Telephones For The Elderly With Big Buttons

Special Phones For The Elderly or Disabled - with Big Buttons - for Stoke on Trent folk.

Helping Staffordshire and Cheshire retired and disabled people, stay connected to those they may need to contact - and be contacted by.

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Telephones have certainly come a long way since that first one developed by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.  Now we expect to be able to speak to people any where in the world or at least text them.  You’ll have noticed that many people are always speaking or texting on the phone even when walking through the streets, in a restaurant, at home, everywhere.  Nowadays we expect to be connected at all times!

People in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire were perhaps ahead in the mobile telephone revolution in the 1980s as local entrepreneur, John Caudwell created one of the world's biggest mobile companies

Source:Wikipedia Pbroks13

Telephones are a way of keeping in contact with people who live a long way away or a lifeline to help or just for going about your daily life.  Test yours out by giving us a ring! 01782 611 411

The developments in telephones have certainly made it possible to advance phones with special applications that can make them easier for those with disabilities or mobility issues.  Now that landlines have cordless handsets and there are mobile phones that connect to a network wherever you are – most of the time – a telephone means that you can easily be connected to whoever you need to speak to at anytime.

Features and benefits of the telephone for those with disabilities

• Cordless handsets: this means that you can keep the telephone handset close to you especially if you are slow to get to the telephone base holder or hard of hearing
• Hands-free telephones have built in microphones and loudspeakers which means you can speak to them and hear the caller without lifting the handset
• On-hook dialling allows you to dial a number without lifting the receiver
• Digital or caller display telephones have a small screen on which the number of the caller (or their name if you have their number stored on your phone) comes up when they call.  This means you know who is calling before you answer the telephone
• Telephone memory allows you to store important numbers on your phone
• Last number redial or call-back allows you to call the last number that called you by pressing just one button
• Inductive couplers can be built-in to the phone or a small add-on box that can be attached to the handset.  They allow hearing aids that have a ‘T’ switch to pick up the ring tone
• A pulsator gives a vibrating sound when placed on the bone in front or behind the ear.  This helps some people to hear the conversation of the caller better
• Keys with a raised dot on the ‘5’ help people to navigate around the keypad.  The 5 is the central button so those who can’t see for instance know this key is in the middle
• A phone with a ringer volume control allows the user to turn the volume of the ringer up or down
• Built-in volume control allows the user to turn the volume of the conversation on the phone up or down

Telephones for those with disabilities

A number of the specially developed features for those with disabilities can be useful for several disabilities.  Others have been developed specifically to focus on a particular problem

Telephones for the visually impaired
There are some features that can make it easier for those who find it difficult to see.

• For instance a larger keypad with larger buttons and more space between them helps to avoid misdials; a contrasting colour to define the space between keys will also help to avoid misdials. One of the main brands is the Doro.

• Number memory allows frequently used telephone numbers to be stored in the phone.  This is really useful for quicker dialling for those who have difficulty seeing clearly

• The raised dot on the ‘5’ as we’ve already mentioned helps to identify where you are on the keypad as 5 is the central figure

• Either a wall mounted telephone so that it is at eyelevel or a cordless handset which you can bring closer to your eyes are both a help for those whose eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be

• An added bonus can be a voice prompt that is available in some answer phones.  This could give you a voice message when a message has been left on the answer machine for you.  Some of these also give you voice-prompts when you are retrieving messages left for you or trying to record outgoing messages

Telephone for those with impaired dexterity

There are several adaptations of telephones for someone with limited movement especially in their hands:

• Large concave buttons and more space between them
• Hands-free set so that you can just use your voice
• On hook dialling so that the handset doesn’t need to be lifted to dial the number
• Telephone headsets to enable private conversations i.e. not on speaker phone but still leaving your hands free
• Number memory to store frequently used numbers
• Pre-dial allows you longer to key in the number and then just press the dial button i.e. gives you more time and makes it easier
• Last number redial which allows you to call the last number that called you with one key
• An automatic answering phone allows the person dialling in to manage the call as long as they are a pre-recognised number.  All the user has to do is listen and speak into the provided clip-on microphone.  The caller has to activate the phone with a 3-digit PIN.  This also means that only those with given permission can get through
• Telephone conversation recorders allow the user to record conversations.  This is a particularly useful feature if the user is unable to take notes
• Holders and stands are available for the handset so that the user doesn’t have to pick up or hold the handset for any length of time – nor put it back on the receiver!

