Hearing

If you are hard of hearing or deaf, there are many mobile phone features that could help make communication easier for you, such as:

• Loud maximum volume.
• Adjusting volume settings allows you to increase the volume, making it easier to use the phone and hear when it rings. Consider using phones that have the volume controls on the side of the phone. This makes it easier for you to adjust the volume while talking on the phone.
• Audio amplification helps you hear the phone ring. Some phones are set to limit the higher levels of amplification, but you can change these settings – speak to an O2 retail advisor about how to do this.
• An in-ear hands-free headset will cut out background noise and help you hear the conversation more clearly.
• Noise-cancelling microphones are a standard feature on many phones. They improve the transmitted sound quality, but not the received quality.  In-ear or ear-bud type earphones are more effective at cutting out background noise than outer-ear earphones.
• Vibrate and visual alerting is available on most handsets. Instead of a ring, you can set the phone to vibrate or light up (or both) when you receive a message or call.
• Speakerphone, available on most mobiles phones, allows the phone to act as a speaker, so you can listen and speak without having to hold the phone to your ear. It is particularly useful when there is good volume and sound quality.
• Control of tone allows you to tailor sound to your own hearing-loss requirements.
• Ability to attach an inductive neckloop using an industry-standard connector and Bluetooth.
• Predictive text messages can be a quick and easy way to communicate. Many mobile phones allow you to pre-set standard text messages like ‘Can you come and pick me up?’ reducing the number of keystrokes needed.
• Use phones with text-friendly features such as a large screen, large easy-to-operate controls, controls offering some tactile feedback and large clear labelling. The keypad should be arranged in a standard, square grid, with a raised dot on the 5 control. More about text messaging
• Handsets with a qwerty keyboard will make text messaging much quicker and easier.
• Textphones can be used on the O2 network by simply adding 18001 before dialling the destination number.  This will route your call via the Text Relay Service. If you are calling a textphone from an O2 mobile, add 18002 before dialling the textphone number.  Textphones on the O2 network can dial 18000 to access emergency services. Mobile textphones can be used on many O2 PrePay and Pay Monthly SIMs if that is your tariff choice, or you can choose O2's SIMplicity

Other useful accessories you can use with your mobile:

Most ‘behind-the-ear’ hearing aids have a microphone at the front. Always hold the earpiece of your mobile phone against it.

If you hear whistling from the hearing aid, you may have the mobile phone too far away. Try moving it a little closer to the microphone until the noise stops. Phones with amplifiers make the conversation louder but can cause whistling problems and loss of clarity.

The ‘in-the-ear’ digital hearing aids that have a ‘T’ or ‘Loop’ switch work best with mobile phones. When choosing a hearing aid, bear in mind that those without the switches may not give satisfactory results with your mobile phone. Mobile phones can cause interference with hearing aids.

For a range of handsets with these features, please visit O2 shop

or

Go into an O2 store and speak to a retail advisor for help with choosing a handset with the features you need, or how to set up features that suit your needs.

Click here to find your nearet O2 store