Friday, June 13, 2014

How can we make the Catholic Mass Accessible for all the deaf and hard of hearing?- Catholics with Hearing Loss: Captioning the Catholic Mass



            How can we make the Catholic Mass Accessible
                for all the deaf and hard of hearing? 


                                        "Go and Announce the Gospel of the Lord.  It is the Mass." 


                                         (Source: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/index.cfm)






What can you do to help Catholics with Hearing Loss and Deafness in getting access to the Mass by providing
Real time Captioning (CART or Remote CART) ? :




 1. Contact your Diocese/Archdiocese - find it here:    http://www.usccb.org/about/bishops-and-dioceses/all-dioceses.cfm.)




" We have seen rampant confusion on the part of government leaders {and church leaders} who assume that "deaf and hard of hearing"  {compared to capital D Deaf/culturally Deaf} is one group of people whose communication needs center around American Sign Language. This confusion has meant that people with hearing loss are not receiving the services and support that could make their lives better." 



_______________________________________________________________________________________________


"Out of 100 people, 10 have a significant

 hearing problem. Of those 10 people, one

 or two use sign language. The rest do not 

know sign language." 


__________________________________________________________________________


"An obvious benefit of closed captioning is to allow everyone to have an equal opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits of a service, program or activity." 


_______________________________________________________


"The majority of people who are deaf and hard of hearing do not know sign language. According to a Johns Hopkins study, more than 48 million people in the United States are deaf or hard of hearing, or a fifth of all Americans. Of these, almost 99 percent lost their hearing or were raised orally–not using sign language–and rely on their residual hearing (aided by hearing aids or cochlear implants), speech reading, and the printed word for communication access. This group of people are greatly aided by text forms of access." (Source:  http://www.captionaccess.com/communication-access-101/?replytocom=41)


_______________________________________________________________________________________



"(Catholics) who want to attend mass and be a part of ministries but do not find a willingness or desire for their inclusion. Often times this is do to ignorance and a lack of awareness." (Source:  http://www.disabilityawarenesstraining.com/component/content/article/3/40)

____________________________________________________________________

What is CART?:




"CART {real time captioning} is classified as an assistive technology and is considered a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is a service provided in the academic setting for students with hearing impairment as well as in public settings such as conventions, churches, corporate meetings, funerals, police interrogations, etc. "  
______________________________________





How does 'Remote CART' Work?

It's real time captioning via Remote which is cheaper then regular CART because the person does it at another location and doesn't have to travel or require more then an hour time slot 





____________________________________________________________________




"One way many diocesan offices try to assess their community’s needs is to send out accessibility surveys, which require parishes to record every physical amendment they have made to become more accessible to churchgoers with disabilities." (Source: http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201312/ramp-it-how-parishes-can-increase-accessibility-28230#sthash.YfofSqWI.dpuf

However, there is a caveat here; only 4-10 percent of those with hearing loss attend church, and in general, those with disabilities are less likely to be in church to contribute to the survey. They should make the church accessible in advance of any one actually requesting access. Several resources indicate 90 percent of those with disabilities including hearing loss do NOT attend church with the culprit generally centering around   the church not being accessible (physical, social, services, Mass, Confessionals, programs, ministry etc including 'effective' communication access) for them.


"The Largest Minority is the community of individuals with a disability, and we number 56 Million nationwide, 600 million throughout the world." (Source: http://dnnyc.net/tlm.html)  1 in 5 Americans have a disability.  1  in 5 Americans have a hearing loss.


"A sobering thought for religious leaders is that 90% of those with a hearing impairment may not attend services due to an inability to hear and participate." (Source:  http://premiervisualvoice.com/index.php/blog/16-blog-8)



" No captions is like no ramp for people in wheelchairs or signs stating ‘people with disabilities are not welcome."  
This applies just as well to real time captioning in churches as well, only the church is ADA exempt.  The ADA law does not apply to churches.  The church and any kind of worship place of any faith is allowed to discriminate and not provide real time captioning for church services.  90 percent of the those with hearing loss do not attend church because the church is not accessible to them.  Wouldn't it be nice to provide real time captioning to our brothers and sisters in Christ in order to share the Joy of the Gospel?  Maybe the 90 percent of the missing brothers and sisters might return to the church if it is accessible to them, thereby opening the doors and welcoming them to share and experience the fullness of their faith.



