what does everyone else do?

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dhocknell

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hi there:wave:,

i'm english and partially hearing and wondered how the rest of you cope with telephone technology

whenever i have to deal with a company i usually end up in tears - i have various options...

i can ring them - not be able to hear - and end up in tears of frustration - usually with the other party hanging up on me
i can contact them by minicom but i dont have one and i don't know anyone else who has one
i can email them and then get "an answer" within so many working days usually telling me to ring them...

last night i rang NHS direct with because my arm was playing up - they rang me back, i dint hear the call, so they sent an ambulance round, i dint hear the ambulance, so they sent the police round - i woke up with a police offer at my bedside - they had broken into the house...:jaw:

oh and while i'm gripeing i contacted an old friend via friends reunited
he knows i'm deaf - but he asked me to ring him
because using a phone upsets me so much i told him i don't even own a phone
he asked me to make an exception for him :)hmm: - does anyone know how not be be deaf because an old friend wants to talk to you????)
he then asked me to ring from my mobile :)hmm:what mobile??)
then he asked me to send my mobile number so he could text me :)hmm:what flippin mobile?)... etc... etc....:run:

but it's the same with every thing - people some how seem to think they can force you into being hearing
so many people start their questions with "well, how..."
why do people feel they have the right to interogate you and ask questions they wouldn't ask a hearing person?
for example "haven't you got any friends?" how personal and patronising is that? (for the record - yes i have - but if i asked them to be my ears for every lil thing - they'd have to move in with me)
people seem to think that i'm not deaf - just annoying...

i guess the answer is to get a minicom - it seems such an antiquated solution to a world so awash with brilliant technology - and i cant afford one - no-one i know has one - and why cant they converse with online help? - like an msn program

i don't want a phone - mobile or land line

perhaps you can suggest something for me to read on this - i can't be the first to have such problems - whether its a forum or a book - i'm just so frustrated
 
I don't have enough information to really give you the best advice (such as how do you communication - voice only? How much hearing loss do you have? etc.) So based on the information that I've read, this is what I would recommend:

VCO Phone with Port by Clarity

Look at the VCO Phone with Port by Clarity AMER-VCOP $189.95

"A read and talk telephone, now with port for LVD or printer! For people with severe hearing loss or who are deaf, the VCO allows you to speak to the other party and read their incoming message on the VCO phone's screen. (VCO calls must be placed through toll-free relay service.)

Adjustable 85dB extra loud ringer
Bright ring flasher
Six programmable memory dial buttons
Lighted, 2-line LCD screen display for text
Powerful amplifier increases incoming voice by 30 dB
Booster button with automatic tone for extra amplification of incoming calls
Built-in TTY answering machine (use with regular answering machine* for voice messages).
Hold and last number redial buttons"

You also may want to consider purchasing the
AlertMaster AM100 Notification System by Clarity with Receiver, which will flash a light when someone calls you.


* There are resources out there that can help you pay for the equipment. I'm not sure what state you are in, but there should be some kind of center or program for deaf and hard of hearing people.
 
If you can't hear I don't understand why you don't want a mobile? I don't know anyone who can't text me. It is very easy to communicate this way. If dealing with a local company and email is too long to wait, go in person.
 
hi

deafbajagal - thanks for that information - i will have to check it out - i'm in england - i have a severe hearing loss but talk "normally", I will have to contact my local deaf society (have already give in and asked if i can get a free/cheap minicom)

bottesini - the reason i dont have a mobile is simply because i cant afford one - i had one but it broke - it caused more trouble than it was worth - and even if i was given one free i'd turn it down - if people have your number they ring you - even the ones that know you're deaf... maybe my friends think i'm pretending to be deaf...
 
Well, good luck with finding something that works for you. I almost got that phone because I also can talk well enough into the phone for other people to hear me - but I cannot hear them so I needed it to print out in text what they were saying. VCO telephones method works well for people who cannot hear but use speech as a way to communicate. There are other kinds out there (so the one I had posted is not the only one).

A lot of people cannot believe that I'm totally deaf (since birth)...they swear I can hear because of my speech. That might be why there's confusion with your friends - they may think you hear well because you can talk rather than using sign language.
 
i've send them an email asking if it can be used in the UK as it seems to work via an american service - i'll let you know how i get on - thanks
 
Hi, I am from England, U can get yourself enlisted with the social services and register yourself deaf with them, they will provide you with your needs (i have minicom and vibrating/strobe fire alarm free on loan from them) There's Access to work aswell who wil provide equipment for your work place and interrupting services.

Texting is our lifeline.

