Tuesday, September 3, 2013


                Hearing Loss  in the Church 












Where are the Captioning Masses? 
Do you have a hearing loss (deaf or hard of hearing) ?   If the Mass is important enough for the church to have it, if it is important enough for the flock to hear it, it is important enough for those with hearing loss and deafness to also have access to it.  Captioning provides access and allows one to participate, to feel included and welcomed. Be sure to request access and raise awareness that 20 percent of Americans have a hearing loss.

  In addition, by requesting it and obtaining access, you can not only be able to fully participate but also you can be bringing others back to church as well because the church would now have Captioning so they can connect and participate in the faith community.   Why is that?

 Various sources indicate only 4-10 percent of those with hearing loss and deafness attend church due to lack of access.  This is much lower then your average church attender.  That means 90+ percentage of people with hearing loss do not attend church.  For me, this is the whole purpose of creating my blog:  

to raise the awareness that many  with hearing loss are being excluded from participation if the church does not have Captioning. Catholics with hearing loss deserve the fullness of their faith.   



This tells you exactly how to pray the Rosary:  http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/rosary/how_to.htm



______________________________________________________________


"A growing number of churches, synagogues 

and other places of worship are adopting 

closed captioning for hearing-impaired 

congregants." 


(Source and see more at:  http://www.stenotype.edu/news/stenographer-goes-church/#sthash.5tWSYgfx.dpuf)



________________________________________________________________________________________

"There are people — right now — in your 

churches (no exceptions!) who are

 excluded 

by their hearing loss. They may not tell 

you. They may even minimize or deny the

 extent 

and impact of their hearing loss. Yet they

are out there, every Sunday, until it gets so 

difficult they just leave. " 

  (Source: http://sojo.net/blogs/2013/11/26/please-hear-those-us-who-cant -by Mary Dyer)



____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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." 

__________________________________________________



“Most people with adult-onset hearing

 loss who don’t grow up deaf tend to be 

ashamed. They tend to not speak out and 

challenge people."


__________________________________________________________________


" Many church members do not talk 

about their hearing difficulty, and

  some

 end up leaving because they can no 

longer fully participate in the

  worship."
 (Source:  http://www.livingchurch.org/back-loop -By Lauren Anderson)

_________________________________________________________________________


"Awareness: The biggest problem is that many church leaders simply do not have hearing-impaired people on their radar.." 

(Source: http://www.soundandcommunications.com/archive_site/audio/2007_06_audio.htm -By David Lee Jr., PhD)

_________________________________________________________________________





 Losing My Religion? :  
see


_________________________________________________
"During his homily, Father Walt mentioned that 20 percent of his parish is comprised 
of people with hearing difficulties. He spoke about the need for people who face a hearing world every day to support one another by communal prayer and social activities. " (Source: 
http://www.pittsburghcatholic.org/columnists_storys.php?id=1464)




________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Someone says about Hearing Loss in the church:


" Yet most parishes will make only minimal efforts to deliver the word to hearing handicapped. Am I to conclude either that 1) the parishes do not really believe that God is present in the word or 2) they don't care whether the words of the mass are heard and understood. In either case my spiritual task is to avoid yielding to resentment.

As my resentment takes over, I can't help observing that television supplies closed captions. Does this mean that tv stations care more about being understood than does the church? " (Source:  http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2013/11/catholic-churches-and-the-hard-of-hearing)


_____________________________________________________________
This Catholic church has real time captioning (CART) for the deaf and hard of hearing:


"St. Theresa Catholic Church in Ashburn, VA:  HOMILY REAL-TIME TRANSLATION SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE VIA iPAD – Are you not hearing the Sunday mass homily as well as you’d like?  Especially for the hearing impaired and deaf but open to all, you now have an amazing option to receive the Sunday mass homily, prayers of the faithful, and announcements via real-time translation (CART service) directly to your iPAD during mass!  St. Theresa parishioner and professional court reporter Donna L. Linton has volunteered to provide the service (just like closed captioning on your television).  Please contact Donna at CARTsttheresa@aol.com for information on mass times and how to join in. " 


_______________________________________________________________________________________




"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.” 





