Deaf Voice

Ludwig Van Beethoven – The Deaf Maestro

admin — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The next time someone tries to tell you that the deaf are handicapped or, in any way, present the ailment as a form of detriment or impediment, think of the name Ludwig Van Beethoven. Beethoven was a virtuoso pianist and an unparalleled composer who was absolutely absorbed in his work. He had no care or interest in the mundane world of ordinary people and their ordinary lives – working, country duels, book keeping, Debt Counseling, reading, marriage, children – and, instead, devoted every fiber of his being to the world of music. He could conduct, compose and coordinate with the best of them and his prowess continued even through his hearing loss.

That’s right. Ludwig Van Beethoven, a name we associate with musical greatness to this very day, suffered from hearing loss – in fact, he was completely deaf. While he was not born deaf, his hearing gradually deteriorated in his late twenties until he was left with absolutely nothing. While some say this was the low point in his life and career, many people claim quite the opposite. It was his inability to not hear the noise pollution of everyday life, his ability to intensely focus on his work without interruption that made him a musical great – even with hearing loss.

The Deaf Can Communicate Better Thanks to New Technology

admin — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Technology is getting better and better each day and with these advancements we are starting to see some amazing improvements that are happening in the deaf community. Some of the newest technologies being worked on are to make every day life more normal for everyone improving on cell phones, computers, and also modern day gaming systems.

Recently a new Android app called “Mtouch Mobile” was released for the HTC EVO and Nexus S smart phones which will allow deaf people to communicate by phone using real-time sign language interpreters. The new technology was developed by the leading supplier of VRS (video relay services) Sorenson, and will be compatible with extra features such as Signmail, which is a service that provides a sign interpreter for missed calls.The full explanation can be found at http://houstoncourtinterpreters.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/interpreters-and-translators-careers/

Some other amazing new improvements for communication in the deaf community is the new game being developed called CopyCat using Kinect for Microsoft’s Xbox 360. They’ve been incorporating the American Sign Language recognition into the Kinect’s software so the software can actually read what is being said by deaf signing children. The hope is that these games will help deaf children learn and improve sign language in a much more fun and entertaining way.

Opening Doors for the Deaf Through New Technology

admin — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Much of the new technology coming out to help the deaf interact with the world around them is focusing on using mobile devices, such as cell phones. Since practically everyone nowadays has a cell phone, it is an excellent tool to incorporate aids for the deaf. Another plus of using cell phones to implement new technology is the fact that they are much more affordable than utilizing other technological advances, such as cochlear implants. Check out the latest in cell phone technology for the deaf.

Researchers at MIT are developing software to allow cell phones to be used as a tactile device to help the deaf pick up on vibrations of the sounds around them. If you have any type of smart phone, you already have the basic requirements that this technology would need, including a microphone, rudimentary vibration system, and digital signal-processing capability. Being able to feel the vibrations caused by sound waves can help users pick up on the nuances of language that basic lip reading does not allow.

Another exciting advancement in technology is being developed by engineers at the University of Washington. They are creating what is being called MobileASL, which will have the capability of being used with any phone over 3G that has video camera capabilities. In some cases it will even be usable in conjunction with Apple’s FaceTime technology.

These are just the two most recent advances in technology. Always be sure to read news articles and blogs (like this one) to keep abreast of what is going on in world of technology for the deaf so that you will know all the options available to you.

Communication Improvements Made Possible for the Deaf

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Back ten years ago or more, the technology for the deaf was interesting. Technology could be set up so that a light would turn on and off if the phone was ringing or someone was ringing the door bell. Communication improvements made possible for the deaf have been just amazing. Moving beyond the standard TTY technology, the deaf now have other means of communication available to them if they are comfortable with learning something new. There is now the option of what is commonly known as video conferencing to allow the deaf community to communicate with their families and friends so that the parties can see what the other parties are signing to each other.Is this new to you? Catch up here Instead of having to type their conversations into the TTY or a computer, this option is much more family friendly and comfortable to all parties in that it is not something that was designed specifically for the deaf and it can be used in any social situation. Another communication option that has been opened up to the deaf community, is the pager. With it’s ability to vibrate, the deaf can feel it vibrating to know that someone is trying to communicate with them and the message can be typed in so that it shows up right on the person’s screen on their pager.

Is Your Child Showing Signs of Hearing Loss?

admin — Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Children are the last people you expect to need a hearing aid, but younger members of the population are not immune from deafness. In fact, many of the leading causes of deafness can appear in children as young as 2. Making sure your child can hear properly is an important part of being a parent so take this advice to help determine if your child has hearing issues.
Look for cues. Does your child respond when you call their name? How about if a loud noise crashes nearby? Particularly easy to see in infants, some signs of impending deafness are easier to spot than others. Test your child’s hearing by saying their name when they’re not looking at you and seeing how they respond.
Talk to their doctor. Does your pediatrician think your child is showing signs of hearing loss? If so, that’s a sure sign you need to speak to a hearing specialist about options and treatments for your child. Luckily, sometimes all that’s needed is the help of a speech pathologist or hearing therapist.
Get some treatment. If you think your child may need a hearing aid, take them in for a hearing test. There are many great digital options out there to try once your child has been evaluated by a professional.

