iPhone in hot water with hearing loss group
Apple is getting used to lawsuits surrounding the iPhone, but whereas some should never have been filed, this one is more serious.
The Hearing Loss Association of America advocacy group has filed formal complaints with the FCC claiming that, "the phone [is] not usable with a hearing aid, either on the microphone or telecoil setting. Clearly, it was not designed to be hearing aid compatible. It should have been."
There's already a well-documented FCC regulation which requires phone manufacturers to ensure that their products are accessible to people with disabilities, if such access is "readily achievable".
Brenda Battat, HLAA's associate executive director, said that "[The iPhone] was probably tested for HAC prior to release. As soon as they got the results, they would have known it was not accessible to hearing aid and cochlear implant users."
She claims that, in tests with the iPhone, when the device is held to a cochlear implant and a hearing aid, it gives out a loud buzzing interference.
Battat continued, "[Apple] state a willingness to get up to speed with accessibility. Too bad they did not do it prior to release and not after."
Apple may not need to make changes to the iPhone, however, as it only has one handset on the market, with the FCC regulations stating that manufacturers offering two or fewer digital wireless handsets in the US need not comply with the hearing aid compatibility compliance obligations.
(Via Computer World)
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