The caption phone is equipped with special software and the display screen. There was a momentary lag during part of a recent test call but it was minimal. The main difference is the 7-inch screen, which displays the written captions nearly simultaneously to the verbal conversation on the phone. One option, CaptionCall, works like a regular house phone. Tech brings captioning to phones and iPads The Captioned Telephone Service "allows a person with hearing loss but who can use his or her own voice and has some residual hearing, to speak directly to the called party and then listen, to the extent possible, to the other party and simultaneously read captions of what the other party is saying," the FCC reported. Nearly 27 million Americans age 50 and older have hearing loss, Johns Hopkins stated.Ĭaptioning phones allow the users to both hear and see conversations. In a study, tracking 639 adults for nearly 12 years, Johns Hopkins noted mild hearing loss doubled dementia risk as hearing loss may contribute to a faster rate of atrophy of the brain. Johns Hopkins Medicine noted not hearing well isn't just frustrating, it can bring surprising health risks. Hearing loss is directly associated with social isolation. It means the physical distance that may exist with siblings, family and friends is amplified. Not just a mobile phone in many cases, but a smartphone a former Nokia executive noted is so capable it would have been the most powerful computer in the world in 1985.īut for those with hearing loss, this powerful communication tool may become just another frustration and cause even greater isolation at a time when people seem to be linked in so many ways.Ĭaption phones and the Captioned Telephone Service can bridge the divide.įor older Americans, hearing loss and a limited ability to understand voices-particularly over the telephone-may limit communication. In a single lifetime, telephones in America have gone from a single house phone with a party line and an operator to place calls to a mobile phone in nearly every pocket. Caption phones provide a way to stay connected even if hearing is no longer what it once was.Īlexander Graham Bell's invention in 1876 has transformed the world in ways he couldn't have considered possible. Who wants to keep asking their caller to repeat what they just said, or to hesitate in responding for fear of having misunderstood the conversation.Īny watcher of "Seinfeld" knows a puffy shirt may be the consequence of simply nodding when not understanding a low-talker. For the hard of hearing, phone conversations can be particularly challenging but technology is offering a solution.įrustration with difficulty hearing on the phone can be isolating and limit the ability to converse with loved ones.
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