The Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988

When they first came out, there was so difficulty using a hearing aid while operating a telephone. It can be tough to miss out on one of the most basic forms of communication. How many times does a person use a phone to talk to a relative or schedule and appointment? Legislation was introduced in 1988 to ensure that there would be no barrier between the aids and the telephone.

The Basics

The Hearing Aid Compatibility of 1988 ensures that all telephones that are considered to be "essential," are compatible with equipment that helps a person hear. The Federal Communications Commission was given the task of regulating the telephones manufacturers. They must ensure that the telephones have the property technology to make their use accessible to everyone, including those that struggle to hear.

Compatibility

There are two modes that a hearing aid can operate in. One is acoustic coupling. All sounds are amplified including the ones that a person does and does not want to hear. This can make it difficult to have a conversation with someone and clearly understand what he or she is saying. This makes acoustic coupling a little more difficult for use with the telephone.

The other mode, telecoil coupling, gets rid of the ambient noise. Instead of taking in the sounds, the hearing aid picks up the signal from the telephone in a different way, thorough the magnetic fields. There is no other noise except that voice on the telephone that is compatible.

What Makes the Phone Compatible?

Phones that comply with the act must meet two specifications. First, the telephone must produce the magnetic field that is picked up be the telecoils. It needs to be a strong signal with a certain level of quality. Telephones must also give the person on the phone a range of volume. This means that the sounds he or she hears is loud enough to clearly understand. (Some phones make it possible to adjust the volume to make it easier for someone with or without a hearing aid to hear clearly.)

Today telephones must be compatible with listening devices that assist someone that cannot hear clearly. The boxes must be clearly labeled and all public phones must include this type of technology. If someone comes across a phone that is not compatible, a person can file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. The request is investigated to see if there is a valid issue.

Talking on the phone has become an everyday occurrence for many people. They talk on the phone at home, at work and sometimes, even on the go when using their cell phones. It can be frustrating to have a disability that makes it difficult to do something so basic.