"The ADA calls us to be aware of and correct what we do

 that unnecessarily excludes people"
(Source: http://network.crcna.org/disability-concerns/q-ada-church-and-americans-disabilities-act)



"A general rule of thumb is to ask whether people are able to access the facility and, once in, is effective communication happening?"  (Source: https://hsdcstore.com/adasystems.htm)



"The key to deciding what aid or service is needed to communicate effectively is to consider the nature, length, complexity, and context of the communication as well as the person’s normal method(s) of communication." (Source:  http://www.ada.gov/effective-comm.htm)



Encourage the Diocese/Archdiocese to centralize support (a few churches within a Diocese/Archdiocese to offer captioning with funds supported by Diocese/Archdiocese) so that people can at least reasonably travel to an accessible church. Why? Because individual parishes become overwhelm w/o diocese funding support which is why there are none to a few churches accessible for those with hearing loss.  A centralized place for Captioning (Remote CART or CART) a Mass is better then none at all.  Real time captioning at a Mass is a rare find in spite of the fact that 90 percent of the deaf do not know sign language. 



I think I'm being reasonable here.  One Mass in one or two churches per diocese within reasonable travel. Since some of the dioceses are large, that might amount to two or three or four churches offering one Mass service in captioning in order to make travel reasonable.   It is not like asking for every Mass in every church to have a Mass in CART/Remote CART (captioning). But there should be at least one accessible church one can go to within the diocese (with reasonable driving distance).  Everyone should be able to have at least one accessible Mass then can travel to so they can have access to God's Word.  

Other ideas is by offering it 2x a month instead of each Sunday, or offer it  one Sunday each shared by four churches within the diocese - a once a month rotation cycle. That way people can  have an accessible Mass at least once a month at a particular church.




"Costs must never be the controlling consideration limiting the welcome offered to those among us with disabilities, since provision of access to religious functions is a pastoral duty. " (Source:  http://www.ncpd.org/views-news-policy/policy/church/bishops/welcome-and-justice)


There should also be at least one accessible confessional within the diocese as well for those with hearing loss and deafness (see my blog post on making the confessional accessible).


Post ADA, wheelchair ramps, adjusted bathrooms and water fountains, and special parking spots have been implemented in most if not all churches, but those with hearing loss and deafness still
need to advocate for at least one accessible church (of reasonable travel) that they can go to in order to have access to the Mass. 

Real time Captioning, Sign Language and Audio loops are the three most common communication access used by the deaf and hard of hearing in secular business, education and entertainment settings.  The hearing loss and deafness population is diverse so all three most common communication access needs to be in place.

About 10 percent of the hearing loss population benefit from sign language, about 40 to 60 percent of the hearing loss population benefit from Real time Captioning, and about 70 to 80 percent can benefit from Audio Loops (assuming they are wearing hearing aids and cochlear implants with T coils so this is more in theory), however in reality; 1 in 5 Americans with hearing loss who can benefit from a  hearing aid wear one.  1 in 4 deaf adult Americans who can benefit from a cochlear implant wear a cochlear implant. 25 percent of hearing aids do not have T coils in them.  Many people with more severe and profound hearing losses who do wear hearing aids and do have T coils in them often find the Audio Induction loops not reliable for them. Captioning can also cover all these groups and thereby provide effective communication  access.  Technically though any one who can read  (receptive) and speak (expressive) can benefit from Captioning.  

Think those with mild and moderate hearing loss who most benefit from audio induction loops are wearing  hearing aids?  According to this:


"Only 14% of older adults with hearing loss use

 hearing aids, according to estimates from a 

nationwide survey.

The proportion dropped to fewer than 4% of people


 with mild hearing loss across all age decades and 

to fewer than 5% of adults ages 50 to 59,

 irrespective of the severity of hearing loss."

 (Source:  http://www.awesomecapital.com/awesome-blog/most-hearing-impaired-adults-forgo-hearing-aids)




_______________________________________________________________________________________________________



The increasing demands of real time captioning

 and broadcast captioning is driven by two

 forces:


________________________________



Real time Captioning (CART or Remote CART) is a wonderful way to share the Joy of the Gospel to the deaf and hard of hearing, reaching the widest user population within the spectrum of hearing loss and deafness as well as many other 'disabilities'. (see my blog post on the Universal design of Captioning and how it reaches a wide population who can benefit from it and not just those with hearing loss)   

It is so joyous having access to the Mass with CART (captioning) that it is my hope that every person with hearing loss and deafness obtain full communication access to the Mass. There are so many people who can benefit from CART or Remote CART (captioning) in order to fully and actively participate at the Mass and get their spiritual  needs met having this access.  Please pray for that.


______________________________________________________________



Addressing  Communication Access 

                      Universally:




The Church needs to have Universal 

Communication Access for the deaf and hard


 of hearing: 


" we need assistive listening technology like


 hearing loops and captions,

 and signage that 


makes it clear that the service is available. This 


is a goal that we can 

achieve, but in order 


to do so, we need to change the way we think


 about communication and 

hearing access." 




