Technology

Very few Americans remain unaware of texting – the ability to transmit text messages between private hand-held devices. The Deaf community was texting before texting was cool. Blackberry devices and advanced pagers were in high use before the idea became popular with cell phone users.

Text-to-911 service is also growing, starting with new FCC rules adopted in 2014. The goal is that emergencies can be clearly communicated without relying on voice. For a few reasons, including geographic limitations, everyone is encouraged to continue using voice or voice interpreters for 911 calls if possible.

The TTY (teletypewriter) and TDD (telecommunication device for the Deaf) are now nearly forgotten steps in the history of long distance communication. Audio signals for each character were transmitted through phone lines and presented as text on the receiving end. We see it as a simple idea now, but it was revolutionary, and the work of a man’s life.

Robert Weitbrecht, a Deaf scientist, nurtured his love for radio communications and technology and his passion for visual accessibility. He made several breakthroughs in technology and bureaucracy, even from his mid-teens. As the inventor of teletype technology and the original modem, his work opened doors wide for both the Deaf and hearing communities. The story of this man and his partnerships with other Deaf professionals is well worth the read on several websites.

Telephones provided communication between hearing people, and TTYs between Deaf people. The circle was finally complete when volunteers began serving as relay operators, using TTY and standard phone equipment to pass messages between Deaf and hearing users. California established the state Telecommunications Relay Program in 1987. Other states followed suit, and with Title IV of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, relay services were required nationwide. Now, anyone can contact their physicians, make their own appointments, or even order custom pizzas.

TTY Relay Services, or TRS, are still in use, available by dialing 711. The 711 access does not apply to Video Relay or Internet Protocol Relay or IP Captioned Phone Services, since they are internet-based.

Video Relay Services allow Deaf and hard of hearing individuals to call hearing people using a live interpreter. The Deaf/HoH person uses a video phone with a digital screen and web cam connected to the internet to access an interpreter working at a VRS facility.

In 1990, the United States Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act that stated the Federal Communications Commission must provide functionally equivalent services 24/7 for Deaf/HoH people. At that time, only TTY was available, but as VRS technology began and grew, most Deaf/HoH people made the switch. Since smartphones have become so popular, the landscape of VRS has begun to change too. Video phones that stay in one place in your home or office are fading away. Many Deaf/HoH people are choosing to use VRS services on their smartphones, which enables them to use the service at any time and place. Another new technology is the option for both Deaf/HoH and Hearing consumers to both use web cams to be able to see each other and the interpreter.

Hearing Aids amplify sound to support residual hearing. If there’s some hearing in some range, hearing aids may be the right tool. If there’s no hearing, more sound won’t help.

If you’ve ever been in an enclosed space with too much sound coming at you, you’ll recognize the importance of tuning or filtering sounds. Modern hearing aid technology can do this by amplifying sounds in specified ranges or tones and leaving other sounds out of the amplified mix.

If you’ve had this sound-overload experience, you may also recognize why some children decide to lose, flush, or otherwise discard that expensive piece of equipment.

Hearing aids may help your child hear a car pass or a bird singing, but they’ll still need to learn what those sounds mean. The same goes for speech — words that are too similar to understand without context will still get past them. Louder volume doesn’t guarantee that meaning will be clearly transmitted.

Hearing aids can be easily removed for sports, repairs, upgrades, and more. They’re not a permanent decision and they don’t alter the physical structure of the user’s ear, unless you count changes to the position of the external ear while the aid’s being worn. They’re also a tad easier to lose, accidentally or otherwise.

Cochlear Implants, also called CI, digitize sound and send the signal directly to a portion of the brain. Any residual hearing that may exist is rendered forever useless. While the external device can be removed, the internal portion of the device remains within the skull.

As with hearing aids, the transmission of sound does not guarantee an accurate translation of sound. The meaning associated with a bird call or a particular word must still be learned as it would for anyone else. People accustomed to hearing sounds naturally who later rely on cochlear implants need to learn to receive and translate the digitized signals, just as someone with a prosthetic leg must relearn how to walk.

For this reason, many experts recommend implanting children as early as possible. On the other hand, not all children with hearing loss are good candidates for the surgery, and not all surgeries are considered successful. There are some children who have had replacements of their cochlear implants and still struggled with understanding the digitized signals. There’s also the matter of the body’s reaction to the surgery, the device, and the signal. The neural system and immune system often have something to say about such things.

Unfortunately, there is a battle over the use of cochlear implant technology. On one extreme are those who believe that the device is an equal replacement of natural hearing. It simply isn’t. On the other extreme are those who believe the implants are an attempt to eradicate deaf culture. No culture will disappear that easily. The accurate truth in the middle is that we tend to look to technology to solve our problems, many see lack of hearing as a problem to be solved, and most parents will try to give their children the best they can.

While you look into technological options, we urge you to also employ visual communication. That way, whether the CI works for you or not, your child can communicate and thrive.