Stories that Inspire and Bring Hope to the Deaf

admin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Only a few decades back the deaf had little hope in pursuing interesting careers of their choice. Typically they were limited to teaching at schools for the deaf, working in non-profit organizations or settling for a trade. Deaf technology is extremely influential in changing the lifestyle and employment options for the deaf.
Here are some examples:
video relay services where the deaf and hearing communicate via a remote interpreter that relays the conversation through video
closed captioning on television
deaf alarm clocks
One of the best known inspirational stories of a deaf person succeeding in the hearing world is that of Oscar and Golden Globe winner Marlee Matlin. In spite of losing her hearing after contracting German measles as a very young child, she went to act as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz at the age of seven. As well as a recognized book publisher, national spokesperson for the Red Cross, ongoing roles in movies and tv programs, she serves on the board of many charitable organizations.
Ms Matlin emphasizes the importance of communication with her four children. At home she speaks and signs and when she is away from them she uses email and video.

Could New Technology Help the Deaf?

admin — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Deaf people deal with many challenges. Hearing aids help, but have limitations. The best hearing aids are very expensive. Yet, most health care companies do not cover hearing aids. This leaves many deaf people using hearing aids that do not fulfill their needs. Many deaf people in developed countries practice lip reading to supplement their hearing aids. However, much of the world’s population cannot afford a hearing aid and are forced to use lip reading, for their only means of understanding what is said. Lip reading can be tricky though. For example, the letters p and b in English look much the same on the lips when spoken.

Researchers at MIT are working on a way to help deaf people to lip read more effectively. The device they are working on vibrates differently depending on the sound that it picks up. This is a simple technology that deaf people can use to distinguish different sounds and supplement their lip reading skills, making lip reading much easier for them. More importantly, because of the relatively simplistic nature of the device, it will be cheap to produce. MIT says, they believe most deaf people around the world will have this technology within our lifetime.

Inspiration, Hope and Help for the Deaf

admin — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Hearing loss and deafness makes life challenging for many, but thankfully technological advances and a greater desire to understand deafness and deaf culture by the hearing community is making things easier than they once were.

The American Disabilities Act forced much more equality in the workplace by deaf people and as a result more effort has been made to insure that hearing and non-hearing people will be able to communicate with one another through technology and other means. Among the first steps in the process was TTY (telephone Typewriter) and closed captioning. A number of other devices using light and vibration also help deaf people with their day to day challenges.

Today, with more communication being done through texting, email, and other written correspondence and less through voice, deafness has become less of an issue. Also with the increasing acceptance of American Sign Language as a language option in schools more hearing people are becoming fluent in the language of deaf culture.

Many deaf people also make use of Hearing Ear Dogs. Service dogs were once known primarily to help service the blind, but now they are trained to help deaf people as well as those with other diabilities.

As time goes on human being only get more diverse and experience various challeges because of it. The more that diversity is realized and embraced, the more we strive to understand the the cultures involved, including deaf culture. This understanding makes life better for everyone.

Cellular Sign Language

www.deafvoice.com — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The world has gone mobile, but without parallel technological developments for the hearing impaired, deaf consumers are in danger of falling behind. Phones have caused a longtime problem in terms of providing an adequate communication medium in the deaf community. Cell phones have offered improvements by leaps and bounds over land lines, helping to expand the options available for the hearing impaired to contact the outside world. However, while applications such as text messaging provide practical function, the cell phone experience has still been far from optimized for deaf users.The prospect of video chatting via cell phone finally offers the chance for those with hearing loss to use cell phones in the same way as the rest of the world, by allowing for instant person to person communication, as opposed to the response delay and out of context issues so often found when texting. Still, the limited bandwidth poses clarity issues in video chat sessions, with an uninterrupted, streaming feed necessary in order for sign language to be properly interpreted back and forth. Not to mention, small screens and limited picture quality make the process difficult.With this in mind, the University of Washington is currently developing a program dubbed MobileASL (Mobile American Sign Language). Were higher bandwidth available to United States cell phone networks, no such technology would be necessary, as current cell phones can be used effectively by hearing impaired abroad (i.e. Japan), with such resources at their disposal. Not only will MobileASL aspire to circumvent bandwidth issues, the software will offer enhanced imagery in the face and hands, to better cater to deaf users than standard video technology, as it is being developed with the demographic specifically in mind.Once available, MobileASL should be applicable to any mobile device with a screen and camera on the same face, just like regular video chat.

Developing Deaf Radio

www.deafvoice.com — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 11:46:49 +0000

Though at first it might seem like an oxymoron, deaf radio may indeed be entering cars for the first time, finally giving deaf and hearing impaired individuals the similarly entertaining commute millions of auto-travelers take for granted every morning and rush hour. Though television has been available to those hard of hearing for some time, the radio medium has been largely off limits as a result of the almost entirely auditory nature of the broadcasts. Just like television offers optional caption viewing, this new development may allow for an auxiliary radio screens to display text that corresponds with radio play. The technology will feature a GPS screen for the driver, while scrolling radio text for the passenger.The product’s development is a joint effort between Towson University researchers and National Public Radio, with the hopes of opening up new streams of entertainment and information to people who have previously had no access to radio programs. Also at the forefront of researcher intentions is providing additional safety alerts and announcements to those who would otherwise have no way of being warned, including weather developments and emergency announcements. Perhaps even more exciting to many deaf members of the community is the prevailing feeling of inclusion such an advancement might allow. Unable to hear or join in on any conversations involving the radio, a heavy influence on almost any car ride, never again will a deaf individual feel left out or unable to contribute.The technology will also allow for an HD plug in device to be inserted in iPods and iPhones so that downloadable podcasts will also suddenly be within the reach of the deaf community. Hopefully deaf radio devices will be made available in 2012 if all goes according to plan, just a short ways away considering the many years of sitting shotgun in silence.