{"id":3636,"date":"2013-11-08T11:00:51","date_gmt":"2013-11-08T16:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/?p=3636"},"modified":"2019-06-28T16:25:17","modified_gmt":"2019-06-28T20:25:17","slug":"what-to-look-for-in-a-phone-for-the-hearing-impaired","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/what-to-look-for-in-a-phone-for-the-hearing-impaired\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Look for in a Phone for the Hearing Impaired"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Talking on the household phone can be extremely frustrating for people with hearing loss, but today\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s wide selection of <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-297-amplified-telephones.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-297-amplified-telephones.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">amplified phones for the hearing impaired<\/a><\/strong> offer a wide range of features that address just about every need.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Large keypads, adjustable volume and tone, extra loud ringers and hearing aid compatibility are just a few of the features that are available. If you are shopping for a hearing impaired phone for yourself or someone else with mild to severe hearing loss, use this overview to help narrow down your choices.<a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-297-amplified-telephones.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-297-amplified-telephones.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-3650\" style=\"margin: 10px;\" title=\"What to look for in hearing impaired phones\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/listening.jpg\" alt=\"What to look for in hearing impaired phones\" width=\"379\" height=\"292\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><em>Amplification Level<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The primary purpose of a hearing impaired phone is to <strong>boost the volume to a higher level than would be possible with a standard phone<\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0and also <strong>improve sound clarity and tone<\/strong>, making it easier for users to hear and comprehend telephone conversations.<\/p>\n<p><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.healthyhearing.com\/report\/41775-Degrees-of-hearing-loss');\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/report\/41775-Degrees-of-hearing-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hearing loss<\/a> is measured in decibels (dB). The softest sounds are made at zero dB, and the loudest are 120 dB. Normal speech is around 50 dB.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Phones for the hard of hearing have<\/strong> <b>three levels of amplification.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 <\/b>Choose the one that matches the user\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s hearing loss:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Mild Hearing Loss (20 \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 30dB)<\/b> \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 For listeners who strain to hear phone conversations and find that they are missing words.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Moderate Hearing Loss (30 \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 45dB)<\/b> \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 For listeners who find that they frequently ask the other party to repeat themselves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Severe Hearing Loss (50 \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 60 dB)<\/b> \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 For listeners who have so much difficulty hearing phone conversations, they often avoid using the phone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><em>Portability:\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Corded, Cordless or Hands-Free<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Corded amplified phones<\/b> have a large base that is bulkier than a cordless phone but typically offer a large, easy-to-read keypad as well as a bigger phone number and caller ID display.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Many corded models, like the <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8499-amplicom-powertel-760-assure-amplified-corded-telephone-w-integrated-answering-machine.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8499-amplicom-powertel-760-assure-amplified-corded-telephone-w-integrated-answering-machine.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amplicom PowerTel 760<\/a> Assure Amplified Corded Telephone, have other built-in features like an answering machine and speakerphone.<\/p>\n<p><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8270-fortissimo-extra-loud-remote-controlled-speakerphone.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8270-fortissimo-extra-loud-remote-controlled-speakerphone.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" style=\"margin: 10px;\" title=\"The Fortissimo Extra Loud Remote Controlled Speakerphone by Clarity allows hands-free control\" src=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/images\/Product\/medium\/8270.jpg\" alt=\"Clarity Fortissimo Extra Loud Remote Controlled Speakerphone for hearing impaired or mobility challneged\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" \/><\/a>People who like to walk around while they talk or prefer a smaller base usually choose a <b>cordless amplified phone<\/b>. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Some amplified phone systems offer a <strong>cordless phone base<\/strong> that are &#8220;expandable&#8221; so you can have additional cordless phones in other rooms. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0For instance, the <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8269-clarity-professional-xlc34-amplified-cordless-big-button-speakerphone-with-talking-caller-id.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8269-clarity-professional-xlc34-amplified-cordless-big-button-speakerphone-with-talking-caller-id.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Clarity Professional XLC3.4 Big Button Cordless Phone<\/strong><\/a>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0can handle up to four additional cordless handsets per base unit.<\/p>\n<p>And for people with limited mobility, there is the new <b>hands-free<\/b> <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8270-fortissimo-extra-loud-remote-controlled-speakerphone.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8270-fortissimo-extra-loud-remote-controlled-speakerphone.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fortissimo by Clarity<\/a><\/strong> that <strong>features a voice-activated speakerphone<\/strong> and offers multiple options for hands-free control, which can be particularly useful for those with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and many other forms of paralysis.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><em>Hearing Aid Compatibility<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Most hearing impaired phones are hearing aid compatible, but many newer cordless amplified phones are also <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8538-amplicom-powertel-701-additional-dect-60-amplified-cordless-handset-for-the-powertel-7-series.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8538-amplicom-powertel-701-additional-dect-60-amplified-cordless-handset-for-the-powertel-7-series.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">TIA-1083 compliant<\/a><\/strong>. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Being <strong>TIA-1083 compliant\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0greatly reduces the interference or audible \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201cbuzz\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d<\/strong> that hearing aid wearers often experienced when using a cordless phone and is\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0considered a\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/modernseniorproducts.wordpress.com\/2012\/05\/23\/what-does-tia-compliant-phone-mean\/');\"  href=\"http:\/\/modernseniorproducts.wordpress.com\/2012\/05\/23\/what-does-tia-compliant-phone-mean\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">higher standard<\/a><\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0than just being hearing aid compatible.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><em>Visual or \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201cTalking\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d Caller ID<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A caller ID feature allows users to screen incoming calls before answering.