Telephone Devices for the Deaf tty

TTY stands for teletype writer. It is also sometimes called a TDD, or Telecommunication Device for the Deaf or text telephone. TTY is the most widely accepted term however as TTYs are used by many people, not just those who are deaf. When it comes to TTY’s there are three options that can be used by individuals who are deaf:

Voice Carry Over or VCO phones are mainly used by late deafened adults who are accustomed to carrying out voice conversations. VCO phones allow the deaf user to speak responses while reading what the other person says on the built in screen located above the dialing pad. These phones are useful as they operate similar to regular phones and often have built in features like sound amplification to assist hard of hearing individuals. VCO phones rely on the national 7-1-1 relay service which I will discuss in a minute.

The second option for TTY communication is a text only option. These devices consist of a built-in keyboard, a text line display and can hook directly to a telephone line connection or have receivers for a telephone handset. The process for using these devices is simple. The sender types their message and the party on the receiving side reads the message on their device and responds by typing a message back; all transmission is carried out over standard telephone lines. For calls made to or from a regular phone, the 7-1-1 service is utilized.

The 7-1-1 relay service is provided by telephone companies and can be accessed for free from anywhere in the US. The relay service is used to make calls to or from a VCO or Text TTY by dialing 7-1-1 and telling the operator the number and type of call you wish to place. The 7-1-1 operator will then – depending on the type of call - either speak or read the Senders message to the receiving party and communicate the response back either verbally or with text. This process allows TTY and regular telephone users to communicate fairly efficiently no matter what type of TTY is being used.

Some TTY’s, like the Ameriphone pictured is a combination device with both VCO and TTY functionality along with features for other users like hearing carry over.

There are two ways to connect a TTY, either directly or acoustically

There are various add on accessories for TTY’s.

External displays are good for individuals with low vision or for those uncomfortable with the small text display on most TTY’s.

TTY SCREENER devices will filter out speech calls by sending a verbal message to the caller asking them to hang up and first dial the relay service

The Ultrasilent device was designed to mirror a voice processing system and can be used in conjunction with a business or organizations verbal voice processing and call management system.

Some TTY’s like the one pictured in the middle have built in printers. These are very common – especially on older models. Printers are good to have for devices that don’t have any text storing capability or for users with TBI’s or memory problems. Caution should be used when purchasing a TTY without a built-in printer. Some models like the Ameriphone Q90 pictured advertise the ability to add an external printer, yet the external printer is no longer manufactured and nearly impossible to locate.

Internet Relay and Video Relay Services work with computers through the internet. These services behave much like the traditional 7-1-1 relay used with standard TTY and telephones but give the users more mediums of communication beyond just text or voice communication.

Examples of internet relay services include (ip-relay.com, i711.com, AT&T, Hamilton, Sprint)

Video Relay Service is a fast-growing service used by deaf and hard of hearing consumers because it allows them to sign to a real-life interpreter over high-speed internet who then communicates between the caller and a third party. It also gives users the option of connecting directly with the person they’re calling through video.

Examples of video relay services include Sorenson, Sprint, AT&T, CAC, ZVRS, Hawk, Hands On, Snap!, Sprint, and URrelay)

With the wide-spread use of the internet and cell-phones, instant messaging and email have become the technologies of choice for many users with hearing impairments. For those without a cell-phone there are services that offer free text messaging over the internet like textem.net.

For those with a cell-phone, Push based service can be utilized to alert you when you receive a new email. The service alerts your cellphone when you receive a new email. You then have the option of checking your email and replying with your phone or computer.

Daily Living

There are numerous devices available to assist with daily living. I would encourage any of you who are interested in this section of Deaf AT to visit abledata.com, as the site has an eclectic listing of what is available. I will spend a few minutes going over some of the general categories of AT for individuals who are deaf.

There are numerous systems available to alert individuals when someone is at their front door. There are signalers for the doorbell, door breach alerts and the foot pressure sensor pictured on the slide.

There are severe weather alerting systems designed for the deaf. These systems will blink or vibrate after receiving the weather alert.

Telephone flashers are an important daily living item. They work with any phone, and will turn on and off quickly to alert an individual who is deaf or hard of hearing that the phone is ringing. This flashing system is also used for other alerting purposes.

Fire and carbon monoxide alerts are available in different forms. Usually the devices will have a standard unit to detect the smoke or monoxide and then there will be a secondary unit to receive the alert and signal the individual by flashing a light or vibrating a device that can be placed under a pillow for night time use.

Combination devices will incorporate several of these daily living devices into one combo unit like the Alertmaster pictured. These systems can also incorporate a wireless unit that is clipped to the waist which will flash a light or vibrate to alert you that something is occurring. Another good feature these units have is a microphone on the base unit that will detect any recurring or sustained noise and send out an alert, again through flashing lights, audio cues or vibration.

ADA compliance kits are available from some of the manufacturers of these devices that include an entire set of these items.

Something I came across in my research is a new device called a Vibering. I thought I would talk about it briefly as it is an interesting device, but also demonstrates how critical it is to be aware of new inventions and technologies that may help people with disabilities.

