Individuals
wearing hearing instruments can struggle occasionally with hearing on their
cellular phones. Firstly, if you are
purchasing a new mobile phone, you may want to investigate the phone model of
interest for its Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) rating. Most of the newer cellular phones are HAC.
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC)
defines hearing aid compatibility based on two parameters, the radio frequency (RF) and
telecoil (T-coil) coupling (T). Hearing aid compliant mobile phones are marked
and ranked with an “M” or “T” rating.
The “M” rating refers to the microphone modes or RF emissions and the
“T” rating refers to the T-coil mode.
The minimal standard required by the FCC for a cellular phone to be
considered hearing aid compatible is M3 and T3. If you are considering a mobile
phone with a T rating, you will want to confirm with your audiologist that your
hearing instruments have a T-coil. Once
you have confirmed the availability of a T-coil, you will also want to ensure that
it is activated in your hearing instruments.
The activation of the T-coil in your hearing instruments will aid the
“T” rated cellular phone’s ability to couple with your hearing instruments. The higher the “T” rating, the more likely
you will have a stronger T-coil connection with between the mobile phone and
your hearing instruments. The T-coil
connection allows for increased volume in the hearing instruments while on your
cellular phone without having to worry about “whistling” or feedback. If you are curious about your T-coil
instrument compatibility with your cellular phone, contact your audiologist
today. To make an appointment call
440-205-8848.
Life sounds great! Enjoy every moment!
Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD
8897 Mentor Ave
Mentor, Ohio 44060
440-205-8848
Fax: 440-205-9818
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