HATIS
and Verizon Pave Road to Complete Wireless Telecommunications Access for Hard-of-Hearing
HATIS and Verizon
Team to Offer Hard-of-Hearing Access to Cellular Phones
Walnut Creek,
CA—October 8, 2001—HATIS® Corporation announced today, access to
cellular phones for millions of Americans with hearing disabilities. HATIS, a
leading assistive communications company “is proud to have been selected by Verizon
Communications to provide the hard-of-hearing community with cell phone-hearing
aid headset solutions,” said deaf CEO William L. Morgan. HATIS develops specially
designed headsets for professionals and other consumers who are typically unable
to effectively use telephones with hearing aids. Verizon (NYSE:VZ), a Fortune
10 company with 260,000 employees in 40 countries and $65 billion in annual revenues,
is the largest wireless access provider in the United States with over 28 million
customers. Under the agreement, Verizon will showcase and endorse HATIS solutions
through their Website to customers, along with 1600 sales managers of freestanding
retail stores and shopping mall kiosks throughout the nation.
For individuals
wearing hearing aids, HATIS provides The Missing Link between the hearing aid
and cell phone. HATIS products are developed with a patented induction technology,
which transmits audio signals directly to the hearing aid. This reduces the need
for greater amplification and eliminates electromagnetic interference, which increases
the user’s ability to hear the spoken word—a key complaint of cell phone-hearing
aid users.
Verizon will market HATIS’ inline and hands-free boom microphone
headsets as well as provide wireless service plans to hearing-impaired customers.
Hearing aid users are often barred from business, personal, or emergency
access to cellular telecommunications. “The inability of the hearing impaired
to access this technology, marginalizes millions of people who might otherwise
enjoy greater human interaction,” said HATIS Corporation President and Founder,
Alice M. Morgan. “HATIS will deliver the hearing technology, while Verizon will
deliver the cell phone options and wireless service. Together, HATIS and Verizon
can now offer hearing aid users the same freedom, mobility, and convenience experienced
by hearing individuals.”
“By including HATIS in Verizon’s product offering,
Verizon will provide access to the wireless telecommunications envisioned by the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),” said Mr. Morgan. “HATIS is elated to partner
with Verizon and to bring this simple, affordable, wireless solution to the hard-of-hearing
community. The benefits of this partnership to the hard-of-hearing community are
limitless. The mobility and convenience of wireless telecommunications experienced
by hearing people translates into empowerment, self-reliance, and independence
for hearing aid users. It’s a giant step forward to complete telecommunications
access for the hard-of-hearing.”
About HATIS Corporation
HATIS Corporation
is a privately held Assistive Communications Technology (ACT) solutions provider,
selling products that enable hearing aid-telephone users to hear more clearly
by eliminating electromagnetic interference and ambient sound distortion created
between hearing aids and digital telephones or in high-interference office and
other noisy environments. HATIS provides a suite of ACT solutions to suit the
business, home, and mobile needs of hearing aid users. HATIS’ authorized distributors
extend to over 100 countries throughout North America, South America, Europe,
Asia, Africa, and Australia and sells to Fortune 500 companies as well as supplying
government disability programs. To learn more about HATIS Corporation visit www.HATIS.com.
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All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property
of their respective manufacturers.
Portions of this document may constitute
"forward-looking statements" as defined by federal law. Although the company believes
and such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance
that actual outcomes will not be materially different.
For more information
please contact:
Phone: 1.925.256.7767
Fax: 925.256.8792
E-mail:
UHEARME@HATIS.COM
Website: www.HATIS.com
October 8, 2001
