BellSouth Partners with HITEC Group to Answer Baby Boomers' Calls

BellSouth Corporation, recognized as one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States, has entered into a licensing agreement with Illinois-based HITEC Group, Ltd., to bring cutting-edge assistive listening products (ALD’s) to hearing-impaired customers. The BellSouth-branded line of telephones, telephone accessories, wireless devices and alarm clocks combine functionality with style and versatility, while also providing individuals with hearing loss a life free of communication barriers.

“HITEC Group has been a major player in the ALD market place for over 20 years.  They have a successful track record working with telecoms and answering the need for assistive listening devices,” says Jack Todd, Director of the BellSouth Special Needs Center.  “It only made sense that we partner with a true expert in the industry, a company that has first-hand knowledge of working with a telecom provider, as well as a company that has helped shape the ALD market place.”

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, of the 75 million baby boomers in the United States, approximately 20% or 16 million are experiencing some degree of hearing loss and as the number of baby boomers with hearing loss continues to rise, so does the demand for a better hearing experience.  Not always aware of the options available to them, individuals with hearing loss immediately think that a hearing aid is the only solution.  This is not the case.  Assistive listening devices such as sound-enhanced telephones and wireless devices fill in the gap where the hearing aid may not be necessary or the only solution.

“Isolation and the feeling of being disconnected from your personal and professional life can be truly devastating.  Our goal at HITEC Group is to bring products to market that make life a little easier for the hearing impaired community,” says Michele Ahlman, Vice-President of HITEC Group.  “The baby boomer generation is demanding a sleeker, more sophisticated and technologically-advanced product.  When developing the BellSouth line of ALD’s we utilized our 21 years of experience in the assistive listening device industry, feedback from audiologists and the hearing impaired community to develop these state-of-the-art and feature-rich products.”

The BellSouth product line is available for purchase through the BellSouth Special Needs Equipment Center on-line.