Wednesday, September 11, 2013


Why use Captioning at a Catholic Mass? - Catholics with Hearing Loss: Captioning the Catholic Mass

                Why use Captioning at a Catholic Mass?

                             


                            The Mass:  'So that we may hear and express our Faith'
                                 (Source: http://www.togetheratonealtar.catholic.edu.au/explore/dsp-content.cfm?loadref=22)
                             






Who are those with Hearing Loss?  
This research below describes it in more details at

Deaf/deaf and Hard of Hearing Demographics at  

http://captioningthemass.blogspot.com/2014/08/hearing-loss-demographics-catholics.html


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."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

" 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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Many resources indicate that about 90 percent of those with hearing loss do not use/know sign language.   An estimate of 7 percent of those with hearing loss who use sign language have acquired it as a second language and 3 percent of those with hearing loss are native sign language users (primary language) for a estimate total of 10 percent of the hearing loss population who use sign language.

 Catholics make up an estimated 24 percent of the population in the United States.  There is about 48 million Americans with a hearing loss.   That's an estimate of 12 million Catholics in the USA with a hearing loss.  There is a real need to make the Mass hearing accessible for all those with hearing loss whether it is sign language, captioning or audio loops (and other needs).   Church needs to be hearing accessible and consider the diversity. 

  "20% of the US population aged 12 years and older has hearing difficulties severe enough to impact communication.  30% of adults between ages 65 and 74, and 47% of adults ages 75 and older have hearing impairments.* "  according the 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 growing increase of late onset hearing loss and deafness due to aging baby boomers that is driving the increase to now 48 million Americans with a hearing loss and counting.  "As the baby boomers age, this number is expected to rise dramatically, nearly doubling by the year 2030. Among elders, hearing loss is the third most prevalent disabling condition behind arthritis and hypertension. Elders that become deaf later in life (post-lingual) typically do not learn sign languages. " (Source: http://accessibility.gtri.gatech.edu/assistant/acc_info/factsheet_deaf_hoh.php).    The fastest growing late deaf and late hard of hearing population have established the spoken language as their preferred language socially, culturally and linguistically speaking, usually English in the USA.

 The highest growth in the elderly population began in 2010 when the “baby boom” generation enters their elderly years.   Slightly under ¼ of the population is currently a baby boomer, with another baby boomer turning 50 every 7 seconds. (Source: http://hearingdoc.com/hearingnews/could-there-be-a-correlation-between-hearing-loss-and-attendance-at-places-of-worship/).  

 "Increased longevity and the aging of the baby boomer generation will result in a doubling of the population older than 65 by the year 2030. The number of individuals older than 85 is expected to quadruple during the first half of this century, making this cohort the fastest-growing segment of our population. " (Source:  http://www.asha.org/aud/articles/oldhearingloss/)

 The deaf population is growing in UK as well with a huge deaf population that does not use sign language who could greatly benefit from real time captioning: http://limpingchicken.com/2013/10/03/10-things-hearing-people-should-know-about-deaf-people/

 The US military's number one injury for those returning home from battle is hearing loss.  "About 60 percent of deployed military service men and women have noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus and other hearing injuries." (Source: http://churchexecutive.com/archives/making-worship-accessible-to-everyone)
"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)
"12 percent of all children between the ages of 6-19 have noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) " (Source: http://betterhearingblog.com/category/hearing-loss/)

 "Currently, there are between 45,000 to 50,000 people in the United States who are both deaf and blind…:.  (Source: http://www.katc.com/news/tech-talk-technology-connecting-the-deaf-blind/)
'Listen Carefully' – Hearing Loss is GROWING:  http://www.listencarefully.org

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"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

 ___________________________________________________________________
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."

_________________________________________________________________________________



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

___________________________________________________________________



 "Many of her clients have cochlear implants and can hear well 

 in small-group situations, but they still struggle in larger 

 gatherings, she said." (Source: http://www.baptiststandard.com/resources/archives/46-2006-archives/4762-technology-enables-hearing-impared-to-experience-worship)

 ______________________________________________________________________________________

"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)


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"The majority of persons with hearing loss
do not know sign language and
 communicate 
utilizing assistive listening devices, 
lipreading and CART (captioning)." 

