How are hearing aid remote controls helpful?

Remote controls enable you to operate your hearing aids without touching them. This can be particularly helpful for people who have difficulty operating hearing aids using push-buttons or for anyone who prefers adjusting their hearing aids discreetly and with minimal effort. One downside is you may have fewer controls compared to the app.

As with all hearing aid accessories, the brand will depend on your type of hearing aid.

Check out:

• Phonak Remote Control
• ReSound Remote Controls
• Oticon Remote Control 3.0 (for hearing aids with Bluetooth) and Oticon Remote Control 2.0 (for hearing aids without Bluetooth)
• Widex RC-DEX
• Signia miniPocket
• Starkey Remote
• Philips Remote Control
• Jabra Enhance Phone Clip

5) Captioned telephones

If you have hearing loss, phone calls can be challenging, even with hearing technology such as hearing aids and CIs. You may find yourself avoiding using the telephone, meaning you are at risk of losing contact with loved ones, which can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation.

The good news? Captioned telephones can make phone calls easier and enhance communication with friends, family, and colleagues.

What do captioned telephones do?

Captioned telephones for landlines are connected to a telephone line like a traditional phone. They are generally easy to operate and can be used with or without hearing aids.

When you call from a captioned telephone, it automatically connects to the Captioned Telephone Services (CTS). You then speak to the person you have called, just like a standard phone call. The CTS then uses voice-recognition technology, and a specially trained communications assistant transcribes everything said into captions. When the person at the end of the line responds, the captions appear in easy-to-read text almost simultaneously on your phone screen.

How are captioned telephones helpful?

Captioned telephones can help you stay more connected with loved ones and can also be helpful in offices for employees with hearing loss. Both hearing the speaker and reading the captioned text can enhance understanding and improve confidence when conversing.

How do you get a captioned telephone?

For qualified people with hearing loss, they're free! Captioned telephones are funded by the government through the Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS), which is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). If you or a loved one qualifies, you can receive a free or discounted caption-enabled phone.

In some cases, the FCC may require you to provide a certification form signed by your doctor or another healthcare professional to attest that you have hearing loss before receiving a free captioned telephone and service.

Some providers will deliver and install your captioned telephone free of charge and provide you with free training on how to use it.

You can ask your hearing care provider for more information or register directly with a captioned telephone retailer.

Check out:

• CapTel
• Hamilton CapTel
• CaptionCall
• Clear Captions

6) Captioning apps for smartphones

Just as captioned telephones for landlines translate speech into text, various smartphone apps do the same. This means you can benefit from speech-to-text captioning when you’re on the go.

Check out:

• InnoCaption
• CaptionMate
• Ava
• Mobile CapTel
• Live Transcribe & Notification (Android only)
• ClearCaptions Mobile (Apple iOS only)
• CaptionCall Mobile App (Apple iOS only)

How are telecoils helpful?

Since audio from a hearing loop doesn’t have to travel the entire distance via sound waves to meet your ears, they eliminate most background noise, meaning you receive clear sound customized to your unique hearing aid settings. It can also be used by many people at the same time, making it a great option for accessible audio in public spaces. In this way, loop systems are a little like remote mics—except they're meant for larger areas and are much less expensive.

Hamlin explains, “One of the most important features to look for in a hearing aid is to ensure it has either a telecoil or Bluetooth capability to tie into assistive listening in public places. We find some hearing aids users still don’t know about this technology, which can dramatically improve listening in a conference room, concert hall, or other location. HLAA explains how this all works here. Bluetooth is a newer, emerging technology, but telecoils have been around for years.”

How to use a hearing loop

In a space or venue with a hearing loop, set your hearing device to the “T” (telecoil) setting to enable you to receive the audio from inside the hearing loop directly to your hearing aids.

You can use loop system technology if your hearing aid or CI has an in-built telecoil. Note that if your current hearing aid doesn’t have a telecoil, you may be able to get a telecoil-equipped accessory that works with your hearing aid.

How to locate a venue with a hearing loop

Places with hearing loops will usually display a blue sign with a white ear and a white slash through it with a “T” in the bottom right corner.

To find nearby places with hearing loops, check out Loopfinder or Looplocator.

Hamlin also recommends a new feature on Google Maps that an HLAA group helped advocate for: “It tells you if a venue has a hearing loop, which works with telecoils in hearing aids. As you’ll see in the article, many people call this life-changing.”

8) The future and Auracast

Termed “the next generation of assistive listening technology,” Auracast broadcast audio could be a game changer for hearing aid wearers. Auracast is a new broadcast technology introduced in 2022, supported by Bluetooth low energy (LE) audio.

What does it do?

Using Auracast, you will be able to use an audio transmitter, e.g., a smartphone, laptop, television, or public address (PA) system, to share your audio to an unlimited number of nearby Bluetooth audio receivers, including earbuds, hearing aids, and CIs.

Earbuds, hearing aids, and CIs implementing Auracast broadcast audio will be able to join broadcasts and directly stream high-quality audio in public spaces.

How will it be helpful?

For people with hearing loss who use listening devices, Auracast is said to be set to “improve audio accessibility and promote better living through better hearing.” Like telecoils, Auracast will be deployed in public locations broadcasting audio, such as movie theaters, places of worship, and conference rooms. But, with Auracast, access to steamed audio for hearing aid wearers will no longer be limited to the physical confines of the hearing loop cable.

You will be able to stream high-quality audio from a lecture or play directly to your hearing aids. In public places such as busy airports, you will be able to receive important announcements, such as gate changes, to your hearing device. At service counters, you will be able to stream the voices of staff behind the counter.

Auracast is still in the development stages and is not currently widely available. At this update (July 2024), only ReSound Nexia and Vivia hearing aids are equipped to directly receive Auracast broadcasts at this time; however, a large number of hearing aids are "Aurcast-ready", meaning that they just need a firmware update from the manufacturer to receive Auracast broadcasts. It is expected that Auracast will have a gradual rollout over the next 2-5 years, and certainly, this is something to watch since it should greatly improve audio accessibility for people with hearing loss.

Until then, however, telecoils and other Bluetooth-assisted devices will remain an extremely valuable listening technology for many hearing aid wearers.