15% of Students Have Hearing Loss. Are Your Classrooms Equipped to Help?

“When students can hear every word clearly, they engage more, retain more and ultimately succeed more,” said Jaime Mendez, Boxlight’s Regional Vice President and Application Engineer, during an Education Talk Radio podcast with Larry Jacobs. 

Jaime Mendez is a fantastic resource on the transformative impact that classroom audio systems have on all students, including those with hearing loss. Here are some of the take-aways from their conversation.

Hearing loss in students is more prevalent than people realize.

• 15% of children aged 6 to 19 experience some level of hearing loss in at least one ear, according to the CDC.
• It’s estimated that 1 in 4 students attends school on any given day with a temporary hearing difficulty due to infections, colds or blockages.
• Students with mild hearing loss (16-25 dB) may miss 25-50% of classroom discussions.
• Moderate hearing loss (26-40 dB) makes it nearly impossible to follow conversations in a typical noisy classroom.

Despite these numbers, only 10-13% of schools have classroom audio systems in place, with only 25% of new buildings including this much-needed technology. The vast majority of classrooms are simply not optimized for learning through sound. Fortunately, help is available. 

“Classroom audio systems ensure that every student, no matter where they sit, hears the same clear instruction. It’s a game-changer for education,” said Mendez.

Protecting Teachers’ Voices

Educators spend 5 to 6 hours a day speaking loudly, often raising their voices to uncomfortable levels to make sure students can hear them across large areas and over classroom noise. As a result:

• 20% of teachers develop chronic voice disorders, compared to just 5% of the general population.
• 55% of teachers regularly experience vocal fatigue.
• Increased stress and burnout contribute to high turnover rates in the profession.

With classroom audio systems, teachers can speak in a natural tone while ensuring that every student hears them clearly. “When teachers don’t have to strain their voices, they’re healthier, less stressed and more effective,” Mendez said.

Enhancing School Safety

Clear, reliable communication is essential for school safety, yet many schools still rely on outdated intercoms and inconsistent audio systems. Classroom audio technology reduces response times and confusion during critical situations by:

• Ensuring every student and teacher can clearly hear emergency announcements.
• Providing real-time communication during lockdowns, severe weather events or other crises.
• Integrating with security systems to trigger alerts, lock doors and notify first responders immediately.

“Communication and safety go hand in hand. There is no safety without good communication,” said Mendez.

Making Classroom Audio a Standard, Not an Afterthought

Despite the substantial impact that modern classroom audio has on school operations, campus safety and classroom learning, it’s surprisingly absent in most schools. Even more surprising is that the cost of implementing it is about 1.5% of a school’s total project budget—a fraction of what’s commonly spent on other infrastructure upgrades.

“This is one of the most affordable investments a school can make, yet many aren’t prioritizing it,” said Mendez. 

Schools and communities can change that by:

• Raising awareness and advocating for classroom audio as a necessity, not a luxury.
• Allocating funding to make classroom audio a budget priority.
• Making classroom audio technology a standard component of every new school.
• Upgrading older buildings with modern audio systems.

The case for widespread adoption of classroom audio systems is undeniable—and the power to do so is within reach. As Mendez put it: 

“The technology is here. The cost is low. The benefits are enormous. Now, it’s just about taking action—because every student deserves to hear every word.”

Listen to the full conversation: