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Sign language interpreters are being lauded for communicating critical information from the provincial and federal governments about COVID-19, but a pair of accessibility advocates say their presence at media briefings should be normalized.
Read more at
https://aoda.ca/sign-language-interpreters-at-media-briefs-should-be-normal-accessibility-advocates/
Christopher Desloges, an American sign language (ASL) interpreter, has become a fixture at Mr. Ford’s news conferences, where he translates the Premier’s message live on television for tens of thousands of deaf people in Ontario and across Canada.
Read more at
https://aoda.ca/sign-language-interpreter-takes-on-premier-fords-angry-dad-approach-as-he-pushes-for-accessibility/
On Monday, an ASL/English interpreter was present during an Alberta Health COVID-19 update for the first time.
It’s a significant moment for the deaf and hard of hearing community, which had called on the government to provide an interpreter or live captioning during the updates.
A legal dispute over video captions continues after court rejects requests by MIT and Harvard University to dismiss lawsuits accusing them of discriminating against deaf people.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/legal-battle-over-captioning-continues/
“Hey Siri, stream iTunes through my hearing aid.” That’s just one of many things you can do with the ReSound Linx Quattro, the first smart hearing aid to use AI to pair with Apple’s Siri assistant.
Individuals who are deaf, hard-of-hearing or deafblind will soon have access to faster, better message relay services
Canada’s telecommunications watchdog has issued a decision mandating standards for message relay services.
The Employment Standard under the AODA requires employers to accommodate workers with disabilities. Employers can make the workplace accessible for workers who are deaf or hard of hearing if they learn about the kinds of accommodations workers might need.
Here we outline some ways that employers and colleagues can communicate with and accommodate workers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Workers will explain the communication methods that work best for them.
Read more at
https://aoda.ca/accommodating-workers-who-are-deaf-or-hard-of-hearing/
The world’s first machine capable of turning British Sign Language (BSL) into written English is set to be built by the University of Surrey as part of a project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
BSL is a language in its own right, with its own grammar, and it is very different from English. BSL uses several parts of the body simultaneously to fully express a range phrases, ideas and emotions.
Other countries have on-screen interpreters during news broadcasts
When the next ice storm, wildfire or terror attack happens, Canadians who are deaf or hard of hearing will be in greater peril than others because most public notification systems are not accessible to them, experts say.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/deaf-canadians-at-risk-in-times-of-national-emergency/
The World Federation of the Deafblind has launched the initial global report on the situation and rights of persons with deafblindness.
Representing between 0.2% to 2% of the population, persons with deafblindness are a very diverse yet hidden group and are, overall, more likely to be poor and unemployed, and with lower educational outcomes. Because deafblindness is less well-known and often misunderstood, people struggle to obtain the right support, and are often excluded from both development and disability programmes.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/world-federation-of-the-deafblind-launches-initial-global-report/
