Cell Phones and Hearing Aids - Part 1
Editor: This is the last of the NVRC-prepared stories from the SHHH
convention. I guess now I'll have to start doing the hard work myself
<G>. As always, thanks to Cheryl Heppner for her hard work in
recording and writing up all this great information. It's wonderful for
those of us who were unable to attend the convention to have the
opportunity to get all this current information.
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Using Hearing Aids with Cellular Phones: The Latest Developments -
Ron Barnes, Jr., Director for External and Industry Relations for the
Cellular Telephone Industry Association, and Brenda Battat, Deputy
Director of SHHH teamed up to share information at this workshop. The
workshop gave a broad overview of wireless phones and also some specific
information and advice. Here are some notes:
RON BARNES
- Wireless telephones are different from those using wire lines. With
a wireless telephone you select both the phone (such as Motorola or
Nokia) and then the carrier (such as AT&T or BellSouth).
- 95% of all new phones sold today are digital
- Some telephones are dual-mode and will operate in both analog and
digital formats, and some are dual-band.
- The frequencies used for wireless phones in the U.S. are different
from those used in Europe.
- An analog telephone is like a phonograph you crank to hear music;
the more times you play it, the worse it gets.
- A digital telephone is like a compact disk (CD) and uses a bunch of
1's and 0's; it has a lot more features to offer.
- Analog transmits by waves; digital transmits through a series of
pulses.
- Cellular systems divide a geographic area into cells; the trick is
to allow people to use them without knocking each other off.
- 60% of all telephones in use today are analog, but this figure is
going down.
- There are now 90 million wireless phones in the U.S.
- Hard of hearing people fear that digital telephones are leaving
them behind.
BRENDA BATTAT
- Consumers were told that digital was going to be the wave of the
future.
- Those who are hard of hearing expressed several preferences for
using wireless telephones: having access built in at the design stage
instead of forcing them to add another piece of equipment; having the
same choice of products as others have; having a choice of prices and
product features; and having the phones free of interference.
- Years ago, 12 SHHH members in the D.C. metro area went to the
Cellular Telephone Industry Association to test telephones and offered
their recommendations.
- 60% of the members used telecoils and wanted to use the telecoils
with wireless phones just as they do with wire line phones.
- The group came up with five key access features they wanted:
sufficient volume control; built-in telecoil inductive coupling;
effective acoustic coupling; plug-in capability for attachments; and
remote vibratory alert (especially requested by women).
- Legislation related to wireless and wireline phones includes:
The Hearing Aid Compatibility Act (1988) required all phones in the
US to have hearing aid compatibility after 1989; this Act exempted
wireless phones.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996, Section 255, covers all
telecommunication products and services.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, amended in 1998 with Section 508,
which covers procurement for the federal government.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
RON BARNES
- Wireless phones have been around for 13-14 years; approximately
170-190 million people in the U.S. have the potential to become wireless
telephone users
- The Cellular Telephone Industry Association has worked with
consumer groups such as SHHH on the Section 255 regulations.
- The goal of Section 255 is increased and open access to
telecommunications.
- Access is not just a way to add on features for people with
disabilities, but to incorporate them.
- Section 255 applies not just to products, but also to manufacturers
and service providers such as speed dialing, call waiting and voice
mail; this group didn't fully grasp its responsibilities at first.
- Section 255 requires the involvement of all departments or areas of
a company.
Here's Part Two
Here's Part Three
