Hearing Impairment Assistive Technology Devices Lowtech Devices Paper

Hearing Impairment Assistive Technology Devices

Low-tech Devices • Paper and pencil is an acceptable way to communicate with many people who have a hearing loss. • Whiteboards allow quick and informal communication. • Instant messaging or email pop-up • Wireless Pagers, like the Blackberry, transmit text rather than voice. Individuals with hearing loss can use these to send e-mail and to call people • Captioning is a synchronized text display of spoken words

• Hearing aid - include a telecoil (t-coil) or telephone switch that allows the user to access the electromagnetic energy in telephones as well as many publicly available assistive listening devices

High-tech Devices • Assistive alerting devices – help reduce the effect of an acoustically unfriendly room. They catch a desired sound as cleanly as possible an amplify it for students who are hard of hearing • FM system – the teacher wears a wireless lavalier microphone clipped and a small transmitter. The student wears a small receiver and some kind of coupling device. When the teacher speaks, an auditory signal is broadcast to the FM receiver worn by the student. • Infrared system – they use infrared light waves for transmission. • Induction loop system – use electromagnetic waves for transmission and work directly with hearing aids • Soundfield amplification system – broadcasts the teacher’s voice through loudspeakers that are mounted on the walls or ceiling.

Example of FM System