Telephone Technology Tips and Tricks

1. Telephone Technology Tips and Tricks For Hard of Hearing People This presentation may be freely used by any SHHH Chapters. It’s available for download from www.nchearingloss.org/programs.htm Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

2. It's Up To You! • Our ability to use the phone is important! • We have many different needs. • There are many different resources. • It's up to us to understand. • Our needs. • The resources. • How to satisfy our needs with those resources. Disclaimer: Everyone's hearing loss is different; what works for some may not work for others. Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

3. Lots of Things to Cover • Types of Phones • Our Needs • Increased Volume/Adjustable Frequency • Useful User Interfaces • TTY and Relay • Other Tools and Tricks • Communications Strategies • Hardware Summary • Where to Find Resources Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

4. Types of Phones and Related Things • Hard Wired Phones • Portable Phones • Cellular Phones • VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) • CapTel • Other • TTYs • VCO • Computers/Pagers • FAX Machines • VRUs, Caller-ID, Multi-Line, Answering Machines, Relay Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

5. The Phone Company Network connects one phone with another via physical wires. • The transmission is full duplex analog. • The network can multiplex many conversations onto a single wire. • The signal can carry voice and special tones. Hard Wired Phones Network Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

6. The two parties still use the phone company's network • Either party may have a portable phone that operates as a remote from the base instrument. • Some Features of Portables • 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz • Multi-Channel • Spread Spectrum • HAC (T-coil) • Volume Control • Call Waiting Portable Phones Network Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

7. Cellular Phones use radio • Limited coverage • Expensive • Communicate with other cellular phones. • Communicate with phones using hardwired networks. Cellular Phones Network Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

8. Other "Phones" • TTYs • Pagers • 2-Way Pagers with keyboards • Fax machines • Internet "phones" • Internet "chat" • Video Phones Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

9. Common Problems with Phones for People with Hearing Loss • Interference with hearing aids or telecoils • Newer Remote Phones • Mostly with GSM Cell Phones • Usually worse with older hearing aids • Insufficient Volume • Insufficient Hearing Aid Compatibility • Insufficient Ringer Volume • Ringer Frequency too High • Can’t Hear Well in Background Noise Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

10. Technical Things That Can Help • More Volume • Frequency Adjustments • Better User Interface • Choose right Cell Phone Protocol • Use Hands Free Interface to Hearing Aids • Other (Ring, Flash, CallerID, Auto Reset) Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

11. Improving Volume and Frequency • Amplification • Strap-on, In-Line, Built-in • 2 or 3 position or Slider • Up to 30 or even 40 dB Boost • Some strap-ons also provide T-Coil • Frequency Adjustment • Usually to increase high frequencies • Usually a slider but sometimes some presets • Usually on better In-Line amplifiers and on Special phones for HoH Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

12. Better Speaker in the ear piece • Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC) • Special Phones Let You Plug in • Neck Loop • Silhouette • DAI • Head Phones • Hands Free Sets • HATIS, Nokia, etc • Home-Made hand-free set to patch to ALD (cut ear bud off hands free set; solder on female miniplug) • Speaker Phone Better User Interface Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

13. If You’ve got 216-217 MHz ALD • Using Handimic, Smartlink, Lexis, or other 216-217 MHz Booted/Integrated FM? • Check out the Phonak Telcom • Plugs into your home phone wall outlet • Plugs into your TV • Automatically switches between them as needed • Hear ANY wired or remote phone in the house • Clean signal without interference • Expensive, but You’ll Never need another Special Phone Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

14. More on the User Interface • HAC is a Phone Feature • Requires a Telecoil (T-Coil) in hearing aid • Varies widely in strength and effectiveness • Pumps signal directly into your hearing aid (magnetically) • Allows you to turn off microphone (sometimes optional) • Plug or adaptor (for other interface) • Allows you to use neckloop, DAI or silhouette • Avoids background noise • Allows signal to go to both ears Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

15. Other Technical Features of Interest • Adjustable Ringer (volume and frequency) • Flashing light to show ring • Auto reset to normal • CallerID (requires a fee service) • Tone Display • Memory and Autodial • Large numbers • Multi-Frequency (remote phones) • 900 Mhz (remote phones) Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

16. Special Phone Stuff Just for HoH • Special Phones for HoH People • AmeriPhone • Williams • Vtech • Motorola • AT&T • Add on Amplifiers • AmeriPhone • Hello Direct Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

17. Cellular Phones • Some Cell Phones Interfere with • Hearing Aid Itself or the Telecoil • Depends on Hearing Aid, too • Try before you buy • CDMA (Verizon or Sprint) usually least interference • GSM (usually the most interference) • May not be compatible with ASCII or Baudot Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

18. CapTel is a Captioned Telephone • Works Similar to Relay but • Supports Voice Carry-Over • Automatically Connects to CapTel Operators • Uses Speech Recognition to Help Operator • With 2 Lines, Now Auto Connects Outbound Calls • Now supports CallerID • Limited Availability • Some States • Federal workers, retirees, veterans, native tribes • See www.ultratec.com CapTel Phones Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

19. Home Phone alternative • Voice Over Internet Protocol • Must Have High-Speed Internet • Connects Through Modem, not Phone System • Unlimited Calls for Fixed Monthly Fee • May Not Support 911 • Doesn’t Work if Power is Out VOIP Phones Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

20. When Hearing is Not Enough • CapTel • TTY (TTY <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>TTY) • Relay (TTY <><><><><><>Relay<><><><><><><>Phone) • VCO (TTY or VCO Phone <><>Relay<><><><><>Phone) • 2-Line VCO (Phone <><><><><><><>Phone) (VCO or TTY on 2nd Line <><><><>Relay) • Computer Instant Messaging or Chat • Two Way Pagers • Video Phone Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

21. Phone Communication Strategies • Know Who's Calling (CallerID or ask) • Make Sure You Know the Subject • Don't Hide Your Hearing Loss or Bluff • Put the Other Person At Ease • Ask for Repeats as needed • Ask for Rephrase if Repeats Don't Help • Ask for "Spell Out" (Charlie, Alpha Tango) • Ask for "Count Up" for Numbers • Confirm and ask for "Yes/No" Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

22. Phone Communication Strategies (continued) • Ask for Partial Confirmations • Use the "As In" Strategy • Ask the Other Person to Speak Slowly • Ask if the Other Person has a Better Phone • Ask for Another Person • Avoid Voice Response Units • Use Your Answering Machine or Service Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

23. Finding Things • Catalogs • Harris Communications • Hello Direct • Hear More • Potomac • SoundClarity • Yellow Pages • Radio Shack • Private Businesses • Internet (search Google) • SHHH Convention Vendor Area • Equipment Distribution Program Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC

24. Conclusion • The Phone is too Important to Ignore • Lots of Ways We Can Continue to Use the Phone • You Don't Need to Let a Little Thing Like Hearing Loss Get in Your Way! Developed by Steve Barber, SHHH Wake Chapter, Raleigh, NC