Amercan with Disabilities Act, AARP

American Disability Act is an important document. Many people in IMCommunity assume that there is a need for for improvement / enforcement as technologies and better solutions are being developed.

ADA American with Disabilities ACT.

It is recommended to
- Increase the awareness for the availability solutions that promote equal opportunities for communication for example - the use of Instant Messages.
- Enforce the use of Instant Message as an option for communication with all government agencies, educational institutes, hospitals, and customer service departments.
- Enforce the use of CART in all educational institute and public lectures.

To improve ADA it is recommended to request that organizations like AARP will act to promote more awarness and needed changes.

Enclosed is my communication with them:

Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with us.  We appreciate
hearing from you.

At this time, AARP has not taken a position on the issue you raised. 
Our public policy positions are determined each year by the
all-volunteer AARP Board of Directors after a full 12-month cycle of
consideration.  This process begins with input from members just like
you, and is supported by extensive member polling and research
efforts.  The Association's National Policy Council thoughtfully
develops each policy after reviewing the pros and cons and makes
recommendations to the Board of Directors.  Please keep in mind that
all of our policies are strictly nonpartisan, focusing on issues, not
political considerations.

Besides surveys, we carefully monitor member input through telephone
calls, emails and letters.  We also conduct field hearings and focus
groups to help direct our policy decisions to reflect the majority of
our members' needs.  In addition, our bi-monthly magazine and the
newspaper, which are sent to all AARP member households, periodically
contain "sound-off" columns asking for member responses.  

AARP Fulfillment
601 E Street, N.W.
Washington, DC  20049

I hope this information is helpful.  Thank you again for taking the
time to share your views with us.  Your interest helps ensure that
AARP truly has the power to make life better.

Sincerely,

Betty
Member Communications
Member@aarp.org

Toll-free 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277).
Toll-free 1-877-434-7598 TTY
©1995-2006. AARP. All Rights Reserved.



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COMMUNICATION AND
THE HARD OF HEARING STUDENT
(http://p3.csun.edu/p3access/mod-comstrat.html)

Accessible communication is the primary need of students who are hard of hearing within the postsecondary setting. The development of accommodating communication strategies provides the hard of hearing student with venues to educational success, whether that communication strategy is through interpreting, real-time captioning, C-Print, assistive listening devices, speech, speechreading and/or auditory cues. The communication strategies hard of hearing students choose vary; the final deciding factor is which strategy or strategies are the most comfortable and effective. It is important to remember that no two students are exactly alike in terms of accommodation preferences. Some students may choose one, a few or all communication strategies.

Communication needs and diverse learning styles impact the student’s choice of communication used in the classroom.

Modes
Decisions
Hearing Loss
Signed
Speech
Text

Challenge 1
Challenge 2
Challenge 3
Challenge 4


COMMUNICATION MODES

Strategies available to hard of hearing students can be broken down into three general categories.
 •  Signed
 •  Speech
 •  Text

Traditionally, most hard of hearing students rely on speech and text communication and may have no knowledge of signed communication. Every student has their own unique needs.

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COMMUNICATION DECISIONS

Hard of hearing students’ communication needs are highly individualized and are based on many variables such as:
 •  Degree and type of hearing loss
 •  Age of onset
 •  Communication choices made by parents
 •  Use of auxiliary support services (i.e. FM loops, computer assisted real-time transcription {CART})
 •  Learning styles

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COMMUNICATION AND HEARING LOSS


Typically, hard of hearing students have a mild to moderate hearing loss (25-60 decibels). They may rely on residual hearing to communicate through speaking and speechreading. Auditory abilities of hard of hearing individuals range from being able to hear a watch ticking to carrying on a conversation on the phone. They use technology to adapt accordingly. Computer assisted realtime transcription (CART) and assistive listening devices are examples of accommodations that hard of hearing individuals use to help with facilitating communication. For those with lower degrees of hearing loss, speech communication may be the only strategy used. Individuals with higher degrees of hearing loss may rely on hearing aids combined with speech communication and auditory cues. Signed communication may help those with more hearing loss and/or hard of hearing individuals who are culturally Deaf. For more information, see Info@Deafness

Communication needs and diverse learning styles impact the student’s choice of communication used in the classroom.

