Using (Cell) Phones: FCC mandates ANSI C63.19

the following info comes from Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing:

FCC Mandates Cell Phone Compatibility with Hearing Aids- ANSI C63.19

FCC Mandates Cell Phone Compatibility with Hearing Aids- ANSI C63.19
March 22, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
Mobile phone manufacturers have one year to comply with a U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandate requiring mobile handsets built or used in the U.S. to comply with the American national standard for cell phone-hearing aid compatibility.
Issued in 2003, the mandate is intended to ensure that new mobile phones available on the market are accessible to individuals using hearing aids.

According to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), mobile phone manufacturers and service providers will have to ensure that at least 50% of all handsets marketed in the U.S. meet the requirements of ANSI C63.19:2006 - Methods of Measurement of Compatibility between Wireless Communications Devices and Hearing Aids by Feb. 18, 2008.

Approved as an American national standard in 2001, ANSI C63.19 was developed by the ANSI Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) C63 on electromagnetic compatibility, a group administered by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

A measurement standard for hearing aid compatibility with wireless communications devices, ANSI C63.19-2006 aims to achieve an acceptable level of performance between cell phones and hearing aids by reducing the interference of radio frequency emissions.

The standard defines emissions and immunity-to-interference requirements, as well as test methods to determine the level of interoperability between the devices. The standard is intended to apply to all types of hearing aids with acoustic output.

According to ANSI, an estimated 28 million Americans have some degree of hearing impairment; by 2030, this number is expected to double. The Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988 (HAC Act) directed the FCC to ensure that all telephones manufactured or imported for use in the U.S., and all "essential" telephones - including phones provided for emergency use, coin-operated phones and phones in the workplace, hospitals, nursing homes and hotel rooms - be hearing aid-compatible.

The increasing reliance on wireless mobile phones for business and personal use, coupled with the growing number of technologically-savvy baby boomers, led the FCC to put pressure on wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers to increase the number of hearing aid-compatible wireless phones available on the market.

IEEE C63.19 2007-JAN-01 • Active/Current •
Methods of Measurement of Compatibility between Wireless Communications Devices and Hearing Aids

This standard applies to both wireless communications devices (WDs) and hearing aids. It sets forth uniform methods of measurement and parametric requirements for the electromagnetic and operational compatibility and accessibility of hearing aids used with WDs, including cordless, cellular, personal communications service (PCS) phones, and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) devices, operating in the range of 800 MHz to 3 GHz. However, this version is focused on existing services, which are in common use. Accordingly, in this version tests are provided for services in the 800 MHz to 950 MHz and 1.6 GHz to 2.5 GHz frequency bands. Future versions may add test for other frequency bands, as they come into more common use.

This standard is intended to apply to all types of hearing aids with acoustic output, including, as examples, behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), and completely-in-the-canal (CIC) types. Test methods are provided for hearing aids operating in acoustic (microphone input) mode or in T-Coil input mode.

The field levels called for in various places shall be maintained within the limits for radio frequency (RF) safety, set forth in ANSI C95.1-1999.1

Posted via email from Ann Reflection

Using (Cell) Phone: Visual Voice Mail

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the following info comes from Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing:

Visual Voice Mail (Voice to text messaging)

There is a new service being provided by Telus (and perhaps other carriers). It is called Visual Voice Mail.

Telus describes it as:

"Don’t worry about missing important messages when you are unable to answer your phone. With TELUS Visual Voice Mail, there’s no need to dial in to pick up your messages, you just read them on screen.

Read it instead of listening to it

Visual Voice Mail converts your voice mail messages to text and delivers them straight to you as SMS or email within minutes. The converted message will include the phone number of the caller embedded in the text.

Keep record of your voice mail.

You can view all of your messages in one convenient inbox and have a visual record of who called and what they said. "

Telus provides this service for a monthly fee of $7.50. However it is currently being offered for a free 30 day trial.

This is the link to the information.

or you can call: 1 800 316 0979 or Visit your nearest store

Comments from WIDHH staff using this service already:

"It works well except if a person does not speak clearly when they leave a msg, a word will either be skipped or spelled phonetically. Also, if the voice message is long, it will cut out some of the mssage and leave a request for you to call and listen to the rest of the message."

