No Need to Miss Another Phone Call With Others

I went to a Zoom meeting that some would call grandparents meeting, senior citizens meeting, women of a certain age meeting even though there was one man in the meeting. This meeting was very informative. The program was the Senior Assist Program, and today it featured a presentation by a representative from the Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program, STAP for short.

This was my first meeting of the Senior Assist Program, and I wanted to see what it was all about, and if I could learn something for myself or someone else. I learned a lot that I want to share with you.

The talk today was on communicating with those with disabilities such as hard of hearing, deaf, mobility issues, speech impediments and more. At this time I don’t have any of these, but I have a relative that does. This person is hard of hearing so when they talked about telephones that would assist them with talking on the telephone my ears perked up.

This program is available in most states, and it provides telephones, tablets and accessories to help people who need help enjoying a conversation on a phone. They do still have landlines, smartphones, tablets and more that have different features to assist the persons specific needs. They assist you in selecting the equipment that best suits each individual.

This service and the equipment is free of charge. You do have to fill out paperwork, send off proof of residency (you must live in the state that you are applying from. The person who will receive the equipment must sign the application. The only downside is that it does come from the state, and it can take anywhere from 2 to 4 months to get the equipment.

Here is a slideshow that will explain the program, the equipment and application more. It is from the Texas Health and Human Services Department. If you don’t live in Texas find your state’s Health and Human Services Department. In Texas you can also go to the Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program site (STAP) to find more information. You may have to do some research in your state to find out about programs such as this, but it will be well worth the effort.

I’ll be going back to the next Senior Assist Program because if I don’t need the information, I know someone who does. Remember “thisisyourbestyear” there are services out there to help those that need it.