Equipment & Technology for People Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Technological inventions have enabled people who are deaf or hard of hearing to function with greater independence. Different technology is used for varying degrees of hearing loss. In large group settings, assistive listening devices carry sound directly to the ear of a person who is hard of hearing. Sometimes, they are used along with a person’s hearing aid. Clear amplified sound without background noise can help a person who is hard of hearing understand speech.
Deaf people are often not helped by “listening” devices. Devices that are more useful to deaf people change auditory information to visual information. Flashing lights or vibrators can be used for alarms, doorbells or telephone ringers. Text telephones and captioning for television programs provide typed-out messages instead of sound.
Below are pictures and descriptions of equipment and technology used
by people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Links to relevant programs
coordinated by NCDHH are included.
Hearing Aids
Hearing aids help transmit sounds to be understood by people who
are hard of hearing. There are many different types of hearing aids
with various functions. Telecoils (T-coils) and Direct Audio Input
(DAI) allow different sound sources to be directly connected to hearing
aids, which improves sound quality and allows the hearing aid wearer
to easily perceive sounds and speech, regardless of background noise.
They can be used with telephones, FM systems, induction loop systems
and public address systems. Digital hearing aids can be adjusted for
sound quality and response time to meet the needs of a user.
Click here to learn about hearing
aid banks coordinated by NCDHH.
Audio-Loops
Audio-loops allow optimum microphone placement and have a loop of
wire, which creates a magnetic field to allow sound to be heard by
hearing aid users who have a T-coil switch. Individuals who do not
use a hearing aid can use a loop receiver to pick up the sound. These
systems may be integrated into an existing public address system.
FM Systems
Pocket Talkers are small, battery-operated, wireless and portable
devices that use radio transmissions to send auditory signals from
speakers (microphones) to listeners (receivers).
FM systems can also be larger devices that are used for group settings.
These bigger units process sounds obtained from multiple receivers
to be transmitted to hard of hearing people participating in the
gathering.
Click here to learn about
loan programs offering personal FM systems.
Infrared Systems
An infrared listening system consists of both a transmitter and a receiver, and the device works by sending invisible infrared light waves carrying sound from the transmitter to the receiver. In order to work effectively, the receiver needs to be within the direct line of sight of the infrared beam emitted from the transmitter. Many receivers can be utilized with one infrared transmitter. However, all receivers must be on the same channel as the transmitter.
Unlike other ALDs, the infrared system is more secure because
the sound is not picked up in other rooms. There are three different
ways that the sound can be transmitted. A person who is not wearing
a hearing aid can use the receiver with an ear headset. For people
who wear hearing aids that have a T-coil switch, the signal is
picked up through the loop. For those with hearing aids that are
equipped with direct audio input, the listener’s hearing
aid is connected directly to the infrared system.
Telephone Amplifiers
Telephone amplifiers are devices used by people who are hard of hearing who have some residual hearing and use their voice. The amplifier makes sounds louder and clearer. There are several different ways a telephone can be amplified; a volume control in the handset, an in-line amplifier that is attached to the telephone and a phone that has built- in amplification. Public pay phones have a button to press or a sign explaining how to increase the volume.
Phones manufactured after Jan. 1,1989, must be hearing aid
compatible. If a person’s hearing aid has a T-coil switch,
the conversation can be amplified without having to use an amplifying
device with the phone. The Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of
1988 required that telephones located in workplace commons areas
and credit card operated telephones be compatible with hearing
aids.
Click here to learn about a program that
provides free amplified telephones to Nebraskans with a hearing
loss.
CART
CART (Computer Assisted Real-time Transcription) records speech for display in a typed format that people can read on a screen. This service is provided by a stenographer who records speech at the speed it is spoken. This information is sent to a computer, TV, monitor or a large screen. A separate projection screen can be attached for large group viewing. CART is used in many settings, including courtrooms, meetings, conferences, legislative sessions and schools.
CAN/C-Print
CAN (Computer Assisted Notetaking) and C-Print are services that
utilize a typist to record the general message of a conversation
or lecture for display on a laptop computer. CAN and C-Print are
different from CART in several ways, because they are condensed
forms of what is being said, whereas CART presents messages verbatim.
CAN and C-Print use a typist to enter text, while CART is provided
by a real-time stenographer or court reporter. CAN and C-Print
are used in situations where individuals need some visual information
but are not totally reliant on full-text transcriptions.
Video Phones
Video phone communications can be executed in a variety of ways. Initially, video phone calls were made solely via computers equipped with Webcams. Using an Internet connection, two callers can communicate visually through streaming video. The drawbacks of using computers and Internet connections is the screen size is small, and video quality can drop if one’s Internet connection speed slows.
A true video phone is a receiver that is hooked up to a TV and transmits communications through a cable line. Using a video phone, an individual can call another person with a video phone directly, or he or she can use a relay service to call a regular telephone.
A video relay service connects a deaf person with an operator who interprets calls for the individual. The deaf person signs to the interpreter who then speaks what is being signed to the hearing person on the other end of the line. Then, the interpreter signs the responses from the hearing person.
Currently, there are new types of portable video phones. These
devices can be transported and used anywhere there is an Internet
connection.
TTY/TDD/TTs
A teletypewriter (TTY), which is sometimes referred to as a TDD or TT, is a device that allows people who are deaf or hard of hearing to converse over a telephone line. Instead of speaking, a deaf person types his or her message on a TTY, which is simultaneously sent to another TTY.
A TTY looks like a small typewriter keyboard. It has a telephone
modem and a small LCD screen. To use a TTY, a person dials the
phone and places the handset in the TTY’s couplers/modem.
An electronic signal is then transmitted across the phone line
to another TTY. Other types of TTYs are directly connected to
the telephone jack. With this type of equipment, the telephone
number is dialed either through the telephone or through the
TTY. The telephone handset is placed on the table instead of
in the TTY’s couplers. TTY software is also available
that can be installed on a computer, which can allow a person
to use a computer to place and receive TTY calls. The Nebraska
Relay Service (NRS) relays telephone calls between two people
when one person does not have a TTY.
Click here to learn about a program that
provides free TTYs to Nebraskans who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Signalers
Signalers are devices that allow people to be aware of typical
audible warnings. These devices alert people who are deaf or hard
of hearing to the telephone, a doorbell, a baby crying, fire/smoke
alarms, timers, alarm clocks, pagers, etc. Two basic types of
signalers are available. One is a flashing light signaler, which
is probably the most commonly-used signaling system device, and
the second device is a vibrating signaler.
Click here to learn about a program that
provides free signaling devices to Nebraskans who are deaf or
hard of hearing.
Cochlear Implants
Cochlear implants are electronic devices that are surgically implanted
in a person to stimulate his or her auditory nerve. These devices
are typically offered only to those with a severe to profound
hearing loss who do not benefit from hearing aids.