Tips For Buying The Best Phone For Hard Of Hearing
Telephones which are hearing aid compatible make it easier for those with hearing difficulties to communicate with their loved ones. Below are six tips that will help you select the perfect phone for hard-of-hearing individuals.
Look at the M Rating
For those with moderate or mild hearing loss, standard smartphones are often more than adequate due to a feature called acoustic coupling. It means that the phone can be used normally since the microphone in your loved one’s hearing aid will pick up the sounds automatically. However, the drawback is that it might also pick up the background noise.
To get around this, you’ll want to look for a feature called M rating when shopping for a hearing aid-compatible smartphone. This is a rating that ranges from one to four, with four being the most optimal compatibility. The higher rating also results in less distracting background noise. M3 has become the standard rating that is used on most iPhones.
Take Advantage of Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that almost every modern electronic device uses. You’ll want to make sure your hearing aid works with it as well because this will make it easier for your loved one to use wireless technology instead of having to depend on cables, which also boosts their mobility.
Telecoils are a Necessity for Those Suffering from Severe Hearing Decline
If your loved one is experiencing severe hearing decline, you’ll need to be very specific in the phone you buy. The signal must be crystal clear, and one way to guarantee this is through the usage of a telecoil. This is a device inside the hearing aid which will direct sounds into its processor without needing to use a microphone. It may enhance the noise-to-signal ratio while also eliminating unwanted feedback.
The telecoil can switch on automatically or in some cases, it will need to be manually activated. Those that aren’t familiar with this feature will want to contact either their audiologist or the hearing aid manufacturer, and it is highly recommended to test it with various phones to see which one works the best. A smartphone that has a T4 rating is the best option for those that have serious hearing issues.
Speech to Text
Some landline phones, which are referred to as captioned phones, allow easier communication because your loved one will be able to read text on the screen as they listen to audio. Captioned phones also use bigger screens which are indispensable for those who are visually impaired.
Incoming Call Notifications
Some HAC-based landline phones will vibrate or flash whenever someone calls, which means that those with hearing difficulties won’t have to depend solely on auditory signals, which is essential when they are listening to music, watching television or engaged in another task. Most mobile phones also use the same feature.
Volume Control
The majority of landline and mobile phones feature some form of volume control, which is a necessity for those that use hearing aids. It can also be helpful to use volume control with the ringer itself, which ensures calls are never missed.