Nexus Engineering proposes to build upon its Phase I work and develop a new type of very miniature portable telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD). The new device will differ from existing TDD's primarily in its extreme compactness. The device dimensions should be about 2.5"""""""" x 4.5"""""""" x 0.6"""""""", which will allow it to be conveniently carried throughout everyday activities. This will provide ready access to pay phones and other phones away from TDD's for the deaf or speech impaired. In the Phase I a fully functional TDD of dimensions 2.4"""""""" x 4.3"""""""" x 1.4"""""""" (14.45 in-3) was constructed, and the technology to implement TDD communications developed. Our research showed problems with the Phase I techniques for text entry, and a new approach to this problem is proposed in the Phase II. Alternate functions will be built into the Phase II device which will increase its usefulness and commercial success.
