Phone and Internet Aids for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
Diana Thompson
Equipment for Persons with Hearing Loss available from the Washington State Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH)
- ODHH has amplified phones, captioned phones, and other devices available for persons with hearing loss.
- https://www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/odhh/telecommunication-equipment-distribution
- The cost for equipment depends on your income.
- Prior to the coronavirus ordered equipment was brought to your home by a knowledgeable person with a hearing loss
Having trouble hearing on Zoom calls? Live Transcribing is now available.
Otter.ai is an artificial intelligence application available to Zoom account holders by subscription for $10/month. Transcripts are not perfect but helpful. You can download the full transcript after the call. For information visit https://otter.ai/zoom
Captioned Telephones, Captioning of Phone Calls, and Hearing Aids that Connect with Smart Phones
Captioned Telephones Captioned phones are designed for persons with hearing loss and have a built-in screen which displays text showing what the other person on the phone call is saying. Captioned phones are produced by number of companies and thus the design varies. For persons who need this type of phone, there is no charge for use. In addition, many companies will give you the phone for free, provided you can submit a statement from a hearing or medical professional certifying your need for a captioned phone.
For example: Sprint Captel https://sprintcaptel.com/resources/certify-for-your-free-captioned-phone ; Captioncall https://captioncall.com/phone
Here is a useful article on Captioned phones: https://www.hearingloss.org/hearing-help/technology/phones-mobile-devices/
Captioning on Smart Phones InnoCaption is a smart phone app which enables you to receive captioning on smart phones. A desktop view is also available for use with video conference calls. For persons who need captioning, there is no charge. https://innocaption.com/
Hearing Aids that work with Smart Phones An increasing number of hearing aids are manufactured that will work directly with some smart phones. However, when purchasing hearing aids or a cell phone, it is important to remember that a hearing aid that works with some cell phones may not work with all cell phones. Read more here:
https://www.truhearing.com/getstarted/using-your-hearing-aids-with-a-smartphone/
Here is a useful article on Captioned phones: https://www.hearingloss.org/hearing-help/technology/phones-mobile-devices/
Resources and Information
Harris communications: https://www.harriscomm.com/ This is a good place for the hard of hearing to find useful equipment. In addition to Internet presence, they have a showroom. No problem in returning things. If you belong to the Hearing Loss Association of America you can get a discount.
Information on Hearing Loss:
Hearing Loss Association of America: https://www.hearingloss.org/;
Hearing Loss Association of America Washington State branch: https://hearingloss-wa.org/