AN EMPLOYERS GUIDE TO BUYING SMARTPHONES FOR HEARING IMPAIRED EMPLOYEES

Transcription

1 AN EMPLOYERS GUIDE TO BUYING SMARTPHONES FOR HEARING IMPAIRED EMPLOYEES

2 CONTENTS Introduction 1 Outlining the problems facing hearing 2 impaired users Legislation and advice to users in the US 3 Existing guidance and advice to UK users 4 Choosing a handset 6 New solutions 8 Further guidance 9 About Active 9 Contact us 10

3 INTRODUCTION This guide started life within Active as both something we were passionate about but also as something of a requirement. The fact is, and this will become clearer throughout the guide, the huge number of smartphone users who have a hearing impairment are severely underserved by the marketplace; by manufacturers and networks and above those, by government legislation. If you yourself suffer from a hearing impairment, or have an employee who does, the situation when looking for a suitable smartphone, as described in this guide, will no doubt feel very familiar. There s a definite lack of advice out there to enable users and employees to make an informed decision, putting them in the best possible position to choose a handset which will perform to their requirements whilst not sacrificing usability or the high-level features and functions we are all now used to. Because of this lack of information, we are often asked by users both about the challenges hearing impaired employees may face and which smartphone we recommend and so this guide has been created due to a need within the marketplace which we still don t see being addressed elsewhere. If you need to purchase a smartphone for a hearing impaired employee, or have a hearing impairment yourself, then we hope you find the guide useful. We would also value your feedback on it. With little information out there, the guide has been created from our own findings, research and experience, and we re keen to keep developing all of those by getting feedback from our users. Please do get in touch if you feel comfortable sharing your past or present experiences. In the meantime, we hope this guide provides you with the information you are looking for and helps you to make an informed choice of smartphone. Jason K Stephanides Managing Director, Active IT 1

4 OUTLINING THE PROBLEMS FACING HEARING IMPAIRED USERS To understand the problems hearing impaired users face when selecting a smartphone, it is first necessary to have a cursory understanding of what it means to be hearing impaired in relation to smartphone usage. Whilst we certainly cannot do service to the range of different reasons, symptoms and experiences of the ten million people with a hearing impairment in the UK, this brief section should provide some context behind exactly what a hearing impaired user is trying to overcome when selecting a smartphone. There are two broad types of hearing loss, which can sometimes occur together to form a third type of hearing loss known as Mixed Hearing Loss: Conductive Hearing Loss Conductive hearing loss is typically characterised as damage in the outer ear, which results in sound not being passed to the eardrum and the middle ear. For people with conductive hearing loss, it is usual that they will hear noise only very faintly, or with severe reduction. Sensorineural Hearing Loss When the damage to the ear occurs in the inner ear, this is know as sensorineural hearing loss, which also covers damage to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain. Although it can be treated, sensorineural hearing loss is the most common form of permanent hearing loss. People suffering from a sensorineural condition usually find their ability to hear faint sounds is reduced and that loud sounds can appear to be muffled. Hearing Loss Treatment There are several different types of treatment for hearing loss, of which the most familiar one to many of us will be the use of a hearing aid. Hearing aids come in many different versions, in order to cater for different types of hearing loss and different types of user. With one eye on the challenges facing hearing impaired smartphone users, it is necessary to understand some of the key features of many hearing aids. Many hearing aids will include a microphone designed to pick up the sound that someone with regular hearing would usually hear. The hearing aid will then often feature a miniature amplifier to make the sound louder for the hearing impaired user. This sound will then be delivered to the user by way of a small speaker known as a receiver. Some hearing aids also feature the use of a technology known as Telecoil, often referred to simply as T. This is now fairly old technology but has proven to be effective, particularly when it comes to amplifying the sounds from telephones. 2

