Below are a few of the assistive devices designed to make life easier for individuals with a hearing loss. Many more devices are available depending on what you need as an individual.

Alerting Devices/Systems

Assistive Listening Devices

Amplified Handsets

Computer Assisted Notetaking

Telecommunication Device for the Deaf

Hearing Aids

Pagers

A state law provided for the KCDHH Telecommunications Access Program, which offers amplified phones, TTYs, Voice Carry-Over Phones, CapTel phones, Speech aids and other equipment free of charge to assist deaf and hard of hearing citizens in Kentucky with communication on the telephone.

If you are interested in purchasing assistive technology many providers of such equipment are available. Policy does not allow for KCDHH to distribute vendor catalogs, so you may want to contact the vendors and ask them to mail you their current catalog. The inclusion or omission of a vendor name on this list does not constitute and endoresment by KCDHH of that vendor.


Alerting Devices/Systems
The various alerting and alarm systems include: doorbell alerting systems, telephone signaling systems, smoke alarms, security alarms, wake-up alarms, baby-cry alarms and paging devices. These devices use flashing lights or a small vibrating device instead of ringing bells and chimes.

Assistive Listening Devices
In a classroom or meeting room, a hard-of- hearing person, even with a powerful hearing aid, may have difficulty understanding the voice of the speaker. A number of electronic systems can help overcome this problem by bringing the speaker closer to the ears of the hard-of-hearing person, and by eliminating some of the background noise. Each system has a transmitter which sends the signals, and a receiver which picks up those signals and delivers them at increased sound levels into the ears of the hard-of-hearing persons wherever he or she may be sitting.

Amplified Handsets
Telephone handsets may be wired with an amplification device including a volume control. It may be used with or without a hearing aid. Some phones are compatible with a hearing aid telecoil switch (T-Switch). The telecoil picks up the signals from the telephone earpiece and transmits them to the amplifier.

Computer Assisted Notetaking
Computer Assisted Notetaking (CAN) is the process of projecting the typed words of the speaker on a computer monitor or on a screen through an overhead projector. The typist uses the computer keyboard to type the dialogue in a meeting, conference or other event.

Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD or TTY)
Permits conversation in text instead of voice. A caller may communicate over regular phone lines with another TTY user or through the relay service. A TTY has a typewriter keyboard and the typed conversation appears either in a readout displayed on a panel, or printed on paper, or both.

Hearing Aids
Hearing aids all consist of a tiny microphone, amplifier, speaker and a battery. However they vary in circuitry, design and price. Most hearing aids fall into one of three basic categories: behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, and in-the-canal. Financial assistance may be available in some areas for the cost of a hearing aid. Check with your local Lion's Club, SERTOMA Club, Kiwanis Club, Optimists Club or United Way Agency.

The Kentucky Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs also provides audiological and related services for children up to age 21. Eligibility requirements include a condition amenable to medical treatment, a financial need to pay for the care or the inability to get similar care through other sources.

KRS 304.17A-132 Coverage for hearing aids
This law requires health benefit plans to provide coverage for hearing aids and related services for persons under 18 years of age and requires all health benefit plans for state employees to provide coverage for hearing aids and related services for dependents under 18 years of age.

Pagers
A pager is a dedicated RF (radio frequency) device that allows the pager user to receive messages broadcast on a specific frequency over a special network of radio base stations. Many varieties of pagers are currently available and wireless services have become very popular for deaf and hard of hearing individuals to allow communication on the go.