Transparent Operators

I’ve reported on the Captel phone in the past and Fredericksburg.com has an article about real life experiences with it. One question remains: how accurate are the captions? I’ve sent an email to the writer.

1 comments

  1. REGARDING MY LETTER TO THE L.A. TIMES IN LATE OCTOBER 04 REGARDING DEAF UPS DRIVERS;
    I APOLOGIZE FOR THE USE OF THE WORD ‘HANDICAPPED’ IN LIEU OF EITHER HEARING IMPAIRED OR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (I HAD NO INTENTION OF HURTING FEELINGS)
    HOWEVER, MY SENTIMENTS REGARDING DEAFNESS BEHIND THE WHEEL HAVE NOT CHANGED.
    THE ABILITY TO SEE THE FLASHING LIGHTS OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES IS ONLY APPLICABLE WHEN YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THOSE LIGHTS (THERE ARE SCENARIOS IN WHICH A DRIVER MAY BE COMING ALONG A SIDE ROAD WITH NO DIRECT VISION TO THE APPROACHES TO AN INTERSECTION – A COMMON SITUATION ON URBAN STREETS).
    THE WRITER WHO SAYS THAT IN HER TOWN SPECIAL WHITE FLASHING LIGHTS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED TO ALERT TO ONCOMING SIRENS IS LUCKY BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW OF MANY MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE OR WILL MAKE THESE INSTALLATIONS.
    I STILL THINK THAT MY IDEA TO INSTALL SENSORS ON VEHICLES TO TRANSLATE NOISES TO VISUAL DASHBOARD ALERTS WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
    SOME FORTY YEARS AGO, WHEN POLICE DEPARTMENTS BEGAN TO PURCHASE AIR CONDITIONED PATROL CARS, I NOTICED THAT THEY WOULD RIDE AROUND ON HOT NIGHTS WITH THE WINDOWS CLOSED MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO HEAR STREET SOUNDS (IE; GUN SHOTS AND THE SCREAMS OF PEOPLE IN TROUBLE).
    IT WAS AT THAT TIME THAT SOME DEPARTMENTS ADOPTED A SOUND SYSTEM BUILT INTO THE ROOF LIGHT BAR THAT WOULD TRANSMIT TO A SPEAKER ON THE DASHBOARD.
    I’M NOT SAYING THAT THE HEARING IMPAIRED SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE – WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT THEY SHOULD BE ADEQUATELY EQUIPPED TO DO SO.
    P.S.;FYI I HAPPEN TO BE PARTIALLY DEAF MYSELF!!
    ALAN P. LINSKY

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