5 LEGISLATION AND ADVICE TO USERS IN THE US Whilst the UK has failed to put any legislation in place which enables hearing impaired users to make an easy choice on an accessible smartphone, the US government has taken several steps to help hearing impaired users get access to a beneficial piece of technology. The steps taken on the other side of the Atlantic are relatively simple. As part of the The Hearing Aid Compatibility Act, the Federal Communications Commission implemented a structure for service providers whereby two handsets must be provided to users which meet a minimum set of standards for compatibility. For manufacturers, the rules are even more significant and packaging at point of sale must provide clear information to hearing impaired users to enable them to make a beneficial choice. US handsets are clearly rated for their compatibility with telecoils (a T rating), and the performance of the device when hearing aids use something known as a microphone setting (the M rating), both features of hearing aid technology which are briefly covered in the previous section of this guide. Both phones and hearing aids are rated on a scale of 1 to 4 for both T and M performance, with only phones that achieve level 3 or higher counting under The Hearing Aid Compatibility Act quotas. Smartphones in the US are also rated using a system known as SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) for the level of radiation they emit during calls, which can also affect the quality of sound experienced by hearing aid users. DID YOU KNOW: EVEN THOUGH US AND UK SMARTPHONE HANDSETS MAY SHARE SIMILAR OR EVEN IDENTICAL MODEL NUMBERS, THE UK VERSIONS MAY LACK THE FEATURES THAT MAKE THEM HIGHLY RATED FOR US HEARING IMPAIRED USERS. 3

6 EXISTING GUIDANCE AND ADVICE TO UK USERS When compared to the US market, the picture for UK users is certainly less informed and arguably more confused because of the clarity of advice on offer in the States. UK users carrying out independent research can often find themselves on US-based sites, which can then lead them to search for handsets that are unavailable in the UK. Further still, some handsets which are common on both sides of the Atlantic do not share the exact same technology which makes them suitable for hearing impaired users: any given US handset may be highly-rated, whilst its UK equivalent would not achieve the M3 or T3 mark when tested on the American system. The lack of government legislation also means that telephone manufacturers and networks are reluctant to provide any sort of formal advice, partially because of the different forms of hearing loss, the wide range of technologies available to help hearing impaired users and uncertainty about how those factors will then play out with recommended telephones. Meanwhile the advice and assistance that is out there often feels like a middle-ground for users. Action For Hearing Loss, the main UK body representing those with hearing impairments, at time of writing, has only a range of specialist phones on their website, which lack the features and functionality of a product made by, say, Apple, Nokia or Samsung. Networks and manufacturers that do offer advice tend to over-simplify the message, sometimes merely recommending that users purchase a phone that is loud. Occasionally manufacturers will produce a phone with a hearing aid compatibility mode, with results that have ranged from encouraging to actually making the situation worse. THERE IS AN ARGUMENT THAT THE SITUATION IS ACTUALLY GETTING WORSE FOR HEARING IMPAIRED USERS. THE BEST PHONE I EVER HAD WAS A 10 HANDSET FROM ASDA! - Jason, Managing Director, Active IT 4

7 UK US People with a hearing aid or a hearing impairment - over 10 million (16.7%). People with a hearing aid or a hearing impairment - 36 million (17%). Looked after by Action On Hearing Loss, an independent charity, completely separate from the government. Looked after by The Federal Communications Commission, an independent government agency. Is yet to establish any formal rules for mobile phone manufacturers or networks. Started to establish rules for mobile phone manufacturers governing hearing aid compatibility in 2003 and has developed them since. No guidance to manufacturers on phone production. Manufacturers must ensure at least a third of the phones they produce meet a minimum standard of M rating. No guidance to networks on the phones they offer. Each network must meet a minimum standard of M rating for at least 50% of the phones it offers to consumers. 5

8 CHOOSING A HANDSET Though the situation will never be fully resolved until some action is taken on making the guidance for hearing impaired users clearer, Active have spent a considerable amount of time testing smartphones in an attempt to provide some guidance on the matter. As stated previously in this guide, there are a wide range of hearing impairments and a wide range of hearing aids to help to treat impairments, so we cannot guarantee the below handsets will benefit every user, but they may provide you with a starting point. Whilst, for many users, it may still be a case of trial and error, here are some of the common handsets we have recently tested, under conductive hearing loss conditions. 6

