| Modern technology has had a considerable | | | | to suit particular situations. There are portable light |
| contribution to communication augmentation. | | | | communicators, but also high tech laptop |
| Today various types of communication aid | | | | computers. |
| devices exist to match individual skills, needs, and | | | | Among the most used communication aids, there |
| problems of those with communication disabilities. | | | | are different types of communicators |
| New and enhanced TTY phones have also been | | | | (BIGmack® Communicator, BIG Step-by-Step |
| developed to meet the needs of people with | | | | Communicator), pads and cards. They use either |
| hearing or speech disabilities. | | | | graphic symbols or recorded messages facilitate |
| All of us use the concept of communication | | | | communication. More types of communication |
| augmentation frequently in our every day life. | | | | aids, together with information and online |
| Gesturing and pointing at an object may help | | | | purchasing is available on the ILT (Independent |
| express ourselves in a noisy surrounding or when | | | | Living Technologies) site. |
| speaking in a foreign language. Some of us | | | | TTY phones or telephone typewriters are also |
| however depend on it all the time. A person with | | | | some of the devices that come to meet the |
| communication difficulty depends on methods of | | | | needs of people with communication disabilities. |
| augmentative and alternative communication to | | | | They were fortunately developed to help text |
| overcome their disability. | | | | communication via a telephone line for patients |
| Communication aids are devices that serve as | | | | with hearing or speech disabilities. Also called |
| means to complete or replace speech for those | | | | telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDD), |
| with severe communication impairments. They | | | | TTY phones are available with various |
| have been developed for those who cannot | | | | enhancements: graphic display, pocket size, |
| benefit from other methods of augmentative and | | | | VTouch (for Braille-TTY phone) and printers. |
| alternative communication (AAC). Gesture and | | | | Since their discovery in 1964 TTY phones have |
| body language, manual sign or handwriting may be | | | | been used mainly for making phone calls to |
| inaccessible and difficult to perform and may | | | | regular telephone users. Newer applications for |
| sometimes prove inadequate to meet all | | | | these types of phones include: short message |
| communication needs. | | | | service (SMS), Internet relay chat (IRC) and |
| There are various types of communication aid | | | | instant messaging. |
| devices to match individual skills, needs, and | | | | Fortunately, modern technology has found its way |
| problems. These devices can be used in a wide | | | | into communication augmentation. Latest |
| range of purposes and locations: schools, colleges | | | | discoveries in communication aids and new, |
| and higher education, hospital and family or | | | | enhanced TTY phones facilitate social integration |
| residential homes. Their main utility is to enhance | | | | and education of those with communication |
| interpersonal interaction, which will facilitate social | | | | disabilities. |
| integration and education. | | | | Please visit our website to purchase TTY phones |
| Technological advances have widened the range | | | | and other types of communication aids, devices |
| of communication options to those with different | | | | which will help people with disabilities lead a normal |
| types of communication impairment. Various | | | | life. |
| types of communication aids are now accessible | | | | |