Volume 28 Issue 8

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- Advertisers in this Issue
First Premium Placement:
Sound Clarity, Inc.
Second Premium Placement:
Back to School Clock Sale at Harris Communications
Third Premium Placement:
IHHD Online Educational Opportunities
Fourth Premium Placement:
Switch to Sprint
Classified Section:
Two online stores, one poker tournament, and one employment opportunity

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Contact information and disclaimers are at the end of this newsletter.
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- Article 1: Access Board Information Meeting on Communication Access - Part 3
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Editor: There seems to be a growing awareness of the communications issues faced by people with hearing loss in a variety of situations. It's a long ways from emerging awareness to the implementation of effective systems, but awareness is certainly a start! Here's a report on Lise Hamlin's recent presentation to the Access Board.

This report is presented courtesy of NVRC. You are welcome to share this information, but please be sure to credit NVRC. (See full credit at the end of this article.)

This is part three of four parts.

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On July 25, 2006, the U.S. Access Board held a public meeting on Communication Access in Washington, DC.

Communications Access at Drive-Thru Machines, Point of Sale Machines

- Banks, restaurants and other venders who use drive-thru availability pose a communication problem for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. NVRC urges the Access Board to set standards for those machines to provide alternative means to access either automated voice menus or live voice over speaker systems.

- Some possible solutions are:

· Voice to text: voice recognition systems would allow the speaker's voice to be read as text by the user, with installation of a screen available for those users who need it.

· Computers with touch screens: this would eliminate the need to use voice at all. Such computers could show visuals as well as text to provide access not only for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but people with English as a second language.

· Text to text: the consumer could type in a message for the staff person, who could type back, using either computer technology, or short messaging, or even something as simple as TTY technology.

- NVRC urges the access board to set standards for communication access to point of sales machines and drive-thru machines, such as quick service restaurants.

Acoustical Standards for the Classroom

- In their report, "Acoustics in Educational Settings," the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Workgroup on Classroom Acoustics concludes that, "students of all ages and abilities, and their teachers need appropriate classroom acoustics to communicate effectively in the classroom, and other learning environments...The deleterious effect of poor acoustics on students under age 15 and those with hearing and/or learning problems is well documented." (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2005) Acoustics in educational settings: Technical report. Available at: http://www.asha.org/members/deskref-journals/deskref/default)

- Recognizing the trend of subpar acoustics in educational settings, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) introduced a standard for the acoustical design of schools, S12.60-2002, "Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements and Guidelines for Schools." (http://www.acoustics.com/ra_education_standard.asp )

- According to Acoustics.Com (http://www.acoustics.com/ra_education_standard.asp), "Many recent studies demonstrate that acoustics is a significant inhibitor to productivity and that the presence of noise is directly related to lower test scores. With the approval of this new standard, designers gain an increased awareness of the importance of acoustics in educational facilities and are given specific guidelines to help ensure the success of the facility."

- Clearly, all children benefit from learning environments with good acoustics, but for children with hearing loss, such environments are critical. According to Carol Flexner (Flexer, Carol Ann. Facilitating Hearing and Listening in Young Children. San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, 1980.):

People with normal hearing typically require an S/N (Signal-to-Noise) ratio of +6 dB for the reception of intelligible speech. Due to the auditory distortion of the hearing loss itself, persons with a hearing problem need an S/N ration of +20 dB (Finitzo-Heiber & Tillman, 1978; Hawkins, 1984). Due to reverberation, noise, and changes in teacher position, the average classroom S/N ratio is only +4 or +5 dB, and it may be 0 dB, which is less than ideal even for children with normal hearing (Berg, 1986b, 1993). (Flexer, p.96)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------(c)2006 by Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC), 3951 Pender Drive, Suite 130, Fairfax, VA 22030; www.nvrc.org Items in this newsletter are provided for information purposes only; NVRC does not endorse products or services. You do not need permission to share this information, but please be sure to credit NVRC.

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Back to School Clock Sale at Harris Communications
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Be on time for class with a new alarm clock from Harris Communications. A great selection of clocks all on sale at 15% off! Our huge selection includes the new Sonic Alert Sweetheart Clock, the Big Time Alarm Clock, the Sonic Shaker Travel Clock, the Wake and Shake Alarm Clock and much more.

This sale ends August 27, 2006.

For more information, go to
http://www.harriscomm.com/link/?www.harriscomm.com?sr=hlw
or contact us at mailto:info@harriscomm.com
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- Article 2: EEOC Publication Addresses Employment Rights of People with Hearing Loss
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Editor: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has just released a document entitled "Questions and Answers about Deafness and Hearing Impairments in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act." I've listed the questions below. The full document (see http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/deafness.html) contains a discussion of each and examples to help clarify the concepts.

