ToneTalker is a low cost, portable, hand-held, battery powered text telephone device which enables a hearing impaired person to see messages sent from any touchtone phone. ToneTalker has a display and a microphone on a suction cup which attaches to the telephone receiver. Whoever communicates with the hearing impaired person needs only the keys on his touchtone telephone to spell words to the ToneTalker device, which is used with the hearing impaired person's telephone receiver. The hearing impaired person reads the typed message as it scrolls across (from right to left) on the ToneTalker display. No other computer, device, or special telephone is required. Only the hearing impaired person needs ToneTalker. Voice communication is not affected.

Features include-

**No computer needed

**Easy to learn and use

**Built in words and phrases generated by a 2 key code

**Automatic shutoff after 2 minutes

Components: ToneTalker Unit

Price: $300.00

Consultants for Communication Technology
508 Bellevue Terrace
Pittsburgh, PA 15202
1-412-761-6062
Fax: 412-761-7336
e-mail: 70272.1034@compuserve.com

ToneTalk is a software/hardware combination that allows two-way communication between a deaf, or hard of hearing person and a hearing or able-bodied person without the use of a TTY. It can be used from the keyboard or with a single switch, enabling hearing impaired persons to have access to the many services and pleasures available through the telephone. The use of ToneTalk requires an ordinary touch-tone phone. The non-hearing-impaired user just types a message using the letters on the phone's numeric key- pad. The computer of the ToneTalk user decodes, or translates, and then checks each word typed against a 4,000 word vocabulary list. The vocabulary list can be changed allowing flexibility for a customized vocabulary list to be used. Additionally, a spelling mode decodes any word not contained within the vocabulary list. Thus the users have unrestricted vocabulary use. The message is printed on the computer screen automatically. A near-human quality speech synthesizer complements the system. ToneTalk is a highly portable system, using the Model JK communication interface with a small laptop computer. It features:

* visual incoming call detection.

* computer based dialing and call answering abilities.

* single switch access control

* sound/voice detection switch

Model JK Speech Synthesizer, Laptop computer, ToneTalk software. $2,500

Consultants for Communication Technology
508 Bellevue Terrace
Pittsburgh, PA 15202
1-412-761-6062
Fax: 412-761-7336
e-mail: 70272.1034@compuserve.com

Author: Mike Birkmire
Copyright © 1995 Learning Independence Through Computers. AbleComm Project, All rights reserved.