RNID Sound Advantage

Tel: 01733 232607 (Voice)     01733 282020 (Text)

Fax: 01733 361161

Email: solutions@rnid.org.uk

RNID Sound Advantage sells by mail order equipment that may help you at work such as textphones (including mobile phones), radio microphones and loop systems. It can also provide useful information and advice if you are trying to identify the best equipment for purchase through Access to Work. It produces a publication on the best products, called "Solutions", with a separate section on Education and Employment, and you can view and order items on the RNID's website by clicking on "RNID Shop" on www.rnid.org.uk

Hearing Concern

Tel: 0845 0744600 (Voice/Text)     Fax: 020 8742 9043

Hearing Concern has a sample of textphones and other specialised equipment on display in the John Hart Communications Room at its Head Office in Acton and staff with technical expertise to give advice. If you want to see what is on display, ring the Helpdesk to arrange a visit.

Tel:01494 723613 (Voice/Text)     Fax:01494 431932

NADP has produced a factsheet on environmental aids for deafened people that identifies several companies that make relevant products.

Access to Work(AtW) Business Centres

When you and your employer have agreed on what technical communication aids you need, remember that you should be able to get a financial contribution to meet part or all of the cost through Access to Work by applying to an AtW Adviser at your nearest AtW Business Centre. To find your nearest Centre click here.

This is the National Telephone Relay System, funded by BT and based in Liverpool, that enables a deaf or deafened person using their textphone to communicate with a hearing person who has a voice phone (and vice versa) via a third party, the Typetalk operator.

If you are deafened and have normal speech, the operator's role is simply to type what the hearing caller says so that you can read it on your textphone. If you think that your speech will not be intelligible, the operator can also read out your typed responses to the hearing caller.

To use Typetalk as a deafened person with a textphone you need to dial 18001 before the telephone number you want to contact. You will be connected immediately; but a Typetalk operator will have been alerted to take part in the call. Similarly a hearing friend who wants to ring you needs to dial 18002 before dialling your number to involve the Typetalk operator in the call.

For more information about Typetalk:

Tel: 0800 7311 888 (Voice)     0800 500 888 (Text)