Following the questions (below) is the EEOC press release announcing the release of this document. We think you'll find that interesting, as well!

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1. When is a hearing impairment a disability under the ADA?

2. May an employer request medical information about an applicant's hearing impairment that is obvious or that the applicant has disclosed?

3. Does an applicant have to disclose his hearing impairment if it is not obvious?

4. What can an employer do if it learns about an applicant's hearing impairment after offering a job, but before the individual begins working and it believes that the applicant's hearing impairment may affect job performance?

5. When may an employer ask if a hearing impairment or other medical condition is causing performance problems?

6. May an employer require a doctor's note from an employee who asks for sick leave for reasons related to a hearing impairment?

7. Are there other instances when an employer may ask an employee about his hearing impairment?

8. May an employer explain to co-workers that an employee is receiving a reasonable accommodation because of a hearing disability?

9. What type of accommodations may an individual with a hearing disability need?

10. How should someone with a hearing disability request a reasonable accommodation?

11. May an employer request documentation when an individual with a hearing impairment requests a reasonable accommodation?

12. Does an employer have to provide the reasonable accommodation that an individual with a disability wants?

13. Does an employer have to provide accommodations that would be too difficult or expensive?

14. Are there actions an employer is not required to take as reasonable accommodations?

15. Is it a reasonable accommodation for an employer to make sure that an employee wears a hearing aid or uses another mitigating measure?

16. What kinds of reasonable accommodations are related to the "benefits and privileges" of employment?

17. When may an employer prohibit an employee with a hearing disability from doing a job because of safety concerns?

18. What should an employer do when federal law prohibits it from hiring anyone with a certain level of hearing loss?

19. What constitutes illegal harassment under the ADA?

20. What should employers do to prevent and correct harassment?

21. What should someone do who believes that his or her rights under the ADA may have been violated?

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Latest Q&A Fact Sheet Coincides with Anniversary of Landmark Disabilities Act

WASHINGTON - Cari M. Dominguez, Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), today announced the issuance of a new question-and-answer (Q&A) fact sheet on the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to job applicants and employees who are deaf or who have hearing impairments. The new publication, the sixth in a series of Q&A documents about specific disabilities in the workplace, is available online at http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/deafness.html.

"One goal of this fact sheet is to counter the myth that individuals with some level of hearing loss are generally less competent, less productive, or would require more attention and supervision than their peers who do not have hearing loss," said Chair Dominguez, who announced the issuance of the new document at a town hall meeting sponsored by the National Council on Disability in observance of the 16th anniversary of the ADA.

She added: "As our nation observes the anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, we should be mindful that disability does not mean inability, and that every individual deserves the freedom to compete on a fair and level playing field. People with disabilities represent a vast pool of untapped talent for employers."

The new Q&A publication includes many real-life examples that illustrate the kinds of jobs that people with hearing loss successfully perform and the wide range of accommodations available. Topics addressed in the document include: When a hearing loss is a disability under the ADA; When an employer may ask an applicant or employee about a hearing impairment and what it should do if an applicant voluntarily discloses the impairment; What type of reasonable accommodation an applicant or employee with a hearing disability may need; and What an employer should do if it has safety concerns about an applicant or employee with a hearing impairment.

According to published reports, between 2000 and 2004, estimates of the number of people in the United States with a self-described "hearing difficulty" ranged from 28.6 million to 31.5 million. A "hearing difficulty" can refer to the effects of many different hearing impairments of varying degrees. The number of individuals with hearing difficulty is expected to rise rapidly by the year 2010 when the baby-boomer generation reaches age 65. As compared to other age groups, the percentage of individuals with hearing difficulty is greatest among those individuals age 65 and above.

EEOC's latest ADA publication helps to advance the goals of the New Freedom Initiative, President George W. Bush's comprehensive strategy for the full integration of people with disabilities into all aspects of American life. The New Freedom Initiative seeks to promote greater access to technology, education, employment opportunities, and community life for people with disabilities. An important part of the New Freedom Initiative strategy for increasing employment opportunities involves providing employers with technical assistance on the ADA.

EEOC enforces Title I of the ADA, which prohibits employment discrimination against people with disabilities in the private sector and state and local governments, and the Rehabilitation Act's prohibitions against disability discrimination in the federal government. In addition, the EEOC enforces other federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, and age. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at http://www.eeoc.gov.

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You're Career Oriented... Career Driven...and Hard of Hearing or Deaf
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The Institute for Persons Who Are Hard of Hearing or Deaf (IHHD) is a nonprofit Congressionally-funded agency dedicated to facilitating workplace and career advancement for aspiring professionals like you.

IHHD provides important online educational opportunities to share experiences, access top professional leaders, and develop crucial communication and business skills. Choose from a number of programs that cover all aspects of career growth - from starting a business to leadership and advocacy development.

