Hacking Netflix posts an entry regarding Netflix’s customer support didn’t provide TTY support fast enough when the company moved to phone support. Furthermore, it doesn’t caption its online video (big surprise).
I love that one of the comments says that the lack of subtitles/captioning affects more than just those who are deaf or hearing-impaired. The commenter writes, “Frequently I turn on the English subtitles when watching NF rentals with difficult English accents. And some times I turn on the subtitles when the music is overpoweringly loud compared to the spoken soundtrack rather than constantly adjust the volume.”
Internet Video and the Deaf Problem Noticed
For Web Designers: Persona of Deaf Person
Shawn Henry’s book, Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design, is available online. Yes, the entire thing. Henry provides two persona examples of people with disabilities. Personas help Web designers visualize a Web site’s target market and design for that market. Thought it worthy of sharing in this blog.
One persona is a retiree with macular degeneration and the other is a college student who is deaf.
Henry does a good job with the college student. Although, I think many deaf people use a cell phone with a QWERTY keyboard. I could be wrong, but many of the deaf bloggers say they use a Sidekick or other cell phone with QWERTY. I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t use a TTY anymore — however, I am sure that’s not common especially those with many friends who are deaf. I prefer using instant messenger to make my relay calls as the computer is faster than a TTY.
Henry does account for differences, “Remember that people are diverse. Be careful not to assume that all users, including users with disabilities, use the product the same way.”
Help Honor Baseball Player Dummy Hoy
Fookem and Bug ask we print letters and mail them to filmmaker David Risotto. He is working with avid Cincinnati Reds Baseball fan, Steve Sandy, to create a documentary on the life and achievements of William Ellsworth “Dummy” Hoy, the first deaf baseball player in history.
I like what the blog says… that it’s not about the fact he was deaf, but about Hoy playing baseball at a time when citizens ignored deaf people. Read more about the project, writing letters, and Hoy’s achivements.
It only takes a minute to print the letter and sign it.
Closed Captioning of Web Video Receive Senate Support
I remember when Senator Tom Harkin made news back in the ’90s. From the Alamanac of American Politics 2000: “His interest in deafness prompted him and Senator Jennings Randolph to bring the first closed-caption TV to the Carter White House; in 1991 he passed a law requiring close-captioning on all 13-inch-plus TVs starting in 1995.”
He has taken on another project — captioning of online videos. The following comes from DeafNetwork.
The Nightmares of HDTV and Captions
It looks like technology for the deaf and digital don’t get along. I remember back in the ’90s when my company’s phone lines went digital. Well, the TTY didn’t work with digital and the company had to install an analog line for me.
Last weekend, my husband went shopping for a new HDTV. He knew to check out the caption features and ensure it worked well. Unfortunately, what you see at the store isn’t necessarily what you get at home because it depends on your TV service provider.
So far, I’ve watched regular TV, DVD videos (using both captions and subtitles), TV shows recorded on DVR in standard format (instead of HD format — it was before we got the TV and besides, HD takes up more space). The captions are inconsistent in terms of font, size, formatting.
This Is My Family: Wanting a Deaf Baby
Just came across this interesting BBC video of a deaf couple who desire a deaf baby. The 2004 video shows the program in its entirety (one hour long) and with subtitles.
AT&T Causes uproar with Deaf Customers
Deafmac writes, “…we complained about their offering to the hearing people to have Voice-Only plan on their iPhones. As we all know, it spoke of discrimination and they removed it. Now we both, hearing and deaf, are back to square one where we have to pay $59.99 a month for both voice and data plans.” However, read the comments as well as the following blogs for a full picture.
Gizmodo caught wind of this and posted on the topic. According to a Gizmodo follow up, AT&T is bringing a data only plan for iPhones. But what if we don’t want an iPhone? Wish Verizon would follow suit and give us more choices.
* CrunchGear
* TUAW.
* Apple Gazette has a podcast, but that won’t do some of us much good.
Links: 2007-11-30
Interesting readings…
* Closed/Open Captions, Subtitles, and Rear-Window Captioning: Love the reference to the rear window thingamajing as “flag” and that we feel like we have a scarlet letter when we carry the flag in the movie theater.
* Culture First or Deaf First? Another look at an ages old debate. Lots of comments.
* Creature Discomforts: “series of animations based on the experiences of real disabled people.” Love this site. Has subtitles and sign language for videos and transcripts for radio ads.
Deaf Students and Standardized Testing
Standardized testing… the source of stress, ulcers, baldness, debates… I don’t know what they prove because the SATs proved nothing for me. SATs are supposedly the indicator of how well a student will do in college. Well, my scores were embarrassing (took it twice) and I did fine and dandy in college, thankyouverymuch.
Anyway, Jamie Berke points to an article where a deaf school did very poorly on New York’s standardized test.
I don’t believe deaf people should be exempt from testing. Start that and it leads to other testing exemptions. Besides, don’t we have working brains like anyone else? Some people are smart and some aren’t. Exempting deaf people from test sends a message that we’re all not bright enough.
Sometimes I wish I could take the SAT to see if I can do better (since I was happy with my GMAT score), but I’m not about to show up in a school with a bunch of 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds.
Winter Headband
It finally got cold enough for me to try the headband that covers the ears. When I tried it on, it looked like a good fit. But of course, I didn’t have my tennis sunglasses on to add to the bulk. At first, it worked well. When I adjusted the headband, I was surprised to find my behind the ear part of the cochlear implant way off my ear while the magnet hung on for dear life.
From there, it was downhill. I played softball almost my entire childhood and I don’t remember ever struggling to wear a baseball hat with two hearing aids. However, I didn’t have to deal with a magnet sitting further up my head to make things difficult. Funny thing was when we started wearing baseball caps less often, I hated giving up my cap. I guess there was just something about having the complete softball uniform — hat and all.
At least, the cochlear implant worked despite of the behind the ear floating away from the ear. A hearing aid might not work as well because of the microphone, which would have trouble getting reception through the headband.
Another possibility is the golf cap. I recently learned these are bigger than regular baseball caps and can cover the ears.