_____________________________________________________________



"Can we all agree that achieving

 the 

genuine inclusion of deaf and

 hearing

 impaired people in society

 demands 

better than a one-size-fits-all 

approach to

 communication?"  (Source: http://therebuttal2.com/2010/07/27/1007/ -Tony Abrahams)






Without real time captioning as a valid accommodation for the late deaf, oral deaf and hard of hearing it is like saying to them at the church door:   'no ramp for the wheel chair users' , or 'no blacks allowed', or 'no Irish need to apply'.  




_________________________________

2.   Also contact  their Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministries 


Raise awareness of the diverse groups of those with hearing loss and deafness and the three 
most common  communication access needs: Real time Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops. 

Traditionally Catholic Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministries have focused on those who use sign language and yet 90 percent of the deaf and hard of hearing do not know sign language so awareness needs to be raised to make these ministries fully inclusive to the diverse deaf and hard of hearing population by offering captioning (CART or Remote CART) and audio loops at Mass, conferences, retreats, RCIA, Bible studies, programs etc.  I like to see the confessional more accessible as well. See my blog post on making the confessional accessible.

The late deaf, oral deaf and hard of hearing are underserved in these ministries.   They are being excluded if 'effective' communication access is not being provided for them.



"The overwhelming majority of people categorized as deaf by the NHS and SIPP are perfectly fluent speakers of
English (or another spoken language) and did not experience any difficulty hearing until well
into adulthood (e.g., Blanchfield, Dunbar, Feldman, & Gardner, 1999; Mitchell, 2005). As a
consequence, most people who are audiologically deaf do not use sign language."

Source: 

 Draft manuscript accepted for publication in
Sign Language Studies, Volume 6, Number 3, 2006
How Many People Use ASL in the United States?
Why Estimates Need Updating􀀁
Ross E. Mitchell, Travas A. Young, Bellamie Bachleda,
and Michael A. Karchmer
Gallaudet Research Institute
Gallaudet University

___________________________________________________________________



" The majority of deaf and hard of 

hearing people 


are oral using spoken languages and 


know a little 


or no sign language to benefit from



interpreters, so signed events are still

 not “fully” 


inclusive, especially for those people."
  (Source: http://audio-accessibility.com/news/2013/12/importance-of-quality-communication-access-no-waving-hands-or-auto-captioning/)


____________________________________________________________



"CART is a type of “accommodation” service for people with disabilities.  In function, CART is similar to sign language interpreting for people who are deaf, because it transforms spoken language into a visual format that is appropriate for people with hearing loss.  But CART can be used by the 95% of hard of hearing and deaf people who do not use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate." 

_________________________________________________________________________________________

" Many people who are Deaf or hard of hearing grew up hearing or were educated in an “oral tradition”, and do not know sign language. Not all Deaf or hard of hearing people find assistive listening devices to be effective. For these individuals, captioning may provide an effective way of communication – seeing what is said. "



____________________________________________________________________


"This much larger group is routinely 
overlooked when 


we look at welcoming people with special

 needs into our 


local communities of faith. While a very 

small number of 


people who are physically deaf may be

 able to use an 

ASL interpreter, most cannot. "



_______________________________________




What do the deaf and hard of hearing use for Communication Access?:


ASL (American Sign Language)  is used by the Culturally Deaf in the USA, CART (real time captioning) or its newer tech version called Remote CART is used by the late deaf, oral deaf and severe to profound hearing loss, ALD's (Assistive Listening Devices) are used by the hard of hearing (mild and moderate hearing loss).  Captioning (CART) can sometimes be used by the culturally Deaf but you need to ask them first.  The Hard of Hearing (mild and moderate) can also use captioning but they usually prefer Audio Loops.  Again, you need to ask them first. Yes, I know I keep saying this through out my blog. We are diverse you see.  We need to break the sound barriers for everyone so they can fully and actively participate and share the Joy of the Gospel to all. 




___________________________________________________________________________


"All of us are covered by the ADA. This is not about a preference, a personal choice, or the opinion of one over another or over a majority."  (Source:  http://network.crcna.org/disability-concerns/q-ada-church-and-americans-disabilities-act)

__________________________________________________________________________


"However, like 98% of the 35 million* deaf and hard of 

hearing people in the USA, I consider ASL (American 

Sign Language) a gorgeous language that I can't fluently 

understand. CART (Communication Access Realtime 

Transcription) offers an alternative option for folks like 

me;…" (Source: http://opensource.com/life/11/12/open-source-changes-face-stenography-and-possibilities-hearing-impaired)  * note: now 48 million and counting and will double by 2030



___________________________________________________________




"For various reasons, 

churches 


have lagged behind wider 

trends in

 society to be inclusive of 

people 

with disabilities." 



