More Courts Should Provide ‘CART’ Real-Time Video Transcription Services
More Courtrooms Need CART Video Transcription Systems
I was excused from jury duty today after I told the officer at the reception desk that none of their amplification schemes, even the portable listening devices they provide as an accommodation for people with hearing loss, would work for me. I told him I’d be happy to serve if they could provide CART service–communications access real-time transcription–where they wheel a TV monitor into court and provide real-time video captioning of the proceedings. But they still don’t provide that service in the Massachusetts Superior Court House where I was called to serve.
CART systems have been around for many years and have long been recognized by the federal government as a “reasonable accommodation” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). So it’s disappointing and a little surprising that CART service isn’t yet a standard accommodation for hard-of-hearing people called to jury duty. Read more
It’s Better Hearing and Speech Month
Better Hearing and Speech Month is a 75-year-old tradition celebrated every May. The American Speach Language Hearing Association website has some nice ideas on how you can promote it, along with materials you can download and/or buy. Enjoy.
Congressman Markey Demands Internet-Video Captions For Hard-Of-Hearing Web Surfers
Democratic US Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts is backing a bill that would require major producers of web videos to provide captioning, a piece of legislation that provides many other benefits for people with hearing, vision and other disabilities. Read more
Don’t Blend Your Hearing Aids, Recycle Them Through The Lions Club
A few people were mightily disturbed by the funny video of Blendtec founder Tom Dickson grinding up a bunch of hearing aids in his company’s high-tech blender. But at least one reader went beyond complaining and made the helpful suggestion to donate them to someone who needs them. Read more
Why Don’t Hearing-Aid Companies Caption Their YouTube Videos?
My blogger friend Dr. Tom Goyne has several interesting posts with links to videos that Phonak, Widex, Oticon and other major hearing-aid companies are putting on the web. Great, but….Why aren’t any of the hearing-aid manufacturers’ videos captioned?!??! Read more
Buy Oticon Delta ‘Think Pink’ Hearing Aids And Fight Breast Cancer
Oticon is putting its money where its mouth is with donations to the American Cancer Society tied to purchases of its Delta hearing aids during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Read more
Note To Steve Jobs: Why Isn’t The Apple iPhone Hearing-Aid Compatible?
I can’t believe Apple failed to make its iPhone compatible with either hearing aids or cochlear implants. I’m in the market for a mobile phone again and just discovered the lack of compatibility. Given all the hype surrounding the iPhone launch, I’m surprised there haven’t been more complaints. Read more
Tell Your Congressional Reps To Support Hearing-Aid Tax Credits
It’s time to call your U.S. Senators and Representatives again to tell them to support the Hearing Aid Tax Credit – a $500 tax break for first-time buyers of hearing aids. This is the third year in a row bills have been introduced in both the Senate (S. 1410) and House (H.R. 2329). Read more
Untreated Hearing Loss Will Take A Huge Bite Out Of Your Income
Yesterday was Labor Day in the U.S., and that got me thinking about just how much harder it is to get through a working day now than before I lost much of my hearing. To quantify the problem, I went back to a study released earlier this year by the Better Hearing Institute, which found that Americans with untreated hearing loss earned less income than people with normal hearing to the tune of $23,000 a year, on average, or over $100 billion a year nationwide. Read more
Sleeping Through Smoke Detector Alarm Can Get Hard-Of-Hearing Killed
I’m a heavy sleeper. I’ve tried alarm clocks that wake up the neigbors, and I even tried my dad’s portable bed shaker that registers on the Richter scale. But the only way I can wake up to catch my bus in the morning is my mom emptying an ice cube tray on me. Read more
