Hearing Loss Resource Center

Medical Alternatives Related Topics:
	Hearing Aids
	Cochlear Implants
	Auditory Training and Speech/ Language Pathology
	Assistive Technologies
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Assistive Technology

Assistive Listening Devices are a broad category of electronic devices other than hearing aids, designed to help deaf and hard of hearing people hear or become aware of sounds around them.

Some of the more widely used categories of devices include:

Television amplifiers (FM and infrared)
Amplified phones
TTY (teletype) which transmits and received typed messages from one TTY user to another
Baby monitor
Sound notification systems: This is a large category of devices designed to alert deaf and hard of hearing people to one or many sounds such as a doorbell, motion sensory security system, knock sensor, TTY/phone, smoke detectors, etc.
Vibrating or light flashing alarm clocks
Severe weather alerting systems
Vibrating pager
Vibrating medication alerting/dispensing systems
Personal amplifiers (look like a walkman and amplify speech and environmental sounds)
Soundfield amplification systems
Group FM systems
Conference microphone (a microphone placed in the center of a table to amplify and transmit sound via FM signal to a person or FM receiver)

FM technology transmits sound over an FM radio wave the same way that radio stations transmit sound from their stations to your radio.

Infrared technology transmits sound over a light wave. This technology requires the absence of obstacles between the transmitter and receiver.

Telecoil or loop systems use a magnetic induction loop throughout a room.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division's regional offices in Minnesota have many pieces of equipment available for demonstration but not for sale. To establish a time to see equipment demonstrated in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, call 651-297-1316 or 651-297-1313 (TTY) or visit http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/groups/disabilities/
documents/pub/DHS_id_000081.hcsp for other locations.