Equipment Cost
One of the real issues facing people with hearing loss
is the expense of acquiring and maintaining equipment that helps them
minimize the impact of their hearing loss. For many people, the most
expensive equipment is their hearing
aids.
If you're a small business and would like to improve
accessibility for either customers or employees, the Disabled
Access Credit provides tax credits for your expenditures.
February
2001 - Does your area have a hearing loss equipment
rental program? If not, maybe you should think about starting one!
August
2005 - North Carolina has just announced a program that
uses excess relay money to provide hearing aids, ALDS, and alerting
devices to state residents!
November 2006 - 'Let
Them Hear' Suspends Program for Cochlear and Med-El Implants
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 2001
I recently read an article from the Akron, Ohio Beacon Journal that
reported on a woman who started a program to rent equipment for people
with hearing loss. What got her started on this program was an
electrical storm that damaged her door and telephone flasher. Her three
weeks without them were extremely difficult for her.
So she decided to start a program to rent equipment in such
situations. It turns out that it's also a great way for people to have
the opportunity to "test drive" various equipment before
buying something.
The program, called Hearing Helpers Resource and Rentals has a total
of 35 devices, including smoke alarms, TTYs, various flashers, and
weather alert radios. They rent the devices for $20, of which $10 is
refunded when the equipment is returned.
The program also helps people buy equipment at wholesale prices.
BTW, if your area doesn't have such a program and you're looking for
something to do, this sounds like a really valuable service that
wouldn't be terribly difficult to set up or manage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
August 2005
Every state is required by law to provide a
telecommunications relay service; that's the service that allows TTY
users or Video Phone users to communicate with people who use a standard
voice phone. In addition most states provide a telecommunications
distribution program, which provides TTYs or amplified telephones to
people with hearing loss at reduced cost or no cost.
North Carolina has now taken the creative step of
using some of the excess relay service funding to provide hearing aids,
assistive listening devices, and alerting devices to state residents
with hearing loss! How great would it be if this program became a model
for every state in the country?
Here's
the article.
