Transcript Technology for DeafBlind People

Communication and Alerting
Technology for DeafBlind People
Elizabeth Spiers
Virginia Department for the
Blind and Vision Impaired
DeafBlind People
– Blind or visually impaired; losing hearing
– Deaf or hard of hearing; losing vision
– Losing both senses
– Little or no usable vision or hearing
Blind or Visually Impaired
losing hearing
– Maximize vision and/or hearing
– Use sense of touch
– Use of hearing is not as reliable
Deaf or hard of hearing,
losing vision
• May have relied on vision in past; vision is less
reliable
• May have relied on speech reading and visual
cues for understanding; more difficult now
• May or may not use American Sign Language
(may need to rely on tactile signs or adapted
signs)
Losing vision and hearing
• Age-related causes
– Hearing (presbycusis)
– Vision (glaucoma, cataracts, macular
degeneration)
Usher Syndrome 3
Other causes
Deafblind
• Have little or no usable vision and hearing
• May or may not be proficient in Braille, tactile
sign language
• Some may benefit from newest technology for
deafblind people
Tactile Sign Language
Tracking
Other issues
Many may have mobilty or dexterity problems
as they age
They may not feel comfortable with new
technology
Simpler is better
What do deafblind people
want to do?
• Communicate
• With other people
• One on one
• Groups
• Use the Phone
• Use Email/internet
• Awareness and safety
– Know when a smoke alarm goes off
– Know when someone is at the door
– Know when the phone rings
– Be aware of other important sounds
Communication
• Communication is the most important thing
and the issue where most people have trouble
• Hearing aids and cochlear implants help, but
aren’t the answer to everything!
Hearing Aids
• Digital
– Computer programmed; person can’t program
hearing aid themselves
– Can set up different programs for different
listening environments
• Group conversations
• TV
• One on one conversations
• Digital hearing aids require several fittings to
program to person’s exact needs
• Takes some adjustment
• Can be difficult for some seniors to adjust to
• Important to add telecoils (so persons can use
assistive listening devices)
• Analog
– Older models of hearing aids
– Person adjusts volume thesmelves
– Cannot be programmed; person hears everything
– May be easier for some seniors to handle and
operate
– Must have telecoils so people can use FM systems
Cochlear Implants
Cochlear Implants
• Very different from hearing aids
• Hearing aids amplify everything
• Cochlear implants bypass damaged portions
of ear and send sound directly to auditory
nerve
• Auditory nerve transmits sound to brain
• Brain recognizes signal as sound
• What do you do when hearing aids or cochlear
implants are not enough, or the person is not
using them?
Assistive listening devices
• Personal assistive listening devices
• FM devices or systsms
Asssistive Listening Devices
• Pocketalker Ultra
• Pocketalker Pro
• TV Listening Systems
Pocketalker Ultra
Pocketalker Pro
• Pocketalker Ultra is the newest Pocketalker
• 5 year warranty
• Can adjust tone and pitch
• Can use with neckloop, earbuds, headset
Pocketalker Pro
• Pocketalker Pro is an older model
• Only has volume control
• Easier for people with dexterity or memory
problems
• Can be used with earbuds, headphone,
neckloop
• Both can be used with TV as TV listening
systems
• Clip a long 12 foot TV cord on the back of the
TV
• Person has to sit close to TV—wired system
Wireless TV Listening Systems
• TV Ears—wireless, less expensive (about 129
dollars)
• Sennheiser, wireless, more expensive (about
169 dollars)
• Person can listen to TV anywhere in the house
TV Ears and Sennheiser
FM Systems
• Best for group meetings
• One is Contego
Contego
Alerting Systems
• Purpose
– Alert someone to phone, doorbell, smoke alarm
– Alerts someone to other sounds—such as baby
crying
– Wakes someone up (alarm clock)
• Many are light or strobe based
• Can use tactile components for people who
can’t see lights
AL 10
AL 10 tactile alert pager
Audio alert transmitter
Signature Series
• Upgrade to Vibracall
• Uses vibrating watch
• Will have new vibrating pager sometime in
spring of 2012 (similar to old Vibracall pager
VibraCall
• Has transmitters for doorbell, telephone,
other sounds
• Has smoke alarm with transmitter
• Current pager has patterned vibrations person
has to learn
• New tactile pager coming out soon—person
can press a button down-when that vibrates,
will indicate its function
VibraCall
Individual Alert Systems
• Doorbells and phone signalers
– Some hard of hearing people prefer to hear
chimes
• Doorbells
– Winchester Chime
• Can set tone and pitch
• Phone ring signalers
• Can set tone and pitch so person can hear
phone ring
• Ringmax is one kind; there are others
Phones
• Amplified phones
– Clarity
– Crystal Tone
– Clear Sounds
– Captel 800, 800i
– Jitterbug Cell Phone
• All can adjust volume
• Some can adjust pitch, volume
• Some phones better for some people than
others
• Many have large push buttons for easy
reading
Jitterbug
•
•
•
•
Hearing aid compatible cell phone
Simple instructions—simply call
Large numbers for easy reading
Available through VDDHH on a trial basis
(temporary)
• Jitterbug only is provided—people have to pay
for phone service
Captel
• Captel is a service where you can dial a
captioning service
• Operator will type conversation while you
speak into phone
• Person can read conversation from other
caller and speak to caller on phone handset.
Captel 800 and 800i
• Captel 800 does not need internet connection
• Captel 800i needs high speed internet
connection
• Font and contrast can be adjusted—letters up
to 3 inches high
WebCaptel
• Hamilton Relay runs this in Virginia
• People can plug a standard phone into a
standard phone line
• Access WebCaptel on the Internet (through an
account with a service provider)
• Person talks into the phone and reads
captions on their computer
WebCaptel
• f
Deaf-Blind Communicator
Deaf-Blind Communicator
• Allows a deafblind user who has Braille access
to use:
– Phone
– Internet/email
– Face to face communication
Relay Services
• Virginia Relay Service
• Internet relay services (e.g, Nextalk)
• Video Relay Services
Financial Assistance
VDDHH Technology Access Program
National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution
Program (NDBEDP)
NewWell Fund
Starkey (for hearing aids)
• Questions and Answers