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NOTICE FOR CONSUMERS WITH HEARING
DISABILITIES
Digital Wireless Phones to be Compatible with Hearing Aids On
July 10, 2003, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
modified the exemption for wireless phones under the Hearing Aid
Compatibility Act of 1988. This means that wireless phone
manufacturers and service providers must make digital wireless
phones accessible to individuals who use hearing aids.
For more information, please go to the FCC's Consumer Alert on
accessibility of digital wireless phones at fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/
accessiblewireless.html.
Wireless telephones are hand-held phones with built-in antennas,
often called cell, mobile, or PCS phones. These phones are popular
with callers because they can be carried easily from place to place.
Wireless telephones are two-way radios. When you talk into a
wireless telephone, it picks up your voice and converts the sound to
radio frequency energy (or radio waves). The radio waves travel
through the air until they reach a receiver at a nearby base station.
The base station then sends your call through the telephone network
until it reaches the person you are calling.
When you receive a call on your wireless telephone, the message
travels through the telephone network until it reaches a base station
close to your wireless phone. Then the base station sends out radio
waves that are detected by a receiver in your telephone, where the
signals are changed back into the sound of a voice.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) each regulate wireless telephones. FCC
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I M P O R T A N T S A F E T Y A N D L E G A L I N F O R M A T I O N
ensures that all wireless phones sold in the United States follow
safety guidelines that limit radio frequency (RF) energy. FDA monitors
the health effects of wireless telephones. Each agency has the
authority to take action if a wireless phone produces hazardous levels
of RF energy.
FDA derives its authority to regulate wireless telephones from the
Radiation Control provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act (originally enacted as the Radiation Control for Health and Safety
Act of 1968). [http://www fda gov/cdrh/radhealth/].
FCC derives its authority to regulate wireless telephones from the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the
Telecommunications Act of 1996
fcc.gov/telecom.html]. Updated 7/16/2003
Hands-Free Capability All CTIA Certified portable products provide
the consumer with a toll-free number for the purchase of a
compatible hands-free device. 1-800-881-7256
STATIC ELECTRICITY, ESD, AND YOUR PALM DEVICE
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can cause damage to electronic devices
if discharged into the device, so you should take steps to avoid such
an occurrence.
Description of ESD Static electricity is an electrical charge caused
by the buildup of excess electrons on the surface of a material. To
most people, static electricity and ESD are nothing more than
annoyances. For example, after walking over a carpet while scuffing
your feet, building up electrons on your body, you may get a shock—
the discharge event—when you touch a metal doorknob. This little
shock discharges the built-up static electricity.
ESD-susceptible equipment Even a small amount of ESD can
harm circuitry, so when working with electronic devices, take
measures to help protect your electronic devices, including your
Palm
device, from ESD harm. While Palm has built protections
®
against ESD into its products, ESD unfortunately exists and, unless
neutralized, could build up to levels that could harm your equipment.
Any electronic device that contains an external entry point for
plugging in anything from cables to docking stations is susceptible to
entry of ESD. Devices that you carry with you, such as your Palm
device, build up ESD in a unique way because the static electricity
that may have built up on your body is automatically passed to the
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