Hearing Loss Devices Portland ME

Modern technology has provided a multitude of alerting devices for people with hearing loss. Standard alerting devices normally rely on sound to alert a person. But sound is of little value to a hard of hearing, late deafened, or oral deaf person. Alerting devices for people with hearing loss generally rely on either visual signals or vibration.

There are all kinds of devices available for people with hearing loss. Virtually any type of audio alert is available in a format suitable for people with hearing loss. This includes baby monitors, fire alarms, alarm clocks, telephone (TTY) signalers, and doorbells.

Smoke Alarms are fundamental to a feeling of well-being, because they awake us in case of fire.

One of the big concerns of people with hearing loss is being notified in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. We often hear about people with hearing loss who were totally unaware of a tornado warning or notification of other event. Fortunately there are some emergency radios available that address this need.

Another safety issue concerns the notification of the presence of emergency vehicles when on the road. Many hearing people no longer hear the sirens of these vehicles - windows up, sound system blasting), so it should be no surprise that people with hearing loss often don't hear them. There are some automobile alerting systems that address this need.

March 2003 - How do people with hearing loss wake up in the morning? Many of them can't hear a standard alarm clock. There are a great variety of devices that address that problem. Here's Curtis Dickerson's articles on Alarm Clocks for People with Hearing Loss.

October 2007 - With New Device, Police Shake, Rattle and Roll

February 2008 - New Booming Police Siren Rattles Nerves

May 2010 - Unitron Introduces Smart Alert System

June 2010 - WeatherText: Technology for Full Access to Weather and All Hazard Alerts

July 2010 - Making Your Home Accessible and Safe

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With New Device, Police Shake, Rattle and Roll

October 2007

With his lights and sirens blaring, D.C. police officer Lou Schneider raced to an emergency call, past dozens of startled onlookers standing on the crowded streets of the city's Chinatown area.  The ground beneath Schneider's patrol car literally was quivering.  "You know when this is coming up behind you," said Schneider, one of a few dozen D.C. officers who are using the department's newest sirens -- the ones that people can feel as well as hear.  "It vibrates everything," he said.  Meet the Rumbler.  The high-tech blaster is being used along with the traditional siren. It is aimed at grabbing people's attention and getting them to make room for officers responding to emergencies, helping police navigate through traffic faster and safer. People can feel it from about 200 feet away.  Full Story

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New Booming Police Siren Rattles Nerves

February 2008