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Hearing impaired phones have either <b>traditional caller ID screens<\/b> or a <b>\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201ctalking\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d caller ID<\/b> announcement, which is a great for users with vision problems who have trouble reading the phone numbers on the small screen.<\/p>\n<p>Amplicom&#8217;s <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-297-amplified-telephones.aspx#Ma477|');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-297-amplified-telephones.aspx#Ma477|\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PowerTel 700 Series phones<\/a><\/strong> all have\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<i>both<\/i> \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201ctalking\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d called ID and \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201ctalk-back\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d buttons on the keypad that read back the numbers as they are dialed to prevent misdialing.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><em>Photo Address Book<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8570-clarity-photo-phone-p300-amplified-phone.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8570-clarity-photo-phone-p300-amplified-phone.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" style=\"margin: 10px;\" title=\"Use photos of family and friends to create nine custom speed dial buttons on the Clarity Photo Phone P300\" src=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/images\/Product\/medium\/8570.jpg\" alt=\"Clarity Photo Phone P300 Amplified Phone\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>These days nearly all phones have a programmable address book for storing frequently-called phone numbers, but some amplified phones like the <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8570-clarity-photo-phone-p300-amplified-phone.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8570-clarity-photo-phone-p300-amplified-phone.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Clarity Photo Phone\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0P300<\/a><\/strong> makes it even easier for users to dial by providing nine one-touch <strong>speed dial buttons that you customize with photos of family and friends<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><em>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Bluetooth Connection for Cell Phones<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>With a Bluetooth-connected amplified phone, users can <b>make and receive cell phone calls from their hearing impaired phone<\/b> and have all of the benefits of extra amplification and improved sound clarity. The Bluetooth feature, available in the <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8273-clearsounds-iconnect-a1600bt-amplified-bluetooth-freedom-phone.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8273-clearsounds-iconnect-a1600bt-amplified-bluetooth-freedom-phone.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ClearSounds iConnect A1600BT Amplified Bluetooth Freedom Phone<\/a><\/strong>,\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0wirelessly connects your cell phone to your amplified phone.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s a great feature for homes without a landline connection.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><em>Other Cool Features to Look For<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7201-amplicom-powertel-601-wireless-dect-60-wrist-shaker-for-powertel-series.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7201-amplicom-powertel-601-wireless-dect-60-wrist-shaker-for-powertel-series.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" style=\"margin: 10px;\" title=\"Amplicom vibrating wristshaker alerts when phone rings and acts as a remote answering device\" src=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/images\/Product\/medium\/7201.jpg\" alt=\"Wristshaker for Amplicom PowerTel hearing impaired phones\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<b>Vibrating Wristshaker<\/b> &#8212; Acts as a <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7201-amplicom-powertel-601-wireless-dect-60-wrist-shaker-for-powertel-series.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7201-amplicom-powertel-601-wireless-dect-60-wrist-shaker-for-powertel-series.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">phone ring alert or remote answering device<\/a>.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Multiple User Settings<\/b> \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 Automatically adjusts volume and tone settings for each user in the household, available only in the Amplicom <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8049-amplicom-powertel-720-assure-amplified-cordless-phone-with-answering-machine.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8049-amplicom-powertel-720-assure-amplified-cordless-phone-with-answering-machine.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PowerTel 720<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8499-amplicom-powertel-760-assure-amplified-corded-telephone-w-integrated-answering-machine.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-8499-amplicom-powertel-760-assure-amplified-corded-telephone-w-integrated-answering-machine.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PowerTel 760<\/a><\/strong> phones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Emergency Dialer<\/b> \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7146-geemarc-ampli600-amplified-emergency-connect-phone-w-two-transmitters.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7146-geemarc-ampli600-amplified-emergency-connect-phone-w-two-transmitters.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dials preprogrammed emergency contacts<\/a><\/strong> when the emergency button is pressed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><em>Hearing Impaired Phones for Users with Vision Loss<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Many of the amplified phones for people with hearing loss also have features that benefit users who are visually impaired. For instance, some models have <b>visual ringers<\/b> that use a <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7148-geemarc-ampli500-premium-amplified-speakerphone-wcall-id.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7148-geemarc-ampli500-premium-amplified-speakerphone-wcall-id.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">flashing strobe<\/a><\/strong> light to signal incoming calls.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Other models have <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-297-amplified-telephones.aspx#Ma553|');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-297-amplified-telephones.aspx#Ma553|\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">extra large, back-lit keypads<\/a><\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0or\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0large <strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7153-geemarc-bdp400-talking-telephone-w-large-lcd-display.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7153-geemarc-bdp400-talking-telephone-w-large-lcd-display.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LCD displays<\/a><\/strong> to make dialing easier.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 As we age, hearing and vision loss often go hand-in-hand, so an investment in a multi-functional hearing impaired phone can solve for both disabilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Talking on the household phone can be extremely frustrating for people with hearing loss, but today\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s wide selection of amplified phones for the hearing impaired offer a wide range of features that address just about every need.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Large keypads, adjustable volume and tone, extra loud&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/what-to-look-for-in-a-phone-for-the-hearing-impaired\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3650,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[189],"tags":[493,491,497,494,496,492,495],"class_list":["post-3636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-independent-living-aid","tag-amplicom","tag-amplified-telephones","tag-bluetooth-phones","tag-clarity","tag-cordless-phones","tag-hearing-impaired-phones","tag-wristshakers","clearfix"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3636"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3636\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10451,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3636\/revisions\/10451"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}