American Sign Language (ASL) has steadily gained more exposure through television, movies and social media. It’s the third largest language used in the United States.
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People are eagerly taking classes, watching videos, and downloading Apps to learn ASL. They’ve even created signing Holograms and included ASL in a new video game.

So, the more people that know ASL, the less communication barriers we, Deaf, will face. Deaf people will be able to be more involved in the community around us.

​Or that’s what everyone thinks……

No matter how many times Nyle DiMarco posts on Twitter, how many PSAs Marlee Matlin makes, or how many episodes of Switched at Birth there are – people still have negative bias towards Deafness and low-set standards towards them.

We constantly fight to get:

• Interpreters in hospitals and doctor’s offices
• Adequate job opportunities
• Adequate education
• Acceptance that Deaf people CAN be independent successful people.
• Acceptance that Deafness is FINE with us

 
Let me explain further:

​Whenever we need to go to the doctor’s office, or to the Emergency room, we constantly fight for our communication rights in getting an interpreter. I’m not talking about the portable video relay interpreter (VRI) unit mind you!

You wouldn’t expect someone speaking Spanish to forgo an interpreter and be forced to communicate in their broken English and understand everything clearly? Why are Deaf people subjected to this discrimination and stress.
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So, we constantly fight for communication access that WE choose, not something forced on us by administrators because it’s a cheaper alternative.

There are only 48% of the Deaf Community that are employed. Some of those who are employed are woefully underemployed. I know several that have degrees but can only get employment in unskilled jobs, like in a factory or retail.

Firstly, this change has to start early in High Schools (whether it’s a Deaf institute or a mainstreamed school) where the tendency is to steer Deaf students towards vocational training instead of higher academic goals.

Secondly, higher education institutes need to provide better accessibility to their colleges and universities (this goes back to the interpreter issue).

Thirdly, employers need to provide adequate access as well. Many just skip over potential candidates just on the disability issue alone (can’t prove it, but it’s been done).
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So, we battle an unfair war to gain respectful employment.

There are State schools for the Deaf all across the U.S. and Canada who primarily teach in ASL. But even then the sign language competency is inadequate! There was a State review of the Florida School of the Deaf and Blind that revealed 82 of the teachers didn’t meet proficiency requirements. This is widespread across a lot of schools.

I attended a Deaf High School, the rumor was that some of the teachers weren’t qualified enough to teach in the Public sector so they were assigned to a Deaf School.
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So, we get second-rate teachers who can’t even communicate well with us?

I see and read so many stories, as well as experienced it myself, that as soon as someone finds out that a person is Deaf – their expectations of that person drops dramatically.

Forget about the awkwardness of trying to communicate, that’s understandable if they’ve never met a Deaf person before, I’m talking about people’s instant opinion of that Deaf person. The majority of the time that opinion is that Deaf = Mentally Deficient and we’re treated as such. “Where’s your caretaker”, “Can you get someone else to sign this for you?” “How will you look after your child?” and the list goes on.

So, no matter how much exposure Deaf people get in the Media, we still encounter people who don’t believe that we can be scientists, business owners, teachers, actors, and everything else!

Putting all the above aside, we just want to be accepted for the way we are and that we don’t need to be cured or fixed in order to be a productive member of society.

We have a beautiful, vibrant, and healthy Culture that is thriving and we cherish and are proud of. We have art, poetry, movies, stories, humor, history and socialization that is unique from any other Culture in the world.

So, we continue to strive without “hearing” intervention and oppression. We just want people to stop asking about our hearing loss and whether “they” should fix it for us.

One glaring example of everything I just discussed is summed up in this video:

• Notice the comment “Your baby won’t have a normal life”?
• Notice the Deaf couple being treated this way despite having accomplished job positions?
• Notice she had to write on pen and paper?
• Notice “they” wanted to make the decision for the child without the parents?

This is not a "one time" instance, it happens over and over again all over the place. It's usually a daily struggle.

Now I think it’s awesome that more people are learning to sign, but we also need to get rid of the stereotypes and attitudes towards Deafness and the Deaf community.

So please, along with learning ASL - become involved in changing mentalities too.

Whether it’s partial or complete deafblindness, when they’re home people with hearing and sight difficulties need to feel comfortable, safe and completely in charge of their surroundings.

Acquired deafblindness can be frustrating and scary. It forces people to rethink their habits, their needs, and their environment.

To help deafblind people gain their independence, we’ve hand-selected 7 ways to adapt your house in order to accommodate them. 

