Hearing impairment can make it difficult for an older person to use a phone. Despite phones having loud ring tones and large buttons to make dialing easier, the hearing impaired senior often looks at the telephone with fear and suspicion. It is awkward to ask people to keep repeating themselves and it is embarrassing to admit that you can’t hear what is being said.
Even a simple phone call is frustrating if you don’t hear well, and it is not unusual for older people to avoid using their telephones because they no longer feel comfortable with them. This is sad. Communication is so important. Just one phone call a week can make a house bound senior feel that they are still loved and valued. Communication is what lets people know that you are still interested in what they have to say and in learning about what is happening in their lives.
The good news is that life is getting better for people with hearing loss. New technologies like TTYs, captioned telephones, video phones and e-mails are opening up the world to the hearing impaired. There are over 30 million Americans who experience hearing loss to some degree and new telephones have been developed that provide word for word captions of what is being said on the phone. The hearer can read what is said on a large, bright display screen. The service is available for a traditional type phone, a computer screen or even mobile phones. Captions are available in both English and Spanish. When a customer places a call, it is automatically connected to Hamilton Relay Service where a Communication Assistant begins typing what the other person says. The subscriber than can read what is displayed directly on the screen. There is no reason for any one to miss out on what is being said on the telephone.
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