Manufacturers of hearing impaired phones and devices are utilizing rapidly advancing technology to create ways for the hearing impaired to communicate without barriers. Pricing and costs of hearing impaired phones and devices range from $15 to just under $420 giving a broad range of options to a buyer with limited finances.

The selection of hearing impaired phones is also growing to include text telephones, cell phones, amplified phones and the list goes on. The hearing impaired are able to choose phones that meet both their business and personal needs. If you're in the market for hearing phones, consider the following information:

1. Add hearing impaired cordless phones to your office for less than $300.

2. Find hearing impaired telephones that fit within your budget.

3. Look at hearing impaired cell phones at prices that range from $99 to $419.

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Make amplified phones accessible in your office for under $300

Amplified cordless phones make it possible to increase sound but still maintain a clear quality over the telephone for less than $300.

I recommend: United TTY Sales and Service (UTSS) provides the Ameriphone CLS45i 40dB Cordless Amplified Phone with Dual Speakerphone for less than $290. This product makes it easier for the hearing-impaired to communicate with the use of Clarity Power technology. Harris Communications offers a variety of amplified cordless phones that range from $90 to $270. Select from telephones for hearing impaired that include Digital Clarity Power technology, Caller ID and other features.

Select an affordable phone for hearing impaired

Telephones for the hearing impaired are fluid and constantly evolving to meet special needs regardless of if a person is mobile or always on the go. These devices range in price from as low as $45 to over $400 making it easy to find hearing impaired phones that fit within your budget.

I recommend: Potomac Technology offers a variety of text phones for the hearing impaired that include Uniphone 1140 that rolls a telephone, Text Telephone Device (TTY) and amplified phone into one device. The base price for the Uniphone 1140 is around $280. Weitbrecht Communications provides specialty hearing phones to meet the specific needs of the hearing impaired. Choose from remote controlled speakerphones, photo phones and other products at prices that range from $45 to $400.

Buy cell phones for hearing impaired that are less than $419

Wireless phones for the hard of hearing offer a variety of features that include a camera, voice dialing, video messaging, text messaging, picture messaging, QWERTY keyboard, media phone, speakerphone and more for under $419.

I recommend: Verizon offers the wireless SMT5800 and XV6800 for the hearing-impaired. Each phone comes with a camera, QWERTY keyboard, national access and other features at prices that range from $99 to $419. Get a discount when you order online. Fuse Communications sells different versions of the Sidekick and Blackberry to keep you connected through email, instant messaging and text messaging; some resources even include a camera. These products costs between $300 and $400.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider attaching headsets to hearing impaired phones that allow for a hearing aid connection while providing hands-free dialogue. Pay as little as $15 or as much as $300 for a headset depending on your business needs.

Hearing impaired phones come in a variety of user options — corded, cordless and cellular — and can accommodate a range of degrees of hearing loss. Phones for the hard of hearing can even be modified with in-line amplifiers added to a regular phone.

Consider the following when buying phones for hearing impaired people:

1. Determine the degree of hearing loss you need to accommodate.
2. Decide if you want a corded or cordless phone.
3. Consider shopping for accessories for existing phones for the hearing impaired rather than replacing them with new phones.

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Know what level of hearing phones will need to accommodate

Phones for hearing impaired people are able to accommodate several levels of hearing loss, from mild to severe. Also note that people with severe hearing loss may have trouble hearing phones ring even when amplified and several options are available to help the hearing impaired in this area.

I recommend: Shop with a phone retailer such as Hear Me Clear that allows you to shop by degree of hearing loss. Simply choose mild, medium or severe hearing loss and then select the type of phone you'd like to buy. Look for alert systems that notify hearing impaired people of telephone calls.

Decide between corded and cordless hearing impaired phones

Telephones for the hearing impaired are available as amplified cordless phones, amplified corded phones or hearing aid compatible cellular phones. Most cordless and corded hearing impaired phones offer not only amplification, but also clarification to allow users to more easily distinguish low and high pitches and cut down on background noise.

I recommend: Shop with retailers such as EnableMart that offer both cordless amplified phones and corded amplified phones to compare features. Hearing aid compatible cell phones at Jitterbug typically come with other features such as large buttons, easy-to-read displays and 24-hour call assistance.

Check out accessories for phones for the hearing impaired

Phones for the hearing impaired often can be modified, rather than replaced by amplified phones. In-line telephone amplifiers can turn regular phones into hearing impaired telephones instantly. Just add an amplifier to existing phone lines between the phone base and the phone jack. Or, replace a regular telephone handset with an amplified handset to aid a hearing impaired person.

I recommend: Hear Me Clear offers several different options for in-line telephone amplifiers. Amplified handsets are available in multiple styles and models.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Talk to the potential user of hearing impaired phones before you buy to know what individual needs you might need to meet. Many people with hearing impairments prefer to use a hearing aid and hearing aid compatible phones rather than amplified phones, while many people prefer amplified and modified phones. Preferences about hearing impairment accommodations are highly personal, so respect hearing impaired people and offer as many options among telephones for hearing impaired people as you can.

Hearing impaired phones are innovative devices that make it possible for people who suffer from moderate to severe hearing loss to overcome communication barriers that might otherwise prevent them from speaking with someone at a remote location. The advent of technology opened a myriad of possibilities for the hearing impaired to stay connected through amplified phones, cell phones, voice carry over (VCO) phones and other instruments.

