communications access for people with hearing loss
People with hearing loss are denied access to a variety of situations because they are denied
communications access. This happens all too frequently in entertainment, education,
and transportation situations.
A common complaint of hard of hearing, late deafened,
and oral deaf people is that they are denied access to situations that the normally
hearing population takes for granted. These situations are so numerous
that people with normal hearing can't imagine how prevalent they are.
Here's a great summary of the issues as
reported by SHHH.
Captioning
has the potential to provide access to people with hearing loss in a
variety of situations. People normally think of television when they
hear the word, but it also applies to movies, meetings, and even the
internet. Here's some information on what's going on in captioning.
One
of the most challenging access situations for people with hearing loss
is the field of education. Long
mandated by a variety of laws, equal education access for people with
hearing loss is not yet a reality.
Does it seem
that you've been reading more newspaper articles about the tendency of
law enforcement agencies to ignore citizens' civil rights? Imagine how
much worse that situation might be for people who have communications
difficulties. What are the issues with law enforcement
and people with hearing loss?
Can you imagine
going in to talk to your doctor, and not being able to understand what
he was saying? That's the situation with many people who have hearing
loss. The lack of medical access can
be extremely stressful to people with hearing loss.
With
the current technology explosion, it is critically important for people
with hearing loss to maintain access to existing and future telecommunications
equipment and services.
One ongoing source of frustration for people with
hearing loss is getting information while traveling. Read about people's
access complaints involving transportation.
How
about vacations? What kinds of vacations can a person with hearing loss
take and expect to have access to the communication aspects of the
vacation. This vacation guide can help you
figure out where to go.
Another issue that often comes up
when people with hearing loss talk about their issues is the
high cost of equipment and the lack of assistance in paying for it.
One
of the most important technologies for providing access in public places
are assistive listening devices
(ALDs), including FM systems, Infrared systems, and induction loops.
January
2003 - Think the rights of people with disabilities are gradually being
eroded? Worried that the ADA no longer offers the protections that were
intended? Then you've got to read Diane Edge's
"Then They Came".
March 2003 - Looking for
an accessibility manual that pretty much covers it all? The FCC has just
released theirs. It was developed for internal use, but applies to any
organization that wants to provide accessibility. Here's more
information on the FCC Accessibility Guide.
April
2003 - There are some things that seem a bit incongruous when you first
hear them, but may turn out to make a lot of sense. That's how the
concept of "Radio for Hard of Hearing People"
struck me!
April 2003 - Is the war on terrorism
accessible? Suppose there is a disaster that requires large groups of
citizens to seek medical care. Will the emergency facilities be
accessible? Randy Collins' "So You Thought
Terrorism Would be Accessible" provides an interesting
perspective on this issue.
October 2003 - Following up on
the previous article on accessibility, here's an article from a recent
workshop on Emergency Preparedness for People
with Disabilities.
October 2004 - OK, you know about
some of the access issues in the US. How about other countries? How are
they doing in providing access to people with hearing loss? How about
Britain for example? Here's a great article on the
DDA, which is the British equivalent of our ADA.
January 2005 - When we think about communications access
at movies we often think in terms of captioning. And we have lots of
information on that topic here.
But don't forget that most movie theaters also provide ALDs to assist
people with hearing loss. Here's Steve
Barber with lots of great information on how everyone can better use
this neglected resource.
March 2005 - One of our continuing articles on the
awakening
OHL community is a discussion of Grace Tiessen's presentation at the
2005 SHHH California conference. The title is "Grassroots
Advocacy for Hard of Hearing People".
March
2005 - OK, you're convinced! Hard of hearing people
are getting a raw deal when it comes to getting services to meet their
needs. And you're ready to take action. So what's your next move? You
may want to join the OHL Advocacy group!
May 2006 - The hearing loss community in the US is
expressing growing concern that ongoing technological advances are
reducing, rather than increasing, access for people with hearing loss.
One glaring example is the explosion of non-captioned video on the
Internet. Folks in the UK are expressing similar concerns, and they've
undertaken a comprehensive program to do something about it!
Here's the report from the RNID.
July 2006 - HLAA Presents
Communications Issues to Access Board
August 2006 -
Here's a great discussion of several communications access issues:
Access Board Information Meeting on Communication
Access
August 2006 - And here's a
summary of the HLAA Presentation to the Access Board Information Meeting
on Communications Access.
August 2006 -
NAD Presentation at Access Board Meeting on
Communication Access
September 2006 -
Restaurant service poor for deaf
September 2006 -
IBM develops mobile system for the hard of hearing
October 2006 - Device helps deaf musicians stay on beat.
October 2006 - Teaching a Cochlear Implantee to Play
the Viola!