Friends thinks you are pretending to be deaf..... needs educating! or they are not worth it.
 
overthepond said:
Hi, I am from England, U can get yourself enlisted with the social services and register yourself deaf with them, they will provide you with your needs (i have minicom and vibrating/strobe fire alarm free on loan from them) There's Access to work aswell who wil provide equipment for your work place and interrupting services.

Texting is our lifeline.
Click to expand...

Agree strongly with the last statement.
 
I am also in the UK, services are free mostly here, take yourself off up to social services they are good. what about your local deaf club you will get support there and make deaf friends as well. You said you are hOH do you not have hearing aids? again free in the UK.
I agree I would be lost without texting. I have a spare phone you can have if you top it up with £10 and only use it to text it will last you for 1 month or so. You should be able to afford that. mail me if you want it,
 
dhocknell, do you have a TTY or TDD which is a small teletypewriter that can be use from the phone and the phone receiver? You can type it through the relay service in UK which I am not sure if you have one. Yes, the phone company can give you lower discount almost free for you to type through the relay service or directly to the Deaf/HOH person who have his/her TTY/TDD. If you don't have TTY/TDD with the phone company, then I am surprise that TTY/TDD is gone for good, which I hope not. As for videophone(VP), maybe you can do that if you have one in UK. I don't have VP because we don't have one here in Canada, yet. I want to get one and tried in United States but I could not get through with that. I do have TTY/TDD here at home and I typed directly to my Deaf friends who have TDD and also typed through Bell relay service to hearing people who don't have TDD.

Talking on the phone especially with sound receiver is not that easy on Hard of Hearing especially if you have severe hearing loss. The only advice I have for you is TDD(Telephone Device for the Deaf) which is a small portable teletypewriter instead of a big teletypewriter monster(TTY) which was very heavy. Thank goodness we don't have that big monster anymore. Just only TDD. I have never been to UK so I don't know.

Good Luck. :)
 
Bebonang said:
dhocknell, do you have a TTY or TDD which is a small teletypewriter that can be use from the phone and the phone receiver? You can type it through the relay service in UK which I am not sure if you have one. Yes, the phone company can give you lower discount almost free for you to type through the relay service or directly to the Deaf/HOH person who have his/her TTY/TDD. If you don't have TTY/TDD with the phone company, then I am surprise that TTY/TDD is gone for good, which I hope not. As for videophone(VP), maybe you can do that if you have one in UK. I don't have VP because we don't have one here in Canada, yet. I want to get one and tried in United States but I could not get through with that. I do have TTY/TDD here at home and I typed directly to my Deaf friends who have TDD and also typed through Bell relay service to hearing people who don't have TDD.

Talking on the phone especially with sound receiver is not that easy on Hard of Hearing especially if you have severe hearing loss. The only advice I have for you is TDD(Telephone Device for the Deaf) which is a small portable teletypewriter instead of a big teletypewriter monster(TTY) which was very heavy. Thank goodness we don't have that big monster anymore. Just only TDD. I have never been to UK so I don't know.

Good Luck. :)
Click to expand...

We do have Typetalk services in UK, our telephone provider BT do discount off the phone bill automatically for Typetalk.

Again get yourself a social worker and they'll provide you with uniphone (bit like minicom but with phone attached to it). They will help you on how to use them.
 
I'm hearing but texting on the cell phone has been really helpful for communicating with Deaf friends. (It never occurred to me to try and call them - I really do believe they are Deaf!) :D

It also serves as a substitute for pad and paper when my crappy signing is lacking. We just write messages and show them to each other.

You can get some really cheap cell phones for around 20 dollars now, and if you are only texting, it isn't so expensive. There is also Mig33 (mig33.com), which works on "smart phones," and allows you to acces MSN for nearly free. So you can have text conversations for a half hour and pay just 20 cents or so.
 
I feel your pain. We have solutions here and now to communicate with anyone via txt, email, IM, Video cam, notes but companies would rather ignore us than treat us as people. Guess it's just cheaper than hiring one person to handle hoh and emails. Such ignorance and that ideal of "get them on the phone and control them" is still hurdle we must overcome.
 
