36 CFR Parts 1190 and 1191 ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines - Preamble (Discussion of Comments and Changes)

Comment. Facility operators urged the Board to lower the required number of receivers because, in their view, the vast majority of provided receivers go unused. This is especially true at facilities with multiple assembly areas, such as multi-screen movie theaters, where receivers are provided for each assembly area.

Response. In the final rule, the Board has clarified that the minimum number is to be based on each assembly area. Thus, where a facility has multiple assembly areas, the required number is to be determined individually for each assembly area based on its seating capacity. However, the Board also has included an exception which would permit the minimum number to be based on the combined seating capacity of multiple assembly areas as an alternative if two conditions are met: all receivers are usable with all provided assistive listening systems; and all assembly areas required to have such systems are under the same management (219.3, Exception 1). This allows "mix and match" types of receivers to generally serve such facilities.