(Source:  http://www.texascaption.com/remote_cart)
_________________________________________________________________________________



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 increasing demands of real time captioning and broadcast captioning is driven by two forces:  http://www.dcmp.org/caai/nadh78.pdf

___________________________________________________________________



"Remote 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/)


________________________________________________________________________




 "It is used by speakers, presenters, organizations or 

institutions concerned with ensuring they provide 

accessibility to their material to the widest audience 

and those that use captioning service to understand 

and participate in meetings and lectures." (Source:  http://alacarteconnection.com/how-works/)


________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________



"CART {real-time captioning} is usually

 used by people 

with hearing loss who use 

spoken language as a primary mode of

 communication." 

 (Source: http://www.hearingloss.org/content/captioning)


_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


"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."














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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.

_______________________________________________________




"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. " 




______________________________________________________

"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/)

 _______________________________________________________________________________
 Myths about the deaf and hard of

  hearing: 

  http://captioningthemass.blogspot.com/2014/11/more-myths-about-captioning-mass-and.html


____________________________________________________________


"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)


_______________________________________________________________________________________



 "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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"We know that the neurotypical brain 

processes visual stimuli much quicker 

than sound. For someone like me {i.e. 

severe or profound

 Hearing losses} I must use three times as

 much effort to process, understand and

 respond to sound. So it makes sense that 

live captions are much easier for me to use 

than an FM system." 


_______________________________________________________________________

"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/)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

“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"  

(Source:  http://www.michdhh.org/assistive_devices/cart.html)


_______________________________________________________________



Donna Frake posted in below source links: 


"According to a 2005 report from the Gallaudet Research Institute, about two to four of every 1,000 people in the United States are "functionally deaf," although more than half became deaf relatively late in life; fewer than one of every 1,000 people in the United States becomes deaf before age 18…"
(Source: http://www.livinglakecountry.com/lakecountryreporter/news/hearing-loss-makes-for-silent-night-b99136005z1-234413901.html)  

 Basically those who become deaf post age 18 are about three times more in population then those who become deaf pre age 18.  It is not known if this research is using only acquired deafness figures or including the born deaf (who never became deaf, they always were deaf).

 ______________________________________________

"…The use of a CART (Communication Access Real Time) provider at the chapter meetings enables those who do not do well with the spoken word to be able to participate in meetings via a screen and projector that translates the conversation in real-time captioning, Klink said."

Captioning (CART) in real time can allow them to participate at the Catholic Mass for those who are late deaf, oral deaf, severe hearing loss, profound hearing loss.

_________________________________________________________________________________
"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)



 ______________________________________________________________

"The importance for people with any disability to interact 

 in a standard setting rather than do it differently is 

 critical," (Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/real-time-captions-helping-deaf-kids-realise-potential/story-e6freuzi-1226453656874 -ROSEMARIE LENTINI, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH)


________________________________________________________________________________________________


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." 


____________________________________________
 “This groundbreaking case paves the way to ensuring that students who are deaf and hard of hearing receive CART (captioning in real time) as an academic accommodation so they can gain equal access to information and discussion in the classroom,” said AG Bell President Donald M. Goldberg, Ph.D., CCC-SLP/A, FAAA, LSLS Cert. AVT.  (Source: http://www.thehearinghouse.com/court-decision-supports-cart-in-the-classroom-for-students-who-are-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing)  

 ________________________________________________________________________
A national standard has been set for CART (captioning in real time) and providing it for those who are deaf and hard of hearing: 
“This case sets a national standard for all public schools requiring them to give requests for CART (Captioning in real time)  by students who are deaf and hard of hearing primary consideration as an auxiliary aid when needed to provide equal and effective communication access. Public schools can no longer hide behind the IDEA which only requires a basic floor of opportunity,” said attorney David M. Grey, who represented K.M. and another student in the case. " (Source: http://handsandvoicesor.org/cart-case-supports-students/)
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(Of course smart phones have built in internet with services and many people own them. Captioning can be viewed via the smart phone as well)
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A CART writer says about using Captioning (Remote CART) in a church setting:



"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.