For those with speech impediments

• Hands-free is a useful feature especially if the user is using a computer or other aid with a keyboard and synthesised speech
• Speech amplification on out-going calls means that a user with a weak voice can be heard
• A fax machine allows the user to communicate in writing rather than by voice
• Caller display allows the user to see who the caller is without speaking to them
• Recording or using a recorded message on an answer phone or voice mail box can invite callers to leave a message so that the user doesn’t need to speak
• If the user’s speech is difficult to understand a textphone allows the conversation to be typed rather than spoken
• SMS or texting is widely available on mobile telephones and allows the user to send a written message to another similar phone
• Video phones come into their own if you need to use sign language for instance as both parties can see one another

Communicating by telephone if you have a hearing impediment

• Use a telephone that is ‘hearing aid compatible’ i.e. has an earpiece with an audio magnetic field
• Using a hearing aid with a T setting affords a clearer sound as long as the aid is switched to T
• Use the ringing volume control to ensure you hear the phone ring
• Or add on a telephone bell unit to increase the ringing volume.  These units are usually mains electric or battery powered and will need a telephone socket to plug into
• A telephone with a flashing light when the phone rings helps for those who have no or very poor hearing.  Be aware that often these flashing lights are small so you may need to position the phone near to you
• Again add-on flashing units can be installed.  These are usually powered by mains electricity so will need a nearby plug and telephone socket
• There are systems available that can cause lights in the house to flash when the phone rings.  These should be installed by an electrician

For those who find it difficult to hear the telephone conversation

• Using an inductive coupler with your hearing aid turned to T will help to clarify the voice of the caller and also cut out background noise.  These don’t actually amplify the volume though
• Inductive couplers can be built-in or bought as an add-on unit
• Pulsators can help some to hear the conversation more clearly.  They operate by vibrating the sound when placed on the bone in front or behind your ear

Wikipedia:Ben Schumin Zach Vega

Mobile phones for older people

Pros - developed in the 1980s, the mobile phone can be useful for those with disabilities. As well as text messaging and caller recognition, many of them now accept the voice as a way of communication.  For instance you can ask a new smart phone to call a number in the stored phone book.  The internet can also be activated from many mobile phones too.

Cons – sometimes people who are less dexterous find mobile phones too small and fiddly to use and they usually take longer to set up than a landline phone.  Just as you have to remember to put your cordless handset back in its base to ensure it is charged, a mobile also runs on battery and must be plugged in and charged regularly using a special plug and cable.  Digital mobile phones can cause bad interference to analogue hearing aids but this can be addressed by wearing headphones or a headset.

• There are a number of additional services that are available to those who have problems:
• If you have a BT landline, they will supply an extension ringer to help you hear the telephone ringing
• A free Directory Enquiry service is available to those who cannot use the directories due to a disability as long as it is backed up by your doctor
• Several telephone service providers offer an ‘assisted call service’ if the user has difficulty using the keys to dial
• Vulnerable customers (disabled or older) should let their service provider know of their condition so that when an engineer visits they can be given a pre-arranged password so that you know it is OK to let them in.
• Literature and bills in accessible Formats – suppliers are legally obligated to ensure you get bills and other literature in a format you can read i.e. Braille, large-print and multi-media.  Many now provide Internet access so that bills can be seen online or there is a service where your bill is read to you over the phone.

If you are having difficulties or want more detailed information this factsheet produced by the Disabled Living Foundation should help.  And if you want something locally give us a call at Castle Comfort Centre and we will help.  Call us today or pop in.