1. < Hearing Loss
Mentor

You Have a Right to Communication Access

Posted by Julie, Volunteer Mentor @julieo4, Apr 8, 2022

Since the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was legislated we have seen many accommodations made for people with disabilities. Curb cuts, ramps, interpreters for the Deaf, etc. What about 'communication access' for the hard of hearing population? Question: What can accommodate our unique needs?

Answer: There are many technologies that can help us enjoy plays, movies, hearing in church and at meetings, etc. Problem 1. : We have to ask for it to get it in place for our use. Problem 2: We have to know it exists to be able to ask for it. Problem 3 : To educate and advocate for our unique communication needs we have to 'go public' with our hearing loss.

How many of you have advocated for and/or used technology for communication access at a local theater, or at a meeting you must attend, or anywhere else where you need to hear to participate? What accommodations did you receive?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Hearing Loss Support Group.

Mentor
Julie, Volunteer Mentor | @julieo4 | Apr 10, 2022
In reply to @imallears "@julieo4 I read about it on their newsletter but don't remember viewing it. Thanks FL Mary" + (show)
@imallears

@julieo4

I read about it on their newsletter but don't remember viewing it. Thanks

FL Mary

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We rented it to show at an HLAA meeting. It cost us $5. Well worth it. It generated an interesting discussion following the showing.

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tonyinmi | @tonyinmi | Apr 10, 2022
In reply to @julieo4 "This sounds very much like GalaPro, a system that has been in use at the Performing..." + (show)
@julieo4

This sounds very much like GalaPro, a system that has been in use at the Performing Arts Center in Appleton WI. It is only available for the Broadway performances that come in. It works on Smart Phones, with very clear captions. I was impressed when I tried it. Our HLAA people were invited to try it the first time around. We have advocated for communication access and they have heard us. Unfortunately, COVID kind of made everyone take a break. I'm hoping to find things as they were soon. Very grateful for the open ears of our PAC personnel. They have gone over backwards to make this wonderful theater accessible to everyone.

This PAC also has a hearing loop system.

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@julieo4 I have heard of GalaPro. They were at an HLAA convention. The last time I checked, their system was only available in California. Good to hear that they've expanded to other states.
Tony in Michigan

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1 reply
ltecato | @ltecato | Apr 10, 2022

I can’t get nurses to write information down for me. One time I literally begged for it and repeatedly mentioned the ADA. It was like it was the first time anyone had told this hospital employee that someone might be deaf/hoh and need anything written down. She looked at me like I was criminally insane. No, I was not shouting or gesturing wildly or threatening anything whatsoever, and that’s what makes her response so baffling to me.

Closed captioning has gotten better in the past 15 years or so. Other than that, I don’t see any progress for late-deafened or hoh access. Starbucks is supposed to be adding video displays in their stores to make it easier to know when your order is ready. That’s cool, but it could have and should have been done decades ago.

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1 reply
tonyinmi | @tonyinmi | Apr 10, 2022
In reply to @ltecato "I can’t get nurses to write information down for me. One time I literally begged for..." + (show)
@ltecato

I can’t get nurses to write information down for me. One time I literally begged for it and repeatedly mentioned the ADA. It was like it was the first time anyone had told this hospital employee that someone might be deaf/hoh and need anything written down. She looked at me like I was criminally insane. No, I was not shouting or gesturing wildly or threatening anything whatsoever, and that’s what makes her response so baffling to me.

Closed captioning has gotten better in the past 15 years or so. Other than that, I don’t see any progress for late-deafened or hoh access. Starbucks is supposed to be adding video displays in their stores to make it easier to know when your order is ready. That’s cool, but it could have and should have been done decades ago.

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@ltecato How about this one. I took my remote mic to a doctor's appt and the physician assistant did not even want to touch it. I asked her to clip it on her lapel but she wouldn't. Covid has made it extremely difficult for us. I will not see a doctor unless I absolutely feel that I need to.
Tony in Michigan

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1 reply
ltecato | @ltecato | Apr 10, 2022
In reply to @tonyinmi "@ltecato How about this one. I took my remote mic to a doctor's appt and the..." + (show)
@tonyinmi

@ltecato How about this one. I took my remote mic to a doctor's appt and the physician assistant did not even want to touch it. I asked her to clip it on her lapel but she wouldn't. Covid has made it extremely difficult for us. I will not see a doctor unless I absolutely feel that I need to.
Tony in Michigan

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I had a remote control for a digital hearing aid that looked kind of like a fat pen and when I was using it a co-worker accused me of audio recording her. That was about 30 years ago.

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Mentor
Julie, Volunteer Mentor | @julieo4 | Apr 11, 2022
In reply to @tonyinmi "@julieo4 I have heard of GalaPro. They were at an HLAA convention. The last time I..." + (show)
@tonyinmi

@julieo4 I have heard of GalaPro. They were at an HLAA convention. The last time I checked, their system was only available in California. Good to hear that they've expanded to other states.
Tony in Michigan

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It has actually been in our Appleton PAC since 2 years before COVID. This PAC has been exceptionally open to accommodating people with disabilities. It was built about 20 years ago and had a state of the art Infrared system from day one. When a loop was installed, the IR was turned into a system for people with low vision...offering a descriptive narration of what was happening on stage.

