Can the Catholic Church be inclusive to ALL the deaf and hard of hearing by applying Universal Design for ALL the deaf and hard of hearing in participating at the Mass?
"You pay God a compliment by asking great things of Him." -St. Teresa of Avila
If you are curious like I am, especially as a returnee wondering which church is accessible that you could go to and you have a hearing loss, you might look at websites to see where you can find the Masses that might have Captioning or Audio Loops or Sign Language right?
Looking at the websites, often you may observe that many of the Catholic Deaf and Hard of Hearing and 'Hearing Impaired' Ministries, associations, churches, and organizations, Diocese/Archdiocese support services for the deaf and hard of hearing often only focus their service on the 10 percent of the hearing loss and deafness population who use ASL sign language, and so they focus on access via sign language interpreted Mass, RCIA and Bible studies etc.
While this is wonderful (and necessary), and they should be provided access to their ASL language as well, it is not addressing the majority of those with hearing loss and deafness who also need support in order to fully, consciously, and actively participate at the Mass and other parts of church life.
" 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."
(Source: http://www.cilww.com/shhh%20page.htm)
"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."
Captioning in church services:
The late deaf, oral deaf and those with severe and profound hearing loss ( and many hard of hearing folks as well) can benefit from Captioning the Mass. Captioning is their language. This is a very underserved population in the church if communication access like captioning and audio loops are not being provided. It is any wonder that 90 plus percent of them do not attend church due to lack of access.
"The ADA calls us to be aware of and correct what we do that unnecessarily excludes people"
In spite of the fact that the majority of the physically deaf are fluent in English being their native language, and do not know sign language, they have little access to the Catholic Mass. You need to be able to connect, engage, participate and witness the Mass by being on the same page and time with everyone else to be actively part of it and not being a spectator of other's worship experience. Just reading the Missal solo and not on the same page won't do it. Besides, many parts of the Mass are not in the Missal (Homily, blessings, prayers of the faithful, announcements).
"Inclusion begins in places of worship — aren't they supposed to be open and accepting of all who profess their faith?" (Source: http://www.disabilityawarenesstraining.com/component/content/article/3/40)
"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
____________________________
A wheelchair user who also has
a hearing loss 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"
(Source: https://broadwaydancecenter.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/hard-times-on-broadway-for-the-hard-of-hearing/)
________________________________________________________________________________
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."
Demo of Real time Captioning (aka Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART):
Go to: http://www.acscaptions.com/subpages/CART.asp (scroll down to find demo video,
click on CC)
__________________________________
The forgotten and underserved group of deaf and hard of people:
The late deaf and the late hard of hearing are not only the largest deaf group who typically do not know sign language, they are the fastest growing deaf and hard of hearing population which will double by the year 2030. Of the 48 million folks (and counting) with hearing loss, only 500,000 know ASL. The late deaf and late hard of hearing, and those deaf and hard of hearing who grew up with the spoken language have fallen through the cracks, and overlooked when addressing all those who are deaf and hard of hearing. They have little access to the Catholic Mass. Their 'effective' communication needs are not being met by the church.
Who are the late deaf and late hard of hearing? I use that term loosely as it can mean any one not born deaf as the majority of people who are deaf, acquired the deafness at some point in their lives usually after having some exposure or fluency established of the spoken language although this is not an absolute as many children are being raised orally, especially with the use of cochlear implants or hearing aids that modern society offers that was not available in the past to guide them. Hearing aids are more powerful now then in the past. Cochlear implants keep improving.
Don't forget the oral deaf and oral hard of hearing too: Half of born deaf children are now getting cochlear implants. They are often in listening and spoken programs (or similar programs making use of residual hearing from hearing aids or cochlear implants). Many of these people are using CART real time captioning and audio induction loops in group settings.
Don't forget the elders: Often deafness is associated with aging, injury, diseases, and degeneration, and so the percentage of these people who are deaf and hard of hearing are higher the older they get in life. 1 in 3 have a hearing loss. This group will double by the year 2030.
Captioning is their native language in verbatim interpretative text format for both the post lingual deaf and hard of hearing as well as those who grew up with the spoken language. Audio loops produce more clarity to sound that are often distorted with the targeted group most benefiting from this are the mild to moderate hearing loss population. Some of the more severe and profound hearing loss folks find the audio loops not reliable enough so it doesn't work for all those with hearing loss, including the ones wearing hearing aids and cochlear implants. It all depends on the person.
Only 1 in 5 people who can benefit from a hearing aid wear them. Only 1 in 4 adults get a cochlear implant. There are many valid reasons for it, including costs but other reasons as well. We are very diverse and complex.
To be truly inclusive to all those who are deaf and hard of hearing; Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops needs to be in place with Universal Access for all in addressing the diversity.
We need an Inclusive Universal Communication Access model for the deaf and hard of hearing in church. That means providing sign language AND Remote CART (real time captioning) AND audio induction loops and having it available in the churches.