___________________________________________________________________________________________






"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

 ___________________________________________________________________








"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." 


_________________________________________________________________________________________
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 ADA calls us to be aware of and correct what we do that unnecessarily excludes people"




"(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)
"The reference was to Mark 16:15 — Go

 throughout the whole 

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

 ” Fr. Robinson 

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


_______________________________________________________________________________________________
“The hard-of-hearing and late-deafened

  (becoming deaf in 

 adulthood) are by far the majority of 

 people with hearing loss 

 which our churches will encounter.” 



____________________________________________________________________________























"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. "  








(Source:  https://www.universities.com/edu/Associate_degree_in_Realtime_Reporting_Broadcast_Captioning_CART_at_Clark_State_Community_College.html








______________________________________


" 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." 





_______________________________________________________________________________________________


"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." 




____________________________________________________________


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 all the deaf
and hard of hearing.


 _____________________________________________________________________
  "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


________________________________________________________




"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)

 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Discrimination against the deaf and hard of hearing in which English is their native language in Churches or
Church events:  


_______________________________________________________________________________

"Catholics with impaired hearing often 

miss out the most as they are unable to

 hear or understand the liturgy." (Source: http://write2thepoint.blogspot.com/2007/10/closed-captioning-at-wind-lake-parish.html -K. Mahoney)



__________________________________________________
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)


________________________________________________________


"Nearly one in five Americans has some

 form of 

disability, and many people naturally join

 this group as 

they grow older and experience loss of 

vision, hearing, 

or mobility, so the need for accessibility

 can end up 


_____________________________________________________________________________________
"Some research suggests that when it comes to

  accommodating differences, our 

 churches rank last compared to other organizations.

  Making choices that exclude 

 people with disabilities calls the church’s commitment

  to being salt and light into 

 question."
(Source: http://www.thebanner.org/features/2013/09/let-s-end-disability-discrimination-in-church -by Dr. John Jay Frank, PhD and Mark Stephenson)
_______________________________________________________________________________

"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/)

_____________________________________________

"Sometimes the church, embarrassingly, lags behind the culture. But sometimes--as in the 

 civil rights, antiapartheid, and anti-hunger movements--the church helps lead the culture 

 toward God's justice for all." 
 - (Source:  http://www.perspectivesjournal.org/mayjune2013/see/enabling-ears-to-hear-the-church-leads#sthash.mxuk7KPC.dpuf -by David G. Myers)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

"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)


______________________________________________________________________



"For various reasons, 

 churches 


have lagged behind wider 

 trends in

 society to be inclusive of 

 people 

with disabilities." 



________________________________________________________________________________________



"…The U.S. Catholic bishops wrote in their 1978 Pastoral Statement on Persons with 

 Disabilities, “The central meaning of Jesus’ ministry is bound up with the fact that he 

 sought the company of people who, for one reason or another, were forced to live on 

 the fringe of society.”

  ( Source:  http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201312/ramp-it-how-parishes-can-increase-accessibility-28230#sthash.YfofSqWI.dpuf -By Laura Fletcher)




___________________________________________________________________________________________




"For many, being an active member of a faith community and 

 attending services every week can help recharge their 

 batteries and give them the strength to continue coping with 

 their personal struggles. For some, however, the inability to 

 hear and communicate with members of their faith community 

 may become yet be another reminder of the many difficulties 

 they face in life. " 
(Source: http://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearingviews/2014/spiritual-self-hearing-loss/ - by Kevin Liebe, Au.D.)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________






"While many people find comfort and fellowship in church or synagogue, the deaf  *

 often find only the same emotional pain and isolation that they experience in their 

 daily lives." (Source: http://articles.philly.com/1988-10-23/news/26272993_1_hearing-church-deaf-kids-deaf-children -
By Michael D. Schaffer))




* 'the deaf' can  mean any of the following segments of the hearing loss and deafness population - that being the culturally Deaf ('Deaf'), the late deaf, the oral deaf, severe and profound hearing loss folks,  the hard of hearing (mild and moderate hearing loss), hearing impaired, hearing loss, deafened, deafness etc.  Their experience of isolation and alienation are shared universally if there is no communication access that is effective for them in order to participate.  The three most common communication access is Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops that allow effective communication in order to fully and actively participate.



