Hearing aids have not in the past always worked effectively with cellular phones, because of electronic interference between the 2 devices that triggered static, whistling or screeching noises, or lost words. Thankfully, advances in technology and new government regulations have made the issue “Will this phone work together with my hearing aid?” easier to answer.

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A Primer on Hearing Aid / Cellular Phone Compatibility
Hearing aids have not in the past always
worked effectively with cellular phones,
because of electronic interference between the
2 devices that triggered static, whistling or
screeching noises, or lost words. Thankfully,
advances in technology and new government
regulations have made the issue “Will this
phone work together with my hearing aid?”
easier to answer. The regulations mandated
new labeling requirements and ratings that help you to easily find a cell phone that
works well with your hearing aid.
The first thing you need to understand is that hearing aids operate in two different
modes – microphone or “M” mode, and telecoil or “T” mode. When your hearing aid
is in M mode, it uses the built-in microphone to pick up audible sounds from around
you and amplify them to make them easier for you to hear. In T mode, the hearing
aid instead uses an inductive process to pick up electromagnetic signals inside the
phone directly, without the need for a microphone. The T mode is important when
shopping for a phone, because at least 60% of hearing aids sold in the United
States have one.
The rating system for these two modes of hearing aid operation uses a scale that
ranges from the lowest sensitivity (1) to the highest sensitivity (4). To be labeled as
hearing aid compatible (HAC) a mobile phone must carry a minimum rating of M3
or T3.
Hearing aids and cochlear implants have a similar M and T rating system to certify
how sensitive they are in each mode, and how resistant they are to radio frequency
interference. When shopping for a phone, to determine its compatibility with your
hearing aid, simply add its M and T ratings together with those of the phone to
create a combined rating. If you get a combined total of 6 or more, that is thought
of as excellent, a combination of hearing aid and phone that will be highly usable. A
combined rating of 5 is thought of as normal, and suitable for most people. A sum
of 4 is considered acceptable, but if you are a heavy mobile phone user, you may
be disappointed or frustrated with this choice.

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This combined rating system makes it easy to shop for a mobile phone online,
because it easily allows you to determine how compatible it will be with your
hearing aid. If you are able to shop in a store that allows you to “try before you
buy” and actually use the phone you want while wearing your hearing aid, that is of
course a better idea.