“Embarrassed Student” on the forum just had a college experience that, to use an idiom, “really takes the cake.” “Embarrassed Student” is hard of hearing and was reading the class material and didn’t realized the instructor was trying to get her Read More
Author Archive
Even Professors Ignorant About Hearing Loss
September 5th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Does Lack of Sign Language Skill Mean No Conscience?
September 4th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
A deaf killer who grew up on the streets and was never taught sign language, has been given a hefty sentence. His education – what there was of it – … Read Full Post Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Help for Deaf Victims of Domestic Violence
September 2nd, 2010 by About.com Deafness
In response to a reader inquiry, I have developed this list of sources of help for deaf and hard of hearing victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. There is certainly a need to increase awareness of this information. Just last week, a deaf man killed his deaf wife on their 10th Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
We Still Want Analogs, Readers Cry
September 1st, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Some About.com Deafness blog posts continue to draw comments over the years. A reader who is a musician with hearing loss, recently posted on the blog post “Desperately Seeking...Analog Hearing Aids.” This musician said digital hearing aids simply don’t work when he is making Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Sign Language and Lip Movements Unrelated?
August 30th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
British researchers have found that when people sign and move their lips at the same time, the signs apparently are mentally processed separately from the lip movements. How did the researchers find this out? They showed test subjects pictures and had them sign what was in the pictures; then Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Deaf Employees Always Entitled to Interpreters?
August 29th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
A federal appeals court just overturned a district court’s decision against a deaf UPS employee. This employee claimed UPS did not provide him with interpreters for less important (weekly) meetings, and instead only provided “summaries” (UPS stated they provided notetakers) Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Getting Benefit of Two Implants for Price of One
August 28th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
This week’s big cochlear implant story is the development of a new surgical technique that allows people to get the benefit of two cochlear implants with only one surgery and one implant. It works by having two wires and two microphones. This type of implant has been around for a while Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Career Plans Threatened by Deafness
August 27th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Just as she was about to finish up her studies at college for a human services degree, “New Jersey Mom” on the forum lost more hearing in addition to already being hard of hearing. She had planned to get a job in social services and then study sign language because her goal was to Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Your IEP Experience
August 26th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Kids may dread homework and tests, but parents of deaf and hard of hearing children often dread the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting. I’ve never liked IEP meetings myself. It is not easy hearing the truth about your child’s capabilities, and parents and teachers Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Rare, Signed Deaf Book on Ebay
August 24th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
A rare, deaf-related book for sale on eBay was posted on the About.com deafness forum. When I checked out the ebay number, I found the first sale had ended with no bidders, but it has been relisted, with item number 170531133614. … Read Full Post Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
ASL Songs, Welcome, Indeed
August 22nd, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Today a new blog announced itself: the ASL Songs blog. While they are just getting started, I hope to see this blog grow exponentially. One of the most frequent questions I get at About.com is “How do I sign this song,” so having a central resource for ASL interpretations of songs Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Hearing Aid Choices – How to Decide?
August 21st, 2010 by About.com Deafness
While updating the article on Hearing Aid Manufacturers, I became overwhelmed by the seemingly infinite number of choices available from manufacturers. How does anyone decide? All those various price levels, styles, colors, and especially the features? I no longer use hearing aids myself, but I Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Update on Deaf Shoplifter Choking Case
August 19th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
The security guard who choked the suspected deaf shoplifter has been suspended from his job. The shoplifter, Alejandro Rea, and his brother, are threatening a lawsuit (no surprise) although there is a possibility of settling out of court. The news reports reveal that the guard did more than Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Forget Senior Citizens. The Money is in the Teens.
