Telephone assistive devices help you hear telephone conversations better. You may need a telephone assistive device if telephone conversations are hard to hear or if you miss information.
There are many different kinds of telephone assistive devices.
Some telephones have controls that make your telephone louder. Check if your telephone has separate volume and tone controls. Adjusting volume can make conversations louder. Adjusting the tone may make it clearer. Many telephones have built in amplification. They may have other useful features such as an extra loud ring and a flashing light to alert you when the phone rings.
Portable snap-on telephone amplifiers can be used with just about any telephone. The amplifier is placed over the earpiece of the telephone to increase the volume. You may have to remove the amplifier when you finish using the phone so that the phone can hang up properly.
A telephone coil is a small coil of wire in some hearing aids. The wire is activated by a switch. It allows the hearing aid to pick up a phone signal directly. The coil also prevents feedback and cuts out background noise when you make a phone call. Telephones that are designed to work with a hearing aid telephone coil are called hearing aid compatible.
Some cordless phones have built in extra amplification. Some of them also have jacks that can be used with a hands free accessory.
For cell phones that cause interference with your hearing aid, you can get hearing aid-compatible hands-free attachments. The attachments allow the cell phone to be used at some distance away from the hearing aid. This can reduce or eliminate interference.
A TTY (or TDD) is a device that allows you to type in your phone conversation. Someone who also has a TTY can then read what you typed and answer back. If you do not have a TTY device but are calling someone who uses a TTY, you can speak to a special relay operator who types (or relays) the information to the TTY user. The TTY user's typed response is then read back to you. This service is available throughout the US by dialing a special 1-800 telephone number or by dialing 711.
The cost of telephone assistive devices ranges from nothing (for built in volume controls) to several hundred dollars for TTYs.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders (NIDCD)
1 Communication Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20892-3456
(800) 241-1044 Voice
(800) 241-1055 TTY
Web site: http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/
The National Association of the Deaf
814 Thayer Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910-4500
Voice: (301) 587-1788
TTY: (301) 581-1789
Web site: http://www.nad.org
Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.
HIA File GEN4431F.HTM Release 9.0/2006
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