| It is difficult for hearing people to put themselves in the | | | | any standard telephone. With this set-up, you have to |
| situation of the deaf or hard of hearing. Just consider | | | | plug the minicom in and switch it on, place the receiver |
| the amount of verbal communication that most us are | | | | on the minicom and dial the number. When the other |
| involved with for about sixteen hours every day. | | | | end picks up, you just type your message, likewise you |
| Where would you be for example without your | | | | will receive typed messages back. |
| telephone. Fifteen years ago, people got by with only | | | | Just as with mobile texting, there are all types of |
| fixed point lines some how. | | | | codes and symbols to let the other person that you |
| Between the house and your destination there were | | | | are thinking, waiting have another caller etc. If the other |
| only telephone boxes. Not many of us could return to | | | | person does not have a minicom, you can use a third |
| those days. Some people never seem to be off their | | | | party service which will convert your typing into |
| cell phones and if they are not phoning friends, they | | | | speech and vice-versa. |
| are using free voice over the Internet services (VOIP). | | | | If you would like to go up-market from the textphone, |
| Perhaps we do not talk to each other face to face | | | | there is the videophone. This is a fairly recent |
| any more, but it has not stopped us talking to friends | | | | innovation. With this technology, the viewers see a |
| on the other side of the country or even on the other | | | | signer in a bottom corner of the picture signing the |
| side of the world. | | | | message in real time. This can be accomplished either |
| We hearing people take all this for granted, but if you | | | | with a dedicated videophone terminal or over the |
| are deaf, all of that becomes much more difficult. This | | | | Internet using a webcam. |
| is why many deaf people feel cut off from friends and | | | | Many people prefer this technique, although you have |
| left behind by racing technological advances designed | | | | to be able to sign first of course, so it is not viable for |
| for hearing, sighted people. | | | | the recently deaf. Another difficulty with signing is that |
| Having said that, there have been technological | | | | there are so many varieties. Every country seems to |
| advances that can make communication for the deaf | | | | have its own signing language and some countries |
| easier, but the devices are more expensive and the | | | | such as the United States even have a few. |
| advancements are not so rapid. When the so-called | | | | In fact, relatively few people are totally deaf and it is |
| 'deaf telephone' came into the shops, the deaf | | | | possible for some hearing aids to be plugged into the |
| community greeted it with open arms. There are two | | | | telephone handset and then adjusted for volume and |
| ways that the deaf phone can operate. | | | | ambient noise. Some mobiles will also permit this type |
| The first and the cheaper of the two is the textphone. | | | | of communication. |
| Some of these are portable and can be integrated into | | | | |