You can tell it's an amplified phone by the size of the buttons. A lot of hearing impaired people are old, and a lot of old people also have trouble with their vision. Therefore, most amplified phones are designed with HUGE buttons with ENORMOUS numbers on them. It's great the manufacturers can kill two birds with one stone. But consumers aren't birds. I don't need the big buttons, thank you. I see the small ones just fine. (I feel a little like the two deaf people in the coffee shop: when the waiter sees them conversing in sign language, he very helpfully brings them menus written in Braille). Like a lot of the marketing decisions hearing-assistance manufacturers make, the design of amplified phones is turning off what should be their most attractive target market: consumers in their 30s, 40s or 50s who will only be ordering more hearing assistance gear as time goes on. I think that's why the manufacturers have had such a difficult time appealing to Baby Boomers, especially those who grew up in the 1960s and vowed to never get old.
Posted by David at 03:57 PM on Mar 31, 2005 in AMPLIFIED PHONES, ASSISTIVE LISTENING, NEW PRODUCTS
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Great website. Thank you. Your post regarding Amplified Phone Design is so true. As a professional who uses the phone most of the day, I find the verious retail models lack sufficient amplication. Those designed for hearing impaired folks are are always white and bulky. Never cool. I have been hearing HAs since I was a kid and I'm a few decades from needing a phone with huge buttons, even with my not so great eyesight. I want a phone that is small and professional...just like every other young professional.
This is so true. I have been wanting to buy an amplified home for my nightstand but I am so turned off by the huge buttons and the "senior" look of these phones that I have not done so. (I'm 49 and have been wearing HA's for 15 years.) THIS boomer wants something cool looking!!
Awesome blog. Peace out until next time TabathaOster