January 2007 - An
MP3 player for the deaf
March
2007 - Coalition of Organizations for
Accessible Telecommunications
April 2007 - Concert
Listening Technology for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
June 2007 - Some Religious Organizations Consider
Assistive Technology
September 2007 - TDI
Converence keynote Presentation by Deborah Kaplan, the Director of
Accessible Technology at the California State University (CSU) system
October 2007 - Judge Rules Web Site Must Comply With
Disability Laws
February 2008 - Requirements for Assistive Listening
Systems in Conference Facilities
March 2008 - CHHA Releases Universal Design Document
April 2008 - Utah Resident
Files ADA Complaint Against BYU's LaVell Edwards Stadium
May 2008 - Wash-CAP Advocates for Rights of HOH in
Washington State
June 2008 -
New and Emerging Technologies 911
Improvement Act
January 2009 -
Restaurant Hearing Tips (Not the kind you leave for the
waiter)
March 2009 - TDI and COAT Needs Your Support on
the 21st Century Communications and Video Access Act
April 2009 -
Disney World Handheld Device Increases
Accessibility
June 2009 - WANTED: You to Sign the COAT
Petition for Access
July 2009 - COAT Applauds
Representative Markey's Accessibility Bill
Sept 2009 -
Bill Mandates Better Internet Accessibility
Sept 2009 - Microsoft's Efforts in
Accessibility
Sept 2009 - Las Vegas Casino Provides
Accommodations for Woman with Hearing Loss
October 2009 -
Technology and Accommodations to Get You
"Out There"
December 2009 - Wash-CAP Is Getting a Southern
Companion
December 2009 - Assistive
Listening and Captioning at Disney
December 2009 -
TDI VLOG Reviews Access Milestones
February 2010 -
Funeral Access for People with Hearing Loss
February 2010 -
A Survey of Awareness of ALDs
and Hearing Difficulty in Places of Worship~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 2005
As regular readers are aware I believe that the oral hearing loss (OHL)
community is producing an increasing number of people who are fed up
with lack of services to the 95% of people with hearing loss who prefer
spoken English as their primary means of communication.
A group of us have formed an email list to discuss these issues and
encourage appropriate advocacy. We're still in the early stages, but it
looks like our first project may be to develop a certification process
for organizations that claim to serve hard of hearing people, and to get
the certification recognized by people in the industry and the funders.
We all know organizations that claim to serve the "Deaf and hard
of hearing" that are really of, by, and for Deaf folks. These
claims disempower members of the OHL community, because they give the
impression that services are available for hard of hearing folks, when
they really aren't. The result is that attempts to obtain services are
met with the response, "But those services are already
available!"
We also have a couple of other ideas in the works, but not far enough
along to discuss.
If you'd like to be involved in this exciting and groundbreaking
activity, send an email to:
OHLAdvocacy-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OHLAdvocacy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 2006
Brenda
Battat, Associate Executive Director of the Hearing Loss Association of
America, recently presented several hearing loss issues at the Access
Board Information Meeting on Communications Issues. The issues were:
1. Need
for Continuing Education on Existing Guidelines
2.
Information Presented Over Public Address Systems
3.
Emergency Information Given over Public Address Systems
4.
Acoustics
5. Setting
Sound Input for Assistive Listening Systems in Different Venues
6. Access
to Movies
7. Safety:
Fire and Carbon Monoxide alarms
8. Volume
Control for Telephones
9. Drive
Through and Point of Sales Machines and Counters
For
Brenda's complete comments, please point your browser to:
http://tinyurl.com/frvhr
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Accommodations for deaf, hearing-impaired lag in 17 local eateries, study
says.
September
2006
In July,
Sieminski was among 20 deaf or hearing-impaired people, working with the
Fort Wayne Deaf Advocacy Coalition, to survey 20 Fort Wayne fast-food
restaurants with drive-through service. The restaurants were chosen
because consumer complaints about them were filed with state or local
advocacy groups regarding access issues for the deaf. The names of the
restaurants had not been released to The News-Sentinel as of this morning.
Complaints included no pen and paper available to write down an order,
employees refusing to take an order at the pick-up window and no signs
explaining how to accommodate deaf people.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 2007
Hearing loss can be debilitating. An otherwise
healthy individual with a hearing impairment may feel incapable of
participating in social events, going to the local super market, or
attending church. Fortunately, advances in hearing recovery devices allow
even small churches to serve everyone who enters to worship. An assistive
listening system (ALS) is part of the solution for those with minor to
moderate hearing damage. An ALS serves as a supplementary device to
improve retention of audio information. In public gathering spaces,
individuals are given radio receivers tuned to a specific frequency or
aimed at an emitter panel. The ALS ties directly into the house sound
system to deliver a clear signal to the user's personal receiver.
