As more academic institutions launch Auracast installations, a seminar in Germany later this month will help demystify the technology in a university context.
Universities in London and Australia have already gone live with Auracast, making it easier for students to hear lectures and participate in tutorials. The Bluetooth LE Audio technology can be accessed by Auracast-enabled receivers, headphones, earbuds, Cochlear hearing aids, and other hearing aids. This means it can be used not just by the deaf and hard of hearing, but also those with additional needs or who just want to take advantage of speech-to-text to create a transcript of the lecture.
It can also be used across campus, not just in an academic setting: the silent disco gets a new lease of life with Auracast, while at events such as graduation ceremonies instant translations, audio descriptions, and commentaries are available.
To help German universities better understand the new world opening up to them, on Thursday, 21 May, the Inclusion Office at the TH OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Lemgo is hosting an Auracast Forum. It says the focus is to be on how accessible technologies can improve participation in everyday university life, particularly in courses, lectures, and other communication settings.
There will be an exhibition showcasing some of the barriers and challenges people can face. Talks will explain that TH OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts is among the universities in North Rhine-Westphalia currently testing the Auri Auracast system and will outline its experiences with it. They plan to make Auracast available more widely through an expanded test phase later this year.
Then there is a practical demonstration: a silent disco that lets people listen to a selection of music across different Auracast streams. Organisers say: “This allows participants to experience firsthand just how flexible and varied listening can be”.
The event is aimed at students, staff and anyone interested, including those with hearing impairments.
It runs from 10am to 1pm, and places are free. It takes place in Anno in downtown Lemgo.
For more details, or to book, log on to: https://www.th-owl.de/en/events/detail/detail/auracast-forum-zum-gaad-2026-global-accessibility-awareness-day/
For more on TH OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts’s commitment to Auracast, log on to: https://www.th-owl.de/inklusion/auracast/
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