The Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988 requires that all ‘essential’ telephones and wireless telecommunications devices manufactured or imported for use in the United States must be hearing aid compatible according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). To ensure the compatibility of the hearing devices with wireless products, an industry standardized rating system was devised to aid users in finding the most beneficial device that provides the best quality of audible clarity with the least interference. Ratings are according to the American National Standard Institute (ANSI), Standard C63.19.Phones manufactured prior to June 2023 are rated according to the ANSI 2011 Standard. Under the ANSI 2011 Standard ‘M’ and ‘T’ ratings are used to determine the value of likely interference or immunity of a wireless device in compatibility to a hearing device based on a level of numerical value from 1-4.Phones manufactured after June 2023 are rated according to the ANSI 2019 Standard. The ANSI 2019 Standard eliminates the numerical M/T rating system. The ANSI 2019 Standard requires a handset to meet a two-part test:
- The first part tests for conversational gain with a hearing aid, and the second part tests for conversational gain without a hearing aid. To pass the first part of the test, a handset must have at least 6 dB of conversational gain with a hearing aid.
- To pass the second part of the test, the handset must have at least 18 dB of conversational gain without a hearing aid.