Whether they live in a studio, apartment or house, one of the first and most important changes for a deafblind person’s environment should be lighting.

​Changing the placement of light fixtures can also help better illuminate dark spaces:
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• Choose the brightest light bulbs. These will come in handy in darker spaces where accidents tend to happen such as the bathroom or on the stairway. Invest in fluorescent bulbs – they emit a more powerful light and they last longer.
• Be generous with the light fixtures. Illuminate the house entirely, including the hallways, closets, and outside.  

​The home of a deafblind person should be a safe haven. Here are some tips to help you create exactly that.

• Install a border in every room. This type of border goes around the edge of the room and helps deafblind people differentiate between the floor and the walls.
• Know what type of flooring you need. Take into consideration the needs and preferences of the deafblind person when choosing a flooring system for the house. The floor should have a non-slip texture. It should also be a different color than the walls and ceilings.
• Pad sharp edges. Accidents can’t always be prevented and they’re bound to happen sooner or later. Padding sharp edges and corners all around the house is especially important for those who recently acquired sight difficulties.
• Install handles and rails. These small additions can make it much easier to navigate the house and get around. They can also serve as points of reference and mark the beginning of a new room.

Electrical items can be tricky to get used to. But it’s not impossible for deafblind people to use them.

Here’s how you can make it go smoother for them.

• Use tactile bumps. This is a simple yet very effective way to help impaired people distinguish between various knobs and control buttons. A marker can easily be glued or attached to things so this is a simple do it yourself project.
• Organize all the wires. You’ll want to make sure you do everything in your power to minimize hazards. This includes a thorough organization of wires that could trip people and cause injury. Use tape or cords to tie wires together and arrange them so they’re never in the way.
• Use contrasts to your advantage. A white switch against a white wall won’t do anyone any favors. Replace the switches as soon as possible with brightly colored ones that easily stand out and are simple to notice. If you can’t change the switches, use colored tape to mark them and help them stand out.

This type of adjustment is essential for safety.

​Here’s how to adapt a bathroom for deafblind people:

• Add non-slip mats and floors. One of the most important adaptations is taking care of any walking surfaces that might be slippery. Invest in non-slip flooring that should go all throughout the bathroom. Add non-slip mats both in the tub and in the shower.
• Install grab rails in key places. The place where you install these might depend on personal preferences. Nonetheless, they are an essential addition that should be in every bathroom. Grab rails and hand rails make it easier for deafblind people to be more independent and find their way easier.
• Use contrasting colors. Both the walls and the accessories in the bathroom should have contrasting colors. For instance, if the tile is white, choose dark colors for the wash basin, toilet seat and towels. This ensures the items pop and are easier to spot for those with partial sight loss. 

Hallways shouldn’t be overlooked when you are working on adapting a home for a deafblind person.

​Here’s what you should know about corridor adaptations:

• Install a lot of grab rails. Grab rails do not only help deafblind people move around the house easier, they also serve as points of reference. For instance, a person will know that there are 3 grab rails between the kitchen and the front door, which helps them navigate smoothly and faster.
• Remove clutter. There shouldn’t be any unnecessary items lying around in hallways or corridors. Coat racks, umbrella holders and shoe racks can create more issues than they are worth. Move them to a separate room or to dedicated shelves where they can’t inconvenience anyone. 

To make it easier to deafblind people to go out or access the garden, here’s what you should keep in mind about outdoor adaptations:

• Maintain the paths. Whether you do it yourself or hire someone else to take care of it on a regular basis, maintaining and repairing paths is a must. They should always be hazard-free, especially during winter months when rain can easily transform into dangerously slippery ice.
• Install big door handles. The locks on doors should be easy to operate both from inside and outside. The door handles should be as big as possible without being cumbersome. This makes them easier to grab and open the door.

There are special alerting systems designed for people with hearing and sight difficulties that keep them informed about what is happing: phone ringing, smoke alarm going off or someone at the door.

• Pager. This is a simple to use device that can be carried in the pocket or attached to clothing. The pager uses vibrating signals to inform the user about alerts or alarms.
• Bed shaker. This device is usually placed under the pillow during nighttime and vibrates to alert people with hearing and sight difficulties. A bed shaker can be connected to the alarm clock or smoke alarm system.

About the Author:
 John Stuart works on behalf of raisedfloor.co.ukin outreach and content creation. He creates engaging content that help businesses connect with their audience and stand out from the crowd

.I’ve recently been asked by Sonic Alert to review two of their products.
 
I was given the Sonic Boom Travel Alarm clock and their NEW Bluetooth Sonic Boom Super Shaker Alarm.