_________________________________________________________________________________


"Having no captions is equivalent to stating 'people with disabilities may not enter.'" - See more at: http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/legal/nad.php#sthash.6aKtVH0e.dpuf

______________________________________

Deaf/deaf and Hard of Hearing Demographics:  


___________________________________________________________________


Some one says:  "I honestly feel that hearing impairment is much worse than my inability to walk, because it is so isolating. At least once I get to where I’m going, I can enjoy it thoroughly. Also, I think sometimes people feel that having a sign language interpreter satisfies the requirement to make a performance accessible for the hearing impaired, not realizing that the majority of people who lose their hearing as they age or from disease do not learn sign language" 


____________________________________________________________________________________________


3.   and their Disability Ministries as well 

It is important to also contact the Disability Ministry of the Dioceses/Archdiocese too, and not just the Deaf Ministries because often the Deaf ministry service at Catholic Dioceses service 'only'  the culturally deaf and hard of hearing (those who use sign language) and may not be familiar with the wide use of captioning and CART that is being used by the late deaf, oral deaf, severe to profound hearing loss folks).



Various sources and observations indicate only half of all Dioceses have a Disability Ministry and that should be encouraged considering that 1 in 5 Americans have a disability making it the largest minority group in the USA.  Shouldn't the largest minority community in the USA have a Ministry too?  




"With the Baby Boom generation about to age into infirmity, and wounded war veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in growing numbers, the issue of worshippers with disabilities will very soon overwhelm ethical and theological abstraction."(Source: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-01-10-column10_ST_N.htm)


 If The Diocese/Archdiocese does have a Disability Ministry: Encourage the Disability Ministry to be proactive about providing Captioning at Masses for the deaf and hard of hearing.  

Contact is:  http://www.usccb.org/about/bishops-and-dioceses/all-dioceses.cfm.  It would be very helpful.





Hearing Loss in the Church:  





"individuals with disabilities continually encounter various forms of discrimination, including outright intentional exclusion, the discriminatory effects of architectural, transportation, and communication barriers….." see more at http://network.crcna.org/disability-concerns/q-ada-church-and-americans-disabilities-act



"Live captions delivering access to lesson content is particularly beneficial to students impacted by ASD. It provides consistency of message delivery and a single point of focus for the student leading to less distraction, reduced anxiety and improved attention. People with autism often have audio processing issues. " (Source:  http://www.ai-media.tv/magic-live-captions-students-asd/)





Diocese Disability Action Team ('The clergy, religious and laity engaged in this program should help the parish by developing policy and translating it into practical strategies for working with individuals with disabilities')  


"Of all the barriers to full participation and 

inclusion, the barrier of unexamined attitudes 

is the most difficult to address," states Ginny

 Thornburgh, director of the American 

Association of People with Disabilities' 

Interfaith Initiative." 




_____________________________________________________________________________________________



4.  Also bring it up with the Pastor at your church.  It would be nice if the Diocese/Archdiocese would support him with the funding as they often do with the Sign Language Masses to empower the Parish and promote accessibility.  ENCOURAGE THAT!  90 percent of the deaf and hard of hearing do not know sign language.  Many churches fund sign language interpreters either via the church or through their diocese, and yet captioning is a  rare find in churches in spite of the fact that the majority of the deaf do not know sign language.  If you can read and speak, you can benefit from captioning.


"The U.S. bishops’ document stressed that parishes must be sensitive to the plight of its members who have disabilities. It added that efforts to bring them into the parish community are more likely to be effective if they are supported by resources on the diocesan level."
  (Source: http://www.pittsburghcatholic.org/newsarticles_more.php?id=1027)

Encourage Inclusion Awareness.  See http://pathways.org/images/random_pdfs/FACILITIES_SURVEY.pdf

The Catholic church directory (for emails and addresses) :   http://www.thecatholicdirectory.com




"Statistics tell us that 98% of people with hearing loss do not have a church home, and the deaf and hard of hearing are the fourth largest unreached people group in the world." (Source:  http://captioningtheword.com/information.html)











___________________________________________________________________


Captioning is a Universal Design Access:  http://captioningthemass.blogspot.com/2013/09/advantages-and-disadvantages-of.html



_____________________________________________________________________________________________


5.  Parish Committee: Many churches have committees. Discuss Inclusion Awareness with them.




"How many do you see active in your parish? Are their needs being met?" (Source: 
http://catholicexchange.com/disabilities-and-the-catholic-church)





"The parish is the door to participation for individuals with disabilities, and it is the responsibility of the pastor and lay leaders to make sure this door is always open')"  (Source:  http://www.disabilityawarenesstraining.com/component/content/article/3/40







