Broadband Aids Captioned Phone Calls

Raymond Keplinger never thought he would have much use for broadband. But when his hearing-disabled wife read about a telephone that assists with calls by providing captions of the conversation, he realized the Internet offered unique benefits.

“I’m tickled to death with it. It helps her out, she can understand people, she can turn the volume up. It’s working perfectly,” he said.

Milam resident Lisa Mae Keplinger uses her new CapTel phone, which uses broadband to provide captions for the hearing-disabled during telephone conversations.
Milam resident Lisa Mae Keplinger uses her new CapTel phone, which uses broadband to provide captions for the hearing-disabled during telephone conversations.

 

Mr. Keplinger’s family contacted Hardy, and Hardy employees installed the special phone from CapTel. The telephone is connected to the Internet and uses broadband and your telephone service to provide voices and captions during calls.

Lisa Mae Keplinger uses the phone to call neighbors and her sister in Martinsburg.  She said she had never heard of a captioned telephone until she read about it in a magazine. By using the version of the telephone that works with a broadband connection, Mrs. Keplinger doesn’t have to dial any special number or service before making her calls. She simply dials the regular number of the person she wants to reach.

During a recent conversation, she explained to the person on the phone that she was calling to demonstrate the telephone for a visitor.

“OK, I got you,” the person answered. Within a couple of seconds, the words appeared on the telephone’s screen, which is about the size of a small tablet screen. The captioning continued throughout the call, giving Mrs. Keplinger the ability to read the other person’s answers.

The Internet connects directly to the phone, so Mr. Keplinger isn’t distracted by a nearby computer.

“I don’t want to get on there and start buying stuff,” he said.

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