TTYs allowed deaf individuals to communicate in written form over teleprinters connected to landlines. They are being replaced by SMS on mobile phones. Alert systems for deaf users rely on vibrations and flashing lights instead of sounds for alarms, timers, and doorbells. Assistive listening devices amplify speech for hard of hearing users while reducing background noise through technologies like FM, induction loops, and infrared to improve hearing quality over distance and in noisy places. Live captioning provides real-time subtitles to enable deaf people to understand televised audio content.

2. Teletypewriter (TTY)
Socialising with friends from home is virtually impossible
for two people who are profoundly deaf.
A teletypewriter is a teleprinter whereby the conversation
is conveyed in written form between two participants who
possess this machine.
It is slowly becoming outdated as it is replaced by mobile
phones SMS.

3. This is an example of a
classic TTY

4. Alert systems
Alert systems are designed to make large sounds in
the case of an emergency or something that needs
immediate attention. To someone who is deaf, this
can be troublesome and potentially dangerous due
to the inability to hear.

5. Alert systems
Alert systems such as alarm clocks, smoke detector
cooking timer and doorbells use vibrations and
strobing lights as a replacement to the sound signal.
Many can be integrated on one interface through a
control, whereby flashing of different colours indicate
different items that need attention.

6. Alarm clock
Door “bell”
Fire alarm

7. Assistive Listening Device
Cochlear implants and hearing implants greatly improves
the hearing quality to someone who is hard of hearing.
However, they only work when the speaker is in close
proximity to the user and there are no background noises.
An assistive listening device increases the volume of
spoken words while reducing background noises for
better hearing quality. The main three types are frequency
modulated systems, induction loops and infrared systems.

8. National symbol for Assistive
Listening Device. It is used to
indicate if a particular venue
has this technology avaliable.

9. Live captioning
Leisurely activities like watching television can be
challenging as a deaf person may not understand
what is being said.
Live captioning provides real time subtitles for
television news and entertainment programs.

10. Visual representation of how live captioning works