Specialized Telephone Equipment

What might you do if you found that you were losing your hearing and were unable to hear what the person on the other end of the line is saying; or if a disease or an accident took away your ability to hold a telephone receiver or punch in a phone number.

Such scenarios are hard for anyone. We all need access to the outside world, for emergency and social contact. But people with disabilities often have special needs in using telephones, whether due to mobility impairment, hearing, speech or visions difficulties, or cognitive challenges. So CLW, in partnership with Verizon, helps people with disabilities get special telephone equipment under CLW's Specialized Telephone Equipment Program (STEP) free-of-charge or at a small fraction of the average cost.

A broad range of disabilities can be addressed with Verizon's equipment. Hands-free telephones, for example, allow people with mobility impairments to place and answer calls. Products for people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing include amplified telephones, telephone signalers, and TTY (Teletypwriters). Equipment for people with cognitive disabilities include Memory Telephones and Number Announcers. We help determine which phone is most effective for each individual, and if applicable, make sure the equipment is delivered and installed.