Daryl Crouse, CI, CT

Snap!VRS announced an enhanced capability for handling 911 emergency video calls placed to Snap!VRS by individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired.

Translation Services: Removing Language Barrier, Removing Economic Boundaries

Internationalization or globalization is a boon for every industry. It has expanded the markets quite drastically. The whole world has indeed become a global market and no longer is people confined to their economies. The concept of marketing is changing and marketing rules are redefined. Now a company has offices in different countries spread across continents, and your clients and partners may be based in a different part of the globe beyond the oceans. And it is not only the corporate world which benefits from globalization. Other industries such as education and healthcare also stand to benefit. The number of international students at educational institutions has increased and the healthcare service providers are attending to more numbers of patients from foreign nations. In any industry the problem of language barriers is bound to come up when dealing with people who come from different countries. For example, if you want to establish a market in a foreign land, you are going to be confronted with the issue of language barrier. And this is where you feel the requirement for translation services.

Much to the relief of corporate and other organizations, a number of translation and interpretation services providers have come up. Though some of these companies have been there for years, many of these companies have cropped up over the past years. Such companies offer a comprehensive translation service which include legal document translation, manual translations, contract translation, medical transcription, newspaper and magazine article translation, marketing material translation, product label translation, multilingual document translation, medical translation, and manuscript translation. In-person interpretation and over-the-phone translation services are also offered. Some service providers may also offer ASL translation. Such professional translation service companies have teams of language experts who have expertise in different languages and dialects. Some language agencies may also offer Spanish translation service. These agencies have subject experts who can translate from Spanish to English and vice versa. These professionals are also proficient in Spanish dialects. However before choosing a service provider, always make sure that the translators are certified and experienced. A Spanish translator or any other translator for that matter should not only be an expert in foreign languages but should also have a good idea of the foreign cultures.

Manchester adopts web-based service for deaf people
Manchester City Council is to launch a service that will allow hearing-impaired residents to contact council staff via the web ( ZDNet UK – IT At Work )
Read more on ZDNet UK

Community Calendar
Deadline for items for the Community Calendar is Wednesday at noon two weeks before desired publication date. Send information on fund-raisers, clubs, lectures, community events, reunions and support groups to Community Calendar, Pioneer Press, 3701 W. Lake Ave., Glenview IL 60026; fax (847) 486-7495; or e-mail to jmolitor@pioneerlocal.com. There is no charge for …
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Blackheart in army boots
Joan Jett’s rock crusade didn’t get this farw ithout a bit of blood and thunder.
Read more on Brisbane Times

Video Conferencing Beyond The Boardroom

Video conferencing is often thought of as a tool exclusively used for business meetings but the technology is used in many other ways.

In fact, business meetings may actually be in the minority if you expand your definition of the term to refer simply to telecommunication via audio and video – hundreds of thousands of people use webcams on a regular basis for example. A liberal interpretation could even include the long-standing use of UHF/VHF links by TV channels to report from distant locations, though generally only one individual could see the other.

As you can see from just these two examples, there are more applications for video conferencing technology than business meetings. However, even if we scale back the definition further, there are other areas that video conferencing has proven an extremely useful tool:

Telecommunications for the deaf

For obvious reasons, the telephone systems that have connected the majority of the population for the better part of a century have never been available to those of us afflicted with speech impairment or hearing problems. The use of video as a means of telecommunication for the deaf and other people with communication problems is obvious. Whilst the relatively recent introduction of text services may seem easier to use, deaf people generally prefer to use sign language. Video conferencing makes it possible for these individuals to communicate with their full range of emotion and expression and has even been used to offer remote interpretation services using a third party.

Long distance learning

One of the areas that has seen the fastest growth with the introduction of broadband services and increased bandwidth, video conferencing can help cut costs in education and extend services to people in remote locations. There are dozens of possible uses that universities and education bodies have for this technology; a few examples include:

• Lectures delivered by academics at remote institutions or by staff who are away from their home campus
• Researchers at different institutions can touch base regularly without losing time travelling
• Smaller institutions can pool resources and teach courses remotely that would otherwise be absent
• Home learning can be a 2-way experience rather than simply absorbing secondary material

Telemedicine

At the most basic level, video conferencing technology can be used by medical professionals to discuss case experiences with colleagues across large distances. Beyond this it is also used to offer medical advice and expertise in real-time for both routine and emergency medical situations, allowing a surgeon to consult on an operation taking place several miles away for example. However, the most impressive application incorporates peripherals that can record data about a patient, such as ultrasound imaging devices or microscopes fitted with digital cameras – these can allow diagnosis itself to take place across vast distances.