_________________________________________________________________________________________
Lots of people hide their hearing loss in fear of stigma to make this complicated in obtaining access when they are not requesting it and hiding it. Hearing loss is what is called 'an invisible disability'.  You don't see what is 'not there' so the church community doesn't think it exists.  So they think they don't need a hearing accessible church.   Per demographics from Hearing Health Foundation,  20 percent of Americans have a  hearing loss significant enough to impact communication which means it affects their ability to fully participate.  90 percent of those with hearing loss do not know sign language according to various sources.  MANY are not able to use the audio loops fully either for optimal understanding.  Is  there a Mass in Captioning at your church?   If you have a hearing loss - Speak up and ask for Captioning.  If you don't you just make  exclusionary circles.  Only 4 to 10 percent attend church due to lack of access.  There are lots of spiritual benefits having access to a Mass, the homily and Bible studies etc. It nourishes your faith life and allows it to grow like the mustard seed.  Everyone needs to be fed and those with hearing loss are no exception to this.  Don't try to hide your hearing loss and isolate yourself.   I personally do not think giving up God's word is something to offer up or sacrifice.   You need to be able to connect to the Mass, to participate, engage and witness it.

_________________________________________



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 in the way that speaks to their particular issues (audio loops, captioning, sign language and other if needed).  This percentage INCREASES after age 65 to 30 percent of the US population,  and after age 75 to 47 percent or almost half ! 

  Late onset deafness and hearing loss is GROWING due to aging baby boomers. 1 in 5 Americans have a hearing loss but after age 65 it is 1 in 3 Americans who have a hearing loss!   "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. " 

 (Source: http://accessibility.gtri.gatech.edu/assistant/acc_info/factsheet_deaf_hoh.php -Georgia Tech) 

 Hearing loss is the number one injury of USA soldiers when returning home from battle.



_____________________________________________________________



"ADA has always recognized hearing loss as a

  disability although 

 enforcement has been lacking. Why? Because

  none of us want to admit 

 we cannot hear, most are afraid to complain and

  many just don’t want to 

 fool with it. It is just easier to ignore

  the problem."  (Source: http://seniorsresourceguide.com/articles/art01165.html-by Laura Hansen) 
My comment:

 Churches (and other places of worship) are exempt from ADA laws so this only

  makes things more

  complicated when you have a combination of people not asking, not

  advocating, not addressing their hearing loss communication needs,

afraid to complain and so forth, and the churches are not required to do 

 anything about it, and even if the church can't afford it, they are still

  keeping people from being able to fully and actively participate if

effective communication access is not provided for them.  Even if it is not 

 in the budget, their spiritual needs are not being met because they have

  no access to God's Word. They have fallen in the cracks in trying to reach 

 people with the Gospel.  Only 4 to 10 percent of the hearing loss 

 population attend church because there is no access.  Therefore they are 

 often being unreached and unchurched if access is not being provided for them.

 _________________________________________________________________

"I am a nurse who has worked extensively with

  people who have low vision or 

 blindness, and also people who are hard-of-hearing

  or deaf *. Exclusion of these 

 groups from weekly worship is almost universal in

  churches, and although it is 

 not intentional, it is just as damaging as if it were" .

  Source: http://www.pcusa.org/news/2013/6/20/full-participation-people-disabilities-churches/ ( A Church of All and for All, first produced in 2003 by the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network (EDAN), a project of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the WCC’s Commission on Faith and Order.)