Accessibility in the secular world for the deaf and hard of hearing continues to grow with Captioning in various forms and situations be it real time captioning like CART, or voice or speech to text, or closed or open captioning and so forth. Real time captioning is widely use in community colleges and public universities , business meetings and people watch tv shows, news, and dvd's in captioning. Movie theaters now offering captioning. There are captioned phones. iPads have speech to text software apps, note pad app for typing and SMS texting. Computers, internet and emails is another communication source. Real time captioning is growing.
The increasing demands of real time captioning
and broadcast captioning is driven by two
forces:
The church is lagging behind and this gap continues to widen as technology continues to create more Universal and accessible designs for those with hearing loss. So much so, that as a returnee to the church, I was really surprised to find this wide gap and lack of Universal communication access. I had no access to the Mass. There was no real time captioning on screens, nor could I request the service.
"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."
(Source: http://tfwm.com/captions-where-do-we-go-from-hear/)
"CART is kinda like interpretation services or translating. CART is: "CART is an acronym that stands for Communication Access Real-time Translation. By looking at the meaning of each of these words, CART can be defined as; “the ability to use information at the actual time it occurs as it’s converted to another form”. (Source: http://www.karasch.com/services.asp?service=16)
Breaking the Sound Barriers in Your Church: http://www.umdisabilityministries.org/download/soundbarrier.pdf
I was in culture shock going from the secular world to the church because communication access was not available in church contrary to what I was used to in secular society.
There were many unaccessible churches for the deaf and hard of hearing. I was disturbed to find out that only 4 to 10 percent of the deaf and hard of hearing actually attend church due to lack of accessible communication access. I almost hit the floor when I found out the church was ADA exempt as well. Why would any one want to keep people from God's word? ADA is a good law that promotes access.
"ensure that the power of salvation may be shared by all" (John Paul II, Tertio Millennio Adveniente, n. 16). "(Source: http://www.ncpd.org/views-news-policy/policy/church/bishops/welcome-and-justice)
I had a hard time going to church with no access and to imagine doing this each Sunday. Most of us don't think of sitting at a movie theatre without captioning. Likewise I couldn't imagine sitting there in church without real time captioning and to do it each Sunday. This was a big mouthful for me to soak up in returning to the church. I was going to have to go to Mass without access to it as a 'new' Catholic each and every Sunday for years? life? What did I get myself into I thought? Was I crazy? I wanted to return to Catholicism and I wanted access to it as well, not pre ADA, and culturally Deaf access only as if they ran the Catholic church like a culturally Deaf school that literally was saying and practically shouted out to me in big words:
'Sign language only provided here, no need to apply (for CART)'.
"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)
"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)
"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)
It was a culture shock for me when I arrived at the door steps to find out there is no captioning at church. That was my first hand experience coming home to the church as a returnee. I couldn't go to their Disability services and request CART (real time captioning) like I was used to doing in business, educational and entertainment sectors of the secular world which provided it for me due to ADA laws. There wasn't even a Disability ministry for me to apply for this. Church is exempt from ADA laws so I was out of luck. They only had a Deaf ministry that only provided sign language. I was wondering if I lost my mind, returning to a church that is so inaccessible for folks with hearing loss. Captioning is in high demand in the secular world.
"It is the duty of all to listen."
The church is really behind.
At least I'm not finding very many of these services on many websites or them listing what access is available for all those with hearing loss and deafness and rarely see CART or Remote CART or some form of real time captioning at churches. There are three times more deaf and hard of hearing who do not know or use sign language and yet there are very few real time captioning services available. They are probably gone, especially since 90 percent of those with hearing loss do not go to church due to lack of access.
"(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)
There are some churches that provide Audio Loops and Assistive Listening Devices for those who are able to make use of them at Mass, RCIA and Bible studies and occasionally you might see an Audio looped confessional. However, in proportion to the large population of the mild and moderate hearing loss who can benefit from it, there is not nearly enough churches who provide them considering that they would be in each church.
Accessibility:
The church is not fully accessible to all those with hearing loss and deafness.
Real time Captioning, Audio Loops and Sign Language are the three most common communication access in the secular world. 90 percent of the hearing loss population do not know sign language and are being excluded from the fully, conscious, and active participation of the Mass if there are no Captioning or Audio loops, whichever one they are able to use for effective communication access. Diversity Awareness is needed. Sensitivity training is needed.
Captioning in particular is even more rare then Audio loops or Sign Language, and yet so many deaf and hard of hearing can benefit from it.
Inclusivity for all: See https://www.captionfirst.com/Universal_Design
They have Ramps but no 'UNIVERSAL' communication access for those with hearing loss in so many of the churches.
A person in a wheelchair might know that the church's parking lot, ramp, bathroom and adjusted pews might be accessible when they see the Wheelchair access sign on the premise, but can a person with hearing loss know if a particular church is accessible if they do not list the access type on the website or bulletin under Mass schedule times or place the access sign in the lobby of the church indicating that Captioning or Audio loops or ALD's or Sign Language are available? We need to be mindful of the diversity of those with hearing loss and deafness and the diverse communication access needs.
"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)
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)
Mass for the deaf and hard of hearing:
Often you see Mass schedule times listed in the bulletin, or website, but I rarely see them indicate if the church has ALD's, audio loops, Captioning. I really think this is an oversight and lack of awareness. It is important to raise this awareness in order to make the church truly inclusive and accessible to all.