These month-long courses are delivered online using National University's acclaimed state-of-the-art interactive learning system to provide optimal accessibility. Visit: http://cha.nu.edu/ec/formihhd-careerdev.html?ypd002
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- Article 3: Not music to my ears
By James Alan Fox
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Editor: Background music got you down? It seems to be unavoidable in today's world - overpowering the dialog on TV and in movies, "soothing" us as we hold on the phone, providing "enjoyment" as we ride the elevator. In the following column James Fox discusses his irritation with loud restaurant music. The column originally appeared in the Boston Herald; it is reprinted with Mr. Fox's kind permission.

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A funny thing happened on the way to the airport. Fearing the worst - a toxic ride inside a hot and stuffy taxi through the traffic-snarled detours of I-90 East, I had the best: a courteous, older African-American driver who asked me if the soft jazz on his radio up front was perhaps too loud.

If I had a nickel for every time I have had to plead with a cabbie to turn down the music blasting from the rear speakers, I could ride to Logan free for a month.

My issue is not so much about the decline of basic courtesy - particularly among people who are paid for some type of service or disservice. The larger concern surrounds the nuisance of second-hand tunes, the ear-piercing shrill of someone else's musical entertainment within my personal space.

Years ago, there was much debate about noise pollution coming from oversized boom-boxes. But thanks to Apple and the iPod, those wanting to enjoy whatever genre we new old fogies don't comprehend can just stick it in their ear.

The use of iBuds also means that damage or discomfort is their problem alone. If research by Brian Fligor at Boston's Children's Hospital is any indication, there may be an entire generation of Americans who will lose their hearing prematurely. I even have a fitting name for this auditory impairment - iPodence.

But the problem of insufferable, ambient noise - music you don't want and don't like - doesn't end with the iPod. Loud and unnecessary music is everywhere. It's the promotional theme heard on the 5:30 a.m. flight to Philadelphia that disrupts passengers' ability to catch a quick nap. Does the airline really believe that business folks want to daybreak dance to an early meeting or be entertained by anything louder than screaming headlines of the Herald?

Most of all, it's the confusion between dining accompanied by music and music enjoyed with a snack. I accept having to yell at a cocktail lounge just to order some wings with my wine. Clubs depend on frenetic sounds for atmosphere.

Mealtime is different, however. As a South Ender who eats out more often than not, it is a challenge to chat with my wife. I don't wish to learn sign language just to decipher the waiter's explanation of some menu item that combines the words reduction, confit and vert.

So fed up with begging cafe managers to turn down the amps, I asked a state legislator friend of mine about sponsoring a restaurant noise abatement bill. We ban cigarettes from restaurants because of the second-hand smoke that ruins other people's meals and threatens their health. What about controlling the decibel-level of second-hand music that has parallel effects on comfort and well-being?

My wise friend pointed out the First Amendment right to freedom of expression. My guess is that he may also be concerned about looking too much like his anti-Fluffernutter colleague on Beacon Hill.

So I appeal to all the restaurateurs who might like my business - and I know I'm not alone in seeking a comfortable spot to dine. How about a new type of ear-ly bird special - quiet time during dinner hours? Soft background music is appreciated, of course, but please wait until after dessert to blast out the subwoofers.

Otherwise, in order to keep my sanity, I might just have to be a real sport. Maitre d', a round of iPods for everyone!

.................

James Alan Fox is Lipman Family Professor of Criminal Justice at Northeastern University. Talk back (and please speak up over the music) at j.fox@neu.edu.

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- Article 4: Short Takes
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Editor: Here are our picks of some additional stories that you may find interesting. For more, please point your browser to: http://www.hearinglossweb.com/news/curr.htm

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Why the high price for such a little device?

A cellphone that can record video costs less than $200 these days. A state-of-the-art digital camera might run $500 with fancy options. So why do hearing aids generally cost at least $1,500 and often a lot more? It's one of the great frustrations for people who have hearing disabilities.

http://tinyurl.com/regvr or
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/
2006-08-09-hearing-device-inside_x.htm

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Digital radio crucial for disaster alert for the deaf and blind

Digital radio not only improves audio quality and introduces a whole new interactive experience for the user, it also plays a crucial role in disaster and emergency alerts for the hearing and visually impaired, the ABU Digital Radio Convention was told today.

http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/?p=5852

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Stethoscope Doubles as Emergency ALD

This month's ACEP News has a "Tricks of the Trade" article on "The Multipurpose Stethoscope" that details some clever modifications to this time-honored tool of physicians, including the following:

Occasionally, hearing-impaired patients arrive in the emergency department without their hearing aid, making history-taking a challenge for the practitioner... The stethoscope works both ways. The physician can speak into the stethoscope's diaphragm piece, while the patient listens through the stethoscope's earpieces. This technique provides the patient with a temporary hearing aid while in the emergency department, minimizing the risk of potential miscommunication.

