Acoustics in educational settings. Subcommittee on Acoustics in Educational Settings of the Bioacoustics Standards and Noise Standards Committee American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Abstract

The Americans with Disabilities Act (enacted July 26, 1990) has brought into focus the need for removing barriers and improving accessibility of all buildings and facilities. It is clear that the definition of barrier must be expanded to include not only structural features that limit physical accessibility, but also acoustical barriers that limit access to communication and information. Acoustical interference caused by inappropriate levels of background noise and reverberation presents a barrier to learning and communication in educational settings and school-sponsored extracurricular activities, particularly for students with hearing loss or other language/learning concerns. ASHA has provided these guidelines and acoustical improvement strategies in order to assist communication-related professionals, teachers, school officials, architects, contractors, state education agencies, and others in developing the best possible learning environment for all students. Additional research on both the acoustical characteristics of learning environments and the communication requirements of learners is encouraged.