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10 Technologies for People with Hearing Loss

If you have hearing loss – or know someone who does – chances are you’re aware of hearing aids and cochlear implants. But there are many more ways to mitigate the effects of hearing loss. Beyond hearing aids and cochlear implants, here are 10 technological solutions that may benefit people with hearing loss.

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Explore the Technology-Enabled Home

Betty and Joe each have hearing loss in both ears. Thanks to some amazing technology available today, their home is equipped with devices that can keep them safe and connected. Explore each room in the home by clicking on the blue circled numbers (1) to learn more about the solutions keeping them engaged.

Solutions:

  1. Amplified Telephones
    Isometric landline phone in cradle

    Amplified Telephones

    Specialized phones that provide greater volumes for users than standard phones. These usually include visual indicators like a flashing light when ringing.

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  2. Captioned Telephones
    Isometric captioned phone on desk

    Captioned Telephones

    A captioned phone, like the Hamilton® CapTel® 2400i, provides captions of what’s said on a large screen so the user can engage in phone conversations. People with qualified hearing loss may be eligible to get a phone at no cost.*

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  3. Neck Loops and FM Receivers
    Close up of neck loop around woman's neck

    Neck Loops and FM Receivers

    Usually connected to a set of headphones or built into hearables and/or hearing aids. These allow users to hear anything picked up by a microphone or broadcast over a limited-range FM signal.

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  4. “Hearables”
    Close up of audio device inside a man's ear

    “Hearables”

    Hearables are part of a growing trend of technology that extends “wearable” tech to the ear. These devices can be used to amplify sounds for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

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  5. TV Headphones
    Close up of TV headphones resting on stand near TV

    TV Headphones

    A pair of headphones that picks up the TV audio signal, usually via Bluetooth® or infrared transmission.

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  6. Portable Phone Amplifiers
    Close up of isometric telephone with dialpad and portable phone amplifier

    Portable Phone Amplifiers

    These devices provide inline phone amplification and can be plugged into any standard telephone to increase the volume by up to 40 dBA.

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  7. Alarm Clocks
    Close up of isometric alarm clock on bedside stand

    Alarm Clocks

    There are different ways to set wakeup alarms that don’t require sound. Smartwatch and bed-shaking vibration alerts as well as light-based alarm clocks are other options.

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  8. Alarms & Alerts
    Close up of isometric smoke alarm on a wall

    Alarms & Alerts

    These lighted notifications detect “environmental” sounds such as a baby crying, a smoke alarm beeping or a door bell ringing.

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  9. Wearables
    Close up of isometric digital wristwatch on a person's arm

    Wearables

    A few companies make wearable tech like rings, bracelets, smart watches and connected glasses that use non-audio alerts (light flash, vibrations, etc.) to provide different notifications from your smartphone.

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  10. Wi-Fi Digital Doorbells
    Close up of isometric digital doorbell

    Wi-Fi Digital Doorbells

    Several brands in the marketplace manufacture “doorbells” that send alerts directly to a smartphone. A live video feed is provided so people can see the person on the other side of the door.

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Isometric house

FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS ANYONE BUT REGISTERED USERS WITH HEARING LOSS FROM USING INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) CAPTIONED TELEPHONES WITH THE CAPTIONS TURNED ON. Automatic speech recognition software generates captions of what the other party to the call says, and, in certain circumstances, a live communications assistant may be included on the call to make needed corrections and/or add call details. The captions are then sent to the phone. There is a cost for each minute of captions generated, paid from a federally administered fund. To learn more, visit fcc.gov. Third-party charges may apply: the Hamilton CapTel phone requires high-speed internet access (Wi-Fi capable) and in some cases, may require telephone service. When using Hamilton CapTel on a smartphone or tablet and not on Wi-Fi, a data plan is required. Hamilton CapTel may be used to make 911 calls but may not function the same as traditional 911 services. For more information about the benefits and limitations of Hamilton CapTel and Emergency 911 calling, visit HamiltonCapTel.com/911. Courtesy of Cisco Systems, Inc. Unauthorized use not permitted. “Noah” is a registered trademark of HIMSA II K/S in the USA. Outside the USA, “Noah” is a trademark of HIMSA II K/S. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc. Copyright ©2024 Hamilton Relay. Hamilton is a registered trademark of Nedelco, Inc. d/b/a/ Hamilton Telecommunications.