 *(culturally Deaf, late deaf, oral deaf, severe and 

 profound hearing loss, hard of hearing (mild and 

 moderate hearing loss)


__________________________________________________________________________________________________



We need to go beyond the pat on the back, and the 

smile when welcoming

  those with disabilities,  hearing loss and deafness in 

our churches, while 

certainly appreciative, we still need accessible churches,

 and consider the diversity in order to be fully 

participating, inclusive and welcoming in spreading 

the Joy of the Gospel.

______________________________________________________________
"I suppose when there are more of ‘us’

  than ‘them’ 

 we will be more comfortable 
bringing 

 this topic out in the open. In the

  meantime, let’s not 

 stay silent. Let’s do some 

 talking ourselves." 

 (Source: http://readmylipsblog.com/category/slices-of-life-with-a-hearing-loss/ -Rosemary Pryde)
_________________________________________________________________________________




Don't Ignore the deaf and those with hearing loss in the Church:


Ignoring your hearing loss won't make the problem go away.  Having the church ignore the problem won't make it go away either.  Remember that bumper sticker that says 'I'm not deaf, I'm ignoring you'?  Ignoring the deaf won't make the problem go away. They still don't have access to church life unless there is Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops, whichever is their cultural and linguistic preference that works for that person and makes it effective in order for them to fully participate at Mass.  Captioning, though benefits a wide spectrum of those with hearing loss and including other 'disabilities' that need comprehension support by providing captioning of the spoken word.
_______________________________________________________

"Exclusion of people with disabilities is not usually done with hate. Sometimes it is 

 prejudice, sometimes fear and pity. Most of the time, it's probably merely an oversight — but 

 the resulting exclusion is still the same. These practices are persisting, and after a while, 

 such oversights become less and less tolerable — if not by the person excluded, then often 

 by his friends and family." 

 (Source: http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/ignoring-the-disabled-is-the-new-racism/article_9fc147a3-63a6-588b-8713-ab5370207a5e.html)


______________________________________________________________




"How often do we fail to realize that we are called to be Christ's witnesses to the 

world? How often do we reach out to our missing brothers and sisters by inviting them 

to join us at Mass or by asking why they no longer feel welcomed at Church? " 



_________________________________________




A professor of the New Testament at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago says: 

 "The church can unwittingly train the disabled to be passive martyrs who 

 should remain sweet, kind and long-suffering when they are overlooked or 

 excluded. "
(Source: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1994-09-02/news/9409020018_1_disabled-people-catholic-theological-union-bible-stories)


________________________________________________________________________________

"So instead of taking the risk of doing or saying something 

 inappropriate, we do the most inappropriate thing of all: We 

 ignore the person in front of us. And in that moment, they 

 become invisible."  -Pope Francis

  (Source:  http://ncronline.org/blogs/francis-chronicles/pope-francis-demonstrates-how-give-witness-disabled)
_______________________________________________________________
"It is society which disables physically {sensory etc} impaired people. 

 Disability is
something imposed on top of our impairments by the way we are


unnecessarily isolated and excluded from full participation in society 

 {and church}.


Disabled people are therefore an oppressed group in society."

(Source: Robinson and Adam: Cultures of Disability and Deafness: (UPIAS, cited in Oliver 1996:22)  
____________________________________________________





 "  For some congregations, universal 

 design and 

 accommodation may seem to be at odds 

 with the 

 most efficient means for reaching the

  most people with

  the gospel. However, fulfilling the 

 Great 

 Commission cannot neglect the great

  commandment to

  love one another 

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

  (Source:http://www.thebanner.org/features/2013/09/let-s-end-disability-discrimination-in-church)
_________________________________________________________________





Cardinal Sean Pastoral statement: 

 "As pastors of the Church in America, we are 

 committed to working for a deeper 

 understanding of both the pain and the 

 potential of our neighbors who are blind, 

 deaf, 

 mentally retarded, emotionally impaired, who

  have special learning problems, or who
suffer 

 from single or multiple physical handicaps—all

  those whom disability may set apart. We call 

 upon people of good will to reexamine their

  attitudes toward their brothers and sisters 

 with 

 disabilities and promote their well-being,

  acting with the sense of justice and the 

 compassion that the Lord so clearly desires.

