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Technologies for People Who are
Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Cultural
Environments
Jonathan O'Dell
Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Disclaimer: MCDHH does not
endorse any particular products,
services, manufacturers or
vendors. Images shown are
purely for illustrative purposes.
What is MCDHH?
• MCDHH is a state agency under the Executive Office
of Health and Human Services
• Our mission is to help promote communication access
and inclusivity for all Deaf, hard of hearing and late
deafened individuals throughout the Commonwealth.
• We provide no-cost workplace evaluations and offer
non-binding recommendations to employers; we also
provide a free referral service for ASL interpreters and
CART providers
Consider Communication Modalities
Culturally Deaf
Hard of Hearing
Late Deafened
Deaf Blind
What does culturally Deaf mean?
• A person who is culturally Deaf has been brought up in an environment where American Sign Language is the dominant and preferred mode of communication.
• ASL is a 'real' language like any other, not just a form of visually translating English.
• Like any other ESL population, Deaf ASL users will derive minimal benefit from textual English solutions.
• ASL interpreters are a must to accommodate Deaf patrons.
Stage interpreters
• Fluency in ASL requires years of education and practice.
• At a minimum, MCDHH requires interpreters either to have a State Screening approval, which is considered entry level , or RID certification - called the NIC - to be on contract with us.
• Stage interpreting is a specialized skill set. Not all ASL interpreters are willing to do stage interpreting.
What does Hard of hearing mean?
• Post-lingual onset of hearing loss. Many hard of
hearing individuals will benefit to some extent from
hearing aids, but these never restore hearing fully.
• Hearing aids alone are often not sufficient in theatrical
settings, due to the complex acoustics of a
performance environment.
• Assistive listening systems can provide much better
signal to noise ratios, both when used with or without
hearing aids.
Hearing aids come in many shapes and sizes and have
many features. Perhaps the most important one is the
T-switch, also known as Telecoil. This feature allows
integration with many assistive listening technologies.
Telecoil
and Audio
Induction
Loop
Many hearing aid manufacturers offer custom connectivity
options. Shown above is the Phonak Compilot (l) and the
Phonak remote mic (r). The Compilot receives sound
wirelessly from the remote mic via Bluetooth and sends it to
compatible Phonak hearing aids.
Hardwired Amplification Systems
Wireless Amplification Systems
FM systems
Infrared Listening
Systems
The importance of the right accessory
What does late deafened mean?
A late deafened person is someone who has lost ALL
of their hearing postlingually, often as an older adult.
Amplification will not be sufficient for comprehension,
because often it is the result of nerve damage . Some
late deafened individuals choose cochlear implants.
Late deafened people benefit hugely from open and
closed captions, subtitles, or any other effective
textual content .
Cochlear Implants
• Cochlear Implants are tools for individuals who, even with
hearing aids, do not benefit from sound amplification.
Implanted electrodes stimulate the auditory nerve to
replicate function of damaged nerve cells.
CART
Communication Access Realtime Translation
Remote CART
At the Movies
At
The
Theater
Questions ? Feedback ? Comments?
The Wheelock Family Theater has extensive ASL
and open captioning experience.
Contact access coordinator Kristin Johnson at
