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New Technology Translates Lectures into Sign Language

By Stephanie Steinberg
Michigan Daily Staff Reporter On February 3rd, 2009

For most students, a laptop or a college-ruled notebook is enough to get through most lecture classes at the University. For hearing impaired students, the process is much more challenging. They need both a translator to transcribe the lecture and then extra time to read through the notes once class is over.

Using a cell phone, two University students have a plan to completely change the way hearing impaired students attend class.

Jason Gilbert and Judy Yu, graduate students in the College of Engineering’s Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, have developed a system that translates sign language into speech using cell phone technology. They say that their invention, Mobile Sign Language Systems (MSigns), will revolutionize communication for the hearing impaired.

Read the complete story at this Michigan Daily web page.

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Serotek Ends Charges for Software Upgrades (Makers of System Access Product Line)

Serotek Announces an End to Software Maintenance Agreements 
Industry Standard SMAs No Longer Standard 
 
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn – January 28, 2009 – Serotek Corporation, the leading provider of internet and digital information accessibility software and services, today announced that it will no longer require a fee to upgrade or maintain any software in its product line.  
Software companies traditional have charged fees under a contract, commonly known as a Software Maintenance Agreement (SMA), to upgrade to newer versions of their software packages. Serotek will continue to provide regular upgrades and software improvements but will offer them free of charge to all Serotek customers.

The announcement was formally made today at the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) annual conference in Orlando, Florida, with the company’s “RIP SMA” campaign. The first such offering of its kind, the news was met with great user enthusiasm.

“True to our belief that accessibility is a right, not a privilege, we are excited to lead the industry in pronouncing SMAs are dead.” said Mike Calvo, CEO, Serotek Corporation, “Users of our System Access product line can now enjoy one price, one time, forever. And we encourage the industry to follow suit.”

Reactions to this news can be found on the company’s podcast, Serotalk, which is being broadcast live from the conference’s Internet Café, which is being sponsored by the Serotek Corporation. Those unable to attend the conference can listen to the Serotalk podcast by going to www.serotalk.com. 

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New Chat Room for Deaf on AIM

From Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI)...

AIM, a popular instant messaging service, has established a dedicated online chat room for the deaf community. Users are also free to create their own rooms there as well.

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The Mass. Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Receives Grant for Assistive Technology from the Shapiro Family Foundation

April 29, 2008

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH) today announced that it has received a $25,000 grant from the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation. This generous contribution will support the Commission's Assistive Technology Fund, which provides hearing aids and other devices for individuals who cannot otherwise afford them.

"Hearing aids — which can cost between $2,000 and $3,000 — are a valuable form of assistive technology that unfortunately can be cost prohibitive for many people," said MCDHH Commissioner Heidi Reed. "The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing considers the Shapiro Family Foundation a key ally in collaborative efforts to ensure that individuals with hearing loss have the resources they need to live safe and healthy lives."

"We are delighted to support the Assistive Technology Fund at the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, because it embodies our belief that persons with disabilities have the right to be included in the broader community," said Ronny Zinner, President of the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation. "A focus of our grant program is to promote the distribution of available technologies that help to provide access to community participation. We are pleased to have the state as a partner in this effort."

About the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

The Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides services to over 500,000 deaf, hard of hearing and late-deafened adults and children across the Commonwealth. Since its establishment in 1986, MCDHH has worked to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing individuals have access to information, services, education and opportunities equal to those of people who hear and which enable each deaf and hard of hearing individual to live productively and independently, while assuming full responsibilities as citizens.

About the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation

The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation has a history of making contributions towards improving the quality of life for the deaf and hard of hearing community, primarily through its Disability Inclusion Initiative. Established in 2000, the initiative aims to help individuals with disabilities achieve independence, community integration and a better quality of life. Other recent grants include support for the National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH; Very Special Arts of Massachusetts; the Perkins School for the Blind; Outdoor Explorations; and D.E.A.F., Inc. The Foundation, established in 1961, supports a wide variety of organizations in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and hospitals, Jewish causes, and social welfare through capital grants, multi-year program commitments and four strategic grant initiatives. 

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The U.S. House Passes Captioner Training Bill

From Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI)...

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 (H.R. 4137), otherwise known as the Higher Education Reauthorization bill.  This bill, championed by Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), includes a grant program to train realtime writers to meet the demands of providing communication access to 30 million deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans.

National Court Reporter Association (NCRA) Executive Director and CEO Mark J. Golden, CAE, states, "Passing this language demonstrates that Congress truly understands that people with hearing loss deserve full and effective communication access which can only be provided by qualified stenographic realtime writers. This funding will go a long way in helping to bring more realtime writers into the workforce and meet the growing demand for this necessary service. We are honored that people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and the providers who serve them have a champion like Ron Kind on Capitol Hill. NCRA has been working side-by-side with Congressman Kind since 2001 on this issue and congratulates him on this step toward success."

"Court reporters are the guardians of the public record, and closed captioners help our hard-of-hearing residents stay informed," Rep. Kind said. "Right now we are educating only half the realtime writers we need, and I am pleased that this new grant program will increase awareness and interest in this vital profession."

NCRA will now diligently work toward ensuring that the same language is included in the final conference bill that is presented to President Bush for his signature and approval, as the Senate has already passed its version of the Higher Education Reauthorization bill.   The Senate has included similar language in its previous attempts to pass a similar bill.