  Further, realizing the unique gifts individuals 

 with disabilities have to offer the Church

 , we

  wish to address the need for their 

 integration 
into the Christian community and their fuller 

 participation in its life. " 

 (source:  http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2007/11/09/celebrating-mass-for-persons-with-disabilities/)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
"The church has a wonderful theology 

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

 well," 

 said Anne Masters, the director of 

 pastoral ministry with persons with 

 disabilities for 

 the Archdiocese of Newark. " 

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


"We want people with any disability to 

 be nourished in the faith and to be able

  to contribute to the life of the parish 

 community," Benton said. 
(Source: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1003026.htm)


______________________________________________________________________________________
"(Because of CART), now I don't lose words the priest says," said a 

 happy 81-year-old William Kelly, who sits with his wife Marie near the 

 front of the church on the same side as Bonilla during Mass; even though 

 he wears hearing aids, he would often miss a word or two during key 

 sentences in the homily before Bonilla brought her CART. "In the past, I 

 would have to ask Marie, 'What did he say?'"

  (Source:  http://www.patersondiocese.org/moreinfo.cfm?Web_ID=1888)


_______________________________________________________________


“If you only come to church, and you

 just sit in the pew and you don’t get

 involved, church will be a very hollow


____________________________________________________________________________________________


Captioning benefits at Church conferences, workshops:  



“Though many of them would never admit 

 it, they 

 needed the captioning. By providing it,

  you enabled 

 them to better understand what was

  occurring in the 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


  What is an 'invisible disability'?: 

 “I think the problem is that when (someone) looks at

  a disability that you can see — someone walking on

  crutches or someone who’s completely blind — then

  it’s almost as if they know that they have to be

 sensitive and they really don’t have a choice,” Hill 

 said. “But when it’s not something you can notice

  right away — and in fact if they never told you, you 

 might never know — it’s almost like they get the 

 sense that it can’t be that bad.” (Source: http://www.michigandaily.com/content/invisible-disabilities-living-world-when-no-one-knows-your-sick)
________________________________________________________________________________________________


"As a person with hearing loss, I often

  find lectures, 

 plays, and PA system announcements

  indecipherable. 

 But who else notices? Unlike someone

  visibly left 

 outside because of wheelchair

  inaccessibility - which 

 would leave others appalled -

  inaccessibility due to 

 hearing loss is invisible and thus

  often 

 unremedied."
   - David Myers, author and a professor of psychology at Hope College  (Source: http://www.assist2hear.com/Loop-Advocacy)
________________________________________________________________________________________________







"Perhaps they just don’t understand the

  barriers that

  deaf and hard of hearing people deal 

 with. Perhaps 

 because this is an “invisible disability” we

  just don’t 

 matter to them." 

_________________________________________________________________________________________



 "We have a sort of “Zen of the normal” in

 most of America. 

 Most of us worship with people who are like

  us racially, 

 economically, and physically, and so if we 

 don’t see people 

 with disabilities we just don’t think about 

 them." 

 (Source: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2012/11/30/november-30-2012-churches-and-the-disabled/10968/)

 _______________________________________________________________________________________________




"There is a form of prejudice in our 

 society that surrounds disability -- a 

 discomfort, a subtle fear of that which

  is different and unfamiliar. It 

 manifests as pity, avoidance or 

 mockery." (Source:  http://www.tolerance.org/article/disability-awareness-were-it-together)

 ___________________________________________________________
Captioning has “come of age.”  (Source: 


 __________________________________________________________________________________________


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


_____________________________________________________________


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." 


