Tag: Hard of Hearing

Here’s a quick list of links to the various accessibility pages for the four main mobile device carriers:

AT&T

• Pricing Plan for iPhones
• Pricing Plan for all other phones (non-SmartPhones, SmartPhones, Blackberry)

Sprint

• Pricing Plan

T-Mobile

• (I could not find anything online about pricing but did come across this provider that seems to have good prices – Fuse Wireless)

Verizon Wireless

• Pricing Plan

There’s information for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, vision impaired or non-verbal including what types of technology are available – for example, which cellphones are hearing aid compatible (HAC), which have the ability to connect to a TTY, which ones have front-facing cameras,  which ones can have enlarged fonts, flashing screens, etc.

My favorite place to search for a phone with a variety of accessibility options is at Phonescoop.   Be sure to click on “Show All Options” under the
“Simple” tab to see features such as hearing aid compatibility.   You can also search by features such as carrier, style, keyboard, size, data network, etc.

I would also recommend going into a brick-and-mortar store and talking to a salesperson and trying out devices.  That way you can see, hear and touch the various devices and make sure it doesn’t interfere with your hearing aid or cochlear implant, or can be seen with your corrected vision.

Here are some questions to ask:

• What is the return policy on your products?  (how many days?)
• What is the fee for re-stocking?
• Can I return for a full refund or only for an exchange?
• Do you have any special pricing plans for those who are deaf/hard of hearing/blind/vision impaired/non-verbal? (this is not very clear on the various websites above)

Finally, keep in mind that even after you have picked the perfect phone, with all of the features you want and need…it’s up to the coverage area and this may dictate which carrier you HAVE TO use.   Be sure to talk to people that use mobile devices in the areas you are looking at to see if coverage is good or spotty or non-existent.   This is especially true in more rural areas.