BRIC Assistive Technology Spotlight
January 2024: Assistive Technology
Deaf vs Hard of Heaing
A person who is hard of hearing describes individuals with varying degrees of hearing loss, ranging from mild to severe, but not profound. These individuals may still have some residual hearing and might benefit from hearing aids or other assistive devices. They often communicate through spoken language and may not be as closely connected to Deaf culture or sign language.
A person who is deaf refers to individuals who have profound hearing loss, often to the extent that they may not benefit significantly from hearing aids. Many Deaf individuals primarily use sign language as their primary mode of communication
Assistive Technology: Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing
Assistive technology for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing encompasses a diverse range of tools and devices tailored to enhance communication, accessibility, and daily life.
These technologies cater to varying degrees of hearing loss, offering solutions such as hearing aids that amplify sound for mild to moderate impairments, cochlear implants providing a sense of sound for severe to profound loss, and text telephones (TTY/TDD) enabling text-based communication over phone lines. Additionally, video relay services facilitate conversations through sign language via video calls, while closed captioning/subtitles provide written versions of spoken dialogue for audio content. Assistive listening devices, like FM systems or loop systems, reduce background noise, and signaling devices alert individuals to doorbells, alarms, or phone calls.
These assistive technologies continue to evolve, striving to bridge communication barriers and empower individuals in their daily interactions and activities.
Types of assistive technology for ASD:
Loop Systems- A hearing loop is a special type of sound system for use by people with hearing aids. The hearing loop provides a magnetic, wireless signal that is picked up by the hearing aid when it is set to ‘T’ setting.
It is the only assistive listening technology that can broadcast directly to a wide range of hearing aids, making them the most popular option for accessible audio in public spaces.
Streaming Devices:- A streamer is a small device worn around the neck on a cord. It connects sound wirelessly from a device directly to the amplification device worn by the DHH student.
Hearing aids- Hearing aids work by capturing sounds through a tiny microphone, turning those sounds into electrical signals, amplifying these signals to make them stronger, and then sending these amplified signals through a speaker into the ear.
Cochlear implants- Cochlear implants work by turning sounds into electrical signals. These signals are sent to the brain through electrodes placed in the inner ear. This helps people with severe hearing loss hear sounds, allowing them to understand speech and noises in their surroundings.
FM Systems - FM means 'frequency modulation'. These devices work when a speaker uses a microphone while the listener wears a receiver. The receiver can be a simple pair of headphones, ear-level receivers that deliver the sound into the ears, or a hearing device, such as cochlear implants or hearing aids. FM systems are not a substitute for hearing aids, but rather they add to hearing aids.
Safety Technology
Alerting Devices:- Alerting devices are used to keep DHH safe.
Examples:
- Clarity: Clarity designs dependable, high quality alerting systems. If you or a family member is hard of hearing and living alone, it can sometimes be difficult to know when someone is at the door or calling on the phone. The Clarity® Alerting Systems featured below alerts the person whenever someone is knocking or calling. Even more importantly, these alerting systems can signal if there is a fire alarm or security system alarm sounding.
- Sonic Alert: These alerting systems can notify you if someone is at your door or calling you on the phone. Specifically designed for the hard of hearing, the visual alerting systems displayed below can alert the homeowner through a series of flashing lights or a powerful bed shaker.
Apps for DHH
Ava: Ava uses captions to live transcribe voice to text to provide accessibility for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Ava’s speech-to-text app provides 24/7 real-time audio transcription with about 5 errors in 100 words based on AI, and the highest possible accuracy with Ava Scribe at about 1 error in 100 words.
Big Note: Big Note is used to communicate with people by typing text. There is a seek bar to decrease or increase/decrease text size. Easy to keep the communication going on by shaking the phone or swipe from right to left.
Speech to Text with the ease of reading the highlighted text. Text to Speech and shows which will show the highlighted text is "speaking".
Otter.ai: Otterai is a transcription and note-taking app that uses artificial intelligence to transcribe spoken words into written text in real-time. It's designed to capture and transcribe conversations, meetings, lectures, and other spoken content accurately. Otterai's features include the ability to identify different speakers, generate searchable transcripts, highlight key points, and synchronize audio with text.
How to get started:
Begin by consulting with a hearing healthcare professional, such as an audiologist or a specialist in assistive technology. They will assess your hearing needs and recommend suitable devices or technologies based on your level of hearing loss, communication preferences, and daily activities.
Then begin to research the technology you'd like to use; there's a wide range of assistive technology available. Research various devices, apps, software, and tools designed for individuals with DHH. You may need to do some trials with some technology to see which type of assistive tech for DHH is best for you.
Remember, the process of adopting assistive technology is unique to each individual. It's essential to find solutions that best suit your specific hearing needs, lifestyle, and preferences while seeking guidance and support from healthcare professionals and experts in the field.