In my bedroom when i have to get up for school, I can't hear the alarm. But my parents got me this special alarm clock that flashes light on and off. With the alarm it also has a vibrator that shakes your bed to get up. But my sidekick, I always set it on viberate. My cellphone, it has a ringtone and I can't hear it all the time. But I also set my cellphone on viberate as well and when i talk to a person on any phone, I'd turn up the phone all the way up. I'm getting a new alarm clock tomorrow..hopefully it'll come in! My dad ordered me a new one because my viberator wouldn't work because of the alarm clock. So i had to use the lamp alarm and it wasn't working that well because it won't flash when i set it up and tested it. My new alarm clock is going to be the Sonic Heart alarm clock. Its soo cute!!!
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thanks

wow
thanks for all your responses i totally forgot about this!
and found it when i was looking for similar kinds of answers
what a lot of lovely responses!
i'll answer them one by one, although i realise people will have long moved on.
my new year resolution is to join the local deaf club

* i wear 2 hearing aids and talk "normally", but my hearing isn't clear enough to talk on the phone, i need to be able to lip read

* i contact friends (and my solicitor) through facebook

* i'm in england and there doesn't seem to be any where that loans/gives it

* i am registered deaf, but social services tell me that they don't provide equipment (i've had smoke alarms free from the fire brigade), but i've been to see them a few days ago, i must remember to try again for a uniphone

* i dont want a phone as people ring it! and i get upset when they do! i have lots of other illnesses including anxiety and panic attacks - i particularly get upset when i get calls from people who know i'm deaf, or who should know better - like hospitals - this type of call will often make me suicidal

* i dont have a minicom, TTY or TDD, nor the funds to buy equipment as i'm in debt, nor can i afford to have text conversations, (i'm struggling to pay for food/energy/mortgage let alone anything else) although i do have an old mobile phone, but it doesn't even have enough memory for a text conversation, so i have to delete the last message before a new one can come in, if another message comes in before i have managed to send mine, i have to delete mine and start again after reading and deleting the new messages - i really need a new one with lots of memory where i can see the whole conversation

* VCO Phone with Port by Clarity - only works in america but there are english versions, however, i've been told that most recipients of this kind of call, hang up as they think it's an automated call, probably PPI or other sales...
what experiences have you had with it?

* i have a computer (mac) but dont have enough memory on it to install skype

* i dont have enough money to visit businesses in person and most companies will only deal with customers over the phone

i will have to look into Mig33 (mig33.com), which works on "smart phones," and allows you to acces MSN for nearly free. So you can have text conversations for a half hour and pay just 20 cents or so. even though i dont have a smart phone and it wouldn't work for contacting businesses






special thanks to charlotte and keith
 
I've handled the phone poorly so I don't use it at work, and thankfully, they seem good about it. At home, it's a hit or miss but I never usually answer the phone, unless I see it's from my parents. If I have to deal with customer service, I pass to someone else to speak for me...for my cellphone, my Widex has a bluetooth feature and I hear just fine that way.

Laura
 
cant you get skype you can live chat viva computer. YOu could see who you are chating with as well as sign.. and if they are your friends they will be there for you. or find new ones.. look here there is a lot of great people.. all you need is a camera for your computer and skype is free...
 
If you have facebook you can have skype it uses very little memory to get the program and its like remove some of those pic's you havent used in a while. get ccleaner its a program that takes all the crude off your computer and they are both free..
 
the Mac can use AIM too. but most people I know happen to use skype.. when you are on facebook touch someone like you are going to chat. and there is a little icon at the top that looks like a video camera and it will install skype. and then you can see who your are with.. touch me I dont care.,I am in usa arizona and I will chat anytime.. birdlady65301..
 
Hello again, it had been a while... Well unfortunately this bloody country is changing... The social services I believe had stopped giving out minicoms and told us that too many people are relying on texting and emails but hang on companies with data protection policy cannot accept text nor email so these days I would have to TAKE TIME OFF and go to bloody bank or electricity company to sort it out seeing as they are only open 9-5 every day except weekends... Sigh... I had to purchase my own fire alarm now as the social services refuses to provide wireless one as its too expensive but actually it's the other way round. I have found that Skype is bit of life saver, free and only uses broadband. So we are going to face the hardship of being deaf one way or other

If you are desperate to communicate with the world, get a life and remove crap off the mac and install Skype if not then why come here and moan about lack of money/interaction with the world and fretting about them calling you even they know that you are deaf, get someone to put a message on your answer phone "this person you are calling is deaf and cannot use the phone please text" believe me it does work. Phones now days are reasonably cheap if on contract say 11.50 a month with reasonably good free phone with bigger memory. Sounds like you have been in a time warp. Get out and face the world.... Sounds like I am being harsh, there is no good being paddy footed, you need to face the reality.



I am deaf (since birth), have anxiety, panic attacks (both now self controlled weaning off the meds and 2 days ago sleeping pills completely off and have been sleeping straight 6hours since aiming for 8), home owner, 2 jobs, iPhone, iPad, Sony vaio owner and love them for the lifeline they give me... Skype, emails and texting.
 
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