C21Media reports Soundproof, a TV special will air in 2006. In the movie, the main character is deaf and a suspect in a murder. The police bring in a sign language interpreter to help questioning the suspect and the suspect falls in love with her. Apparently, there is a series with the same name — these are not related.
Inaccessible Travel
According to TravelBite, 25 percent of people with disabilities didn’t travel in 2004 due to the lack of accommodations. I recently wrote about a little kink in my recent trip, but accommodating me is less complicated than for those getting around in wheelchairs especially when it comes to airplane toilets. Heck, those toilets are difficult for a able-bodied person to use.
I’ve been trying to remember my first trip alone without visiting family. I believe it was in 1992 or 1993 when I traveled to Oklahoma City. I never gave it thought that I could have challenges on the trip. Over the years, I’ve traveled alone many times. Getting from airport to hotel is usually the difficult part of the trip. Sometimes renting a car was hard because I couldn’t read the employee’s lips. Whenever that happened, I came across obtuse or dumb. I hated that.
I’ve had trouble finding out which baggage claim to go to as some airports have big ones and they’re not all in the same place. I usually just follow the signs to baggage claim then walk through the area until I see my flight number. When I lived in Washington, DC, taking a cab home was nerve-wracking. Taxi driver and I couldn’t understand each other. But I got home and I survived.
If I want to order room service, I can’t do it from the comfort of my hotel room. I’ve covered this in the previous travel entry.
Speech and Listening Therapy Update 1
My teeth are buzzing after working for an hour on the “Z” sound in the middle and end of words. I had no idea, after all these years, that the letter “S” sounds like a “Z” in a lot of instances. Has, is, eyes, bills, visitors, figures, and so on. I knew words like was, Thursday, and Louisiana had the “Z” sound. “Is” is a hard habit to break.
I’m also struggling with “R” as mine comes out nasally. I feel silly trying to practice “R” while putting my fingers on my nose (note I said “on” not “in!”) to see whether or not it’s coming through nasally. I can “R” correctly when I start by making “L” sound with my tongue by my front teeth and then slowly move the tongue further back. But to say a word? Forget it.
The therapist gave me practice sheets to do at home and my teeth are gonna tickle for days as I keep practicing (“days” and “as” are also “Z” sounds). I hope I make progress soon.
Bluetooth for Hearing Aids
NYTimes reports on Bluetooth, a hearing aid add on that allows hearing aids to connect with the cell phone’s Bluetooth. It’s supposed to reduce feedback noise that often accompanies hearing devices when making phone calls. The device costs $300. It’s bad enough hearing devices cost over a thousand dollars and many people can’t afford that. The add on only works with behind the ear hearing aid models and according to the article, only 30% of hearing aids fall in that category.
You can check out the user’s manual [pdf file]
Evacuation Notice for Deaf from Gulf Coast area
Shelter notice for Deaf Service Accessibility
Deaf Evacuees recommended to go to Austin for shelter in area. Exact Official Shelter Location is not yet decided, but assumed and hoped to be Delco Center Convention Center.
Austin area is now organizing Deaf Services to be in shelter for Deaf/Hard of Hearing evacuees.
Deaf/HOH Services are planned to be complete with Interpreters, Video Phones, TTYs and service representatives for deaf/hard of hearing residents.
For emergency contact or questions,
Please Contact:
Sandy Evans
281.782.8779-V/Text
936.448.2927-TTY
Sandyevans@tmail.com
Sandy Evans, BSM, BEI
281.782.8779
Sandyevans@tmail.com
Praying for minimal impacts from Hurricane Rita.
Houston Evacuation Map and Zones
Rita Path Info
Deaf Oscars
This week is Deaf Awareness Week. First I’ve heard about it, but that’s right. I helped with Deaf Awareness Week in Washington, DC when I worked for the government and it was this time of the year. As part of the week, the winners of the New Zealand Deaf Film Competition have been announced.
Speech and Listening Therapy
Frustrated with the lack of progress with my cochlear implant, I contacted the person who has been working with me on the MAPping for advice. She responded with two suggestions:
1. Come in for a re-MAPping session
2. Speech and listening therapy
She said she can provide recommendations for therapists and I requested them. One was in Arlington, so that was a quick rule out. I took a chance on one of them and we hit it off in our first session. It turned out the therapist’s husband is from the same small town where Paul (my husband) grew up. Her husband’s father and Paul’s father knew each other as both retired from the same company. Too weird, eh?
That’s not the end of it. The therapist grew up in a small town outside of Wichita Falls — where my mother grew up. They didn’t know each other as my mom already moved to Fort Worth before the therapist was born.
Anyway, in the first session, she asked me to share my background (also an opportunity to see how I talk normally) and then she had me read six sentences while she marked my problem spots. Wasn’t surprised that “s” or “st” made the list. I always thought that making a hard “s” (with lots of air) would sound funny. Then I listened to a CD with the script in front of me. Followed along without a problem. I never had trouble following audio when I have the transcript… it’s not having a script that’s the problem.
Habla español
I took my first Spanish class in 5th grade, I think. I remember the teacher’s face clearly and that the class was in a temporary building outside. Like a trailer with noisy ventilation. I don’t remember much of the experience.
I took another class in 6th grade as it was a requirement of magnet students. I remember Senora Boone very well, in fact, I ran into her a few times over the years. She had a daughter my age who played soccer in the same league. I think I struggled with that class, but then again, my whole 6th grade year was one of my worse years in school.
I skipped foreign language in middle school. I had enough going on playing every sport in the school even track! Not running – ha! I was never a good runner in terms of speed or distance. Instead, I did shot put and discus throwing. I did embarrass myself once in a track meet when I filled in for one of the runners. Came in last place. Barely finished.
Hurricane Updates
Many stories have come to the forefront regarding people who are deaf and have been impacted by the hurricane. According to WHAM-TV, the Louisiana deaf community has 9,000 people and it was a frustrating and scary time for them. They couldn’t hear what was going on like the others could.
Imagine being deaf AND blind during this time. Two elderly brothers were oblivious to the storm and its dangers. Gallaudet and NTID (National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester) have admitted students.
In spite of all the sadness and horrors, there’s a heartwarming story that resembles the Pied Piper. A volunteer at the Astrodome wrote DEAF on a cardboard sign and soon people came to him.
A construction worker who is deaf went to the Superdome and ended up helping. He carried a man with no legs through the filth. Heartbreaking. This article has more information and also mentions the Deaf sign at the Astrodome. It’s plain scary when you can hear. When I was 14, the hotel I stayed at in Los Angeles got hit with carbon monoxide. Thank goodness, my parents were with me and could hear. If it weren’t for them, I may not be writing this. We stayed at the hospital for 24 hours to clear out the poisonous gas. I feel pains in my stomach when I think of that experience.
Update: Videoconferencing services have been set up at shelters.
Hotel Accommodations
Murphy paid a nice visit on the day I left for Austin to attend a two-day seminar at Wizard Academy. While packing, I grabbed the black vibrating travel alarm clock only to find it refused to tell time. No problem, time for a battery change. Click, click, clack, clunk. Nothing. Still refused to show its face. Strangely, however, the light worked.
Grr. Maybe bad batteries… it had happened before… when new batteries played dead and stayed that way. Another set. Click, click, clack, clunk. Same results. Great. Not like a there was nearby store that sold these. Good thing, we contacted the hotel and requested a room with accessibility equipment.