As these devices continue to evolve to assist those who are hard of hearing, making the most of hearing impaired phones becomes of prime importance as they can be useful tools in the business office and also critical resources in emergency situations. Consider how hearing phones can improve your business processes:

1. Remove communication barriers with the use of amplified phones for the hearing impaired.

2. Send pictures, video and text through hearing impaired cell phones.

3. Find hearing impaired phones that meet specific needs.

Action Steps
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Install amplified phones or other hearing phones in your office to improve quality of sound

Amplified phones for the hard of hearing create a clear sound as incoming sounds are amplified up to as many as 60 decibels on some devices, making a conversation taking place from a remote distance easier to understand. Moreover, a variety of hearing phones are available to meet special needs so look for a phone that can help improve the way your company sends and receives messages.

I recommend: United TTY Sales and Service (UTSS) offers a selection of phones for the hearing impaired. These resources include amplified cordless phones that make it possible to amplify incoming sounds and maintain a clear sound without loudness. Ultratec sells a line of amplified phones with features that include CrystalTone, written displays that show every word spoken by the caller and a Uniphone series that consists of an amplified phone, text telephone (TTY) and telephone as one device. Choose a style that meets your business needs.

Utilize cell phones for hearing impaired to communicate while on the go

Wireless phones for the hearing impaired make it possible to communicate from anywhere in the country. Get a cell phone for the hearing impaired to send and receive messages through text and video mediums.

I recommend: Choose a cell phone from the Sidekick family to stay connected through picture messaging, video messaging, email and instant messaging. T-Mobile's Sidekick LX includes access to the Web, e-mail, text messaging and more. Phone Merchants is an authorized dealer of hearing impaired telephones and devices. The company offers the Hitec Hands-Free Amplifier with Headset as an accessory for a cell phone.

Consider the purchase of specialty phones for the hard of hearing

A wide range of telephones for hearing impaired are available to meet the specific needs of users. From text to pictures, it's possible to find a telephone that allows the user to communicate in a medium that is both comfortable and convenient.

I recommend: Potomac Technology offers text telephones for the hearing impaired. Choose from a selection of portable TTYs, specialty TTYs for emergency services and the Uniphone 1140 to keep the lines of communication open from remote locations. Clarity is an industry leader in the supply of amplified telephones and other devices for the hearing impaired. Visit the website to find TTYs, VCOs, amplified corded and cordless phones, speakerphones and more.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Hearing impaired phones come with a variety of accessories that include telephone ring signalers, dialers and amplified headsets. Consider adding these resources to hearing phones to enhance the use of these devices.

Making auditory technology, such as telephones, work for the hearing impaired requires a number of accessories and technologies. These innovations work to do everything from amplifying the speech coming through the telephone to translating it to text or video, and anything
in- between. Knowing the key terms of these technologies will help to determine which type or types of hearing impaired phones and accessories are best suited for your needs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Amplified telephones

The most basic telephone adaptation for the hearing impaired, this technology can be as basic as amplifying the speaker's voice beyond the capabilities of a normal phone volume adjustment. More advanced models can also offer adjustable frequencies to meet the needs of specific types of hearing losses.

I recommend: Assistech Special Needs offers a guide to amplified phones to help find one that fits a person's degree and type of hearing loss and other telephone needs.

Wireless hearing interfaces

Using cellphones can be a headache for those with hearing aids, as the frequencies often conflict. This causes a range of inconveniences, from indecipherable conversations to painful whistling. Wireless hearing interfaces solve this problem by taking advantage of Bluetooth technology to relay the cellular call straight to a person's Bluetooth enabled hearing aids.

I recommend: Advanced Hearing Solutions elaborates on the problems the hearing impaired face with cellular phones and the benefits of wireless hearing interfaces.

Telecommunications Device for the Deaf/TeleTypewriter (TDD/TTY)

TDD/TTY devices take the sound aspect out of a telephone call completely. These devices, many of which look like a small typewriter, convey information over normal telephone lines by converting the conversation to text readable on a small display screen. A person using a TDD/TTY device can interact directly with another TDD/TTY phone or can take advantage of a relay service to communicate with a standard phone.

I recommend: Tech-FAQ explains the TTD/TTY system, as well as elaborating on protocols the devices must follow.

Voice Carry Over (VCO)

Voice Carry Over enables phones look similar to standard phones, with the addition of a text display similar to that of a TTD/TTY device. These phones allow a person who is hard of hearing, but with speech capabilities, to speak normally to those they are calling while reading their response on the text display.

I recommend: The University of Illinois at Chicago explains VCO technology and an example of how to take advantage of the service.

Video Relay Service (VRS)

This fairly new option uses a videophone and a high speed Internet connection to eliminate the need for text entirely and allow the hearing impaired person to speak more naturally using sign language. While the hearing impaired person and interpreter communicate via videophone, the interpreter relays the spoken information to and from a standard phone.

I recommend: Sorenson Communications gives more information on how this service works and how to take advantage of it.

Telephone ring signaler

These telephone accessories alert a hearing impaired person to incoming calls. The telephone ring signalers add a visual signal, such as a flashing light, to make it easier for someone who is hard of hearing or deaf to know when the telephone is ringing.

I recommend: Sonic Alert explains several types of both wired and wireless signalers as well as illustrating possible installation setups.