For someone with a hearing loss, you don't really know which church is accessible if they are not indicating the access type near the Mass schedule times on websites, bulletins, both at the Parish level and the Diocese/Archdiocese level. It could be something as simple as:
* Audio loop accessible church or * ALD's available or * Captioning (CART/Remote CART) available, contact office for more details or something like that. Having access information or signs will alert the person that the church is accessible for them. It will show up on search engines when you google the internet trying to find an accessible church. This will be appreciated by travelers. Many of us use other churches, and not just our local church so it helps to indicate the access on websites and bulletins.
Here is an example of a church website that makes it known CART/captioning accommodation is available, listing the service times for it:
See http://www.salchome.org/content.php?ref=58
See http://www.salchome.org/content.php?ref=58
20 Percent of Americans have a hearing loss. That is 1 in 5 Americans (1 in 3 after age 65). We are out there. Is your church accessible to them? If we are not in your church, we are still out there waiting for the church to be accessible because 90+ percent of those with any type of hearing loss or deafness do not attend church because it is not accessible to them which means they are unable to fully participate.
"Perhaps attendance at worship is down because religious services are not audible to a sizable portion of the congregation and, of course, people may elect to not financially contribute to the support of the church if they’re not there."
(Source: http://hearingdoc.com/hearingnews/could-there-be-a-correlation-between-hearing-loss-and-attendance-at-places-of-worship/)
Do you see us in church?
You might not because it is not being
made accessible. Bringing them home might mean allowing them access to God's word first. The doors need to be open with accessible communication access that is effective for them and respecting their own social-cultural-linguistic model by providing communication access in real time captioning or audio induction loops, whichever works for them if the spoken language is native to them, or sign language if their social-cultural-linguistic model is American Sign Language. Forcing people to go from one social-cultural-linguistic model to another is not appropriate too. Each person should be provided 'effective' communication access.
Let's pray the doors are opened. Let's pray for sensitivity awareness and diversity awareness too.
_________________________________________
"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)
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)
__________________________________________________________
"Listening can be the most active form of participation, demanding effort and attention. Truly, as the scriptures tell us, faith demands hearing, fides ex audit. "
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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."
(Source: http://www.dioslc.org/ministries/disabilities/guidelines-for-accommodating-people-with-disabilities)
________________________________________________________
" If a house of worship is not doing CC,
however, then a major portion of the
dialogue will not be picked up by the
whole audience.”
____________________
"An interpreter/translator uses sign language to translate the spoken word for the hearing impaired. However, late deafened or hard of hearing people {and oral deaf} would essentially need to learn a whole new language to comprehend the translation. Other available avenues for communication would be via captioning or Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART). These are critical links in communication for the deaf and hard of hearing."
is the language of many deaf and hard of hearing people. Sign language should be provided if that is one's language. But so should Captioning. Its not either/or, its both/and. Its respecting and celebrating diversity and providing equal communication access for all.
____________________________________________________________
"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."
(Source: http://www.disabilitiesandfaith.org)
__________________________________________________________
Experiences of a late deaf
person:
"It wasn’t until closed
captioning and CART came
along that I finally stopped to
really think about who I am?
Most recently, CART and closed
captioning has given me a great
deal of hope and brought me
closer to accepting that I have
truly found my comfort zone."
____________________________________________
"Catholics with disabilities are much
more likely to be inactive Catholics
than their non-disabled counterparts."
________________________________________________
"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. "
______________________________________
"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."
(Source: http://www.disabilitiesandfaith.org)
__________________________________________________________
“What a gift this will be for them now to have
the ability to follow along with the Scripture
readings and Mass prayers right along with us. "
(Source: http://www.todayscatholicnews.org/2015/03/closed-captioning-during-tv-mass-better-serves-faithful/)
_______________________________________________________________
“What a gift this will be for them now to have
the ability to follow along with the Scripture
readings and Mass prayers right along with us. "
(Source: http://www.todayscatholicnews.org/2015/03/closed-captioning-during-tv-mass-better-serves-faithful/)
_______________________________________________________________
"Aldersgate United Methodist Church provides open real time captions during both 9 am and 10:30 am Sunday morning worship services. A CART (computer assisted real time translation) professional sits in worship and silently types everything she hears…"
________________________________________________________
"From infancy, many children with
hearing loss depend on hearing aids or
cochlear implants to receive auditory
information. Later, the language and
educational development of children who
are deaf or hard of hearing depend, in
part, on access through accommodations
such as assistive listening devices and
Computer Assisted Realtime Translation
(CART)."
(Source: http://www.listeningandspokenlanguage.org/ )
My comment on this link source: This concept easily applies at churches and being able to understand and actively and fully participate at the Catholic Mass.
_____________________________________________________________________________
My comment on this link source: This concept easily applies at churches and being able to understand and actively and fully participate at the Catholic Mass.