  There is no disturbance to anyone as the 

 captioning services are supplied by a 

 remote operator who is not seen or heard. "(Source: http://premiervisualvoice.com/transcription-services-blog.html - Margaret Downs)


____________________________________________________________________________________________________


"Remote CART brings streaming text to any location with an audio connection, a computer and an Internet connection. "  (See:  http://captionconnect.com/CART.html)


Some possible microphones for Remote CART captioning (always check with a number of service providers, as well as equipment sales) explaining specific for Catholic church use of multiple speakers dynamics of a Catholic Mass:  http://www.acscaptions.com/subpages/Marketplace.asp.  

Ideally it is a good idea to talk to someone who is Catholic and familiar with the Catholic Mass. A good quality wireless microphone pays off, most likely a conference/multiple speaker type for a Mass. Usually there are two mic stations at church (song/lay leader) and the gospel mic station (1st and 2nd readings, Gospel and Homily) and the third location is the general assembly (laity) in the background responding.  A practicing Catholic would be familiar with parts of the Mass, the layout, and the vocabulary.  Since REMOTE CART (captioning) doesn't require the person to be there, one can obtain a provider from any where with internet connection.  This is very useful for rural areas, and those wanting captioning in another language, or looking for a Catholic (or someone familiar with Catholic vocabulary)  to do the Remote CART (since it helps with the quality and reduces errors to have someone familiar with Catholic vocabulary). It doesn't require travel. REMOTE CART (captioning) is MUCH cheaper than a person coming to church.

 _____________________________________________________________________________________________


REMOTE CART (Captioning): "Requires the realtime writer to be at an offsite location. The consumer needs only a computer with an Internet connection located in the room where the meeting or event will take place. "  (Source: http://www.2020captioning.com/services/cart-services-81#sthash.aMrUHF3J.dpuf)


(note:  These days many people own and have internet service plans on their iPads and iPhones, it can be accessed through that as well)

 _______________________________________________________________________________________________
Remote CART via Skype: http://ccaptioning.com/tag/scribe/

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Captioning the Mass: 


How would Captioning look at a Catholic Mass using a personal device that someone holds during the Catholic Mass service (that most people own or could borrow)?:   

 See http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/real-time-captions-helping-deaf-kids-realise-potential/story-e6freuzi-1226453656874  .


  In this link, the setting is educational but you can visualize a person sitting in a church pew holding this device (iPad) to have access to the Mass for those who are deaf or hard of hearing or hearing loss. 

One of the many advantages to this set up is that most people in church have a favorite sitting spot (and often don't like to give it up!)   If you observe, you will notice that people tend to have their favorite spots sitting in church and will tend to stay there being influenced by many diverse factors including people they are sitting with and what they prefer.  Some people like to sit in front, others in the middle or the back, side etc.  It allows them to sit anywhere they want.  If they arrive late and the front is filled up -not a problem. If they are parents of babies, they can sit in the cry room -not a problem. If they are ushers standing in the back -not a problem.   If a child is with the Youth Ministry sitting in a particular area -not a problem. With wifi  or some kind of internet connection (including your own iPad with built in internet or Smart phone with built in internet)  one can sit anywhere in church to receive the captioning.

 Another advantage to the church is that many people already own personal devices, and many churches already have wifi  or some kind of internet connection on their church campus.
ANOTHER PICTURE: 


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To see a Demo of Remote CART (Captioning): 




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"The growing power of the internet is 
creating great opportunities for innovative 
services that improve access. Remote 
captioning is one such service.." 

 (Source:  http://www.hearinglink.org/remotecaptioning)


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Jesus, I Trust in You!


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


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Captioning at a Mass? Why Not Sign 

Language?     



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How much does REMOTE CART cost?: 


Remote CART (captioning) costs anywhere between 60 dollars to 100 dollars an hour. Many places will offer the lower/mid end for churches with 70  dollars per hour being the average for church (and most only require one hour minimal).  Obtain several bids to get the lowest bid.  Remote CART is MUCH cheaper than having a person come to the church (otherwise known as CART when the steno or voice writer is on the premise).  