The deaf and hard of hearing experiences

 in the church:  










Opening the Doors: 
 http://captioningthemass.blogspot.com/2014/06/opening-doors-catholics-with-hearing.html


Can we Open more doors for the late deaf, oral deaf and hard of hearing?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________



"Remote {CART real time captioning}

 services are more economical

 as the minimum booking is only one 


hour. More people can have more 


access, as all you need is internet access 


and sound. "
  (Source: http://deafunity.org/article-interview/tina-lannin-founder-121-captions/)




___________________________________________________________________



6. Contact this source at http://www.ncpd.org/about (National Catholic Partnership on Disability) and encourage them to be proactive in providing Captioning Masses within the USA.  90 percent of the deaf and hard of hearing do NOT know sign language. MANY can not use the audio loop either. It would be very helpful. 



NCPD site says:  “There is no captioning for this videotape, therefore I am handicapped in sharing in my parish's adult education program.”   

This of course can also mean:  'There is no Captioning Masses available for me, therefore I am 'handicapped' in sharing (and participation) in the liturgical celebrations of the Mass'.  

_____________________________________________________________________________________________



7.  ALSO Contact http://www.ncod.org and request that they be proactive in supporting Captioning at Masses and not just sign language so that all those with hearing loss and deafness can participate at Mass. It would be very helpful.  

 I would love to see the Catholic deaf and hard of hearing ministries be more inclusive to the diverse population of the deaf and hard of hearing in order to reach everyone for Christ given the diversity of the deaf and hard of hearing population.  The majority of people who are deaf on an audiogram actually do not know sign language. 


This organization however may only be focused on serving those who use sign language as a cultural and linguistic approach (Deaf culture/ASL culture) which is 10 percent of the deaf population, so hopefully  in the future there will also be some kind of Catholic ministry to reach the wider deaf and hard of hearing population such as a  'Catholic Hearing Loss and Deafness Ministry' .  The idea is to incorporate diversity and provide Universal Access to all the deaf and hard of hearing; being Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Induction Loops and not just one type of communication access.  Communication Access needs to be approached Universally for the deaf and hard of hearing because we are diverse.


The focus could be on the entire diverse community that needs Captioning, Sign language and Audio Loops in order for them to be able to fully and actively participate at the Mass because the majority of the deaf and hard of hearing do not know sign language and often fall in the cracks of services offered at Catholic deaf and hard of hearing ministries if Captioning or Audio loops are not available for them.  This is a very under served group in need of having the Mass  fully accessible to them.  They have different language needs.  They socially identify with their own native English language whereas the culturally Deaf are defined by their commonality of American Sign Language within a social-cultural-linguistic framework.  They are two different groups and so they need different communication approaches and maybe perhaps different ministries, so I'm not sure  #7 contact on this list would be appropriate since the groups have different needs unless  a Universal Access approach is provided (Captioning, sign language and audio loops).  But you could raise awareness of the diversity that many people are not aware of.


8.  For Secular support: 


There are two wonderful secular organizations tailored for the late deaf, oral deaf, severe and profound hearing loss as well as the hard of hearing (mild and moderate hearing loss) called HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION  at http://www.hearingloss.org.    


This organization is very supportive of diversity and advocates serving all communication needs such as Captioning, Sign language and audio loops.


They embrace diversity in the deaf and hard of hearing population.  You can often find real time captioning, sign language and audio induction loops at their annual conferences, workshops and meetings.  They are very accepting of the diverse deaf and hard of hearing population.  


There is another wonderful secular organization called ALDA for the late deaf BUT they welcome ANY deaf and hard of hearing person with the common language being 'diversity'.  In other words 'WHATEVER WORKS'.  They are at http://www.alda.org

They also embrace diversity and acceptance of all communication modes for the deaf and hard of hearing.  They address communication access 'universally'.  They are inclusive 
to all the deaf and hard of hearing. They are welcoming.



These two organizations are really nice in the secular world. 

We need a similar  ministry for the Catholic churches in the USA though because currently the late deaf, oral deaf and hard of hearing are a very unreached group with no ministries tailored for them that I am aware of because you rarely see  Real Time Captioning being provided (CART or remote CART).  This is a very underserved population at Catholic deaf and hard of hearing ministries.


The only thing that is usually available in Catholic churches are Catholic Deaf Ministry (with a capital D; aka culturally Deaf 'only' usually; aka sign language only) designed and tailored for that culture based on their native or acquired language of American sign language, and not for the late deaf, oral deaf, severe and profound hearing loss and the hard of hearing (mild and moderate hearing loss) whose primary native language is English.  This is good of course because we all need access, however it is not addressing adequately  the needs of all the deaf and hard of hearing in terms of making the Mass accessible universally for the deaf and hard of hearing.  Diversity is allowing everyone access to Christ, access to the Mass, confessionals, conferences, retreats etc by providing the three most common Communication access, that being Real time Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Induction loops.  The church needs a Universal Communication Access Design for ALL the deaf and hard of hearing and not just a segment of our population or community.