When this venue was being built, they formed an access committee that included people with a variety of special needs. It was a real front runner.

I will say (brag) that HLAA had a lot to do with this because we have been active in the community since the mid 80s. Had this not been the case, the hard of hearing population would likely have not been included in their accessibility efforts. HLAA can make a big difference in a community even if the group is small. It's a matter of educating people who are willing to listen. Most community 'movers and shakers' who develop places that feature cultural arts are interested in including everyone...if they know what is needed. I'm sure they were on top of GALAPRO from the time it was available. I know it was the first PAC in Wisconsin that had the technology....same for IR and HL. GalaPro is only available for the Broadway productions that come in, so I think it is provided by them at a cost to the PAC.

Yep...we are rather proud of what this very invisible disability population has been able to do. 🙂

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gvg | @gvg | Apr 17, 2022
In reply to @julieo4 "It's quite obvious that there is a need for this technology on these tours. They attract..." + (show)
@julieo4

It's quite obvious that there is a need for this technology on these tours. They attract a lot of seniors, and a lot of seniors have hearing loss. Good for you to plan ahead. The good news is that this technology is getting used and people who need it are starting to learn it's available. I would be interested to know what kind of technology was in use. I suspect it was FM. We had a lot of FM tech in our community prior to advocacy for preferred hearing loops. FM is great because it's portable, but it requires receivers. You can purchase an FM receiver to use in places where FM tech is used. The only problem is that it has to be able to pick up the frequency that the transmitter is using. Often, that is 72.9 as that was set aside for this purpose. Some receivers can adjust to more options. Mentioning this only because you said they ran out of receivers. I hope that fact encouraged them to make more available. Thank you for sharing your experience. Are you planning to travel again soon?

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how do you use a FM receiver with your hearing aid? how do you purchase one? I have a t-coil in my hearing aid and my implant and my house is wired for the t-coil so I can hear the TV and music but not at public venues because they don't use t-coil tech 🙁

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1 reply
gvg | @gvg | Apr 17, 2022
In reply to @julieo4 "Have you seen the documentary "We Hear You. Now Hear Us"? It is about the HH..." + (show)
@julieo4

Have you seen the documentary "We Hear You. Now Hear Us"? It is about the HH population. Four members of HLAA created it for the Cannes Film Festival. It won an award for best documentary about disability. I am not sure how to access it currently. There are some legalities and rules about how to access it. (Not HLAA rules; rules related to the production of the film.) I will try to get more information about this for a future post.

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You can rent it on Vimeo a video sharing site for $3.99 Just google "We Hear You. Now Hear Us." and then look for the video that is blue and on Vimeo. I have shared it with some family members who have rented it and watched it. It explains things in ways I could never say myself.

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1 reply
Mentor
Julie, Volunteer Mentor | @julieo4 | Apr 17, 2022
In reply to @gvg "how do you use a FM receiver with your hearing aid? how do you purchase one?..." + (show)
@gvg

how do you use a FM receiver with your hearing aid? how do you purchase one? I have a t-coil in my hearing aid and my implant and my house is wired for the t-coil so I can hear the TV and music but not at public venues because they don't use t-coil tech 🙁

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Do you know what a neckloop is? It replaces headphones with an FM or IR receiver. You wear the neckloop around your neck and plug it into the jack used for headphones. Turn on your telecoils and you will hear. You may need to use an adapter if the neckloop jack is different than the receiver's input jack. Neckloops use induction technology just like larger hearing loops do.

WIlliams Sound makes a quality neckloop. Google it. They cost around $40. Your audiologist should be able to order one for you, but it will probably cost twice that. Wouldn't it be nice if these devices were included in the sale of hearing aids and cochlear processors?

You can plug a neckloop into your computer or any other audio device with an input jack. There's a photo of a neckloop below. NOTE: Some of them are battery powered, which adds louder sound to the device. Not necessary if you control the volume on your personal devices.

Why don't you ask the public venues you go to, to include neckloops with their receivers?

We'd love to know what you decide to do. 🙂

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Mentor
Julie, Volunteer Mentor | @julieo4 | Apr 17, 2022
In reply to @gvg "You can rent it on Vimeo a video sharing site for $3.99 Just google "We Hear..." + (show)
@gvg

You can rent it on Vimeo a video sharing site for $3.99 Just google "We Hear You. Now Hear Us." and then look for the video that is blue and on Vimeo. I have shared it with some family members who have rented it and watched it. It explains things in ways I could never say myself.

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Thank you! Our HLAA Chapter recently showed it at a meeting. Everyone felt it was well done, and wanted to find ways to share it with more people. I wasn't involved in renting it, so didn't know how they did that. What did your family members think of it?

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