Technology Timeline for the Deaf Community

  • Ear Trumpet

    Ear Trumpet
    The first firm to begin commercial production of the ear trumpet was established by Frederick C. Rein in London in 1800.
  • Electric Hearing Aid

    Electric Hearing Aid
    The first electronic hearing aids were constructed after the invention of the telephone and microphone in the 1870s and 1880s. The technology within the telephone increased how acoustic signal could be altered. Telephones were able to control the loudness, frequency, and distortion of sounds. These abilities were used in the creation of the hearing aid.
  • Captioning on Films

    Captioning on Films
    In 1947, Romero developed the first captioning for a movie, slicing film strips and inserting images with captions between picture frames. The effect was similar to the title cards of silent movies, interspersing action scenes with images of text. He rented the films to deaf schools and clubs.
  • Captioning added to TV programs

    Captioning added to TV programs
    As television developed in the 1950s and 1960s the deaf were virtually left out. As the head of DCMP (the Described and Captioned Media Program), Norwood became a leading advocate for the development of closed captioning on television and was singularly responsible for popularizing the captioning technique now used in television. First with special caption decoders, and later integrated into the television circuitry.
  • TTY invented

    TTY invented
    Robert Weitbrecht, a deaf scientist, developed the teletypewriter (TTY) in the 1960s. With the invention of the acoustic coupler (which holds the telephone handset receiver) and the distribution of recycled teletype machines, deaf and hard of hearing people were able to call each other directly using these devices.
  • Cochlear Implant

    Cochlear Implant
    Cochlear implants started being used to help with severe to profound hearing loss
  • Deaf Signaling Devices

    Deaf Signaling Devices
    Light systems inform Deaf people about sounds in their environment.
  • TTYs are improved

    TTYs are improved
    In the late 1970’s and through the 1980’s, much smaller and compact versions of the TTY were manufactured, marketed, and made available through state TTY equipment distribution programs.
  • Video Phones invented

    Video Phones invented
    Video compression capability allowed Deaf to sign their conversations for the first tie
  • Video calls on every device

    Video calls on every device
    Wifi and Cell phone quality leads to ability to have video calls over cell phones and more
  • Cell phones have it all!

    Cell phones have it all!
    Live Transcribe
    Bluetooth link to hearing aids
    Video calls
    Text, email,
    Ring doorbell, other signalers