_____________________________________________________________________________________________


9. Let us pray that Captioning will be provided for Catholic Masses at Parishes  that will benefit so many Catholics with hearing loss so that they can fully participate and engage in the celebration of the Mass.



Prayers work!  Through the Grace of God; I am now getting Captioning at a Catholic Church!  Keep praying!  Jesus I Trust in You!  See my blog post on 'Opening the Doors'!   It is totally joyous and I'm very GRATEFUL!  




Lets pray that we break the 

communication barriers for all!




_______________________________________________



10.  It is not enough though that I have Access.  Like Pope St. John Paul II said:  " It's not enough to know Christ, we must bring him to everyone!"  Every Catholic should have access to the Mass and be able to fully participate in its celebration.  So keep praying that everyone has access to the Mass. Pray that our church will share the joy of the gospel to everyone.

Everyone should have access to God's word in church with 'effective' communication that works for them. 



 Lord Hear Our Prayers.




Prayer of Inclusion: http://www.ncpd.org/ministries-programs/spirituality/prayers



'How Am I Suppose to Pray?':  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpfcBsqlXGE



_____________________________________________________________________________________________


11.    If You Have a Hearing Loss - Advocate 
              for Yourself:


This is very important because all too often, many of those with hearing loss like to hide it but in doing so, keeps us all in exclusionary circles.  Each one of us can do our part. When you advocate access for yourself, you do much more.  You help others get access.  Speak up.




“Just as with wheelchair access issues, advocacy is paramount,” Kasper wrote. “Staying at home to avoid problems or pretending to understand when we don’t will not help us or future generations, and joining with others in a cause can be rewarding in itself.” (Source:  sack-church-offers-captioning-for-hearing-impaired-1.1172320)






The deaf and hard of hearing in other churches advocating for CART (aka captioning):  See http://xpressivehandz.blogspot.com/2014/04/ada-violation-at-upcoming-giant-center.html



A church event in a public place was offering sign language interpreter, spanish interpreter and almost didn't provide real time captioning (CART) which is translating spoken English into verbatim English  in real time like interpretation does that allows the majority of the deaf and hard of hearing to be able to PARTICIPATE like the others!  However, in the end, they were granted CART (real time captioning) that allows the same equal and effective communication access that ADA would support in secular society.




ADA laws and the church:  





_____________________________________________________________________________________________

12.  Canon Law and Sacrosanctum Concilium as it relates to the deaf and hard of hearing:


Making  the Mass accessible to All those with Hearing Loss allows honoring 'Sacrosanctum Concilium'.  It allows All those with Hearing Loss to be able to participate, and in order to do so, diversity awareness is needed in what is effective communication access.  The three most common communication access for those with hearing loss and deafness in the secular world of business, education and entertainment is Real time Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops that provide full, equal, and effective communication :  




" Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Second Vatican Council's document on the reform of the liturgy, declared that in its mandate of fittingly celebrating the "memorial of [Christ's] death and resurrection," "The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ's faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration" (48).  (Source: http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2006/04/full-conscious-active-participation.html)



"It is essential that all forms of the 

liturgy be 

completely accessible to people with 

disabilities, since these forms are the 

essence 

of 

the spiritual tie that binds the Christian 

community together," the bishops 

wrote.




I don't know who enforces the  Canon laws in the Catholic church but I can tell you from personal experience, the Mass is not accessible  to many people who are deaf and hard of hearing if Captioning, Sign language and Audio loops are not being provided as a Universal Communication Access approach for ALL the deaf and hard of hearing.   Captioning in particular is very rare and yet the majority of the deaf who are physically deaf on an audiogram do not know sign language so just providing sign language does not make it inclusive to the majority of  deaf people. 

The late deaf, oral deaf and hard of hearing are often neglected and underserved in church.  Their needs are usually unrecognized.   The often are not provided with 'effective' communication access.


______________________________________________________________


13.   Resource for making the Mass accessible:



"Accessible meeting space allows

 everyone to participate." 



__________________________________________________



14. A Model of Inclusion for all the

 deaf and hard of hearing:



 Salt Lake City Utah Catholic Diocese (according to this website) has a really good model for including diversity in hearing loss by having available, not only sign language interpreters but also real time captioning services and amplification for the Mass!  


THIS IS A MODEL!  It has the three most common 'effective' communication access, that being sign language, real time captioning and amplification/ald to cover the spectrum of hearing loss.