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SIGNED COMMUNICATION

Signed communication is constituted of manual modes (Cued Speech, Manually Coded English (MCE), gestures) and an autonomous whole language, American Sign Language (ASL). In an academic setting, signed communication still can occur even if one of the parties is a non-signer. This brings in the role of the interpreter/transliterator who translates signed communication into oral/spoken communication and vice versa. Nonmanual communication (body language, facial expressions) is fundamental to signed communication.

Typically, most individuals who are hard of hearing rely very little on signed communication as a strategy. However every person has individual experiences and needs, and chooses their communication strategies accordingly.
American Sign Language

American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, complex language used by deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States and parts of Canada. The hands, arms, body and face are used to produce an organic language with its own grammar and linguistic rules. For individuals who are deaf/hard of hearing, ASL may provide 100% communication access. ASL is the fourth most used language in the United States.
Cued Speech

Developed by Orin Cornett in 1966, cued speech is a phonemically-based system of hand signals used to supplement speechreading. With eight handshapes to represent consonants and four positions on the face to signify vowels, the deaf/hard of hearing individual can better distinguish between words that look similar, such as “bat” and “mat.”
Manually Coded English

Manually Coded English (MCE) is a system of signs, American Sign Language put in English order. MCE is generally used for communication between hearing and deaf individuals, particularly in the postsecondary environment. Many MCE signs are created as an effort to represent words that were previously spelled.

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SPEECH COMMUNICATION

Speech communication is an umbrella category for speech, speechreading, auditory cues and hearing aids or assistive listening devices for expressive and receptive oral English. Using speech communication as an effective strategy is contingent on the individual’s degree of hearing loss and their ability to maximize what residual hearing they have. It is the hard of hearing person’s responsibility to recognize and understand his/her hearing ability, as well as its implication and effect on his/her speech ability. For some individuals, speech communication may require specialized training (e.g. speech therapy). About 30-40% of all speech can be read on the lips, if both communicating parties maximize all expedients.
 •  Speech

Speech, or speaking, is a strategy many hard of hearing students use. The quality of a hard of hearing person’s speech varies and depends on many factors, such as onset of hearing loss, type of hearing loss, degree of residual hearing, motivation and/or effectiveness of specialized training. Some hard of hearing students may have the same speech as a person with normal hearing, while others may have differences that reflect their hearing loss. For instance, some hard of hearing students may not include sounds they do not hear. Some may use inappropriate pitch.
 •  Speechreading

Speechreading is a strategy that relies on visual cues from the speaker’s face, patterns on the lips to decipher speech and facial/body language to indicate tone. For many hard of hearing students, hearing speech in the classroom may sound like a series of low, muffled sounds. For some students, speechreading helps decode these sounds while listening with or without auxiliary aids. When students read lips, they can see the placement of the lips, teeth and tongue, which determine consonant production.
 •  Examples of distinct consonants and vowels:
/o/, /l/,/f/, /p/

In general speechreading can be very difficult without listening. Many sounds look nearly the same on the lips and other sounds are invisible on the lips.

 •  Examples of words that look identical on the lips:
Bat, mat, pat, pad, mad, bad

For a hard of hearing student to effectively speechread, the student can try to use his/her residual hearing, ask for clarification and repetition, and follow conversations by drawing from content where a spoken word is missed, adjust the environment for clarity and visibility. The speaker can speak clearly at a controlled pace and minimize movements. The ability to speechread is a talent, not a reflection of intelligence.
Auditory Cues

Auditory cues are sounds that hard of hearing individuals pick up with or without assistive listening devices. Cues help hard of hearing students with other communication strategies (speechreading). Each hard of hearing student’s degree of hearing loss varies; the ability to hear speech may be more distorted for one person, while another person may struggle with loudness. Words may be heard as another:
 •  goose may be misheard as booth
 •  heap may be misheard as heat
 •  reach may be misheard as rich

A quiet environment is an ideal classroom setting for hard of hearing students to best use auditory cues as a means of receptive communication. Auditory cues are better used with the help of hearing aids and/or assistive listening devices, which amplify sounds. Some assistive listening devices allow the hard of hearing student to tune out environmental sounds to hear the speaker better. For more information about hearing technology, please refer to  Assistive Devices.

