Emergency Alerts for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

NPR Labs to Test Emergency Alerts for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Feb 26, 2013 10:01 AM

 Washington, DC - Feb 22, 2013 - NPR Labs has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to demonstrate the delivery of emergency alerts to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in the Gulf Coast states through local public radio stations and the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS). This is the first effort to deliver real-time accessibility-targeted emergency messages, such as weather alerts, via radio broadcast texts.

This pilot system is intended to demonstrate that all individuals, including those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, can rely on battery-powered radios to stay informed in emergencies when electricity, Internet and other communications channels are unavailable.

NPR Labs, the technology research and development group of NPR, will work with the DHS and FEMA to identify 25 public radio stations in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas to participate in the pilot. The distribution network of the Public Radio Satellite System will be used to test the effectiveness of the message delivery system. The Gulf region was chosen because it is frequently subjected to extreme and sudden weather conditions. Once proven, the system could be rolled out nationwide on the public radio stations served by the PRSS, which reach 95 percent of the U.S. population.

"As we work to promote disaster preparedness and awareness, it is important we remember to equip every member of our communities," Congressman Steven Palazzo (R-MS) stated. "This valuable partnership with Mississippi's local public radio stations promises to expand the reach of our disaster alert systems, and I can think of no better place to conduct this trial than the Gulf Coast."

"NPR Labs has developed expertise in making radio broadcasts available and accessible to everyone," said NPR Labs Vice President and Executive Director Mike Starling. "We believe this system can be a life-saver for those unable to hear emergency alerts today."

In the demonstration project, FEMA will transmit emergency alert messages to the PRSS using the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP). The PRSS network operations center will re-transmit the warning via the Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS) on the participating 25 public radio stations on a dedicated digital alerting channel. The stations will broadcast the emergency alert to receivers capable of displaying text messages. Deaf or hard-of-hearing project volunteers will be alerted to the message by a flashing indicator on their radios or a bed-shaker triggered by their radios, to ensure the message is received day and night.
NPR Labs plans to identify 500 individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in the listening areas of the 25 participating stations. The volunteers will be surveyed periodically to determine the efficacy of the warnings.

- See more at: http://radiomagonline.com/currents/news/npr_labs_to_test_emergency_alerts_for_deaf_and_hard_of_hearing_0226/#sthash.fkurMMm3.dpuf

March Meeting

 

 

Next Meeting: Saturday March 30   2:00 PM-4:00 PM

Where: Warwick Public Library, Sandy Lane, Warwick, RI

Topics:  Informal Discussion of Sharing your Experiences as a Person with Hearing loss

The next meeting will be an informal discussion where the participants will share their experiences or frustrations in dealing with hearing loss. People may be able to offer suggestions and solutions to your frustrations.

There will be no speaker; however Beth Wilson will help to facilitate the discussion so everyone will have a chance to share their experiences.

So bring your questions  and thoughts as this will be an interactive discussion.

There will be CART.

New Bluetooth Neckloop

The Quattro 4.0, elegantly designed by DWV Design, is a highly amplified Bluetooth neckloop that includes a detachable Bluetooth mini microphone transmitter, talking caller ID, and multi-point technology. Coming soon…

 

New Caption Phone

A Breakthrough Ensemble™ for Millions With Hearing Loss

Clarity® and ClearCaptions™ Launch Ensemble™, a First-of-Its-Kind Amplified Phone That Allows Users to Read as Well as Hear Conversations Through Innovative Tablet Display

LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwire - Jan 8, 2013) - Clarity -- a division of Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) -- and ClearCaptions have joined together to launch Ensemble, a first-of-its-kind amplified phone that allows individuals with hearing loss to read conversations as well as hear them.
Through a seven-inch tablet-based display, Ensemble captions conversations in real time while also amplifying incoming sound up to 50 decibels. It provides both precise text and clear voice to create the most accurate phone conversation possible -- a breakthrough moment -- for the 36 million Americans with hearing loss.
"Ensemble is breaking new ground on sight and sound," said Carsten Trads, president of Clarity. "Not only is it loud and clear, but it's the first to deliver captions through a tablet display. We've brought together the latest in technology to provide the hearing loss community with a phone that is carefully designed for their needs. Ensemble can be life changing for millions of people who want to enjoy phone conversations again, reconnect with loved ones or stay engaged in the world."
When an individual places or receives a call on Ensemble, the other party's words are transcribed through ClearCaptions, a Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-certified telephone-captioning service that is similar to closed captions for television. As the user listens, captions appear on Ensemble's touchscreen display in a large, easy-to-read font that can be enlarged or adjusted with the swipe of a finger.
Simultaneously, Ensemble amplifies incoming voice to improve hearing and create the greatest possible experience for the user. It features a patented digital sound processing technology that functions like a hearing aid to make soft sounds audible and keep loud sounds in a comfortable range. Users can adjust the tone or amplification settings to customize Ensemble to their unique degree of hearing loss.
"As a leading provider of communications services for people with hearing loss, we know there is a growing and unmet need for Ensemble," said John Ferron, CEO of Purple Communications, Inc., provider of the ClearCaptions service. "Time and again, we've heard how captions take the frustration out of using the phone. Ensemble brings the best of both worlds -- Clarity's best-in-class amplification with our popular ClearCaptions service -- to offer a phone unlike anything the millions impacted by hearing loss have experienced."
With its intuitive touchscreen interface, Ensemble is simple to set up and use. Its on-screen dial pad is scalable to make calling easier for users with low vision or dexterity challenges.
Ensemble is also equipped with ClarityLogic™, an award-winning customer service technology that allows customer service representatives to remotely access the phone and make adjustments for the user. Clarity representatives can adjust Ensemble's volume or tweak the tone control on the user's behalf.
Ensemble can be purchased for $229 and comes with a limited one-year warranty. It is the result of an exclusive partnership between Clarity and ClearCaptions. Clarity will feature Ensemble at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV. For more information on Clarity, visit www.clarityproducts.com.
About Clarity -- Smart for Seniors™ Clarity, a division of Plantronics (NYSE: PLT), creates smart communication solutions that help seniors live richer, more engaged lives. For more than 40 years, Clarity's innovative products -- such as amplified telephones, notification systems and assistive listening devices -- have helped people with hearing loss, low vision, limited mobility, dexterity issues and other health challenges. Clarity has pioneered many firsts -- from digital sound processing in 2005 to remote-access customer service in 2010. Millions rely on Clarity to communicate at home, at work and throughout their lives. For more information, please visit www.clarityproducts.com or call 1-800-426-3738.
About ClearCaptions -- Get the whole conversation™ClearCaptions is an advanced telephone captioning service created by Purple Communications, Inc. Purple is a leading provider of video relay and text relay services, on-site interpreting services and video remote interpreting. Offering a wide array of options designed to meet the varied communication needs of businesses and customers, ClearCaptions' vision is to enable free-flowing communication between people, inclusive of the differences in abilities, languages or locations. For more information on ClearCaptions, visit www.clearcaptions.com.

