CHATTANOOGA, TN--(Marketwire - Sep 17, 2012) - Just months after the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) published a new standard for sound amplification in telephones for people with hearing loss, Clarity -- a division of Plantronics (NYSE: [ PLT ]) that creates [ smart communication solutions for seniors ] -- today announced that its new amplified home telephone, Alto™, passed an independent evaluation proving its full compliance with the new industry requirements.

Although amplified telephones have been available for many years, the new TIA-4953 standard, published in May 2012, establishes the first official industry benchmarks for telephones designed for individuals with hearing loss. The purpose of TIA-4953 is to provide consumers with hearing loss with objective information to verify how a specific telephone model will help them to communicate on the telephone.

The TIA-4953 standard establishes performance metrics for telephones serving individuals with mild, moderate or severe hearing loss. The standard requires laboratory based testing, using specialized telephone test equipment, to measure sound amplification (volume control gain), tone control, simulated use for hearing aid users, and the sound level of the ringer. The telephone sound output must meet stringent noise and distortion requirements even for the highly amplified settings.

"These new requirements are critically important for improving telephone conversations for the millions in need in the hearing loss community," said Carsten Trads, president of Clarity. "People with hearing loss can be confident that telephones that have passed the requirements in the new TIA standard will really help them to hear and understand speech better. Clarity is proud to be the first and lead our industry forward to meet these new standards." 

AST Technology Labs, an independent telephone test lab which performs testing for TIA standards, verified that Clarity's Alto meets the TIA-4953 requirements for telephones for individuals with mild, moderate, or severe hearing loss.

"It's only been four months since TIA published the new detailed set of requirements in the TIA-4953 standard, and Clarity's Alto™ model is the first telephone AST has tested that meets all TIA-4953 requirements," said AST President James Bress. "The requirements established in TIA-4953 were engineered based on the needs of people with hearing loss, so a telephone meeting this standard should provide the best possible sound output to optimize the intelligibility of speech. We look forward to testing many more telephones that address the needs and concerns of people with hearing loss."

Clarity will display and demonstrate the Alto telephone at TEDPA 2012 Conference in October; it will be available for sale in January 2013. For more information on Clarity, visit [ www.clarityproducts.com ].

About Clarity -- Smart for Seniors ™
Clarity, a division of Plantronics (NYSE: [ PLT ]), creates smart communication solutions that help seniors live richer, more engaged lives. For more than 40 years, Clarity's innovative products -- such as amplified telephones, notification systems and assistive listening devices -- have helped people with hearing loss, low vision, limited mobility, dexterity issues and other health challenges. Clarity has pioneered many firsts -- from digital sound processing in 2005 to remote-access customer service in 2010. Millions rely on Clarity to communicate at home, at work and throughout their lives. For more information, please visit [ www.clarityproducts.com ] or call 1-800-426-3738.