Assistive Technology for Hearing Impairments

Communication is basic to human life and the ability to hear is an essential part of communication. In the past there was little help for the deaf or hearing impaired. Today the picture is very different. Assistive technology has grown rapidly. Not only listening aids but also visual devices to alert the user have been developed.

Hearing Aids

• Modern hearing aids make use of two technologies. Analog aids have more control over sound amplification than the traditional hearing aid but they amplify speech and background noise equally. Programmable analog aids store programs for different settings: quiet, noisy or very loud. Digital aids can be programmed more exactly to the user's needs and provide better feedback and noise reduction.

Personal FM (Frequency Modulation) System

• The speaker wears a microphone and the user has a receiver. This is useful in many situations: meetings and conferences, classroom lectures, restaurants and in large areas such as theatres and museums.

Infrared Systems

• This too is a personal listening device where the sound is transmitted using infrared waves.

Telephone Amplification and Captioning

• Telephone amplifiers have long been available. There is also a small portable amplifier, which the user carries with her. It attaches to the handset of most phones. Special phones come equipped with a small screen to display real time text. In the latest advance, the user does not have to go through a relay system to get the captions but can dial the number directly.

Visual Alerting Devices

• Visual devices, such as flashing or strobe lights, link to fire alarms, doorbells and baby monitors. They provide visual signals to the user. Alarm clocks and pagers with a vibrating function also help.

Speech-to-Text

• Closed captions and open captions are examples of speech-to-text. Movies and TV shows are incorporating closed captions in ever-increasing numbers.