____________________________________________

"When it comes to accommodating worshippers with hearing loss, it’s largely a ministry — not necessarily a mandate — in America’s churches.

Clint Koch, sales director at Ultra Stereo Labs, Inc. (USL), explains why: The Americans with Disabilities Act requires all public gathering spaces to have an assistive listening system. “But, all churches are exempt,” he points out." (Source:  http://churchexecutive.com/archives/making-worship-accessible-to-everyone)

_____________________________________________________________

"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 {now evolved to wireless/wifi} 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/)



___________________________________________________


Catholic Church Vatican statement: 

" 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)


___________________________________________________________________



"…It sometimes feels as if there is no

  awareness of 

 how a disabled person could enter into

  the worship 

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


"Accessible meeting space allows

 everyone to participate." 


(Source: http://www.ada.gov/business/accessiblemtg.htm

 __________________________________________________________


"Parishes, rather than mirroring the

 cultural biases of society, should be 

 challenging those assumptions and

  accepting and reaching out to all

  people - to open doors and minds to 

 the gifts of all God’s people. "
(Source: An inclusive church is like a stained glass window—Homily … - NAMI.  )

___________________________________________________

“I wish churches would get a vision here

 and see the mission field that’s out 

 there.” Source: http://www.baptiststandard.com/resources/archives/46-2006-archives/4762-technology-enables-hearing-impared-to-experience-worship)
___________________________________________________________________________________________



"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." 
My comments:  Not only that, it respects their own social-culture, linguistic framework and language, that being English (usually in the USA although Spanish is growing in popularity). It respects diversity and embraces multiculturalism by honoring the person's own native language and social-culture, linguistic framework in sharing the Joy of the Gospel in churches.  Captioning
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.
____________________________________________________________



 Shouting Won't Help: Why I and 50


 Million Americans Can't Hear You:  


____________________________________







"To exclude members of the parish from these 

 celebrations of the life of the Church, even by passive 

 omission, is to deny the reality of that community."

Source: http://www.ncpd.org/views-news-policy/policy/church/bishops/pastoral

_______________________________________________________________

"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)


__________________________________________________________


 "Parish liturgical celebrations and catechetical 

 programs should be accessible to persons with 

 disabilities and open to their full, active and conscious 

 participation, according to their capacity."

______________________________________________________________________



"In 1978, a pastoral statement of the U.S. Catholic 

 Bishops on People With Disabilities 

 directed the Church community to replace ignorance 

 and apathy with “sensitivity and 

 warm acceptance” to welcome people with disabilities

  “as equal partners” within the 

 faith community.” 
 For complete copy of Pastoral Statement of U.S. Catholic Bishops on Persons with Disabilities click on red link below to order
Copyright © 1978, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc. All rights reserved.
Order Copies of This Statement  Source: http://old.usccb.org/prolife/personswithdisabilities.shtml

USCB website:  http://www.usccb.org/search.cfm?site=newusccb&proxystylesheet=newusccb_frontend&q=disabilities&btnG.x=-1089&btnG.y=-49&btnG=Search&lang=eng
_________________________________________________________________________
"II. The Promotion of Liturgical Instruction and Active Participation

14. Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should 

 be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical 

 celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. 

 Such participation by the Christian people as "a chosen race, a 

 royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people (1 Pet. 2:9; cf. 

 2:4-5), is their right and duty by reason of their baptism. 

 From:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html" (Source: Sacrosanctum Concilium 14)
__________________________________________________________________
"The same Jesus who heard the cry for recognition from the 

 disabled of Judea and Samaria two thousand years ago 

 calls us, his followers, to embrace our responsibility to our 

 own disabled brothers and sisters in the United States" (Source: https://www.cathdal.org/pages/Deaf_History)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


  " But the Church must work actively to 

 ensure that, in fact, access becomes a 

 reality for all who  live with little 

 or no hearing".  Source: http://gbgm-umc.org/disc/b5.cfm

 _________________________________________________________________



"It sounds crazy that many of our places 
of worship don't think about accessibility 
and inclusion," Starnes says. " 

