Are cochlear implant users able to use the telephone?
Many cochlear implant users are able to use the telephone. The telephone requires excellent listening skills. One has to be able to understand without access to visual cues and often the sound quality of a telephone is not as good as face-to-face communication. It is also important to remember that telephone communication requires both hearing and speaking. Not only do listening skills have to be well-developed, the user’s speech production must be good enough to be intelligible to the other caller. Today’s cochlear implants have many accessories which can assist in developing effective telephone skills.