On their website at http://www.dioslc.org/ministries/disabilities/guidelines-for-accommodating-people-with-disabilities  it says:





For the Deaf or Hard of Hearing:

Arrange for seating the Deaf community in the front, near the speaker.

Arrange for interpreter or real time captioning services at least two weeks in advance.

Utilize room amplification system or personal amplification system.

Provide all materials to the interpreter or CART reporter one week in advance.

Provide bright lighting.  Avoid creating a special atmosphere with dim lighting.



For the Blind or Visually Impaired:

Always have all materials available in large print and electronic format.

Arrange for availability of alternative formats (a minimum two week advance notice is necessary).

Seating close to the speaker may be necessary.



I'll look to see if there are other Dioceses with similar diversity inclusive models for all those with hearing loss and deafness and add to the list when I find them.  

____________________________________________________________________________
15.  Media Access



Integrating Technology in the 


Church:







"John Paul II wrote: "the Church is 

not only called upon to use the mass 


media to spread the Gospel but, today 


more than ever, to integrate the 


message of salvation into the "new 


culture" that these powerful means 


of communication create and 


amplify."  
(source: http://www.officialcatholicdirectory.com/special-feature-article/new-media-and-the-church.html -Karen A. Walker)

If 20 percent of the population can't

 hear the media, we need CC on

 DVD's, TV and internet.
______________________________________________________________________







"It's not enough to know Christ, we must bring him to everyone!" - Pope St. John Paul II


_________________________________



"The reference was to Mark 16:15 — Go

 throughout the whole 

world and preach the gospel to all mankind.
“He didn’t say, ‘Leave out some of the people,’

 ” Fr. Robinson 

said."   (Source: http://www.northtexascatholic.org/pages/features-article?r=J53ELUMU61)


_______________________________________________________________________________________________


           Captioning Shares the Message


____________________________________



How do you make it Inclusive to all those 

who are deaf and hard of hearing?:




"However, in order to serve ALL deaf, hard of hearing, 

the hearing impaired or people with hearing loss 

(whichever terms you choose), all of these accessible 

solutions need to be provided, and the Deaf and 

hearing impaired should always be placed down front 

where they can use their eyes to see to hear and the 

audio amplifiers to be picked up by their assistive 

devices. Captions should be on the wall or a screen for

 those who need to read what is being said." 

 (Source:  http://limpingchicken.com/2014/01/16/deaf-discrimination-to-deaf/)



__________________________________________________




"  For some congregations, universal design and 

accommodation

 may seem to be at odds with the most efficient means 

for reaching 

the most people with the gospel. However, fulfilling the

 Great

Commission cannot neglect the great commandment to

 love one

another   (Luke 10:27-37; 1 John 4:20)."



_________________________________________________________________

"We depend on captions for television, movies, relay phone calls, live theater and meetings, etc. However, captions are lacking at churches and synagogues. As a result we no longer attend. We feel excluded from the spiritual communities." (Source:  http://xpressivehandz.blogspot.com/2014/07/why-churches-and-synagogues-need-to.html)

_______________________________________________________________________________________




      
         Captioning Shares the Message




__________________________


"Nearly one in five Americans has some

 form of 
disability, and many people naturally

join this group as they grow older and experience 

loss of vision, hearing, or mobility, so the need 

for accessibility can end up benefitting many 

members of the parish." 


_____________________________________________________________________________________

"…Our world is really suffering from 

indifference. Indifference is apathy, not 

caring. I 
wonder maybe if our Lord does


 not suffer more from our indifference,


 than he did from the Crucifixion.” 


- Archbishop Fulton Sheen


___________________________________________________________________________


"…It sometimes feels as if there is no

 awareness of how a disabled person

 could enter into the worship 

experience." (Source:  http://julieclawson.com/2010/07/23/americans-with-disabilities-and-the-church/)


___________________________________________________________________



"It sounds crazy that many of our places 


of worship don't think about accessibility 


and inclusion," Starnes says. " 



__________________________________________________________________





"The church has a wonderful theology 

and heart. ... We don't always live it out 

well," 

said Anne Masters, the director of 


pastoral ministry with persons with 

disabilities for 

the Archdiocese of Newark. " 


(Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/30/autism-in-the-church-grow_n_855677.html)
_______________________________



"We want people with any disability to be nourished in the faith and to be able to contribute to the life of the parish community," Benton said(Source: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1003026.htm)




______________________________________________________________________________________


Church Drop outs:



"About 90 percent of church members and constituents living with any of these forms of hearing loss become church dropouts. The culprit is the not uncommon failure of churches to be "hearing-accessible. " 

Source:  ( http://gbgm-umc.org/disc/sosbook.stm)



