Audiology
Treatment
Telephone Equipment
Many different types of devices are available to help people with hearing problems communicate over the phone. These include:
- Amplified Telephones - Amplified telephones offer various degrees of amplification, as well as user-adjustable controls for tone and frequency, ringer volume and pitch. Many have visual ring indicators, audio jacks, and other useful features
- Cellular Phones - Most hearing aids can be used with most cell phones, including those with hands-free features.
- Amplified Telephone Ringers - These may include features such as adjustable volume, tone selection, pattern selection, and a visual alert.
- In-line Telephone Amplifiers - In-line telephone amplifiers are connected between the base of the telephone and the handset.
- Snap-on Telephone Amplifiers - These amplifiers are lightweight, portable, battery-operated devices that slip over the earpiece of most telephones. They are held in place with elastic or rubber straps.
- Amplified Answering Machines - The machines record messages like standard answering machines, but also allow users to amplify volume and adjust tone and playback speed to make speech easier to understand.
- TTYs - TTYs are text telephones that allow people to type messages back and forth on the telephone instead of talking or listening. When messages are typed on a TTY keyboard, the information is sent over a phone line to a receiving TTY and displayed on a monitor. Telecommunications relay services are also available to make it possible to call from a phone to a TTY and vice versa.