Telephone amplifiers

Comment by Terence McDermott on July 11, 2010 at 22:06

Hi Hazel.... this one perhaps:
http://www.soundbytes.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&St...

I did have a list of some voice aid devices but was lost when we had computer problems.

Will ask some contacts about more...

Terry

Comment by Janet Taplin on July 12, 2010 at 15:00

Hi Hazel, I know it's not ideal but when I was voiceless I used my PC to talk for me when I had to make a phone call. My (Mac) has a standard utility 'type to talk' where I could choose to sound either like Stephen Hawking or a female speaking clock LOL! But it did enable me to call banks and credit card companies as they seemed happy to converse with my computer voice once it had provided the 'personal details' however it did require a bit of forethought and planning, as I typed out all the essential information before hand and tested it to ensure the computer pronounced the words correctly before calling them. No good for personal conversations though!
I think there are a few 'type to talk' utlilties that you can download if your PC doesn't have one as a default.
One other thing I have used when I have needed to send/ leave a message for someone who does not have a mobile was to send a text message to their land line, as this leaves a voice message of your text. this was quite handy at times.

Hope this all helps

Janet

Comment by Cathy Wilson on July 27, 2010 at 12:38

Would it be an idea to ring (or get someone) BT and ask what they have on offer? but of course you may have done this already. It is just that 35 years ago, when I was only able to whisper, the telephone company had provided me with a telephone that had an amplifier just like the one you need! I still have periods when I could use one so I think I shall investigate and let you know if I come up with anything useful!

Comment by Hazel on July 27, 2010 at 13:15

No, sadly I wasn't smart enough to think of that lol. Many thanks Cathy, yes, if you find anything, please let me know

Comment by Terence McDermott on August 27, 2010 at 1:03

Here is an article that is relevant to all this which will soon be added to the lary.org.uk website. Hopefully the telephone info will be useful.

AMPLIFICATION IDEAS

There are a number of amplification options for people with voice problems. What system is best for you may depend on your particular need. For example, if amplification in one particular area (eg. office, classroom) is the main issue then an inbuilt sound system (built into or attached to walls) may be appropriate. If you need something that can be used in lots of different settings, a body worn amplifier may be what you need. It may also be the case that you can use more than one system (eg. an inbuilt system in your office and a body worn amplifier when out and about).

Amplification devices can vary considerably in quality therefore we recommend trying before you buy. This is usually possible by speaking to the distributor or manufacturer beforehand.

Body Portable Amplification Systems
These are worn on the body (both microphone and speaker) so they have the advantage of being highly portable. There can be issues regarding sound quality, appearance (eg. some people can have issues with wearing a very visible microphone) and other factors such as feedback. It is therefore advisable to try before you buy. You can usually arrange a test with a local sales rep or go into a local stockist shop to try products out.

Here are some examples of products The Lary Project has reviewed: http://www.lary.org.uk/voice-equipment-/voice-equipment

Hand Portable Amplification Systems
If you want to be able to transport your amplification system, say for giving a presentation, but do not need the degree of portability a body worn system offers or find that a body worn system is inappropriate for some other reason (eg. quality issues), there are a number of amplification systems available that can be taken to different locations.

They often consist of a standalone speaker (or speakers) and a handheld microphone and/or headset microphone. You can often buy optional add-ons such as a headset microphone. If you need to walk around with your microphone then it may be an idea to get a wireless system (ie. you do not need to plug in the microphone using a wire).

Depending on the sophistication of the system you require, it may be useful to discuss your requirements with a large amplifier manufacturer. For example, TOA is a large company offering a wide range of inbuilt and hand portable amplification devices and systems. You can see what they offer at http://www.toa-corp.co.uk/ They have said you can call them on 0870 774 0987 or email info@toa.co.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to discuss your needs.

If you are in London, a shop you can visit to try out various hand portable and body worn amplifiers is Henrys: http://www.henrys.co.uk/PA/portableamplifiers.html

Soundfield also do the To Go system which is portable. 2 speakers on one column and two microphones – boom mic (ie. Britney) and handheld. They allow free trials – contact to try. £675 approx

Inbuilt Amplification Systems
These are systems which can be installed into an office or other area and are usually attached to walls or built into walls in some way. They are sometimes portable options although the speaker is not designed to be worn on the body.

Again contacting a large supplier and discussing your needs is a good starting point. For example, TOA is a large company offering a wide range of inbuilt and hand portable amplification devices and systems. You can see what they offer at http://www.toa-corp.co.uk/ They have said you can call them on 0870 774 0987 or email info@toa.co.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to discuss your needs.

Sound Field offer an amplification system particularly used by teachers. See: http://www.soundfield.info/

Ricky from Soundfield says Soundfield System is very clear, have a number of speakers in a room, it doesn’t sound like you are being amplified (sounds very natural) and because number of speakers people around the room can hear you well.

Usually used with “silver smile” necklace which can be worn around the neck. Means don’t have anything obvious on the face. Or can use with Britney style overhead mic.

Not very suitable for someone who cannot speak at conversational level (wouldn’t suit a whisper – helps project a conversational level voice)

They allow free trials. Cost is £1100 approx

Telephone Amplifiers

Speaking on the telephone can be a big issue for people with voice problems. A telephone amplifier which amplifies outgoing sound can be helpful. It is important for any system you purchase that you make sure it amplifies outgoing sound (many are designed for the hearing impaired and therefore just amplify incoming sound). Two manufacturers of amplifiers with outgoing amplification functions are:

Plantronics: http://www.plantronics.com/europe_union/en_GB/

JPA Communications: http://www.jpltele.com/

We have spoken to Plantronics about their amplifiers and they mention two systems:

The M12 Vista provides outgoing amplification and is a professional system designed particularly for call centres. It costs approximately £70 (M12 only) and you must buy an additional microphone (the Supra Plus with noise cancelling is recommended – approx £50)

They have a cheaper amplifier system called the S12 which provides outgoing amplification. It costs approximately £48. It comes with a noise cancelling microphone included. They recommend this for private use, saying it is more than sufficient.

Whatever system you purchase, it is important to use a noise cancelling microphone so background noise is reduced and speaker voice alone is amplified.

As we have not tried these products, we would recommend contacting them directly to discuss your needs (they said people were welcome to) and consider testing the products before purchase (they are the manufacturers but their distributors should let you try the products – they can let you know who is the nearest distributor).

Plantronics contact details are listed here: http://www.plantronics.com/europe_union/en_GB/contact.jsp

Other links that may be useful

Text to speak software. This provides the ability to type what you want to say into a computer and the computer speaks for you. A leading supplier is Natural Readers: www.naturalreaders.com

Communication Matters. A charity working with communication assistive technologies: http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk

You may like to attend one of their road shows where you can try out what they have to offer:
http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/page/road-shows

Toby Churchill. A UK based company supplying some voice amplifiers and text to speech communication systems for those who may need to communicate using software/computer device.
For voice amplifiers, see: http://www.toby-churchill.com/en/products/voice-amplifiers
For text to speech communication, see: http://www.toby-churchill.com/en/content/lightwriters-0

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