Transcript Telephone Equipment Distribution Program (TED)

[White text on black background reads: Telephone Equipment Distribution Program (TED). Under the text is the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division logo. Christine, a white woman with blond hair, appears in front of a gray background.] 

Do you have trouble hearing on the telephone, or know someone who does? 

[Lynne, a white woman with short white hair, sitting on a sofa in a living room, holding a phone to her ear with a concerned expression. She puts the phone down and speaks to the camera.] Sometimes when I call my mom she doesn’t answer her phone. Each time she doesn’t answer, I worry if she fell. Then later, I found out that my mom couldn’t even hear the phone ring. So now what do I do? 

[Ellen, a white woman with short brown and grey hair and glasses, standing in the kitchen, looks at her phone and shakes her head in frustration. She looks at the camera.] You know, I am very active and social with my friends. But sometimes it’s hard to make plans over the phone. I don’t know where we’re supposed to be or what time. I really wish the phone was easier to use. 

The TED Program can help! 

[Christine reappears.] The Telephone Equipment Distribution, or TED, Program can help! [Camera pans shelves of different accessibility devices in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division’s equipment demonstration lab.] The TED Program provides assistive telephone equipment to people with hearing loss at no cost. TED serves people who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing or who have speech or physical disabilities. 

How can TED help you? 

TED staff will match you with the best telephone equipment for your needs. They will show you how to use the equipment, set it up in your home and, if anything breaks, will repair it at no cost. Equipment is loaned to you for as long as you need it. If your hearing loss changes, TED staff can reassess your equipment needs. [Accessibility devices on shelf again. Anne, a white woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and glasses, picks up the receiver on a large-button amplified phone and dials.] TED staff also offer free presentations about assistive telephone equipment options. 

What equipment is available for someone with a hearing loss? 

The TED Program provides a variety of equipment to people with hearing loss, including: 

• Amplified telephones, both corded and cordless, that make your calls louder and clearer. [Accessibility devices on shelf again.] 
• Captioned telephones that allow you to read what the caller is saying and use your own voice to reply. [Close-up of CapTel captioned phone with large display.] 
• Bluetooth accessories that connect to your existing cell phone to make your calls louder and clearer. [Close-up of a person’s hands holding a cell phone and a Bluetooth streamer.] 
• Loud ringers and light flashers that let you know when the phone is ringing. [Close-up of a Sonic Alert receiver flashing, showing the phone ringing notification.] 

Learn more! 

[Christine reappears.] Contact Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division today to learn more about the TED Program! 800-657-3663 or mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing.

The Telephone Equipment Distribution Program is funded through the Department of Commerce—Telecommunications Access Minnesota (TAM) and administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services.