 Note: I haven't researched price comparison's for Voice writing versus steno's (remote CART) so you may want to do that. It's a newer profession using speech to text software.  More information is on it further down this posting.

 _____________________________________

 Church Budgets: regarding Captioning (Remote  CART) Costs:  

 There is an advantage to centralizing this at the Diocese/Archdiocese to work the funds because it is not unusual for those with hearing loss to travel to an accessible church that might have Captioning.  It would be nice if each Diocese could provide at least 1-2 Captioning Mass services within ratio of their boundaries that allow for reasonable traveling for those who can benefit from Captioning.

 The initial investment (for Remote CART) is the wireless internet (wifi or some kind of internet connection) at the church (many already have this on the church campus anyways for the rectory/parish hall/school/RE/RCIA),  and a good quality wireless microphone for multiple speakers (conference) at a Mass.  A screen is optional since many have their own devices (iPad, laptop,iPhone etc) or can borrow one. BTW, one can access the REMOTE CART via their own iPad if it has a built in internet connection or a Smart phone with internet access if the church DOES NOT have internet connection at the church.

 It is best to consult with the provider for details (there are variations among them (and churches as well) in the set up and equipment, type of internet connection etc), and also preferably one who is Catholic and is familiar with the Catholic church not only for communication technical issues, but for Catholic vocabulary and understanding the Mass.  

 The Remote CART (captioning) service itself is an average of 70 dollars per hour (get a number of bids -usually range from 60-100 dollars an hr) times 4 Masses a month at a given church - which is about 280 dollars a month estimate when doing one Mass service at a church once a week.  If that is not in the budget consider offering it biweekly.  

 Remote CART (captioning) services have the capacity to offer captioning on both the large screen and multiple devices at once at a church because of its ability to connect to multiple devices via wireless internet/web portal, so people can sit anywhere during a service and either view the captioning on the large screen or their own personal devices.  I have noticed that many churches already have a Wifi in place on their church campus, or if not that, some kind of internet connection. Lots of people have their own smart phone or iPad with built in internet if the church doesn't have internet.

 The homebound of the parish can ALSO view it via internet on the Captioning service website and portal, via a personal device (iPad or computer, etc.) at home, and stay connected to their particular parish.  

 ___________________________________

 REMOTE CART (Captioning):

"Captions can be captured and relayed remotely: 

See   http://alacarteconnection.com/how-works/) 

 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




 The ideal Remote CART service provider:
The ideal situation is finding a service provider who is Catholic and hence familiar with the Catholic Mass as well as having obtained a Catholic vocabulary in their software so it will recognize Catholic words.  The person doesn't have to live locally so Remote CART is ideal when finding someone Catholic or familiar with the Catholic Mass.   They should integrate the Catholic vocabulary prior to service.  Sources for vocabulary could be http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/ and the Daily Missal and Music Missal used at the Catholic church.  Online resource is http://www.catholic.org/bible/daily_reading/.  They should be familiar with the Order of the Mass. See http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/index.cfm. They should obtain the church's missallette and music missal that they will be following and be familiar with it.   Most things are in the Missal but the Homily, Prayer of the Faithful and Announcements are not.  Technically one can read the other parts of the Mass but it is difficult to know where everyone is on a particular page unless they show it up on a Powerpoint, or have a friend or family member point with their fingers in the Missal to where everyone is.  Therefore, the most critical and useful part are the stuff that is not included in the Missal ---the Homily in particular, Prayer of the Faithful and Announcements.


Polycom conference mics: http://www.polycom.com/products-services/voice.html

 ____________________________________________________________




Catholic Vocabulary input resources for CART or 

 Captioning the Catholic Mass so they can train their 

 software to recognize Catholic words: 









Explanation of the Mass: http://www.thesacredheart.com/massexp.htm

Catholic Dictionary: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/
Catholic Apps: http://catholicapps.wordpress.com

The Word Among Us App:  http://catholicapps.com/thewordamongusapp/
Free Catholic Study Bible App:  https://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/app
Five Great Free Catholic Apps:  http://www.focus.org/blog/posts/5-great-free-catholic-apps.html
Catholic missal app: http://www.imissal.com




 Our Sunday Visitor:  https://www.osv.com


Watch ETWN Mass  which has captioning (8 am EST daily) to get an idea of what is involved in a Catholic Mass and for practice training the captioning software.

