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About the Coalition for Classroom Acoustics


Invitation to Join the Coalition


June 5, 1998

COALITION MEMBERSHIP

Membership is open to individual and organizational advocates of good classroom acoustics who recognize its vital importance to education and who will work to achieve it.

THE MISSION OF THE CLASSROOM ACOUSTICS COALITION:

1) To be advocates for good classroom acoustics by raising public and official awareness of the widespread problem of acoustical barriers to, and its effects on, learning.

2) To help educators and parents identify acoustically unacceptable learning situations, and especially vulnerable individuals.

3) To develop practical and affordable ways to avoid or eliminate acoustical barriers to learning.

4) To promulgate solutions through lectures, publications and standards.

THE GOAL OF THE CLASSROOM ACOUSTICS COALITION:

To insure that acoustical environments conducive to learning are provided to all students and teachers.

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE CLASSROOM ACOUSTICS COALITION:

1) To unite in common cause all those concerned with the problem of acoustical barriers to learning in the Classroom. These include, but are not limited to: teachers, parents, students, administrators, legislators, facility planners, architects, contractors, equipment suppliers, engineers, acousticians, audiologists, government agencies and concerned individuals and organizations.

2) To promote awareness by public and elected officials to the often hidden problems caused by acoustical barriers in the classroom. To show that students and teachers with normal hearing are also affected, but that the effects can be particularly significant for vulnerable individuals, including those with hearing loss or with learning disabilities as well as for those learning English as a second language. Initial actions are expected to include: establishment of List server and E-mail communication resources, development of press releases and magazine articles (written in non-technical language), promotion of public talks by experts, and letters to editors and legislators by Coalition members. Future action may include development of television coverage.

3) To promote legislation to eliminate acoustical barriers in the Classroom. Initial action includes responses to the U.S. Access Board's Request for Information published on June 1, 1998. Future action will include State and local community legislation.

4) To hold seminars or workshops that demonstrate the widespread nature and deleterious effects of acoustical barriers in the classroom, that identify methods to eliminate those barriers, and that show the universal benefits for education and, in the long run for society, of good acoustics in the classroom.

5) To encourage architectural design colleges and universities to formally recognize the importance of acoustics in the design or renovation of schools and, in particular, classrooms.

6) To encourage broad multi-discipline cooperation on current research programs to determine how the results of these programs may be utilized currently and to determine what additional research is required: a) to further understand the complex relationships of acoustics, hearing and learning; b) to estimate the economic, political and social impacts on society of poor acoustics in educational facilities; and c) to formulate a plan of action to reduce those impacts.


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