Assistive Devices and Free Special Phone Help From Berks Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services

Assistive technology helps people who are deaf and hard of hearing live more independently. Assistive devices use auditory signals, flashing lights or vibrations to alert people with a hearing loss. The examples listed include alarm clocks with an extra loud alarm or bed shaker, baby cry signalers, doorbell signalers, smoke and fire alarms with built-in strobe lights, telephones that adjust amplification to your hearing loss, and TV listening systems.

At the Assistive Device Demonstration Center you are welcome to make an appointment to get more information about a particular device before you decide. To set up a time, fill out the contact form at sites.psu.edu/bdhhs. The office is at 2045 Centre Avenue, Reading, PA 19605, and 610-685-4520 is listed for more information. The office hours are not listed.

Berks Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services also established an Assistive Device Distribution Program for Berks County residents. Berks County residents may fill out the application form and, if qualified and approved, receive up to $250.00 in financial aid to pay for specific devices so the client may remain independent. This is help toward the cost of a device, not a free device. Contact the office for guidelines and eligibility, which are not spelled out.

Separately, the statewide Telecommunication Device Distribution Program, now called the Free Special Phone Program, provides equipment for distance communication at no charge to Pennsylvanians who cannot use a regular phone. It is run by TechOWL, Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology at Temple University, together with the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and the PA Public Utility Commission, and is paid for by a small surcharge on traditional phone bills. Lori Fisher, the Client Consultant at Berks Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, can be contacted about the application.

Free special phones are for people who have difficulty hearing, talking, seeing, thinking or moving. Disabilities named include deafness, hearing loss, speech impairment, blindness, visual problems, and physical or intellectual disabilities. To be eligible you must be a Pennsylvania resident with a disability or disabilities that prevent you from making or receiving phone calls independently, be six years of age or older, have an individual gross income of 200% of the federal poverty level or less, have current home or mobile telephone service or the ability to get mobile phone service, and have the ability to learn how to use the requested device. Equipment is free for qualified people.

The financial eligibility guidelines as of January 15, 2026 list gross yearly income for family sizes one through eight, in that order: $31,920, $43,280, $54,640, $66,000, $77,360, $88,720, $100,080 and $111,440. The eligibility rule is written as an individual gross income of 200% of the federal poverty level or less, while the table is printed by family size, so ask TechOWL which figure applies to you.

For the Free Special Phone Program application, gather: - Proof of residence: a copy of a current driver's license, non-driver ID, utility bill, school report card, or anything pre-printed with the applicant's name and current street address - Proof of telephone service: the overview page asks for one page of your most recent telephone bill, but the linked application asks landline applicants to send the entire most recent bill. For wireless devices, the application lists several kinds of proof of a mobile plan and allows someone without a plan 30 days after receiving the device to provide it. For shared phone service in a residential facility, the overview page accepts a statement on facility letterhead signed by a staff member - Proof of the applicant's income, most recent information, such as a W-2, 1099, or award letters from retirement or Social Security - A signed Certificate of Disability - Your equipment choice or choices

The application PDF and the Certificate of Disability PDF are posted at techowlpa.org/tddp. Complete the application, disability certification and equipment selection sheet. The application provides return instructions for TechOWL at 1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Ritter Annex 4, Room 430, Philadelphia, PA 19122, email TDDP@temple.edu and fax 215-204-6336. Send it within 30 days of signing. Bank statements and Form 1040 are not accepted as income proof. A free wireless device does not include the activation fee or ongoing mobile service; the applicant is responsible for those costs. Email TDDP@temple.edu if you need an application in a language other than English, or call TechOWL at 800-204-7428 with questions about the Free Special Phone Program.

If you are eligible, you choose your equipment from the catalog. The catalog is temporarily unavailable, and a phone selection sheet PDF is posted in its place. TechOWL strongly suggests either borrowing equipment from its lending library or meeting with staff to see all of the possible choices first; cell phones cannot be lent. Once you choose your equipment, the decision is final and it cannot be exchanged. If you do not qualify, TechOWL asks you to contact your resource center to see whether they can help you find the phone you need.

Source: sites.psu.edu/bdhhs/client-services, read September 18, 2026.

The details

In Berks Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services’s words

Assistive Technology helps people who are deaf and hard of hearing to live more independently. Assistive Devices use auditory signals, flashing lights or vibrations to alert people with a hearing loss. Assistive Device Demonstration Center: At Berks Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services we have many devices on display for clients to see and test for compatibility. We welcome you to make an appointment to get more information about a particular device. Assistive Device Distribution Program: Berks…

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