We've also seen the bell of the stethoscope used as a reflex hammer, a Child Distracter, and occasionally, as a device for detecting heart sounds.

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- Classifieds
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Two online stores, one poker tournament, and one employment opportunity appear in this issue. (Ads appear after this brief table of contents.)

WCI. Providing Solutions for People with Hearing Loss.
Save 15% on Products for Home and School
http://www.weitbrecht.com

Potomac Technology - Everything You Need Under One Roof!
NOW MORE CHOICES THAT EVER
POTOMAC TECHNOLOGY'S NEW CATALOG!
http://www.potomactech.com

Las Vegas World Deaf Poker Tournament
October 11, 2006
www.poker.deaflasvegas.com

Employment Opportunity
Various Positions
GLAD
Los Angeles

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WCI. Providing Solutions for People with Hearing Loss.
Save 15% on Products for Home and School
http://www.weitbrecht.com
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Save 15% on Products for Home and School

It's back to school and WCI is ready to help with 15% off several items including the Portable Compact/C (from Ultratec). It's small enough to fit in a backpack or pocket for that person on the go! Connect to a compatible digital cell phone or use it with any traditional phone. Or, Take 15% off all Simplicity products! Get the perfect signaler to fit your college dorm room, apartment, or house. With 15% off either the Wake Assure or Big Time alarm clocks, you'll make it to class on time. Wake Assure's buzzer will shake you out of bed or it flashes when connected to a lamp. The Big Time features a strong bed shaker and a large red easy-to-read display. It runs on batteries in case of a power outage.

Call us now at 1-800-233-9130 (V/TTY) or visit us online at http://www.weitbrecht.com (use code WCIH08 when ordering).

WCI. Providing Solutions for People with Hearing Loss.

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Potomac Technology - Everything You Need Under One Roof!
NOW MORE CHOICES THAT EVER
POTOMAC TECHNOLOGY'S NEW CATALOG!
http://www.potomactech.com
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NOW MORE CHOICES THAT EVER
POTOMAC TECHNOLOGY'S NEW CATALOG!

Our new product catalog is filled with all the items you need from Amplified Phones and Alerting Systems to Books, Specialty Items and more! During August, save 10% off your first order from the new catalog. Just in time for all those back to school purchases. Save on top brands & latest models. Call us now at 1-800-433-2838 (V/TTY) or visit online at http://potomactech.com (use code PTECH806 when ordering).

Potomac Technology. Everything You Need Under One Roof.

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Las Vegas World Deaf Poker Tournament
October 11, 2006
www.poker.deaflasvegas.com
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2nd Annual Las Vegas World Deaf Poker Tournament

When? October 11, 2006; 6 PM; Door opens at 12 noon.

Where? Palms Casino and Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Event? No Limit-Texas Hold'Em/ All in. For all deaf and hard of hearing people who wish to participate. Must be 21 years or older to play.

Prizes? Based on 300 entries, 1st place winner will receive $27,000.

Cost? $300 entry fee per player.

Hosts? Southern Nevada Silver Knights and Southern Nevada Coalition of Organizations of and for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Both are non-profit organizations and the net proceeds will be donated to worthy deaf community charities.

Comments? Last year the 1st annual tournament was a complete success. Many local deaf poker tournaments were held across the country because of this success. So far none of them have not met the magnitude of this one. It has the "major league" status. The "big one". Since Las Vegas is the poker capital of the world, no wonder it is so popular here.

Web Site? Go to www.poker.deaflasvegas.com. This will give you all the information needed, such as tournament entry form and Orleans Hotel room reservation form.

E-Mail? Need to e-mail for additional information? Email lvdeafpoker1@earthlink.Net.

From the Committee: We are anxious to treat all of you to the unique and exciting experience in the world poker. Come to Las Vegas, the city of awe and thunder. It is your chance to come as a winner. See you all in "Viva Las Vegas".

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Employment Opportunity
Various Positions
GLAD
Los Angeles
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GLAD is an Affirmative Action Employer with equal opportunity for men, women and people with disabilities. For more information on the following positions, please go to: www.gladinc.org. The status of all positions is: Regular, Full-time, Non-Exempt, Full Fringe Benefits unless otherwise noted. All positions are open until filled.

* DEPUTY DIRECTOR - Los Angeles
* COMMUNITY ADVOCATE - Los Angeles

If interested for any of these positions then please submit resume and application to:

Jeff Fetterman
Human Resources Specialist
Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc.
2222 Laverna Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90041
V/TDD: (323) 550-4207
Fax #: (323)550-4204
E-mail: jfetterman@gladinc.org

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- Contact Information and Disclaimers
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