August 18th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
This week’s hot hearing loss news media story is about the fact one in five teens has sustained at least some hearing loss. Possibly from too much noise exposure from music players such as iPods and MP3 players. While the news reports that much of this hearing loss is mild, even a mild Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Video Interpreters United
August 17th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
There are so many video relay service providers that I do not know about all of them. None of these services would exist without the labor of sign language interpreters working as video relay service interpreters. So, it is not surprising that they have their own organization, the Video Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Analog to Digital Switch Not Always Easy
August 15th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
“Old Analog User” posted about his frustration with the sudden forced switch to digital from analog: “I am having a horrible experience. First, I am not hearing as well as I did with analog. I am hearing signficantly less than with my analog and with my analog I heard Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Interpreted Storybooks for iPad
August 13th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
CNet reports that an award-winning children’s book is available as an iPad app, with a sign language interpreter added. The app was developed by the company iStoryTime, which said it has been so well received they may develop it for the iPhone too. The article is accompanied by a video. Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Mitochondrial Disease Affecting Communication
August 9th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Christina is a parent of a daughter with a mitochondrial disease that takes away her daughter’s ability to communicate verbally at times. She is investigating sign language as an option, plus she lives in Canada and needs to know how to get help from Canadian government entities or Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Efforts to Preserve Indian Sign Language
August 7th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Next week there is a conference on Indian Sign Language. That’s as in American Indian, not the country of India. Both deaf and hearing sign language users will be attending this conference. Conference organizers are trying to preserve American Indian Sign Language for the next Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Sorry Kids, You’re Deaf. Deal with It.
August 5th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
It seems more cochlear implant speech processors are getting stolen from kids these days. In the latest case, a kid left the implant in a sneaker while going swimming. After the theft, the Cochlear company replaced the stolen implant. … Read Full Post Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Eat Your Tuna, Don’t Go Deaf
August 3rd, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Could avoiding worsening hearing loss (or losing any hearing in the first place) be avoided by something as simple as buying a can of tuna fish? Maybe, if the results of the Blue Mountains Hearing Study in Australia can be proven. That study found that eating fish at least twice a week Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Attitudes Get Worse When Telling Truth
August 1st, 2010 by About.com Deafness
McBeader is a hard of hearing About.com reader who posted on the forum about his communication frustrations. He writes about the attitudes of hearing people when he does not understand. Writes McBeader: “…it is also very frustrating when I have to constantly have people repeat Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Sometimes You Lose Some…
July 31st, 2010 by About.com Deafness
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has just lost a lawsuit on behalf of a deaf man who claimed employment discrimination. A U.S. District Court just ruled that a mining company did not discriminate when they would not hire a deaf man as a truck driver or heavy equipment operator. Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Different Approach to No Interpreters
July 27th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Not the best title, but it is late and I’m tired. I just have to blog about this – it is an innovative, different approach to the problem of doctors not providing interpreters! Briefly: a center for independent living, tired of frequent complaints from deaf people about medical Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Update: Federal Register Posts Movie Captioning Notice
July 26th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Today the Federal Register published the advance notice of proposed rulemaking, “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Movie Captioning and Video Description.” This notice, which solicits comments up until January 24, 2011, asks 26 questions related to movie theater Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Mandatory Captioning in Movie Theaters Coming?
July 25th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Tomorrow the Department of Justice will publish four advance notices of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register to solicit comments. The one that has perhaps the most potential impact for the American deaf community is the one on Movie Captioning and Video Description. According to this Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
The ADA at 20 – Reflections and Thoughts for Future
July 23rd, 2010 by About.com Deafness
What stage of life were you at in 1990, when the Americans with Disabilities Act became reality? How did it change your life as a deaf person? Over the years I have seen, as an About.com guide, how the ADA has protected – and sometimes, failed to protect – the rights of deaf and hard Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Yet Another Deaf Medical Victory
July 22nd, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Another hospital has agreed to make itself more accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing. This time, it is a hospital in New Hampshire. The hospital agreed to pay a few thousand dollars to a deaf patient who claimed the hospital tried to get his partner to act as an interpreter. More Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Poorer Kids Get Implants, But Have More Problems
July 20th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
Researchers have found that poorer children do get cochlear implants, but they also have more problems following surgery. Plus, poorer children miss more follow-up appointments. Not surprising, since it can be difficult for low income people to get to doctor’s appointments. Read More
Posted in Deaf, Hearing Loss |
Update: Milan 1880 No Longer in Effect!
July 19th, 2010 by About.com Deafness
On my way home today I saw on Twitter the news the deaf and hard of hearing community has been waiting for, for only over a hundred years: Today the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf booted the Milan 1880 resolutions. The Deaf World As Eye See It blog has all the juicy details! Read More
