Its not just older persons who are deaf

[Jenny105]

Hi this is  an add on to my post older lady seeks mobile smart / phone

At 24 I was found to be partially hearing. Its not just the elderly who are deaf. Ive worked, been very ill, lost my job, done voluntary work for disabled people. Travelled the world from Florida to Moscow, Iceland to South Africa. But conversing and communicating with my family is difficult. Deafness is known to isolate people, withdraw from what they could do etc

Its tough/ Tougher if I lived alone.  I dont know where to go for all round equipment advice thats relevant, impartial and skilled.

02 have good customer service but arent trained for this area. Plus there arent any phones to trial that are anywhere near high enough volume or complexity. With help i could manage complexity.

[Jenny105]

Hi again   here in UK a definition of a disabled person is that any  normal operation of the body which is damaged or doesnt work as the norm, then that is a disability. And covered by the disability Act of 2010 or a later one.

[Jenny105]

Toby    02 in my town BN 21 staff are very receptive to people with hearing loss and patient with older people.  Any service for disabled people needs to have these qualities. There are 2 ways of looking at disability

1 medical model - one has a medical problem which can be treated or not by others

or

2 the social model - that society does not provide the equipment , facilities for  disabled. If they did disabbled people would be more incorporated within society. i.e Society places barriers in our way because they have not found solutions to the barriers

The latter is obviously the correct way to train people

Re the deaf- accept them, be willing to help them, stock or know where to find suitable phones and be knowlegible on suitable phones DORO and recently even stronger Amplicomms phones.

PS the disability dept is only acccessible by phone - think about it ?  🙂