The “Vibering” was designed to help the deaf by housing a sound detection and identification system in a pair of rings and a wristwatch. The rings are to be worn on both hands and are the ears that not only listen for sounds emanating from behind, they also determine distance, position and vibrate according to source. The wristwatch aspect identifies the sound wave and presents this information to the wearer in an easy to read display. The watch is programmed to listen for certain key phrases from humans like “Excuse Me..”, your name being called and any number of car noises including the most important one, a car’s horn. The device means to give the deaf some extra sensory and protect them from being hit by a car.

Another interesting new device was designed in Japan and meant to be used as an alternative smoke alarm. When it detects smoke, the silent smoke alarm will spray canned wasabi extract into a room; initial tests have shown it to be effective enough to wake up 13 out of 14 test subjects within 2 minutes.


Aids to Assist with Driving
Computer Aids Software – Speech to Text

Speech to text capability can be handy in various situations and settings depending on the situation.

The software listed on this slide (Dragon products, Phillips free speech, macspeech, IBM’s vias voice and windows/mac speech recognition) are the mainstays of the speech to text market. The price of this software varies, but it is good to note that Windows and Mac both come with free speech to text software.

The speech to text software itself is designed to do two main functions; the first is to dictate text into say a word document or email. The second is for communicating with the computer and giving it commands. Most programs will do both functions, but some are geared more for one or the other and this should be taken into account before making a purchase.

Listed on this page are some of the computer hardware aids available to assist the deaf population. These devices use a combination of hardware and software to achieve certain communication functions.

The Icommunicator – is designed to fill several different roles. It will provide speech to text, speech to video sign language, speech to computer-generated voice, and text to computer-generated voice all in real time or close to real time.

Speak N Read – converts Speech to text for one-on-one communication.

The UbiDuo – is a text-to-text device where users communicate by typing and reading with up to four users wirelessly. These devices have been used successfully for communication in businesses between employees and customers who are deaf.

The Interpretype – is a laptop computer that enables communication between devices via text, video and speech. It will also connect to internet relay services including video remote interpreting.

The SignTel Interpreter – enables automated speech or text conversion to Sign Language

Wireless listening systems

Induction Loop
Advantages - No special equipment is needed by people using telecoil equipped hearing aids. These systems are relatively inexpensive and easily installed in the desired location.

Disadvantages - Individuals must sit within the loop to receive the signal and must have either a telecoil equipped hearing aid or a loop receiver. The sound quality is uneven and there may be "dead spots" within the loop. There is a chance or interference from lighting fixtures that would reduce clarity. Systems for large areas are complicated to install and require high-powered amplifiers.

Disadvantages - Since the transmission signal is a light beam, other light sources may cause signal interference (sun light, fluorescent lights, etc.) Receiver must be in the line of sight of the transmitter to receive the information (just like your remote for your TV).

Disadvantages - The initial equipment costs are higher than some of the other systems. Also, access to the system is limited to the number of receivers available. The signal will travel through walls and obstacles, which may be an advantage in some situations and a disadvantage in others.

Captions display spoken words as printed words on a television screen.

Open captions are added to the video and may be viewed on all television sets, without a decoder.

Closed captions require specialized circuitry within the television or in a set-top decoder box to be seen. Closed captioning displays the dialogue, narration and sound effects of a video program as words on a television screen, similar to subtitles on a movie.

There are various ways to create your own captions including dotsub.com, youtube.com, IBM ViaScribe, CC JR, Magpie. Dotsub and youtube are web-based services that allow you to upload a video and caption it. Youtube has recently introduced an automatic captioning function that uses speech recognition to caption videos for you.

Real-time captioning couples the skills of a court stenographer with computer technology like rapidtext software to convert the stenographer’s code into regular text in real-time. These services can be supplied in person or remotely over the internet and are good for classroom or meeting settings.

ICART or THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR ACCESSIBLE RADIO TECHNOLOGY is an interesting captioning initiative that aims to make radio accessible by providing real-time radio captioning. It is still in an early stage but has been used successfully for events of national import like the 08 presidential elections.

Classroom setting

Audisee

Public places must provide TTYs when phones are available for the general public. At least one TTY should be installed in shopping malls, hospital waiting rooms, stadiums, convention centers, airports, or any building with more than four pay telephones.

Along with the amplification devices offered by movie theatres for hard of hearing individuals, some theatres provide Rear window captioning. An adjustable Lucite panel attaches to the viewer's seat and reflects the captions from a light-emitting diode panel at the back of the theatre.

Keep in mind that if you need accommodations you must let businesses and service providers know what you need. Be your own best advocate and get the assistive technology you need!

Other examples of O&M products include Braille maps, global positioning devices, Braille or talking compasses, as well as electronic navigation aids. A Braille map looks like a standard map but has raised areas to provide tactile feedback to someone without sight. These areas can have different textures to stand for different things (water can be a raised wave, walls would be solid lines, doorways would be dotted lines, etc.). Global positioning devices relay information to the user about where they are currently located and directional information of desired locations with great accuracy. These devices, which were very expensive, have come down considerably in price making them affordable for many people.