_____________________________________________________________________________
"A longtime Bergen County resident and advocate for people
with hearing loss, Romoff said one of the main obstacles was,
and often still is,
“ that the mainstream thinks sign language
interpreters are what all people with hearing loss
need, when the vast majority actually need assistive
listening systems and captioning. So educating about
needs has to occur first.”
______________________________________________________________
"Although many churches use sign language to convey
a sermon to the deaf, others are using technology to
translate each word so that it appears simultaneously
on the big screen. "(Source http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2001-06-16/lifestyle/0106150471_1_schick-fellowship-bible-church-born-deaf)
__________________________________________________________________
"Our church motto is "enlarge your circle of love," and he explains how captioning is one way of accomplishing this."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The estimated 90 percent of those with hearing loss who do not use sign language are often underserved, underfunded, and their needs are often not being met in some of these church ministries and organizations when you consider the size of this population if Captioning and Audio Loops (that are increasingly very common in secular society) are not provided in church services, and other parts of church life.
______________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20140104151703/http://hearinglossweb.com/)
" 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
______________________________________________________
"The hard of hearing {and late deaf and oral deaf} is
almost a bigger audience than the {culturally} deaf,
and they would benefit more from close captioning
than signing, because many of them don't know sign
language."
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________
Deafness does not equate to sign language because the majority of the deaf and hard of hearing do not know sign language. Why do I emphasize this? Because it affects communication access. Raising awareness of the diverse deaf and hard of hearing population allows more Universal Access for all because
often the mainstream think all the deaf and hard of hearing use sign language. Universal Access needs to consider Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops in order to provide equal and effective communication access for the deaf
and hard of hearing.
What do the deaf and hard of hearing use for
Communication Access?:
"If we find that diversity, then we are going to put in the ramp. And we'll put in the elevator and we'll add real-time captioning [for the deaf]."
(Source: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-10-19/news/0110190023_1_disabilities-accessible-open-hearts)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
"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
(Source: http://agewisekingcounty.org/en/134/1/661/Too-Many-People-with-Hearing-Loss-Miss-
___________________________________________________________________________
"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)
________________________________________________________________________________________
Captioning the Word: http://captioningtheword.com
"One of the choice accommodations to
use in any setting, but particularly during
religious ceremonies, is remote CART. It
is easy to use for most people, it provides
nearly-verbatim captions on a device as
ubiquitous as a cell phone, and it allows
for real-time participation in the services.
increase our sensitivity not only on a
conference level, but also in the local
church,” Johnson said. “There are
thousands of
people for whom there is no access to
____________________________________________________________________________________________
The deaf and hard of hearing in other churches
advocating for CART (aka real time 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.
"Religious organizations and entities controlled by religious organizations have no obligations under the ADA. Even when a religious organization carries out activities that would otherwise make it a public accommodation, the religious organization is exempt from ADA coverage. "
"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)
"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."
_______________________________________________________
There is a good chance these people are in your church. On the other hand, there is a good chance they are not because if there is no Captioning, Sign language and Audio Loops they can't participate and the drop out rates are 90 percent for folks with any form of hearing loss or deafness if they are not given opportunities to fully and actively participate in the life of the church, not to mention those who don't even bother joining a church in the first place if they know it is not accessible. Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops provide wonderful support for the diverse population of those with hearing loss and deafness. People with hearing loss and deafness are a large unchurched group on the whole.
______________________________________________________
" Persons with disabilities must also be
considered active participants for the
realization of the project of salvation
entrusted by the Lord to the Church. This
calls for the full inclusion of people with
disabilities in ecclesial life as
responsible
subjects, and with a personal vocation to
fulfill."
(SOURCE: http://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/jubilevents/jub_disabled_20001203_scheda4_en.htm)
___________________________________________________________________
Captioning (CART or Remote CART)
is a wonderful way to share the Joy of the Gospel that allows full and active participation for so many with hearing loss. Listening to an authentic Homily directly from the priest himself in interpretative verbatim of our native English language is active real time participationallowing full attention, focus and engagement in the moment of that important part of the Mass, entering into spiritual communion and unity, sharing, reflecting, and connecting to the message during the Liturgy of the Word with the congregation which prepares you for the Sacrament and to better live a Catholic Christian life. All parts of the liturgy should be fully accessible and in an authentic way to those with hearing loss and deafness. The priest becomes an effective witness when sharing it. Captioning is the language
of many who are deaf and hard of hearing.
___________________________________________________________________
"It is essential that all forms of the
completely accessible to people with
disabilities, since these forms are the
the spiritual tie that binds the Christian
community together," the bishops
"Accessible meeting space allows
__________________________________________________
"We want everybody who comes to participate fully. Offering real-time captioning is another attempt at trying to make people feel as comfortable as they can and as at home as they can."
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."
Captioning is the language of many who are
deaf and hard of hearing
_________________________________
"Churches, you might say, can't afford to build all
these expensive accommodations for the disabled.
