, mumbled something and walked away. They returned with a supervisor who explained that the hearing loop had been removed because it never worked properly!”

“Even in one high street pharmacy, when asked what the induction loop symbol sign meant, the assistant thought it was because they conducted hearing tests there!”

"During Deaf Awareness Week we're highlighting unnecessary communication barriers facing people and I think these are classic examples of that, she said.”

Although Karen has decided not to name the offenders until researchers have visited again to see what progress has been made, she was full of praise for the Regent Theatre in Ipswich, the only business that didn’t get any minus points.

“Theirs was the clearest of all the loop systems we tried,” says Karen. “The person we spoke to was also very helpful, informed us which area of the theatre we would be best to book to hear the loop and suggested people told staff when booking tickets that they were a hearing aid user.”

Karen believes that eventually the only way to pressure companies to install induction loops is to name and shame those who don’t. She’s set up special postal and email addresses and is urging people to contact her when they visit a business that has no loop or one that isn’t working. The company also wants to hear about any previous experiences you've had in Suffolk with shops or other venues and their hearing loops.

Send your reports to: Hearing Loop Survey, The Hearing Care Centre, 5 High Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 3JZ or email hearingloops@hearingcarecentre.co.uk