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Phones and Telephone Alerting Devices for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Individuals with mild to severe hearing loss can take advantage of amplified telephones designed with built-in amplifiers, tone and frequency adjustments, loud ringers up to 95 dB and maximum of 55 dB volume gain. Traditional desktop phones are available as well as cordless phones. TAP forTelephone does not provide wireless pagers, PDA phones nor Video Phones for individuals.
Desktop Amplified Phones:
Portable Amplified Cordless phones:
Individuals with a severe to profound hearing loss can select from a variety of phones to match their needs.
Voice Carry Over (VCO) Phones - The Voice Carry Over (VCO) phone utilizes special technology that combines voice and text communications over the telephone. It allows individuals who have a severe to profound hearing loss who wish to use their own voice, to speak directly to the other person on the telephone, and read the other person's response on a text display. Voice Carry Over services is available through Missouri Relay. Telephones include:
- CapTel Captioned Phone (must contact TAP office at 800-647-8557 (voice) or 800-647-8558 (TTY) for more information): To qualify for the CapTel, the consumer must have a severe-profound hearing loss with speech discrimination scores of less than 50% in both ears. The consumer must be unable to use an amplified phone. An audiogram/hearing test must be provided at the time of selection. Ultratec now provides a 800i CapTel phone which can be used on a digital phones line (cable, DSL, etc).
TTY's - A TTY is a specialized telephone (also known as a TDD or TT) that enables people to use the telephone to communicate by typing messages back and forth to one another instead of talking. A TTY looks much like a typewriter and has a standard keyboard. TTY's are used with traditional relay services.
- Ultratec Compact TTY
- Ultratec Uniphone 1140
- Ultratec Superprint 4425 w/ Printer
- Ameriphone Q 90with Printer
Large Visual Display TTY (for low-vision/hearing loss)- These include TTY's and a VCO phone with a special enlarged print display for persons who are deaf and have low vision. This equipment is only available to individuals who have a documented hearing/low vision loss not corrected by glasses.
Auditory Loud Ringers - This is an alerting device that increases the volume of the sound of the phone ringing. The signalers allow the user to customize the ring to make it ring high, low or warbled.
Visual Alerting Device - Visual signalers are devices that work in conjunction with the ringing of the phone. It lets the user know the phone is ringing by turning sound (the telephone ring) into light.
Deaf/Blind Alerting Device (for deaf/blind only) - This is an alerting device that a person who is deaf and blind wears on their body. It alerts them to the ringing of the phone by way of a vibrating signal. Vibra-tactile signalers are only available to individuals who have a documented hearing/low vision loss not correctable by glasses.