You have to realize, though, that the lack of these
services is keeping many people away from Christ." (Source: http://catholicexchange.com/disabilities-and-the-catholic-church -M. LYNN BOOKER)
_______________________________________________________________________________
CC-CaptionCatholic
______________________________________
"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
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Hearing Loss Web: http://web.archive.org/web/20140104151703/http://hearinglossweb.com/
Our Mission
|
"Hard of hearing, late deafened, and oral deaf
Americans are unrecognized and underserved. They have not been successful at educating the public concerning their situation or at getting their needs met". |
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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/)
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/)
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"The hard of hearing {and late deaf and oral deaf} is
almost a bigger audience than the {culturally} deaf,
and they would benefit more from close captioning
than signing, because many of them don't know sign
language."
(Source: http://amarillo.com/stories/2000/05/02/new_137-2762.001.shtml -LIZ EVERETT)
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"An interpreter/translator uses sign language to translate the spoken word for the hearing impaired. However, late deafened or hard of hearing people {and oral deaf} would essentially need to learn a whole new language to comprehend the translation. Other available avenues for communication would be via captioning or Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART). These are critical links in communication for the deaf and hard of hearing."
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"With the growth of broadband access, improved software, and need for CART in many settings, providers are now offering remote CART services. The CART provider, located elsewhere, uses a telephone line to pick up audio and an Internet account to transmit the captions to a computer at the location where the deaf or hard of hearing individual needs the captions." (Source: http://www.nvrc.org/interpreting-and-transliterating-services/cart/)
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"While not all deaf or HOH understand ASL, captioning is generally the preferred method of communication for deaf and HOH."
(Source: http://www.globalcaptionnetwork.com . )
(Source: http://www.globalcaptionnetwork.com . )
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"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. "
"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. "
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"Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) has quickly become one of the most widely used technology services for providing instant transcription of the spoken word into text form. ": http://www.alsglobal.net/CART-translation.php
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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"
(Source: https://broadwaydancecenter.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/hard-times-on-broadway-for-the-hard-of-hearing/)
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There are three times more deaf people who speak English than ASL (American Sign Language) so providing CART (captioning) is providing accommodation in their own language of English for this particular population in verbatim. Makes sense right? Captioning is the language of many who are deaf and hard of hearing.
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That All May Worship:
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How does Remote CART (real time captioning )
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"For various reasons,
churches
churches
have lagged behind wider
trends in
trends in
society to be inclusive of
people
people
with disabilities."
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" This technology is primarily used by people who are late-deafened, oral deaf, hard-of-hearing,or have cochlear implants. Culturally deaf individuals also make use of CART in certain situations. " (Source: http://www.everyonecommunicates.org/methods/captioning.html)
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" 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. "
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“CART is fast becoming one of the most requested services for late–deafened adults and individuals with little or no sign language acquisition, and it has gained acceptance with and become a preference for many Deaf individuals in schools and workplace settings"
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"Captioning affects a large part of the US population – whether the deaf, hard of hearing, or those learning English. Within the subset represented by a church’s congregation, traditionally a sizeable number of people are older, and may appreciate the effort shown by the church to caption. Others may wonder why a program is not captioned – why they are excluded from understanding." (Source: http://tfwm.com/captions-where-do-we-go-from-hear/)
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According to Johns Hopkins University, there are 48 million deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the United States. Only about 500,000 use American Sign Language as a main mode of communication and typically choose sign language interpreters for their communication access."
(Source: http://www.captionaccess.com/faq)
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Current statistics of 48 million Americans with a hearing loss (only 500,000 of those with hearing loss use sign language among the born deaf, but the late deaf, oral deaf and hard of hearing typically do not use sign language) This non signing population will double by the year 2030 due to the aging of the Baby Boomers in which that late deaf are the largest deaf population.
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"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)
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Deafness does not equate to sign language because the majority of the deaf and hard of hearing do not know sign language. Why do I emphasize this? Because it affects communication access. Raising awareness of the diverse deaf and hard of hearing population allows more Universal Access for all because
often the mainstream think all the deaf and hard of hearing use sign language. Universal Access needs to consider Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops in order to provide equal and effective communication access for the deaf
and hard of hearing.
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About 10 percent estimated of the hearing loss population benefit from sign language (3 percent are native/primary users and 7 percent estimate are acquired/bilingual for a total estimate of 10 percent ), about 40 to 60 percent estimated of the hearing loss population benefit from Captioning, and about 70 to 80 percent estimated 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 or 'strong' enough. 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 so real time captioning can cover a wide user population within the spectrum of hearing loss.
"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)
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"A growing number of churches, synagogues
and other places of worship are adopting
closed captioning for hearing-impaired
congregants." (Source: http://www.stenotype.edu/news/stenographer-goes-church/#sthash.5tWSYgfx.dpuf)
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Real 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. It would be nice if it was also being provided in churches even though the church is ADA exempt. The hearing loss and deafness population is diverse so all three most common communication access needs to be in place.
About 10 percent estimated of the hearing loss population benefit from sign language (3 percent are native/primary users and 7 percent estimate are acquired/bilingual for a total estimate of 10 percent ), about 40 to 60 percent estimated of the hearing loss population benefit from Captioning, and about 70 to 80 percent estimated 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 or 'strong' enough. 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 so real time captioning can cover a wide user population within the spectrum of hearing loss.
