Technology For Deaf People

Alexander Bell Telephone invented by Alexander Bell Created to assist Deaf People Result- Deaf People are more isolated

Robert Weitbrecht Robert Weitbrecht invents TTY Deaf physicist in California. TTY cost $300 & weighed 150 lbs.

TTY- Problems You need a signal system to alert for calls (lights). Must be able to type and read Prices range from $275- $479 Each person needs a TTY TTY’s plug in and need electricity

TTY Etiquette Identify yourself-Type “HI, JESSICA HERE” “GA” = go ahead “QGA”= Question “HLD” = hold on a sec “PLS”= please “XXX” = oops I’m wrong, then re-type Good bye options…… “GA to SK” = go ahead/stop keying “GA or SK” “GASK” Completely finished= “BYESKSK” - disconnect

French TTY

Maryland Relay Started MD one of the 1 st states #711 Operator-Introduces self and helps new user Operators follow strict code of confedentiality Cost shared by all If the person who has the account is deaf they would get lower long distance fees

MD Relay cont’d Pros Deaf people get equal access with a MR operator Can call anyone at anytime Cons Third person involved Takes longer Not enough operators Expensive

Some MD RELAY SERVICES HEARING-CARRY-OVER (HCO) : enables speech disabled users to directly hear the voice person's message. The Operator then voices the speech-disabled TTY user's typed response back to the voice caller. VRS- Video Relay Service CAPTel- captioning the phone conversation- no typing involved

Wyndtell Pager Send text messages Full keyboard Sends the message to someone else's pager Also types & fax Has software so you can talk on a TTY

Closed Captioning Words at the bottom of the T.V. screen Started different kinds: real time captioning ( live programs) scripted (pre-recorded program)

Problems with Closed Captioning Lose emotions in programs Must be able to read English quickly Captions may cut off in “real-time” At first TVs didn’t come with CC so you had to buy a “decoder” for $200 Since 1993 tvs larger than 11” must have decoder chip-Why?

NCI- National Captioning Institute Real-time captioning 1. Someone is talking on TV 2. At NCI -Stenographers watch the show & type on stenograph machine 3. The phonetic type goes into a word processor at NCI –converted to English 4. English sent back to the TV station through phone lines 5. English is merged with the picture on the TV screen 6. Sent out to viewers homes Completed in 4-6 seconds !

Fire Alarms Alarms have a flashing light/ sound alert and a vibrating pad (under a pillow or mattress) shakes person awake when smoke is detected.

Icommunicator Converts speech to text and video sign language in real time