The range of products and services offered by telecommunications companies is growing all the time – and many have the potential to be extremely useful for people with sensory impairments.
Details of suppliers can be found at the end of this factsheet. It is important to note that you may also be able to get some help from Access to Work for help with payment if you require some equipment to help you work. Social Services may also be able to supply you with some products.
Telephones
If you have sufficient hearing, it may be possible for you to use an adapted telephone. There are several features on telephones available from Action for Hearing Loss
Voice amplification
This allows you to amplify the caller's voice and/or your own voice.
- Ring tones
You can choose from a wide range of ring tones to suit your hearing. Extra loud ringers are also available. - Hearing aid compatibility
Some telephones are designed to be compatible with hearing aids. They may have an "inductive coupler" for this purpose. Setting your hearing aid to the `T’ position should enable you to hear clearer if you are able to use an inductive coupler. - Large buttons
If you have problems seeing standard size buttons, there are several phones with large buttons available. Some of these also include a volume control and speech amplification.
Other products to use with an existing telephone
Instead of changing your existing telephone, you may like to keep it and use some of the following.
- Extension bells
These are ringers for your phone that are louder than standard ring tones. You can buy extension bells which lets you hear the phone ringing if you are positioned away from the handset. E.g other rooms or outside. Some can come with a range of different features including volume control and different ring tones. - Visual call indicators
These are flashing lights which come on when the phone rings. These can be separate units, or wired in to make an existing table lamp or overhead lighting flash. - Telephone couplers
These amplify the speech sounds from your telephone. Different versions are suitable for hearing aid users and for those who do not wear a hearing aid.
If you find that none of these options is suitable, you may need to consider using a textphone.
Textphones
Some people with sensory impairments that involve a severe to profound hearing loss may find that textphones are a great help to communication. A textphone is simply a telephone with a keyboard attached and messages appear as text in a display. The conversation is typed, rather than spoken. You can also communicate with someone who doesn’t have a textphone by using Text Relay
Text Relay– With this service an operator .will join the line to relay your call. When the person you are calling speaks, the operator will relay their conversation by typing. You can type or speak back to the operator and they will pass this on to the person you are speaking to.
To find out more about Text Relay visit www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk
Try other special phones:
WebCapTel Service (New IP-Based Remote Communication Support)
Teletec International Ltd is also introducing the WebCapTel Service to provide word-for-word captions throughout any phone call with the convenience of the Internet.
No special equipment is needed. It works with your existing telephone and any Internet access device.
The WebCapTel Service provides captions throughout telephone conversations at home, in the office, or at any public place providing Internet access, using any Internet access device such as a personal computer, Smartphone, or PDA. The caller logs onto the website and enters their phone number and the number they want to call. The WebCapTel Service connects to the caller's phone and then dials the other party. When the other party answers, word-for-word, real-time captions of the conversation can be viewed in a window on the caller's Internet browser.
Mobile phones:
For those with mild to moderate hearing loss, there are mobile accessories that can be used.
Neckloops help by cutting out the background noise around you and making the mobile clearer to hear on. Some can allow you to use a mobile phone within a range of up to 10m without any connecting cables. In order to use these, you turn your hearing aid to the ‘T’ switch.
These are available from the Action on Hearing Loss shop.There are also ear hooks which simply clip behind your hearing aid and plugs into the bottom of your mobile phone. This will cut out interference between your hearing aid and the mobile phone.
Many people with hearing difficulties now communicate by texting but for people with visual impairment, this is too difficult. However, magnification software may benefit them.
Magnification software for mobile phones:
There are some magnification software packages that offer full screen magnification up to 16 times its original size.
These automatically detect and magnify the area of interest as you navigate through your mobile handset.
Also there are ranges of high contrast colour schemes for those who find particular colour combinations are of benefit whilst reading.
Different areas of display can be zoomed in and the magnification software can be configured to start automatically when your handset is switched on.
These are available through RNIB Authorised Distributors (Communic8, Computer Room Services and Richard Moore), Rammland and Optelec Tieman Group.
Speaking phones:
Several mobile phones – mainly from Nokia – have speech to text software which speaks your text messages, contact names and other display information. You can obtain these from Vodafone or the RNIB.
The Owasys 22C is a mobile phone with no display at all but has well spaced easy to find buttons. Synthesised speech will read your text messages, caller identification and most other phone functions that are usually indicated visually.
Braille mobile phones for deafblind people:
There has recently been some new technology to benefit people with dual sensory loss. By using a braille connector that gives access to a mobile phone, a person with no useful hearing or sight can send text messages via braille.
At current there is the Optelec Easy Link 12 and Braillino. Both give you full access to a PDA, mobile phone or laptop.
There is also the facility of BLUETOOTH wireless technology that allows you to use your braille display and mobile phone within a range of 10 meters without annoying cables.
Contact details:
Sense Information and Advice Service
RNIB Technology Team for enquiries
Tel: 0845 900 0015
Email: ict@rnib.org.uk
RNIB Customer Services
PO Box 173
Peterborough, PE2 6WS
Tel: 0845 702 3153
Email: cservices@rnib.org.uk
Communic8 – TALKS™
Magnification software already loaded onto a new mobile phone with the option of an airtime contract, Pay as You go or SIM free
Tel: 08701 600 600
Email: info@comm8.com
Web: www.comm8.com (opens in a new window)
Optelec UK
Tel: 01159 391391
Fax: 01159 490390
Email: info@optelec.co.uk
Web: www.optelec.co.uk (opens in a new window)
Rammland
Tel: 07801 734722
Email: enquiries@rammland.net
Web: www.rammland.net (opens in a new window)
Action on Hearing Loss Shop
1, Haddonbrook Business Centre
Orton Southgate
Peterborough, PE2 6YX
Telephone: 0870 789 8855
Textphone: 01733 238020
Fax: 0870 789 8822
Email: solutions@actiononhearingloss.org.uk
Website: www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/shop (opens in a new window)
