Best practices in online captioning from Joe Clark, the author of Building Accessible Web Sites. This is detailed report that no Web site team should be without especially if there is a lot of multimedia on the site. Government Web sites are required, by law, to meet accessibility guidelines and Joe’s work will serve as a resource. We’re lucky to have him putting a lot of time into such work. Thanks, Joe.
John Gray for Ears
Well, apparently the Mars / Venus concept applies to the left and right ear. According to a NY Times article (free registration required), the right ear is Mars. Wow, I didn’t know our ears were so far away. Sorry, couldn’t let that go. Back to business.
“But in a new study, scientists have found that the left and right ears process sound differently. From birth, the right ear responds more to speech, while the left ear is more attuned to music, according to the study, published in Science on Sept. 10.”
Interesting thing, I’ve always relied on my right ear when using the phone. It could distinguish speech better than my left ear. I figured it was mainly because I relied on it more, but the study makes you wonder if there was more to it. That is why I chose to have the right ear implanted.
“While the idea that the left and right ears are not identical is new, scientists have known for decades that the two sides of the brain sort out sound in different ways…
“But until now, most researchers overlooked the possibility that differences in auditory processing originated in the ear.” [ Thanks to Ed Norris for the article. ]
iPod Nightmare
Trying to get an iPod to practice listening. Boy, the roadblocks are everywhere. I wrote about it in the other blog.
I’ve been wanting a portable MP3 player as a tool to help me with my listening skills, but I put that want away as I know it is not a necessity during these tough times. There is a way to get an iPod without paying for it. Yes, there is a catch.
I know this looks like a scam (evidence 1, evidence 2), but there are ways to ensure you’re protected and I have done research to confirm it is legit and people have received their iPods. The worst that can happen is spam.
Keeping Score
I vote this writer of this article for the most creative way to use the phrase, “cochlear implant.”
The next time a player scores and whips out a cell phone, I want to see a nose tackle jam it through the guy’s ear hole and make it a cochlear implant.
Just makes me wanna throw a football down in the end zone and do a crazy dance.
NexTalk
When I came across NexTalk, I thought it was the best thing to come along in phone communications for the deaf other than instant messenger (which not everyone will use). But it didn’t quite work out as hoped.
Unlike the others, you download and install software on your computer. You can make and answer phone calls through the Internet rather than through a phone line. This is a big plus because our phone line is not a TTY line. But after six months, I learned it was not to be though not all of it is NexTalk’s fault.
Hospital… Revisited
If you’ve read this blog since the beginning, you know I’ve been in the hospital twice. Once for the implant and once for the after effects when I got dehydrated. Heh, I ended up in the hospital again, but nothing to do with the implant. That’s five times in 16 months. If you want to know more, I’ve posted it in meryl’s notes.
The room I was in last week had a small TV, the one that hangs from the wall like those you see at the blood centers. It had no captions, I’ve yet to see one that small have captions. I am sure there are some, but not when I run into them. NBC didn’t work on that TV. Go figure… it was the only channel I could enjoy without captions because the olympics were on and I can follow sports.
The one good thing about that small room was the button to call the nurse. It didn’t have a speaker, so no one would try speaking to me when I called.
My first room for this weekend’s adventures had a brand new flat screen TV. The only way to get the captions turned on was to fiddle with the options on the side of the screen. Could not do it from bed. Thankfully, tall Paul was there to do it. The TV remote control was on a remote with three buttons: call nurse, light on / off, and TV. I could only go one way in changing the channels. If on channel 5 and wanted to be on channel 4, I had to go through all the channels to get to channel 4.
The second room had the same TV and remote set up. Once again, tall Paul had to turn it on. This time, when I called the nurse, they talked back through the speaker. We had to remind every shift that I couldn’t hear over the speaker. Luckily, I had family with me to help talk to the nurse. But I was alone all morning and without my implant. Thankfully, I had a nurse who came in often enough that I didn’t need to call.
Online Relay Services
Whoa! I didn’t realize it had been a while since my last entry. I had surgery late last week, so I’ve been doing only what is necessary as recovery is slow. No worries – I’m getting around and all, just have to stay off my feet more than preferred.
Online relay services are a great convenience. The only drawback is the lack of VCO (voice carry over) capabilities. However, I would think with VoIP that could change. I have primarly used two services: MCI Relay and Sprint Relay.
Both use Java and take a few moments to load, so be patient. I am not crazy about Java and the wait, but I find it’s easier and faster to use the online service than the clunky TTY. Plus, I can use it anywhere there is a computer.
Justice Dept. Slaps Motel 6
Motel 6 and Justice Dept Reach Agreement on ADA Violations. The agreement requires Motel 6 to work in getting over 600 hotels in compliance with the ADA by December 31, 2006. Might want to hold off staying there till after New Year 2007. [Link DeafNetwork.com ]
Debate over Deafness Test
Ah, here comes another war between the D and the d. It has nothing to do with language, implants, or hearing aids. It has to do with a screening test for connexin 26. I had this test last year, but tested negative so my deafness remains unexplained or as a “luck of the draw.”