Alarms for people who are deaf or hard of hearing

Whether warning of danger or signaling the start of the day—alarms are a constant in many of our lives. A variety of assistive technology devices allow people who are deaf or hard of hearing to receive important alerts that were once inaccessible. A bed shaker uses vibration to wake people up in the morning. The small device can be placed under a pillow or mattress and paired with an alarm clock or smartphone. Users can adjust the intensity of the vibrations for light or heavy sleepers. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors have saved countless lives.Increasingly, alarms alert people of danger using both sound and flashing “strobe” lights ensuring that people who are deaf and hard of hearing can safely exit the building. Similarly, visual alert devices can use flashing lights to let people who are deaf or hard of hearing know when someone is at the door. The devices can connect to a doorbell or use a vibration sensor to determine when someone is knocking on the door.