ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES

Part 3

Telephone technology

For an individual with hearing loss sometimes talking on the phone can be very difficult. Fortunately, there are amplifiers, voice carry-over telephones, and text telephones available to help.

· Telephone amplifiers: There are many amplifiers available for telephones, replacement handset, in-line amplifiers, and handsets. Amplifiers make the voice coming through the receiver louder, and are equipped with a volume adjustment. Amplifiers for the telephone ringer are also available and increase the volume as well as change the pitch (frequency) so the person with a hearing loss may be able to hear.

· Voice carry-over telephones: Voice carry-over telephones are used with local toll-free relay service. The person with the voice carry-over telephone speaks, the message is converted to written text and displayed on a screen to be read by the person with a hearing loss.

· Text telephones (TDD or TTY): With severe to profound hearing losses the communication needs to be typed rather than spoken. In a TDD or TTY, the telephone terminals function like a typewriter that is able to send and receive typed messages. The typed message is viewed on a small computer display and may have a printer. If both people do not have text telephones, then the voice carry-over phone with the relay service must be used.

Other technology

A visual, tactile (vibrating), or amplified signal can alert a person who has a hearing loss. A flashing light, vibrator, or amplifier can be triggered by:

· Doorbell	· Telephone ring
· Crying baby	· Smoke or fire alarm
· Alarm clock	· Door knock