ip phone handset for deaf user

[msolak]

Hi all,

i am searching for an ipphone handset which is developed for deaf user with hearing aid.

any suggestions?

regards

mehmet

[jolo07310]

Mehmet,

I am not sure Cisco 7985G Phone will help. It comes with Video, so it might help deal user??

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/phones/ps379/products_data_sheet0900aecd8030e546.html

Ken

[msolak]

ken,

thanks for your reply. but this is not the solution for me, because all users (pstn etc.) must have video phones:))

regards

mehmet

[Rob Huffman]

Hi Mehmet,

We have a number of "hearing impaired" users here, and have used the Walker amplifier quite successfully. With this amplifier connected you don't need a separate handset just use the standard Cisco handset that was shipped with the phone. This is also a very cost effective solution. Have a look;

http://www.handset.com/w10.htm

Hope this helps!

Rob

[msolak]

rob,

thanks a lot. our hearing impaired user said he has a better voice after tried an other hearing aid.

i think the cisco handsets are inductive coupled that they must support hearing aids.

this is normally regulated by law. what do you think?

regards

mehmet

[Rob Huffman]

Hi Mehmet,

Cisco has certainly made every effort to make their IP Phones accessable to users of all types (as legislated in the US by the FCC),including Hearing Impaired users. Have a look ;

The handset is Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC) and meets FCC loudness requirements for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Section 508 loudness requirements can be achieved using industry standard inline handset amplifiers such as Walker Equipment W-10 or CE-100 amplifiers.

The hearing-aid-compatible handset (meets American Disabilities Act [ADA] requirements) and HAC compliance for magnetic coupling to approved HAC hearing aids.

Cisco IP phones comply with FCC Part 68 (CFR 47) (hearing aid compatibility [HAC]) to support hearing aids that contain tele-coils. The tele-coil, also known as a t-coil, provides a direct, magnetic coupling between the phone handset and the hearing aid electronics, which is a means to conduct a high-quality sounding representation of the signal into the customer's ear. However, there is no similar requirement for all hearing aid manufacturers to comply to the same FCC specifications that Cisco IP phones are required to meet. Therefore, it is possible that Cisco IP Phone handsets do not interoperate well with some top-quality hearing aids, even if those hearing aids contain tele-coils.

Cisco IP phones provide a positive experience for many hearing impaired users. However, because of the wide variation in hearing aids, ear molds, ear shapes, and types of hearing loss, there is no guarantee that any specific phone make or model will provide perfect sound quality for all users. Also, two users equipped with identical hearing aids may have different interpretations of the sound quality produced by any electronic audio device.

Cisco recommends that customers who use hearing aids test the compatibility of the Cisco handset with their hearing aid in their office environment.

From this 7940 doc;

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/phones/ps379/products_data_sheet09186a008008884a.html

Hearing Aid Compatibility for Cisco Wired IP Phones

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/phones/ps379/prod_bulletin0900aecd8025f09b.html

Hope this helps!

Rob

[jeff_sweeney]

Satisfying the FCC is not the same as satisfying Cisco customers. My recent experience leads me to believe the Cisco handsets will inductively couple to hearing aids that are in telecoil mode. The problem is there is not sufficient magnetic field strengh in the handset to automatically switch hearing aids to telecoil mode. If a hearing aid has a manual telecoil switch then that will work. However, many only have automatic switches because manual switches are bulky, fragile and prone to failure.

Cisco could have compensated for the lack of magnetic field strengh during design by including a small permanent magnet in the earpiece of the handset. It probably would have cost less than a cent for each. Clearly, it is too late for that. Now, Cisco can either continue to claim compliance and frustrate customers, or admit the short-comings of these handsets and provide a fix. From both a business and ethical standpoint, the latter strategy should be prefered.

We are waiting for Cisco to do the right thing.