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)
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" This {real time captioning} technology is primarily used by people who are late-deafened, oral deaf, hard-of-hearing,or have cochlear implants. Culturally deaf individuals also make use of CART in certain situations. " (Source: http://www.everyonecommunicates.org/methods/captioning.html)
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"A growing number of churches, synagogues
and other places of worship are adopting
closed captioning for hearing-impaired
congregants." (Source: http://www.stenotype.edu/news/stenographer-goes-church/#sthash.5tWSYgfx.dpuf)
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"…May the church be the place of God's mercy and love where everyone can feel themselves welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live according to the good life of the Gospel. And in order to make others feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged, the church must have open doors so that all might enter. And we must go out of those doors and proclaim the Gospel." -Pope Francis
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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.
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"Aldersgate United Methodist Church provides open real time captions during both 9 am and 10:30 am Sunday morning worship services. A CART (computer assisted real time translation) professional sits in worship and silently types everything she hears…"
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Shouting Won't Help: Why I and 50
Million Americans Can't Hear You:
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Opening the Doors of the Church for the
deaf and hard of hearing:
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"Another set of statistics, however, shows that a full 98 percent of those who are deaf or hearing impaired rarely or never attend church. " (Source: http://www.stenotype.edu/news/stenographer-goes-church/#sthash.T6dA2OpF.dpuf)
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Opening the Doors of the Church for the
deaf and hard of hearing:
deaf and hard of hearing:
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"Another set of statistics, however, shows that a full 98 percent of those who are deaf or hearing impaired rarely or never attend church. " (Source: http://www.stenotype.edu/news/stenographer-goes-church/#sthash.T6dA2OpF.dpuf)
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“If we can start to understand how
people with disabilities respond
to the church, then we can see
how other people who might feel
excluded can be drawn in". - See more at: http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201312/ramp-it-how-parishes-can-increase-accessibility-28230#sthash.2NCKxs0O.dpuf
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“If we can start to understand how
people with disabilities respond
to the church, then we can see
how other people who might feel
excluded can be drawn in". - See more at: http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201312/ramp-it-how-parishes-can-increase-accessibility-28230#sthash.2NCKxs0O.dpuf
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NOT ALL CAN HEAR IN CHURCH
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"If we find that diversity, then we are going to put in the ramp. And we'll put in the elevator and we'll add real-time captioning [for the deaf]."
(Source: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-10-19/news/0110190023_1_disabilities-accessible-open-hearts)
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Audio Loops and Captioning:
“Like any technology, it works well for some.
For others that might have more severe or
profound hearing loss, it wouldn't be as
beneficial as a captioning type of a
system,” she said."
(Source: http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/alleghenyneighborhoods/alleghenyneighborhoodsmore/5382340-74/hearing-system-church#axzz2rk7enkWi -byTory N. Parrish )
“Like any technology, it works well for some.
For others that might have more severe or
profound hearing loss, it wouldn't be as
beneficial as a captioning type of a
system,” she said."
(Source: http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/alleghenyneighborhoods/alleghenyneighborhoodsmore/5382340-74/hearing-system-church#axzz2rk7enkWi -byTory N. Parrish )
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"Assistive listening devices, presently made
available under ADA regulations, do not serve
the significant portion of the population who rely
on visual translations of sounds due to more
severe hearing losses." (Source: http://acsbill.wordpress.com/page/3/-by Bill Graham)_______________________________________________________________________________________________________"So many assistive device systems for the hard-of-hearing don't help those of us with severe losses and never seem to dependably work on a regular basis. " (Source: http://www.ncra.org/Membership/content.cfm?ItemNumber=9129&navItemNumber=11457 - By Pat Gardiner)
_____________________________________________________________"Technically, my loss is somewhere on the moderate to severe scale. With lip-reading, hearing aids, subtitles, some patience and a few repetitions, I can mostly get by. Just. Induction loops {Audio loops} don’t seem to be much help for my kind of hearing loss." (Source: http://www.hearingtimes.co.uk/Community/1317/Does%20being%20not%20deaf%20enough%20give%20the%20worst%20of%20both%20worlds)
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“I know that assisted listening devices have helped a lot of people enjoy the theater experience, but they don’t work for everyone,” Grasso said. Grasso saw “Billy Elliot: the musical” last year with her mother, who is also hard of hearing. Grasso noted, “We used the assisted listening devices, but while the sound was louder, the dialogue was still muffled and slightly delayed.”(Source: https://broadwaydancecenter.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/hard-times-on-broadway-for-the-hard-of-hearing/)
_________________________________________________________________________________________Myths about the hard of hearing (andsevere to profound hearing loss, oraldeaf and late deaf):_______________________________________________________________
"The faithful are called to spread theword, and captioning makes that moreachievable. " (Source: http://www.closedcaptioning.net/webcasting/captioning-church-programming)________________________________________________________________________________________
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-
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“The ripple effect extends
beyond those with hearing
impairment."
beyond those with hearing
impairment."