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When setting up Remote CART (captioning) service: 

Because the Catholic Mass is unique involving Multiple speakers and not necessarily in close range of each other (although the general speakers should be picking everyone up)  in a large church it is strongly suggested that you obtain tech advice from both the service providers as well as any equipment purchases to adapt to the unique situation of a Catholic Mass.  The Mass involves a speaker for the music leader at a separate location, a speaker doing the First reading, another for the 2nd reading and the priest reading the Gospel and then speaking the Homily, all in one location usually with the same Mic. The third 'location' would be the general lay responses from the assembly. For these reasons I suggest you contact  service providers (ideally Catholics familiar with the Mass) before purchasing and deciding what is needed like maybe a AV conference bridge (depending on set up as this might not even be needed), or Polycom conference mics and expansion microphones etc.  and so forth to make sure you get the right equipment needs, in particular which is best for multiple speakers, distance in feet from each other for reception etc. In general the better quality the mic, the clearer the person will be able to hear in order to caption the Mass. Also get several prices and bids since many will offer a lower price for a church.  In addition, contact Catholic churches who are already providing Captioning Masses (see below).

 _____________________________________________________________________________________________



See the following links for more Remote CART (captioning) information:




What is Remote Captioning (CART)? : http://remotecaptioners.com


Captioning Display options:http://www.turnerreporting-captioning.com/cartcaptioning.html

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Vatican App:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vatican.va/id612918266?mt=8
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Articles and Links on Real Time Captioning (CART):
Remote Captioning:  http://www.hearinglink.org/remote-captioning




Remote Cart (Captioning):  http://www.ncra.org/Membership/content.cfm?ItemNumber=9118&navItemNumber=11457 (remote cart is MUCH cheaper compared to an on site provider)



Remote CART (Captioning):  http://www.texascaption.com/remote_cart


CART (Captioning) in the classroom (RE, RCIA and the homily which is a form of instruction and teaching etc) http://cart-info.org/classroom_01.html (note: for churches due to budgets, Remote CART is the way to go instead of having a person come to church which is much more expensive compared to Remote CART.


The surge in audio loops: http://www.hearingloss.org/sites/default/files/docs/A_Surge_in_Hearing_Loops.pdf




  CART:   http://deafness.about.com/cs/cart/a/cart.htm.  


     Effectiveness of CART:  http://www.alsglobal.net/CART-translation.php


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Remote Cart services: "We work with hearing impaired, hard of hearing (HOH), oral deaf, Deaf, individuals learning English as a second language (ESL), brain-injured, learning disabled, individuals, professionals needing expert verbatim services." ( Source: http://artcs.com)

 __________________________________________________________________________________________
"For this reason we offer communication 

 services for the deaf through the internet. 

 Thousands of participants may simultaneously 

 view the streaming text.  "(Source: http://www.transcription-services-us.com/CART-Services-US.php)


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VOICE Writing Resources:
Voice Writer for Captioning: 
" The stenomask is designed to completely cover the writer's mouth so that his words cannot be heard by others." (Source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-voice-writer-do.htm(


1. Here is one link that indicates a voice can be trained in 90 days to give you an idea about this profession for captioning and for picture: (see http://www.startstop.com/keeper.asp).  

2.http://www.cleveland.com/employment/plaindealer/index.ssf/2012/09/voice_writingcaptioning_offers_flexibility_and_job_opportunities.html


3.  Job description of a voice writer (shadow speaker): http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-become-a-voice-writer.htm#did-you-know

4. Voice writing training: http://deafness.about.com/od/accessibility/a/voicewriting.htm


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Hiring part time CART professional at University as a staff 

 member found it cheaper compared to enlisting a contractor or

  service provider.  See http://www.higheredjobs.com/m/details.cfm?JobCode=175656288&Title=CART%2FC-Print%20Captionist%20for%20Deaf%2FHard%20of%20Hearing%20Students