Full
Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 2007
A federal court issued a milestone ruling Tuesday
against national retailer Target in an anti-discrimination lawsuit that
originated in Berkeley last year. Target's Web site must comply with both
state and federal laws that mandate equal access for people with
disabilities, ruled Judge Marilyn Hall Patel of the U.S. District Court
for the Northern District of California. The laws already apply to the
company's physical locations. Patel also confirmed the lawsuit's class
action status, meaning the prosecuting attorneys potentially represent
thousands of blind Americans who have had difficulties using the Target
Web site. Target plans to appeal the certification of class action status.
The lawsuit was filed by the National Federation of the Blind in Feb.
2006. The leading plaintiff is Bruce Sexton, who was then a UC Berkeley
junior. Sexton, who is blind, claimed the Web site lacked the code
necessary for screen-reading voice technology.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 2008
A Utah resident filed a complaint with
the federal government against LaVell Edwards Stadium for not having a
permanently installed active listening system to accommodate her
hearing-impaired daughter at the Stadium of Fire event. The complaint,
filed with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) division of the U.S.
Department of Justice last week, is awaiting review. Lareen Strong called
the stadium ticket office on April 3 to determine whether or not there was
a specific seating section designated for hearing-impaired individuals, in
which she should purchase tickets for the Stadium of Fire. "We've never
had to go to a stadium setting before," Strong said. "I called a day ahead
of time, but usually I don't need to." In her formal letter of complaint,
Strong said she spoke with five individuals over the course of two days,
and no one was able to answer her questions.
Full
Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 2009
With the economic gyrations we've seen of late,
the days of the business lunch are quickly going the way of the rotary
dial telephone. Even so, negotiations are undertaken, statements of work
created and contracts signed on the linen table cloths of local high-end
watering holes everyday. Now, what could be better than lunch on the
company? Well, how about hearing your new client or provider over the
clack and clatter of a noisy restaurant? That would be nice, especially
before you sign on the dotted line. But what if you only got 48% of the
conversation? Is that enough upon which to make an important business
decision? Are you kidding? Every 't' must be crossed and all 'i's require
a dot. So, if you're missing half of what is being said, discussed,
negotiated and agreed to, here are some survival tips to keep you in the
game while on the town.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 2009
Guests with vision and hearing impairments will
get greater enjoyment from their Disney World vacations, thanks to a
special multi-function handheld device. The unit, provided free to
disabled theme park guests, offers a variety of services to offset visual
and auditory challenges. Guests with hearing problems can use the
assistive listening function, which amplifies the audio. This means they
won't have to struggle to hear the soundtrack because the sound will be
right at their fingertips. They can also choose to use the captioning
function and to trigger closed captions at attractions with TV displays.
Those with visual issues can listen to special narrations that are
integrated with the show or attraction's existing audio to help immerse
them in the experience.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sept 2009
The 21st Century Communications and Video
Accessibility Act of 2009 would make the Internet and smart phones more
accessible to the disabled by offering new technologies like real-time
texting. This month, as Congress returns from break, health care reform is
not the only imperative issue on their plate. A new bill will aim to make
content on the Internet more friendly to those with disabilities. The
"21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009" (H.R.
3101) plans to modernize disability standards by making such accessibility
features as closed captioning, video description and real-time texting a
standard for Internet technologies.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 2009
It's Saturday night! What do you have planned? For
the hearing, it would seem that entertainment possibilities are limitless,
with new choices popping up every day. But for the deaf and hard of
hearing (D/HH), finding viable options for a night on the town can be more
challenging. Fortunately, accommodations for D/HH are out there - and
technology is increasing by leaps and bounds. Sometimes you just need to
know where to look. Let's see what's available right now for D/HH,
technologically speaking, and take a peek at what's on the horizon. Better
shine your shoes and slick back your hair - we're goin' out tonight!
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 2009
TDI proudly announces the release of its second
new online video It's Our World! Sponsored by Hamilton Relay, this
ten-minute video blog (vlog) is another service by TDI to inform the
public about shaping an accessible world. Many of our constituents will be
able to learn timely topics on TDI's vlogs through sign language, captions
and voice-over. This vlog takes the viewer on a review of some
significant milestones in our ongoing journey of shaping an accessible
world. From the 10-digit telephone numbers for video and IP relay users,
to the digital television transition, to the rapid growth of captioned
online videos, the staff at TDI marks the different advancements in
access. To watch the vlog and learn more about the work that TDI has done,
go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_0Qk4kXPJA.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 2010
One of our Hearing Loss Group members passed away
this past week. Since there were quite a few of her friends that were D/HOH,
I was interested to find out what, if any accommodations would be provided
by the Funeral Home for the service. Add in the snowstorm and things got
a little crazy. Luckily, the minister printed out copies of the service
for those with hearing loss to follow along with. I was wondering why
CART was not provided. Due to the weather, the attendance at the funeral
was small. But, in researching this topic as well as talking with the
Wisconsin Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, I was able to find out
some more information. Did you know that the Americans with Disability Act
Title III has specific guidelines as to what should be provided for those
needing special accomodations? Here's the actual information taken from
the Department of Justice Website.
Full Story