(Source: http://thejcr.com/2013/11/15/captioning-during-worship-has-been-miraculous/ -By Barb Harmon)
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"§ 211 § Every person should be welcomed into the worshiping assembly with respect and care. It was the prophet Isaiah who announced the Lord's message: "For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." " (Source: http://www.archatl.com/ministries/disabilities/livingstones.html)___________________________________________________________________
"Catholics with disabilities are much more likely to be inactive Catholics than their non-disabled counterparts."
(Source: http://www.adoremus.org/3-00-Tevington.html#sthash.zuG5hvks.dpuf)
(Source: http://www.adoremus.org/3-00-Tevington.html#sthash.zuG5hvks.dpuf)
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"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)
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“Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard
comes by the preaching of Christ” (Rom 10:17). (Source: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html#I.%26%238194%3BThe_entire_people_of_God_proclaims_the_Gospel
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"Accessible meeting space allows
everyone to participate."
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Captioning the Word: http://captioningtheword.com
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“There are all kinds of accommodations they make for
other disabilities, but very few accommodations for
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"The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications." (Source: http://adata.org/publication/americans-disabilities-act-faq)
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"One of the choice accommodations to
use in any setting, but particularly during
religious ceremonies, is remote CART. It
is easy to use for most people, it provides
nearly-verbatim captions on a device as
ubiquitous as a cell phone, and it allows
for real-time participation in the services.
. "(Source: http://premiervisualvoice.com/transcription-services-blog.html - Margaret Downs)
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“There is still more work to be done to
increase our sensitivity not only on a
conference level, but also in the local
church,” Johnson said. “There are
thousands of
people for whom there is no access to
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The deaf and hard of hearing in other churches
advocating for CART (aka real time 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.
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"Religious organizations and entities controlled by religious organizations have no obligations under the ADA. Even when a religious organization carries out activities that would otherwise make it a public accommodation, the religious organization is exempt from ADA coverage. "
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Hearing Loss in the Church:
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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)
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This article when talking about those with hearing loss in church states;
“If they can’t hear where it matters
most, they go home,” Diephouse said."
“If they can’t hear where it matters
most, they go home,” Diephouse said."
(Source: http://www.mlive.com/living/grandrapids/index.ssf/2010/02/area_churches_other_facilities.html)
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Providing Effective
Communication, an
explanation and example model: See http://www.floridalegal.org/deaf/deaf_hard_of_hearing-handbook.pdf
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"The homily is a means of bringing the scriptural message to life in a way that helps the faithful to realize that God's word is present and at work in their everyday lives. It should lead to an understanding of the mystery being celebrated, serve as a summons to mission, and prepare the assembly for the profession of faith, the universal prayer and the Eucharistic liturgy." (Source: http://www.ewtn.com/library/liturgy/zlitur425.htm)
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“Advances such as texting, video calls and captioned cell phones have opened up new vistas for communication and knowledge acquisition, and has led to a
generation of students who are DHH who know nothing but the ability to communicate electronically.” The list of hearing access technologies is tremendous
– Computer Assisted Realtime Translation, hearing loops, C-print, realtime text generation, multi-media storybooks, etc."
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(Source: http://www.visiblevoices.com/faq.html)
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Are They In Your Church?
Find Out Here: http://captioningthemass.blogspot.com/2014/05/are-they-in-your-church-catholics-with.html
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Using a 'Smart Board' for the deaf and hard of
hearing with the CART at a church service -now
that is being REALLY SMART! :
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"Live captioning, also known as computer assisted
real-time (CART) communications is similar to the
teletext captions you see on TV. It allows people who
are deaf or hard of hearing to read the captions to
understand what is being said. If they are verbal, it also
allows them to participate in the conversation."
___________________________________________________________
"On the interpreting front, perhaps no
other invention has had as profound an
impact on individuals with hearing loss
as CART {Captioning in real time}. CART
technology, which provides
instantaneous translation of spoken
word into text, is
often used in schools, on the job, at
conferences and in other settings. "
-(Source : http://www.listeningandspokenlanguage.org/What_We_Mean_by_Communication_Access/#sthash.tB0rUIBf.dpuf -By Kate E. Salvatore, M.D., and John F. Stanton, J.D.)
other invention has had as profound an
impact on individuals with hearing loss
as CART {Captioning in real time}. CART
technology, which provides
instantaneous translation of spoken
word into text, is
often used in schools, on the job, at
conferences and in other settings. "
-(Source : http://www.listeningandspokenlanguage.org/What_We_Mean_by_Communication_Access/#sthash.tB0rUIBf.dpuf -By Kate E. Salvatore, M.D., and John F. Stanton, J.D.)
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20% of the US population aged 12 years and older has hearing difficulties severe enough to impact communication according to Hearing Health Foundation.(source; http://hearinghealthfoundation.org/85) which means they are not able to fully participate if the church is not hearing accessible.
There is a good chance these people are in your church. On the other hand, there is a good chance they are not because if there is no Captioning, Sign language and Audio Loops they can't participate and the drop out rates are 90 percent for folks with any form of hearing loss or deafness if they are not given opportunities to fully and actively participate in the life of the church, not to mention those who don't even bother joining a church in the first place if they know it is not accessible. Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops provide wonderful support for the diverse population of those with hearing loss and deafness. People with hearing loss and deafness are a large unchurched group on the whole.