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TEXT COMMUNICATION

Hard of hearing students may prefer text, or written, communication at times. In situations where speechreading is not possible, such as in a darkened classroom, students may resort to writing and/or typing. Written communication also comes in handy if hard of hearing students find they cannot rely on auditory cues or do not have access to assistive devices. With the advent of the Americans with Disabilities Act has come increased awareness and use of CART services. CART is frequently the accommodation of choice by hard of hearing individuals. It is effective, even in a darkened room, because the words are displayed on a screen. In situations where CART or ALDs are not available, using paper and pen or taking turns typing on a computer are effective alternatives.

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COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES

Challenge 1:  Comprehension

The hard of hearing student has difficulty with comprehension on a one-to-one basis..

Strategies for Challenge 1:
 •  When speaking to a hard of hearing student, look directly at the student.
 •  Address the student directly—do not tell the interpreter “tell him” or “tell her.”
 •  Use eye contact while speaking.
 •  Be aware that using facial expressions and body language helps communication flow more efficiently; raised eyebrows connote questions, whereas a relaxed face indicates statements.
 •  Be prepared to use different modes of communication: writing, typing, using an interpreter, speaking clearly, etc.,.
 •  Understand that each student has different communication needs and adapt accordingly.
 •  Make sure the environment is as quiet as possible for auditory and visual clarity.
 •  Try to stand between three and six feet from the student.
 •  Remember that an entire sentence or phrase provides more content, making for easier lipreading than a single word.
 •  Minimize head movement while speaking.
 •  Speak normally and clearly.
 •  Pause when changing topics or making a new point.
 •  Repeat or acknowledge a new word, name or any other unfamiliar terms.

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Challenge 2: Speech

The hard of hearing student speaks for him/herself, but you have difficulty understanding him/her.

Strategies for Challenge 2:
 •  Relax.
 •  If speech is unclear, ask for repetition.
 •  Pay attention to non-manual communication such as body language, facial expressions, gestures).
 •  Written communication can be used in lieu of spoken communication.
 •  Request an interpreter, a sign language or oral interpreter. Interpreters are for all parties involved in communication. Interpreters are familiar with the speech patterns of individuals who are hard of hearing or deaf

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Challenge 3:  Classroom Interaction

The hard of hearing student finds participation in classroom discussions difficult and/or awkward, or does not participate at all.

Strategies for Challenge 3:
 •  Make sure the hard of hearing student sees you before resuming speaking.
 •  Be sure there is sufficient lighting in the classroom for the student to see everybody clearly, but make sure the light source is not behind the speaker; this creates black silhouettes that are difficult, if not impossible, to lipread.
 •  Avoid covering your mouth while speaking. Lipreading may help the hard of hearing student’s comprehension.
 •  Refrain from speaking when not facing the student (i.e. writing on the blackboard or passing out papers)
 •  Speak slowly and clearly without exaggerating for students who rely on auditory cues and speechreading.
 •  Tapping gently on the student’s shoulder to get his/her attention is perfectly acceptable.
 •  Using facial and body expressions provide cues that may assist the hard of hearing student’s comprehension.
 •  Understand that if the student is using a service provider in class, there is a time lag in receiving information.
 •  During discussions, have one person speak at a time; turn taking will help all students follow the classroom discussion better.
 •  When asking a question, allow enough time for the hard of hearing student to receive the question from the service provider and formulate a response before calling on someone to answer the question.
 •  If a student poses a question, repeat the question before answering.
 •  Identify every speaker by pointing or addressing the speaker by his/her first name, in order to allow the hard of hearing student to see the speaker.
 •  When writing on the blackboard, allow for time for the hard of hearing student to read the information before resuming discussion.

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Challenge 4:  Environmental Disturbance

The classroom is noisy and interferes with the hard of hearing student’s ability to follow class discussions.

Strategies for Challenge 4:
 •  Ask for one speaker at a time to keep the chatter to a minimum.
 •  Stand three to six feet away from the hard of hearing student.
 •  Close windows and doors to block out outside noises.
 •  While speaking, stand away from vents, overhead projectors and any other devices that produce noise.
 •  If the classroom is inappropriately noisy, ask to be relocated.
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