Politics

Finally, there’s politics. Given that meetings between high level officials tend to resemble those between executives in the private sector, this may not be much of revelation. However, it is one of the most common and effective uses of the technology, saving millions in public funds. Heads of state and senior politicians can confer on crisis situations in real-time without waiting for travel and without running the risk of travelling to unstable regions. Given that few international discussions involve just one or two parties, this application has arguably had the biggest effect on the wider world – even if no one realises it.

Universal Design and Assistive Technology

By Mickie Hayes, M. Ed.

Universal Design is a concept that – in a perfect world – would enable those students with a disability to enter a room and immediately have EQUAL ACCESS to any and all information. With Universal Design, assistive technology can be used so that class lessons can be easily completed by everyone including those individuals with disabilities who use assistive technology.

The following adaptations are everyday examples of Universal Design: sliding automatic doors, large restroom doorways and stalls,  adjustable tables,  sidewalk curb cuts, texting,  motion lights,  lever handles, and e-books. Each of these examples makes everyone’s life easier, not just someone with a disability.

• Assistive Technology for Hard of Hearing and Deaf

For people who are hard of hearing or deaf, a Sorenson service uses remote interpreters via a videophone. Videophones are free with the Sorenson service. Individuals may be in one location, and the interpreter may be in another state. Some schools have CART reporting available to Hard of Hearing and Deaf students. The CART reporter sits outside a class and listens through headphones to make an exact transcript of the lecture just like a court reporter. FM systems are also available for individuals who have hearing impairments. FM systems will amplify the sound from room to room. One person wears a small device with a transmitter, and the other person wears a receiver. The person with the receiver can hear what the other person is saying as if they are next to each other. Assistive Technology like FM systems should be available to anyone who visits a museum or enjoys a performance at an auditorium or movie theater.

• Braille/Tactile Diagrams

For someone who is blind, Braille technology is available in personal computers called PacMates that allow individuals to take their own notes using a Braille keypad. Tactile diagrams for science are also available for human anatomy models, cross-sections of the head, brain, nose, mouth, throat, respiratory tract, heart, digestive system, etc. Tactile maps are also available for anyone taking a geography class or studying the globe. Textbooks and tests in school can be produced in Braille for anyone requesting such services.

• E-Text

E-text is now available through many textbook and non-academic publishers. Students who have disabilities may qualify for free copies of their textbooks from Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic. The University of Virginia also has thousands of e-books available to students. Kent State University has a non-commercial repository for e-book research, and Project Gutenberg has many e-books that are free of charge. Google has over 500,000 e-books that are free access. Most publishers want a “proof of purchase” for college textbooks before providing an e-text alternative version of the book. Kindle, The Nook, and Sony all have electronic readers for thousands of books, but interested individuals should also check for text-to-speech software that will allow them to listen to the book as well as read it.

• Physical Disabilities/Wheelchair Users

Wheelchair technology and add on systems are available for recreational activities like bowling and soccer. Paralympic athletes compete in international paralympic sporting events. In addition, specialized wheelchair carts with balloon tires are an option for riding over sandy beaches. For those people with limited upper body movement, computer access can be achieved using large trackballs, a foot mouse, sip and puff devices, and a head controlled mouse. Electric eyes can be provided that allow computer access and control through limited head movement and even eye blinks.

• Screen Magnifiers

Personal computers all have accessibility options including a zoom feature for someone with low vision. You can find access on the Control Panel feature of your PC. Zoom Text enlarges print for someone with low vision, and Zoom Text with speech also includes a screen reader. Products from Kurzweil and Freedom Scientific also provide screen readers and magnifiers. Home magnifiers are not only good for students, but the technology will help those who do fine work with their hands. Their hands can be magnified onto a monitor so that people can see their knitting, writing, or small detail repairs. Camera technology also makes life more accessible to individuals with low vision. There are a variety of products that enlarge text for someone with low vision that can be used on a desk top, are portable, or can be worn on the head for someone with mobility disabilities. For example, Flipper uses a camera to project information from the classroom board onto a personal computer. Jordy is a product worn on the head. Small pocket electronic magnifiers are helpful when trying to read small print during shopping because the user can push a button and freeze the image for easier access to the enlarged print. These products are available at low vision websites. In addition, you can get a microscope that is digital. The user hooks it through a computer with special software. The computer is then attached to a projector, and it enlarges the slide onto a wall or table for all to view at once. Math calculators are available that use an overhead to project onto the wall.

