by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Years ago, about the time the dinosaurs stopped roaming the earth, I had a cell phone that worked wonderfully well for me. It’s secret was a special integrated amplifier called the “CHAAMP” that provided me with more than enough amplification in spite of my severe hearing loss. I loved that cell […]
Cool Ring Alerter for Your Cell Phone
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Has this ever happened to you? You “buried” your cell phone somewhere nearby and because of your poor hearing, you did not hear it ringing or see it blinking. And you didn’t feel it vibrating either. Result? Missed phone calls and/or missed text messages. You depended on your cell phone’s alarm […]
Hearing Accessibility Apps for Your Smart Phone
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. January 27, 2013 If you have a hearing loss or are deaf, there are a number of cell phone apps that will let you effectively use your cell phone to communicate better. Note: to use these, you must have a smart phone. At present there are 33 of these […]
Seven Cell Phone Strategies to Use When Driving
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady asked: What is the best way to use a cell phone when driving? 1. The absolute best way is to leave your cell phone turned off when you are driving. That way you are never distracted at the wrong moment and you will never break any cell phone driving […]
Using the Music Links to Make Phone Calls with a Smart Phone
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady asked, I was wondering if I can make phone calls using the Music Links? If not, can I listen to music using the T-links. I don’t want to buy both, I just want to buy one. Can you help me with this? The Music Links are designed as their […]
Finding Hearing Aid Compatible Cell Phones
How can I tell which cell phones will likely work the best with my hearing aids?
This article not only explains how to determine a cell phone’s hearing aid compatibility (HAC) and what this HAC rating system really means, but it also gives a link where you can get a list of the most compatible cell phones for your hearing aids.
Watch Out! Cell Phone Use Can Damage Your Hearing
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. From time to time scientists have raised the question of cell (mobile) phone safety and how it may affect our brains since the antennas of cell phones are transmitting electromagnetic energy into our heads. In the past there have been concerns that cell phone usage may cause various kinds of brain […]
The Ideal Cell Phone for Hard of Hearing People—Not Here Yet
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. with Dana Mulvany A lady explained: My cell phone contract is nearing its end, and I am looking at other carriers—trying to find a better phone for me. I’ve had several cell phones over the years, but have never had one that I was comfortable with except when making calls myself. […]
Which Is the Best Cell Phone for a Hard of Hearing Person?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady asked: What is the best cell phone for a person with a hearing problem? That question is impossible to answer because there are so many variables. Many of these variables are subjective—so only you can answer them. It is like asking people, “What is the best tasting food?” You […]
Flashing Lights for Cell Phones Revisited
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Last month a man wrote: I am somewhat hard of hearing. I can never hear my cell phone when it rings, even when it is in my pocket. Do you have a remote little light that would blink when my phone rings? I had written in part: Sorry, I’m not aware […]
Can’t Hear Cell Phone Ringing
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady explained: My mother-in-law is hard of hearing and only has a cell phone now. She doesn’t hear it ring all of the time and I am trying to find something that will amplify the ring on the phone, or something that will notify her that it is ringing. Do […]
Automatic T-coils and Cell Phones—A Workaround
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady explained: If someone has an automatic t-coil on their hearing aid, they will have problems hearing on their cell phones if they want to do so in t-coil mode. They will need a magnet glued to the phone’s earpiece in order to activate the automatic t-coil. I don’t have […]
I Can’t Hear My Cell Phone Ringing—What Can I Do?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man wrote: I am somewhat hard of hearing. I can never hear my cell phone when it rings , even when it is my pocket. Do you have a remote little light that would blink when my phone rings? Sorry, I’m not aware of a portable blinking light device for […]
Control Your Hearing Aids from Your Cell Phone—You Gotta be Kidding!
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. June 18, 2009 What will they think up next? Did you ever want to change the settings on your hearing aids, but felt embarrassed, and didn’t want to be obvious about it? That is where a remote control comes in handy. I loved to be able to do this with […]
Hearing Your Cell Phone Ringing at Night
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady wrote: I thought if anyone had an idea for this problem it would be you. My husband who is hard of hearing receives calls during the night from work on his cell phone which does not ring loud enough to wake him up. Any ideas on any alert systems […]
Captioned Telephone Goes Mobile
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Until now, captioned telephone service has been restricted to landline phones (CapTel), or to phones (landline or cell) used in conjunction with a computer (WebCapTel). Now, if you have Apple’s iPhone (cell phone) with 3G service, you can have CapTel captioned conversations where ever you are by just using your cell […]
Neckloop Microphones and Hearing Clearly
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady wrote: I read with interest about the lady who had trouble hearing her own voice when using the neckloop with her cell phone. I, too, had that problem and had 3 of my programs on my Freedom CI switched to M/T mode. I don’t use the neckloop often but […]
Hands-free Cell Phone Solutions for Hard of Hearing People
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man wrote: I wear hearing aids. Are there any cell phone attachments so that I can wear my hearing aids and use my cell phone in hands-free mode while I am driving? If your hearing aids have good t-coils in them, then there are two good possibilities for hands-free cell […]
Hearing Your Own Voice on Cell Phones
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A human services specialist contacted me and explained: I was recently contacted by a woman interested in a neckloop for her cell phone (via t-coil setting). She finally tried one out, and didn’t like the fact that she couldn’t hear herself speaking. She has a hearing aid in one ear, and […]
Are Music Links Really Necessary When Using Cell Phones?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man wrote: Dr. Neil: I have question. Are there cell phones that have the t-coil built in so you just hold the cell phone close and sound jumps to hearing aids t-coil? Thus, use of Music Links or neckloops are not necessary? I’ve got good news for you. Yes—most cell […]
