Telecommunications
From HLA - Ann Arbor
Lots of updated information found here: Coalition of Organizations for Assistive Technology (COAT)
Contents |
[edit] Phones
[edit] Amplified Phones
Amplified Phones - Volume control on either the handset or base increases comprehension but too much volume can be detrimental. Better models provide some degree of tone control and some ampllify higher frequencies more than lower frequencies. Prices vary from $40 to $150. In-line amplifiers can be had for as little as $20 but will not work on phones where dial buttons are on the handset.
[edit] Captel Phones
CapTel Phones - Designed for those with some difficulty fully understanding telephone conversations. The CapTel phone displays the other person's speech on a small built-in screen which can be read as well as listened to. If the CapTel owner activates CapTel service before dialing a normal number, the recipient's response is routed automatically to a CapTel operator who repeats the recipient's message into a voice recognition program on a computer. The printed message is then sent to the screen on the CapTel phone at about the same speed as the spoken message. Selected persons likely to call the owner of a CapTel phone must dial a special CapTel number before dialing the recipient's number. This routes the incoming call through a CapTel operator who again repeats it to a computer which transmits both the written and verbal message to the person using a CapTel Phone. Most states now provide CapTel service at no cost to persons who have purchased CapTel phones at prices ranging from $100 to $500. However, the number of operators is still limited in most states so a wait list for gaining CapTel service is usual. Additional informaiion about CapTel phones can be obtained from http://www.ultratec.com/ or http://www.captiontelephone.com/.
[edit] Cell Phones
Cell phones are finally becoming rated for hearing aids. Look for those models that are rated T4/M4. Some phones are still sold with a neck loop to use with your hearing aid's T-Coil. More and more bluetooth accessories are becoming available.
The T-Mobile Sidekick has been a popular phone for chatting, text messaging and TTY.
[edit] Speaker Phones
Speaker Phones - Allow the use of hearing aids without resetting for telecoil and provide binaural reception which generally increases comprehension. Prices range from about $35 to $200 at Radio Shack and from various catalogues. Speaker quality and range of amplification is an important consideration and is not necessarily related to price.
[edit] TTY Phones
TTY phones are obsolete and expensive. Computers are much more useful and . Many deaf people love Video Relay Systems (VRS).
[edit] Relays
Information on Telecommunications Relay Service.
Many relay services are becoming linked with many consumer technologies such as cell phones, pagers, PDAs, telephones, television, computers and the Internet.
[edit] IP Relays
You can use IP Relays with your computer using AOL Messenger or Yahoo Messenger to make and receive TTY/TDD phone calls.
[edit] Video Relay Services
Information on Video Relay Services.