Sonic Alert is a company that specializes in alerting systems for people with hearing loss and for those who are hard to wake up. They sell alarm clocks that have extra-loud ringers and "bed shakers" which are small pods that vibrate for you to feel. They also sell amplified telephones and home alerting systems (visual alerts to important sounds).

​Now the products:

The picture shows the clock portion upright, but it actually can fold flat.

​I tried the alarm in several scenarios:
   - Tucked under two pillows.
   - Between the mattress and boxspring.
   - Clipped to the fitted sheet in between the pillows (on a queen  bed).
   - Clipped to the fitted sheet, but dangling over the side (in case you knocked it off)
   - Clipped to the end of the bed in the middle (by my feet).

It didn't work in only 2 scenarios - dangling off the bed and clipped to the sheet in the middle between the pillows. I figured out why - there was no resistance to the vibrations, meaning there was nothing on top to enhance the vibrating. If it bounced freely, the vibrations are lost - so using a blanket or pillow helps.

In all the other situations - Man did it ever work! You could be in a coma and still wake up on time. That's why the name "Sonic Boom" fits it perfectly.

It was very easy to set up, Just install the batteries, one look at the diagram bof where buttons are and I was done setting the time, the alarm & the vibrate alert. It also has a snooze button, night light and options such as vibrate only, buzzer only, and both vibrate and buzzer. 

The only suggestion I have for improving this product is having a pocket in the storage case for the batteries, (as they advise removing the batteries while not in use).

So whenever you receive a new phone call, text, a new e-mail on your smartphone -  it sends an alert to the sonic boom.

The vibrations can be adjusted - short bursts, long vibrate, and so on. Sadly it cannot be set to different vibrations to different alerts. (short bursts for texts and long vibration for email). I don't really care for that option but thought some users might.

I really thought this would be AWESOME for Deafblind people like myself! Why? We often lack peripheral vision and miss seeing the visual alert flasher or the smartphone's own light. Sure, we could just have the phone vibrate in our pocket - but that gets uncomfortable when you're in a chair or on the couch watching TV, reading, or other activities. Stick the Sonic Bomb alert in your couch or chair cushion and you'll never miss anything else.

Another bonus I liked - the Sonic Boom alerter can either be plugged into a wall socket (with included plug adapter) or a USB port. The bonus is that the USB adapter has another USB port for you to plug in your smartphone or tablet into. So only one plug outlet is needed for the vibrating alert and to charge your phone  How cool is that?

Both of these great products and Sonic Alert's other products, can be found on their website, on Amazon, and in my Store.

So never be late for anything while away from home, or miss any more notifications with Sonic Alert.

The OrCam device is a smart camera that sits on the user’s glasses and reads text aloud to people who are visually impaired or blind.

While the OrCam device is not exactly “glasses for blind person”, it definitely looks that way. The device is so small and discreet, it is barely noticeable.  Besides its compact size, there are many amazing OrCam features that make the device unique and accessible.  

OrCam MyEye is an intuitive wearable device with a smart camera that clips onto a regular pair of glasses and is able to 'read' text and convert it into speech relaying the message to the user. The device is activated by a simple intuitive gesture – pointing your finger or pressing a single button. Using OCR - optical character reading - technology, the device can read printed materials on almost any surface such as newspapers, books, computer screens, menus and more. ​

Many people who are visually impaired or blind have to carry around a heavy magnifying glass to read text. The OrCam MyEye is small and light and simply attaches to the right side of the user’s glasses frame. The camera weighs ¾ of an ounce and has a thin wire, easily hidden behind the ear, which connects to the base unit or “brain” of the device. The base unit is about the size of a cellphone and can easily sit in one’s pocket or on a belt strap.  

“You are what you wear.” Wearable technologies have grown tremendously in the past few years. Smart electronic devices that can be worn on the body are practical and discreet. The OrCam is no exception. Although they are not exactly glasses for the blind person, the device sits on the individual’s glasses frame and is so discreet that it can barely be seen by others allowing the user to fit in with the crowd.

Unlike other OCR technologies, the OrCam does not require a scanner connected to a computer or internet connection. All the information stored in the device is private and only accessible to the user. ​

For people who are visually impaired or blind and have conditions that cannot be corrected by glasses or surgery, the OrCam MyEye can be life-changing.

​Who would have thought that this little camera situated on a pair of glasses could help people who are blind or visually impaired regain their independence?

Need the Transcript? Don't forget it's Captioned for the "Signing Impaired"