• Speech-to-Text

Someone who has low vision or hand movement restrictions can use a speech-to-text product like Dragon Naturally Speaking, one of Nuance voice control products. Nuance voice Controls will allow users to use voice commands to dictate emails to Blackberry, to add appointments, and to search the web. Sony ICD-SX46 Digital Voice Recorder can be used with Dragon NaturallySpeaking Software. Tablet PCs have a sensitive screen designed to interact with a complementary pen. You can use the pen directly on the screen like a mouse to select, drag, and open files and can be used in place of a keyboard to handwrite notes. Tablet PCs should also have speech-to-text technology. Nexus 1 Smartphone has a Speech-to-Text feature as well.

• Text-to-Speech

Screen readers are also available for free or purchase, depending upon the product. ReadPlease is a free screen reader for home use that reads text that has been cut and pasted to the screen reader on a computer. Students who are blind can use JAWS to listen to everything on their computer. Zoom Text and Magic also have text readers built into their software. Electronic pens are available also that can read notes aloud, scan and store text, transfer information to PDAs, Smartphones, and Personal Computers. Some of these pens can also translate English in other languages. The Pulse, Smartpen by Live Scribe lets the user record notes and then replay the written words by tapping on the notes. Notes can be saved to the computer and shared as Flash videos, PDF files, or audio files.

Regardless of the disability you are facing, today’s technology will aid you through you day-to-day challenges.

Any Video Relay Service Company will not provide to Deaf Canadian people anymore this week. Sad News for Deaf Canadian people.
Video Rating: 0 / 5

See how easy it is to place a ZVRS call from your iPhone 4 in locations with WiFi access!

Communicating with the Hearing Impaired

Some people are born into this world without any complications. Sadly, there are those who are born deaf or who will soon suffer from deafness problems. That sucks and if you happen to meet someone who has this problem, don’t feel sorry for them or treat them differently because that is the last thing they want from you.

If you meet someone who is deaf, ask them how they prefer to communicate with you. You have to remember that although deaf people cannot hear you, they can lip read so you have to talk to them slowly so they can understand what you are saying.

For the males, one problem in communicating with a deaf person could be your facial hair because some of them will not be able to understand you especially if you have a mustache or beard. If this happens, try using the other ways to communicate with them like sign language if you are familiar with it but if you don’t, try writing it down so they can respond.

In the event that you need to get their attention, wave your hand, tap their shoulder gently, flicker the lights or stop on the floor because the vibration will tell them if someone is around. Since they can’t hear you, never shout because you are just wasting your breath.

When you talk to a deaf person, make sure that your face is in the line of view. This will make it easy for them to respond should they want to read your lips. If the person appears to be lost, ask if they understood what you said. If not, repeat it slowly this time.

Some deaf people that you might talk to may not speak English very well. If you have a hard time understanding what they said, tell them to kindly write down what they are trying to say.

Deaf people are just as hard working as people who can hear. Although they won’t be able to answer the phone, they can be tasked to do other things so give them a little credit and accept them for who they are.

If at work you have to speak to other members in a group, take the time out to make sure they understand what is going on because for most deaf people, they are used to interacting on a one to one level.

The same goes if you are hanging out with your friends who can hear on their own and you decide to bring your deaf friend along.

The day may come when you encounter a deaf person accompanied by an interpreter. If you have to communicate, always refer to them in the first person tense. Failure to do this is offensive to the deaf person given that he or she is present.

How we treat people who are deaf should not be different to people we communicate with normally. Why? Because deaf people have feelings and the only difference between both of you is the fact that one person can hear while the other can’t.

With that, you should speak slower, be patient and understanding with these individuals. If you take the time to know them, you might enjoy hanging out with them and forget that he or she is deaf.

The video phone relay service is available at MySpace.com.. Ohh, its only an hoax! Its a movie!

For more info, see: www.nad.org
Video Rating: 5 / 5