Posted via email from Ann Reflection

Using (Cell/Work) Phones: 2 ears are better than one! Using your FM system with your telephone

2 ears are better than one! Using your FM system with your telephone

If you are having difficulty hearing on the telephone with one hearing aid, consider using your FM system so that you can use both hearing aids. You can either have the signal transmitted to your FM receivers snapped on to the bottom of your hearing aids, or to a bodyworn receiving unit with an induction loop such as the Phonak MyLink receiver unit. The bodyworn receiving unit will transmit sound to your hearing aids through the induction loop. The hearing aids must be set on the 'telephone' or 't-coil' position. Remember that when your hearing aids are on the t-coil position you can't hear anything other than the phone. Consider asking your audiologist if one or both of the aids can have an 'M-T' program put in (this means the microphone and the telecoil are working at the same time-so you can hear around you and you can hear on the phone. You don't have to worry about feedback because the ear piece of the phone doesn't need to be next to your hearing aid anymore - the sound is being sent by the FM transmitter to the FM receivers or the FM induction loop around your neck (i.e. the Phonak MyLink).

Parts required:

1. Your FM system
2. You will need to purchase a device made by Nexxtech. It is a Telephone Recording Unit. Part #4318237. This is available at The Source.

   To Connect the FM Transmitter to the telephone:

   1. Unplug the telephone receiver from the telephone.
   2. Plug the Telephone Recording Unit into the telephone.
   3. Plug the telephone receiver into the Telephone Recording Unit.
   4. Plug the 3.5mm jack from the Telephone Recording Unit into the Audio jack located on the ‘battery charger’ unit connected to the bottom of the FM transmitter (This is on the right side of the battery charging unit, upper jack. It says 'Audio'). The battery charger unit must be attached to the bottom of the Smartlink, Zoomlink or Easylink FM transmitter.

1. The Phonak FM transmitter (Smartlink, Zoomlink, Easylink or Microlink) should be ‘off’. It will turn on automatically when you pick up the phone and start to make a call.
2. If you are using 'boot' receivers snapped to the bottom of your hearing aids, when you pick up the phone the FM transmitter will automatically start transmitting the sound to your receiving units.
3. If you are using a body worn receiving unit with an induction loop, you will need to make sure it is turned on. Wear the loop around your neck. Your hearing aids need to be on the 'telephone' or 't-coil' program when you are speaking on the phone.
4. If necessary, adjust the volume by adjusting the volume on your hearing aids (if you are using the FM receivers boots) OR on the bodyworn receiving unit.
5. The earpiece of the telephone handset does not need to be near your hearing aids but you will still need to speak directly into the mouthpiece of the telephone handset.

Note: for systems other than the Phonak Smartlink, Zoomlink or Easylink - you just plug the callcorder into the 'auxiliary audio input jack' of the FM transmitter. For some FM systems the jack is a 2.5mm, or a 3-pin eurojack - and the Call Corder will not fit. You will need to purchase a dual mini jack coupler (Radio Shack part number was 274-886). Plug the call corder into the coupler jack, use the DAI (direct audio input) cord that came with the FM system and plug one end into the remaining side of the coupler and then plug into the auxiliary audio input jack of the FM transmitter.

Posted via email from Ann Reflection

Using (Land/ Cell Phone) Phone at home: Bluetooth hub / adaptor

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The following info comes from Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing:

Bluetooth for home phones
There are a couple of options here.

1. VTech makes a Bluetooth cordless phone system. Item # LS6245. This can be paired to the Bluetooth adapter. If you have the Bluetooth adapter paired and connected to your cellphone, you will need to forward your cellphone to the VTech phone and then disconnect the cellphone from the Bluetooth adapter (the disconnect option is in your Bluetooth menu on your cellphone). The reason you need to do this is that the phone (cellphone or regular) takes priority in the Bluetooth adapters. The two phones will be competing for access to your Bluetooth adapter. So if you are talking on the cordless phone at home and a cellphone call comes in – if the cellphone is not disconnected from your Bluetooth accessory, then the cellphone may kick you off your cordless phone call. It’s best to have just one phone connected to your Bluetooth accessory at a time. The benefit of having the cordless Bluetooth phone is that you can be about 10 metres (30 feet) away from the phone in your house and still be able to get a phone call wirelessly with your Bluetooth adapter.

2. For non-Bluetooth home phones (which is most phones) some of the manufacturer's make an adapter to attach to your phone and convert it to Bluetooth. After some in-house experimenting here, it appears that some of the manufacturer’s Bluetooth phone adapters are compatible with other manufacturer’s products (for instance the Oticon phone hub works very nicely with the iCom and uDirect. While I can’t say for sure – it will most likely work with the other Bluetooth adapters as well.

Posted via email from Ann Reflection