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In the works for the NEAR future is Legion Scribe (Captioning by group of non-expert) is also going to drive prices down for CART (captioning) and make captioning affordable (currently it costs 60-100 dollars for Remote CART captioning per hour with 70 dollars being average for churches (get several bids for lowest) .  Softwares are also rapidly improving so the future is  optimistic. We are going to be seeing Captioning everywhere including all the churches.  See 


3.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gddokVPTb-o
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____________________________________________________________________



"It's not enough to know Christ, we must bring 

 him to everyone!" -  Pope St. John Paul II


_________________________________
"You are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world, no one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, they put it high for everyone to see!" (Matthew 5:13-16).  

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


CART (captioning) at the Kennedy Center and Tip sheet for how to make your venue accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing:  https://www.kennedy-center.org/accessibility/TipSheet_Captioning_and_CART.pdf

________________________________________________



Making the Catholic Mass Accessible for

 the deaf and hard of hearing: 


____________________________________________________________
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-



___________________________________________________________________________



 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.




_____________________________________________________________________________________
Captioning is the language of many who are

  deaf and hard of hearing

_________________________________


"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
Saving Faith:  http://catholicbridge.com/catholic/born_again_catholics.php



_________________________________________________________________



" What is Voice Activated Captioning?  An alternative way to do real-time captioning is with speech recognition software".  (For source and details see: http://gbgm-umc.org/disc/pdf/breakingsoundbarrier.pdf)


_________________________________________________________________


How Dragon Naturally Speaking software can be adapted as a low end (lower quality) budget 'Captioning' (using a masked microphone and training a shadow speaker(voice writer):  http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/pdf/cs_JenniferSmith_rev2_PF1.pdf

A low end budget friendly captioning can be obtained via Dragon Naturally Speaking software.  How to use Dragon Naturally Speaking as a  low end budget Captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing:  http://www.ngtvoice.com/services/assistive/transcription.htm 

__________________________________________________________________________



The Rosary:  See http://catholicbridge.com/catholic/mary_rosary.php

_________________________________________________________________________




"The Rosary is the compendium of the entire Gospel" (Pope Paul VI quoting Pope Pius XII)

Read more at :http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/rosary/#ixzz2iICFkUrk

________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
"This is a common occurrence for deaf and hard of hearing people 

 who do not sign, to request speech to text at events and find it is not 

 provided, or to turn up and find there are only sign language 

 interpreters. " 

  Source: http://funnyoldlife.wordpress.com

__________________________________________________________

"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.” (Source: http://jstandard.com/content/item/listening_closely)
_________________________________________________________________
"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." 


______________________________________________________________



"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/)



___________________________________________________

Most STUDIED FOREIGN Languages in the USA:  http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0905275.html (note: 'Studied' is not saying the same thing as 'most used' language (by user population) but rather studying it as a foreign language, taking classes in it. )



__________________________________________________________


Open captioning: http://clarencebrowntheatre.com/plan-your-visit/accessibility/open-captioning-faq

 ________________________________________________________________

 What is Open Captioning?: http://www.theopencaptioners.com/faqs.php

 ________________________________________________________________


Utah Can —CC:  http://utah-can.org


 _______________________________________________________________


Does your church have Captioning? Ask to provide a Mass service in Captioning!


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.

 ______________________________________________



Caption Catholic tidbits:



Catholic iBreviary App:  http://www.ibreviary.org/en/

What is the iBreviary Catholic App?:  
___________________________________________________________________



Catholic Mission:  http://www.catholicmission.org.au/get-involved/52-get-involved/more-info

Catholic Youth Conferences: https://www.youtube.com/user/SteubenvilleYouth


Catholic Youth Outside da Box: https://www.youtube.com/user/OutsidedaBoxNFP

___________________________________________________________________


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/

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

________________________________________





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

(text guided version offered to follow along)

______________________________________________________________________














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'.  













_________________________________________________________________







Inclusivity for all:  See https://www.captionfirst.com/Universal_Design











_________________________________________________

























"Accessible meeting space allows 




everyone to participate." 






















__________________________________________










"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)








__________________________________________________________












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!














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-Caption Catholic












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