The Basics of Telephone Captioning

Many of us take telephone use for granted. We hear the phone ring, answer it and talk to the party on the other end. Simple. But not everyone is so fortunate. Old and young family members suffering from hearing loss or impairment have difficulty understanding what is said over the phone. Amplified captioned telephones offer a simple solution.
Much like the closed captioning on TV, these phones feature a high contrast screen that transcribes the conversation in near-real time so you “see” what is being said. An amplified handset, as high as a 50db boost, also aids in hearing the conversation as well.
The closed captioning service is free but requires an internet connection in the home and most of the phones cost less than $100. Both the CapTel 840i and the Clarity Ensemble feature built-in answering machines that also offer captioning for the message. The adjustable font caption text can be turned on or off as desired.
Although simple to use, some people are uncomfortable with the slight delay in conversation while they read the caption. This can be overcome by informing the caller that you are reading a text of the conversation to better understand what is being said.
Family members living alone may also need help hearing the phone ring. Lamp flashers that connect to the phone line will blink a lamp when the phone is ringing. The company, Silent Call, offers a wrist watch receiver that will vibrate when the phone or doorbell rings.
These and other amplified captioning telephones can ensure that you or your family will never misunderstand an important phone call in the future by providing a text of calls that can be saved directly to the phone for future review.
Mark Plagge is a Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist with 38 years in construction and universal design, and is a National Safety Council Safety Ambassador. Reach us at (609) 961-1435 or email at Homesafety1st@gmail.com