9 Manufacturer Model Volume while in call Clarity of call Overall experience Blackberry Z Blackberry s flagship phone, the Z10 provides only average call quality and a below-average user experience. Nokia Though attractively priced, Nokia s 301 is amongst the worst of our recent tests. Don t be tempted by a potential saving on handset cost. Nokia Lumia Featuring the modern Windows interface, the Lumia 625 is an attractive option, with good call volume, though there is still better available. Nokia Nokia s 925 might boast improved specs but it is a case of a step backwards for hearing impaired users. No improvement (and actually probably worse) when compared to the 625. Apple Nokia iphone 4S/5S/6 Budget phones Apple s latest iphone devices are amongst the best phones we have tested.featuring excellent volume and clarity and benefiting from the familiar Apple design and quality, this is a good option Nokia s cheap-and-cheerful range of phones have consistently tested extremely well, equalling the iphone s performance. Retailing for around 10 they are hard to beat on in-call quality and volume, though they have few of the features available on modern smartphones. Nokia The Nokia 530 performs similarly to the 925. Though it has the features, this is a big let down for hearing impaired users, when compared to other phones on the market. 7

10 NEW SOLUTIONS Though mobile phone manufacturers and networks continue to provide fairly limited advances in technology for hearing impaired users, happily there is innovation coming from elsewhere in the marketplace. Several independent companies have been attempting to advance hearing aid-compatible technology for mobile phones for several years, with some recent products attracting a significant amount of attention and praise from users. This, though, only provides part of the answer. Many of the innovative devices on offer carry significant price tags, are still in early editions or are unavailable in certain territories, all factors which could prevent many hearing impaired users from being able to benefit. There is also the added inconvenience of having to charge and carry another device, when small advances in the smartphones on offer in the UK could solve the problem on their own. These are two of our favourite bits of extra technology, currently available. Bernafon SoundGate 2 - a system which uses Bluetooth to directly pass the audio from your phone to your hearing aid. In this way, several of the factors that can hamper the quality of your call are bypassed or eliminated. esound LiNX and ReSound Smart - designed specifically for the iphone, this hearing aid works with an app on the phone which allows you to tweak settings, as well as stream calls and music directly into the hearing aid from the phone. 8

11 FURTHER GUIDANCE The following list of websites and organisations may help users to gain more understanding about smartphones and hearing impairments. The Federal Communications Commission - read about the action taken in the US and the minimum requirements for manufacturers and networks. FOCUS GROUPS OVER THE YEARS HAVEN T REALLY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE LARGE VARIATIONS IN HEARING LOSS AND MOBILE PHONE PERFORMANCE AFTER DISCUSSIONS MANY YEARS AGO THE ANSWER SEEMS TO BE HAVE BEEN LEFT AT THE FACT THAT IF YOU ARE HEARING IMPAIRED, THE EASIEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE VIA SMART PHONES IS TEXT OR . - Lee, Hearing Aid Audiologist and Partner, Specsavers Action On Hearing Loss - premiere body for people with hearing loss in the UK. Formally known as the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID). SAR Values - Further information on SAR interference. ABOUT ACTIVE Active Business Communications was set up in Stockport, Greater Manchester in 1997, to provide the benefits of the latest telecommunications systems to businesses throughout the North West. A year in which the world of business communications was undergoing dramatic change, 1997 saw the Internet experiencing phenomenal growth and the concept of wireless communications beginning to change the way companies planned for their future. From day one, we ve been determined to provide outstanding personal service to our customers. We ve remained independent, which means we re able to give impartial advice when discussing our expertise across mobile phones, telephone systems and IT. Fast forward to the present day and a lot has changed since we first set up. Today, business telecoms technology plays a vital part in every company s operation, something we re proud to help them with from our position as one of the leading independent telecommunications providers in the UK.

12 CONTACT US If you would like to contact us regarding this guide or any of the information within it, then please feel free to get in touch using any of the following methods: Active Business Communications Ltd Active House, 11 Bredbury Business Park Bredbury Park Way, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2SN +44 (0) (0) Business Mobile Fixed Lines Telematics IT Services Telephone systems Broadband