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Creating Access and Celebrating Diversity in Hearing Loss and Deafness in the Church:
__________________________________________________________
Effective Communication for the deaf and
hard of hearing under ADA:
_______________________________________________________
" Persons with disabilities must also be
considered active participants for the
realization of the project of salvation
entrusted by the Lord to the Church. This
calls for the full inclusion of people with
disabilities in ecclesial life as
responsible
subjects, and with a personal vocation to
fulfill."
(C. E. Emilia-Romagna 1981).
|
(SOURCE: http://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/jubilevents/jub_disabled_20001203_scheda4_en.htm)
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Captioning (CART or Remote CART)
is a wonderful way to share the Joy of the Gospel that allows full and active participation for so many with hearing loss. Listening to an authentic Homily directly from the priest himself in interpretative verbatim of our native English language is active real time participationallowing full attention, focus and engagement in the moment of that important part of the Mass, entering into spiritual communion and unity, sharing, reflecting, and connecting to the message during the Liturgy of the Word with the congregation which prepares you for the Sacrament and to better live a Catholic Christian life. All parts of the liturgy should be fully accessible and in an authentic way to those with hearing loss and deafness. The priest becomes an effective witness when sharing it. Captioning is the language
of many who are deaf and hard of hearing.
___________________________________________________________________
"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.
________________________________________________________________
"Accessible meeting space allows
everyone to participate."
( Source: http://www.northjersey.com/news/the-high-holy-days-a-time-to-reflect-1.926235#sthash.EjgM9pt8.dpuf)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Captioning is a Universal Design Access:
What Does That Mean? :
See http://captioningthemass.blogspot.com/2013/09/advantages-and-disadvantages-of.html
See http://captioningthemass.blogspot.com/2013/09/advantages-and-disadvantages-of.html
______________________________________________________________________
"The faithful are called to spread the
word, and captioning makes that more
achievable. " (Source: http://www.closedcaptioning.net/webcasting/captioning-church-programming)
________________________________________________________________________________________
Captioning Shares the Message
__________________________
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."
____________________________________________________________________________
Captioning is the language of many who are
deaf and hard of hearing
_________________________________
"Churches, you might say, can't afford to build all
these expensive accommodations for the disabled.
You have to realize, though, that the lack of these
services is keeping many people away from Christ." (Source: http://catholicexchange.com/disabilities-and-the-catholic-church -M. LYNN BOOKER)
______________________________________________________________________________________
"ensure that the power of salvation may be shared by all" (John Paul II, Tertio Millennio Adveniente, n. 16). "(Source: http://www.ncpd.org/views-news-policy/policy/church/bishops/welcome-and-justice)
___________________________________________________________________________
Deaf/deaf and Hard of Hearing Demographics:
___________________________________
Prayer of the Faithful and getting access
to that to CONNECT to the Prayer !:
____________________________________________________________
St. Michael the Archangel prayer:
______________________________________________________________________
Other churches advocating for CART (aka captioning): See http://xpressivehandz.blogspot.com/2014/04/ada-violation-at-upcoming-giant-center.html
_______________________________________________________________________________
"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)
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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
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| Lord Hear Our Prayer |
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Pray For Us All!
100,000 Christians are Killed – PER YEAR ANNUALLY- because of their Faith Per Vatican: See http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/06/02/vatican-spokesman-claims-100000-christians-killed-annually-because-faith/
Please Pray for Iraq Catholics: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/20/us-iraq-security-christians-idUSKBN0FP0R120140720 and also others in the Mideast/Africa like Syria, Egypt and Nigeria etc.
“We are now surrounded and threatened with death,” Michaeel said. “Pray for us.” (Source: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/17/whats-happening-to-iraqs-christians-as-islamists-tear-across-the-country/)
Give a Bible to Iraq Christians: http://ycvf.org/collections/catholic-team-global/products/persecuted-christians-bible-project-donate-now
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Come Pray the Rosary with others - together Online: http://www.comepraytherosary.org
(text guided version offered to follow along)
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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'.
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Regarding real time captioning: "Typically, the service is geared toward the hearing impaired.
"What is driving the demand is the baby boomers," said Fred Sharp, president of the Chartered Shorthand Reporters Association of Ontario."
(Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/2007/11/29/speedy_court_reporters_flying_fingers_in_high_demand.html)
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"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/)
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"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."
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"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
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Why Real Time Captioning?
- "Sometimes referred to as oral deaf, they are not signing or "Big D" Deaf. They speak English, not American Sign Language because they’ve lost hearing late in life or, if the loss occurred in childhood, they’ve had speech training and wear hearing aids or a cochlear implant
- Oral deafness is "the invisible disability." (Source: http://www.theopencaptioners.com/faqs.php)
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"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. "
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"Accessible meeting space allows
everyone to participate."
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"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."
(Source: http://www.disabilitiesandfaith.org)
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"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)
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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)
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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!
Prayer of Inclusion: http://www.ncpd.org/ministries-programs/spirituality/prayers
"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-CaptionCatholic
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