911 - Text

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that the nation’s four largest wireless carriers have committed to speeding up the availability of text-to-911 services. Major deployments of the services are expected to occur in 2013, and the carriers have committed to nation-wide availability by May 15, 2014.

The ability to text 911 will benefit people with disabilities such as hearing loss or speech impairments, or people who are in danger and unable to speak. The FCC says the Text-to-911 will complement rather than replace voice technology, and recommends that consumers use the voice system when possible.

Sprint Wireless recently announced that it has started a four-week trial of the new 911 texting technology in Vermont, saysUrgent Communications.

The carriers have committed to providing customers with “bounce back” text messages in areas where the service will not be available during the phase-in stage. The text tells customers that their text message was unsuccessful and advises them to make a voice call to a 911 center The “bounce back” capability will be fully implemented across the four networks by June 30, 2013.

“This is good progress, but our work is not done," said FCC Chairman Genachowski. “The FCC will consider further actions to advance text-to-911 for all consumers. We will also take additional steps in this area next year, including closely monitoring carriers’ compliance with the commitments they have made ... and addressing other aspects of Next Generation 911 such as enabling transmission of photos and videos to 9-1-1 centers. We are also working to strengthen the resiliency and reliability of the existing 911 system, where significant deficiencies were revealed by this summer’s Derecho.”

The Commission will work with 911 authorities, PSAPs, the Emergency Access Advisory Committee, public safety organizations, disability organizations, consumer groups and industry on the implementation of these services.

New FCC Complaint Form: Internet Captioning of TV Programs

New FCC Complaint Form: Internet Captioning of TV Programs

Wed, 12/05/2012

On January 12, 2012, the FCC adopted rules requiring captioned programs shown on TV to be captioned when re-shown on the Internet.
These rules implement provisions of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA).
The FCC recently modified its complaint form 2000C.  You can now use this form to file complaints about closed captioning of TV programs re-shown on the Internet.   If you wish to file a complaint on this issue,please complete form 2000C online.
Before filing your complaint, please check the following schedule to determine whether the TV program you viewed on the Internet must be captioned:
The following deadlines apply to video programming that a distributor shows for the first time on the Internet (newly added to the distributor's inventory of Internet video programming):

• September 30, 2012:  Pre-recorded video programming that is not “edited for the Internet” must be captioned on the Internet if it has been shown on TV with captions since September 30, 2012.  “Edited for the Internet” means the TV version has been substantially edited.  Examples of such editing are:  deleting scenes or altering musical scores.  (Changing the number or duration of commercials is not considered “editing” for this purpose.)
• March 30, 2013:  Live and near-live video programming must be captioned on the Internet if it is shown on TV with captions on or after March 30, 2013.  Near-live video programming is programming that is performed and recorded less than 24 hours before being shown on TV for the first time.
• September 30, 2013:  Pre-recorded video programming that is substantially edited for the Internet must be captioned if it is shown on TV with captions on or after September 30, 2013.

This schedule and more information about the FCC’s rules on video programming delivered over the Internet are summarized in the FCC Consumer Guide:
Captioning of Internet Video Programming  -   (HTML Version)     (PDF Version)

December Meeting: December 8, 2012 

                                   1:00PM-3:00PM

Where: Gregg’s Restaurant

              4120 Quaker Lane, (Route 2), North Kingstown, RI

Topic: Holiday Party and Yankee Swap

We are bringing back the tradition of our Annual Holiday event after a two year hiatus!  After a very brief business meeting, we will dine, and then begin our annual Yankee Swap.  Bring a gift that costs no more than $5 for the swap. Gregg’s will seat us in a private room and let us order with separate checks.

We will have real-time captioning to make sure that everyone can participate. Please join us!

Directions: Exit 5 off Route 4 towards Wickford: Use link below for mapquest:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=No.+Kingstown&state=RI&address=4120+Quaker+Lane