The supply of court reporters still seriously lags behind demand for their services in courtrooms and law offices, in television studios to caption newscasts, and in schools and other settings to provide interpretive services for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

According to NCRA estimates, the number of court reporters in the United States has dropped to approximately 35,000, down from 43,000 in ten years.  However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that employment of realtime court reporters may experience substantial growth between now and 2016.  For more information, go to www.ncraonline.org.

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CNET TV Now Online with Captions

From Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI)...

CNET, a popular online portal where people go to discover the latest in technology and consumer electronics information, announced the official launch of CNET TV 2.0, featuring closed captioning of its popular video content. This move extends CNET 's reach with original video content that is accessible to people interested in learning about the latest tech news and reviews of consumer electronics.

Hundreds of CNET TV videos are available with closed captioning on Adobe Flash® Player version 8 or above. A button labeled "CC" is located on the video player and accesses closed captioning on popular CNET TV shows like The Buzz Report, CNET Top 5, CNET Live, CNET  Mailbag, Insider Secrets, Prizefight, and Product Spotlight. For upcoming videos on CNET TV, closed captioning will be available shortly after the release of each video.

One of the most common requests received from users after the launch of CNET TV in 2006 was for closed captioning. Despite the explosive growth in online video content, very few websites offer captioning on its streaming videos.  In keeping to its commitment  toward all users, CNET worked with Automatic Sync Technologies and Adobe Systems to create a captioning system for its online video content.

"There are more than 30 million deaf and  hard-of-hearing people in America today, and CNET is proud to be one of the first websites to offer comprehensive closed captioning of its video content so this group can turn to CNET to explore today's  digital world," said Joe Gillespie, executive  vice president of CNET. "CNET TV 2.0 embodies everything our users want out of video content -information that is entertaining and easy to understand so that they can  get the most out of their tech and CE gadgets."

"CNET's decision to incorporate closed captioning into its CNET TV video programming is a textbook example of doing well by doing good, and is emblematic of the interactive media industry 's commitment to innovations that improve peoples 'lives" said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau.

"The addition of closed captioning is an innovative step that shows CNET's commitment to being accessible for anyone interested in exploring technology," said Pam Horan, president of the Online Publishers Association. "OPA research has shown that quality news and information sites such as CNET are playing an increasingly vital role in the everyday lives of Americans. As online media grows in importance, it becomes even more essential that it is accessible to all audiences."

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U.S. National Park Service Offers Open Captions

From Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI)...

The U.S. Department of the Interior, announced in a recent Civil Rights Directive that they will require that all audio-visual media used throughout its national park system and other programs must be open captioned rather than closed captioned. The Directive also noted that "This in no way negates [their] responsibility to provide assistive listening devices for program participants who are hard of hearing."

According to the Directive, open captioning is preferred because it "provides the most effective and efficient method of access... Even where close captioned media is available, it has been found that much staff time and effort is often taken to ensure that captioning is turned off and on in a timely manner for participants with disabilities ... switches may be easily broken or tampered with causing ... non- compliance."

For more information, please contact Carroll Andre, Chief, Public Civil Rights Division, Office of Civil Rights, US Dept of the Interior. To file an ADA or other civil rights complaint against the US Dept of the Interior, follow instructions on their website.

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FCC Inaugurates Online Disability Complaint Form

From Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI)...

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)  revised their online complaint Form 2000 so that consumers with disabilities may find it easier to alert the FCC of accessibility problems in telecommunications and media, including filing of captioning complaints.

You may access the FCC Form 2000C DISABILITY ACCESS COMPLAINT which you can get to at https://esupport.fcc.gov/sform2000/formC!input.action OR by clicking on Form 2000 at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints_general.html

When you get to this page, first click on YES to the "security" question, and then scroll down to blue FORM 2000C in the middle of the page, and then fill out the information they ask for.   Remember to scroll down and click SUBMIT at the bottom of the page to make sure the FCC gets the information. Retain the Acknowledgment Number they send back as this will be your complaint number that can be used to track your complaint later.

You can also use this form for HDTV captioning complaints, Relay Service complaints, Section 255 Complaints, and for Access to Emergency Information on TV complaints!   TDI recommends that you file one type of complaint at a time with this form. For example, fill out the form for a complaint on TRS or VRS relay service, and then submit a new form for a captioning-related complaint.

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House Releases 21st Century Communications And Video Accessibility Act For People With Disabilities

From the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT)...

On December 21, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives released a draft bill, the long-awaited "Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act" This proposal is a dramatic and comprehensive step forward for consumers with disabilities. It proposes to amend the Communications Act - the main statute that impacts the telephone and video programming industries - to add new consumer protections that will ensure people with disabilities do not get left out or left behind as telephones and television programming increasingly rely on digital and Internet Protocol (IP) technologies.

Key provisions of the bill include:

  • Apply disability access regulations in Section 255 for telecommunication services to Internet based services as well.
  • Require captioning that are on television shows to be also carried over to the Internet.
  • Require any devices that pass through and display video also be capable of carrying captioning.
  • Require television manufacturers to make it easier to access controls to turn on captioning in television menus and on remote controls.
  • Allow deaf people to receive federal Lifeline and Linkup discounts for Internet service to allow them to use video phones.
  • Authorize funds to distribute specialize telecommunications equipment for people who are deaf blind.
  • Restore video description regulations and make on-screen text menu accessible for viewers with vision disabilities.

The proposals will allow greater numbers of people with disabilities to become independent and productive members of society, as well as to enjoy all the new electronic gadgets and devices that everyone else takes for granted.

For more information and updates on this draft legislation or COAT, visit the COAT website.

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