______________________________________________________________


"Those benefitting from these stenography services include U.S. military and war veterans who suffer hearing loss sustained from being in close proximity to explosions or from repeatedly operating loud weaponry. "- See more at: http://www.stenotype.edu/news/stenographers-captioning-and-cart-professionals-celebrate-october-as-disability-employment-awareness-month/#sthash.6PfiBdEN.dpuf



________________________________________________________



Using a 'Smart Board' for the deaf and hard of 

hearing with the CART at a church service -now 

that is being REALLY SMART! :



_______________________________________________________



“Every baptised person, by virtue of baptism itself, has the right to receive from the Church a teaching and formation which permits them to attain a true Christian life”.(CT 14).



__________________________________________________________________




Captioning is a Universal Design Access:  




_________________________________________________________



Who Do You Say that I am?:  



___________________________________________________________________

The Deaf/deaf/HOH need Universal Access:  



"When designing a space or 

planning 

an event, we need to strive for 

universal access—so that all 

members of our communities can 

attend and participate. This means 

that, in addition to ramps and 

elevators, we need assistive 

listening technology like hearing 

loops and captions, and signage 

that makes it clear that the service 

is available. This is a goal that we 

can achieve, but in order to do so, 

we need to change the way we

 think about communication and 

hearing access. "


- See more at: http://agewisekin
gcounty.org/en/134/1/661/Too-Many-People-with-Hearing-Loss-Miss-Out.htm#sthash.em7Uhug6.nW91Nm7I.dpuf

(Source:  http://agewisekingcounty.org/en/134/1/661/Too-Many-People-with-Hearing-Loss-Miss-




___________________________________________________________________________






Captioning the Word:  See  http://captioningtheword.com



_________________________________________________________




Captioning is the language of many who are

 deaf and hard of hearing



_________________________________

Hearing Loss Association of America – The Nation's Voice for people with hearing loss:  See http://www.hearingloss.org

______________________________________

The Association of Late Deafened Adults (really anyone deaf of any age onset):  See http://www.alda.org

____________________________________

"Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible." -St. Francis of Assisi

Lord Hear Our Prayer


LIGHT a CANDLE:  http://www.lightingacandle.org

               Welcome !    See  http://www.catholicscomehome.org
___________________________________________
___________________________________________________________












Come Pray the Rosary with others - together Online http://www.comepraytherosary.org

(text guided version offered to follow along)

_________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________
Inclusivity for all:  See https://www.captionfirst.com/Universal_Design
__________________________________________
"Of all the barriers to full participation and inclusion, the barrier of unexamined attitudes is the most difficult to address," states Ginny Thornburgh, director of the American Association of People with Disabilities' Interfaith Initiative." 
__________________________________________________________

Catholic Mass for the deaf and hard of hearing:

"For the Deaf or Hard of Hearing:
Arrange for seating the Deaf community in the 
front, near the
 speaker.
Arrange for interpreter or real time captioning 
services at 
least 
two weeks in advance.
Utilize room amplification system or personal 
amplification
 system.
Provide all materials to the interpreter or CART
 reporter one 
week in advance.
Provide bright lighting.  Avoid creating a special 
atmosphere 
with dim lighting."
(Source: http://www.dioslc.org/ministries/disabilities/guidelines-for-accommodating-people-with-disabilities)
________________________________________________________
US Bishop Statement:  
'It is essential that all forms of the liturgy be completely accessible to people with disabilities, since these forms are the essence of the spiritual tie that binds the Christian community together' 
(Source:  http://www.disabilityawarenesstraining.com/component/content/article/3/40)
_________________________________________________________________
The purpose of this blog is to raise  Diversity Awareness among those with hearing loss and deafness, and to raise  awareness that many  with hearing loss are being excluded from full participation at the Mass if the church does not have Captioning. Catholics with hearing loss deserve the fullness of their faith.   Does your Diocese/Archdiocese have at least one Mass service in Captioning at a church that one who benefits from it can reasonably travel to in order to fully and actively participate at the Mass? Contact your Diocese/Archdiocese - find it here:    http://www.usccb.org/about/bishops-and-dioceses/all-dioceses.cfm.)
Is your church or Diocese/Archdiocese  inclusive to all those with hearing loss and deafness by providing Real time Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops?   If not - Diversity and Inclusion Awareness is needed in order to share the joy of the gospel by applying Universal Communication Access.  It is very important to share the Word of God with everyone.  Let's pray for that!
"Be not Afraid, Open Wide the Gates" - Pope St.  John Paul II  
 (Source: http://jp2forum.blogspot.com/2013/12/be-not-afraid-resounding-from-1531-to.html)

CC-Caption Catholic







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