Braille compass. This device has a flip top that covers a disk with Braille letters representing north, south, east and west, and raised dots representing the points in between

Electronic navigation aids detect objects in front of the user at various distances ussing high frequency sound waves to detect objects. If there is an object in front of the person, the device will vibrate. As the person gets closer to the object, the device vibrates faster. There are similar devices that can be either hand held or placed around the neck to free up the person's hands. This device will also vibrate as you get close to an object or emit a sound 

Screen readers are software programs that enable the user to read selections by the word, by the line, by the paragraph or the whole page. There are many types of programs available and each has different features. The screen reader program will read all the information displayed on the screen. This includes text, menus, and dialog boxes.

Screen Readers like JAWS or Windows Eyes will read the text aloud to the user. This is good for blind users or those with very low vision. Depending on the program, access to all information accessed by a computer can be displayed.

Braille keyboards look similar to a standard keyboard but have raised Braille letters on the corresponding keys to enable a user to access it. Users can also purchase Braille letter stickers that can be placed on the keys of their existing keyboard.

Deaf/blind communicatorHas two separate portable components: a BrailleNote and a DB-Phone. These two components communicate wirelessly with each other using Bluetooth. The system provides three types of communication for deafblind users: face-to-face, TTY, and SMS Texting. The DB-Phone can be activated and handed to a sighted person for face-to-face communication. A message is both spoken and displayed on the DB-Phone stating, “Hi, I’m blind and I can’t hear. To communicate with me, type a message on this keyboard and press (the return arrow).” Whatever the sighted person types on the DB-Phone in text is sent to the DB-BrailleNote and displayed in Braille. The user can then type a response on the DB-BrailleNote and send it to the DB-Phone, and so the conversation continues. The user can also communicate with other deaf blind individuals. The BrailleNote has a land-line connector and built-in TTY software that allow the user to engage in a TTY conversation either directly or through a relay service. Text messaging is also possible

The Screen Braille Communicator enables the user to communicate with sighted people who may not know Braille by way of a Braille keyboard. One side of the communicator has a Braille keyboard and a refreshable Braille display, while the other side has an alphabetic keyboard and a visual display.

Krown Tactile Ring Signaler is a tactile ring signaler designed for use by individuals who are deaf, deaf blind or hard of hearing. The system includes a wireless telephone transmitter and vibrating personal pager. This wireless system permits the user to receive signals from up to 80 feet away. Features include visual, audio and vibration alert indicators, a transmitter that plugs directly into a phone jack.

Emits a tone or beeping as well as the possibility to include tactile markers to let individuals know when it is safe to walk.

Many devices and software programs designed to either take voice commands or produce their own text-to-speech function such as dragon naturally speaking and the lightwriter device. Also:

Voice-activated Thermastat
Talking Thermometer
Talking Crayons - Insert crayon into I-Crayon module and Dora the Explorer announces the color. Talking Prescriptions.
Talking Photo Albums
Everyday living strategies

Food
Pot Watcher Cooking Aid where a heat-resistant glass disc rattles against the pot when the water starts to boil, alerting the cook to avoid boil-over.
Talking microwaves,
Liquid level indicators that beep or vibrate with the cup is about full
To identify food for the blind, use magnetic letters, braille labels, varying numbers of rubber bands around cans or boxes, or use charms of different sizes to signify.

When shopping: call stores ahead and the store will usually provide an employee to walk with you or you can always bring a friend along to help

For someone who just lost their vision, set up plates like a clock, use plate guards or when not available use chips or bisquits to scoop foodood on the plate, tray, or area, like a clock

Low-tech Magnification
Various magnifiers of all shapes and sizes available. Also magnifiers with different color contrasts for reading.

Binocular Glasses available for watching TV, sporting events, movies, or any other distance viewing activity in which a magnified image would be helpful.

Writing grids for paper, checks and other common writing functions available. Usually made of plastic and go on-top of the paper with fields to write in the appropriate place.

Beeper Basketball Standard size basketball includes beeper unit that attaches to bar between rim and backboard and bell with chain that hangs from backboard into middle of net

Plastic bag alternative

Hide and Seek Cats. When a hiding spot is found and the Hide&Seek Cat is activated, it will repeat "I'm over here!", every 30 seconds until found. Once found and picked up, it says "You found me!

Can buy pre-threaded needles

The Enhanced Note Teller 2 is a portable vibrating paper money identifier designed for use by individuals who are deaf-blind. It can identify U.S. paper currency from $1 to $100 in both the new and old bill formats, but instead of speech output the Enhanced Note Teller 2 uses vibration codes to indicate different denominations of currency.

Can also ask the person behind you in line if you received or are paying with the correct change
Consider online bill-pay and banking with screen-reader software rather than using bills and envelopes.
Develop a functional signature, some consistent form of initials and/or name.

Financial Assistance

Reasonable accommodations for an employee with a disability may include: 

Modifications or adjustments to a JOB APPLICATION PROCESS that enable a qualified applicant with a disability to be considered for the position such qualified applicant desires, or

Modifications to the WORK ENVIRONMENT, or to the manner or circumstances under which the position held or desired is customarily performed, that enable a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of that position, or