Communication and Alerting Technology for Deafblind People
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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 hearing
Use sense of touch
Use of hearing 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
speech reading; more difficult now
May or may not use American Sign Language (may need to rely
on tactile 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
• 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
Internal components
Implanted receiver
Electrode system
External components Transmitter system
Sound processor
Microphone
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
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
• 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
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 light
AL10
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
Individual Alert Systems
• Doorbells and phone signalers
– Some hard of hearing people prefer to hear chimes
Doorbells
– Winchester Chime
• Can set tone and pitch
Phones
• Phone ring signalers
• Can set tone and pitch so person can hear phone ring
• Ringmax is one kind; there are others
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 hand
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
Deaf-Blind Communicator
• Allows a deafblind user who reads Braille access to:
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