Many telephones in the amplified telephone market claim to be hearing aid compatible but what does this really mean? In order to answer this we need to understand what amplified telephones are designed to do and how they can be of service to those who struggle to hear people on the phone.
An amplified phone, be it a desk phone or a cordless version, has two main properties that differentiates it from the standard equivalents. Firstly, it is able to provide significantly more volume to the incoming caller’s voice and secondly can often be described as hearing aid compatible. These two features are, in fact, distinct from each other. Hearing aid compatible phones are not simply ‘hearing aid friendly’ in the sense that they are easier to use with hearing aids than ordinary phones, although this is often the presumption as to the meaning of their ‘compatibility’. It actually refers to something quite different and much more beneficial. The term is referring to the communication capabilities between the phone and the hearing aid. Hearing aid compatible phones have an induction loop in the handset that connects to a hearing aid when it is in its ‘T’ setting or telecoil programme. Once connected in this way, which is achieved simply through proximity, the output from the phone is transmitted directly to the hearing aid and then amplified by the settings within the hearing aid. This therefore means the phone is not providing the volume/amplification but rather the hearing aid at whatever level has been programmed for the individual and their hearing loss levels.
In addition, the phone also has the ability to provide a much greater than normal volume level straight from the handset and as such, many people choose to use these phones without their hearing aids. The fact that these types of phones offer both of these two separate benefits with the same goal in mind (that of helping people hear better on the phone) makes them particularly good value for money and also distinguishes them from some ‘big button’ phones that purport to help with this issue.
