• How to Get a Captioned Phone | Hard of Hearing AskSAMIE: Answers for Accessibility - AskSAMIE: Answers for Accessibility
  • How to Get a Captioned Phone | Hard of Hearing AskSAMIE: Answers for Accessibility - AskSAMIE: Answers for Accessibility
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How to Get a Captioned Phone | Hard of Hearing

How to Get a Captioned Phone | Hard of Hearing

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CapTel (short for Captioned Telephone) is a specialized telephone service designed to help individuals with hearing loss better understand phone conversations. Using a CapTel phone, users can both hear the caller's voice and read real‑time captions of what the caller is saying on a built‑in display

CapTel is an invaluable accessibility tool—offering a natural, interactive phone experience by combining hearing and reading. It’s particularly helpful for improving clarity, independence, and confidence during everyday calls.

Why we know this works

We love this captioned phone resource because as occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) we watch clients stop answering the phone once they can no longer trust what they hear, and missed calls quickly turn into missed doctor appointments and lost friendships. How does a captioned phone work? With CapTel you listen to the caller's voice like normal while real time captions of what they say appear on a built in display, so you can read any words your ears miss instead of guessing or asking people to repeat themselves.

This is especially helpful for older adults with age related hearing loss, hearing aid users who still struggle on the phone, and anyone whose hearing changed after illness or noise exposure. If speech is also affected, or hearing the voice no longer helps at all, look at our Phone Access for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Speech Disabilities listing on nationwide relay services instead.

How to access this resource

Go to https://www.captel.com/

Frequently Asked Questions

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