  Source: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-01-10-column10_ST_N.htm


________________________________________________________________









 "All are Welcome"

in church -a thought to ponder on in Disability Ministries and Hearing Loss Ministries when determining access:  

What does that mean to you? What does it mean to someone 

 with a 'disability' -any kind of 

 'disability' -both visible and invisible?   Can they participate? Are

  they included in the liturgical 

 celebrations?  If not, what kind of message is this sending to the

  'disabled' person?  to their 

 families? to the community?  What kind of example is being set?

   What is being taught? 
_________________________________________________________________________



“There are all kinds of accommodations

  they make for
 other disabilities, but very few

  accommodations for
 hearing loss,” Charlie said." 

  (Source: http://lakerlutznews.com/lln/?p=18870)



_______________________________________________________
“…As a child, my expectation was that the 

 church was 

where people would feel most welcome

  and most 



 ________________________________________________________________________________________________



"How often do we fail to realize that we are called to be 

Christ's witnesses to the world? How often do we reach

 out to our missing brothers and sisters by inviting them 

to join us at Mass or by asking why they no longer feel 

welcomed at Church? " 





________________________________________________________________________________________

 Parishes that are welcoming to those with

  'disabilities' model 

 healthy, inclusive and proactive policies.  

 _______________________________________________________________________


"The cultural habit of regarding the condition of the person, not the built environment or the social organization of activities, as the source of the problem, runs deep." Source: http://www.jik.com/ilarts.html
________________________________


" We could include people with a greater 

 variety of ages 

 and abilities by applying the

  principle of universal design, that is, by

  considering a

  wider range of human variation 

 in the media, spaces, and programs we

  create. " 

 (Source:  http://www.thebanner.org/features/2013/09/let-s-end-disability-discrimination-in-church)
________________________________________________________________________________________________


 "This theology of access is specifically grounded in her belief that 

 people with disabilities are a unique group not because they are in

  any way inferior to non disabled people but rather because they 

 are oppressed by society." (Source: http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/812/987)

 ________________________________________________________________



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)



______________________________________________________________
Towards an Inclusive Catholic church:  http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201311/real-presence-what-catholics-developmental-disabilities-bring-table-28153?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed



Catholics and Social Justice: http://www.togetheratonealtar.catholic.edu.au/live/dsp-content.cfm?loadref=87

 _______________________________________________________________


"Nationwide only about 50 percent of all 
dioceses even have an office that focuses

  on 
parishioners with disabilities."
- See more at: http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201312/ramp-it-how-parishes-can-increase-accessibility-28230#sthash.ogwld5nR.dpuf


______________________________________________________________________


  In this day and age with many multi-cultural ministries, the 

 World's largest minority community -the

 'disabled' have been overlooked, and we are GROWING.

________________________________________________________________________




Pope Francis words: 

 'Stir things up, take the church to the streets':  
“You must not let yourselves be marginalized. Faith in Christ is not a joke. The only sure way, is the way of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus.”
“Faith in God's Son, who became man and who died for me, must make a mess, must disturb us out of our complacency.”
(Source:  http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-to-youth-shake-things-up-bring-church-to-the-streets/)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________





"… Individuals with disabilities continually 

 encounter various forms of 

 discrimination, including outright intentional 

 exclusion, the discriminatory 

 effects of architectural, transportation, and 

 communication barriers, 

 overprotective rules and policies, failure to 

 make modifications to 

 existing facilities and practices, exclusionary

  qualification standards and 

 criteria, segregation, and relegation to lesser 

 services, programs, 

 activities, benefits, jobs, or other 

 opportunities…"


Source: http://network.crcna.org/content/disability-concerns/q-ada-church-and-americans-disabilities-act



__________________________________________________________________________




"It encourages the churches to recognize that a 

 church which excludes persons with disabilities ends 

 up impoverishing itself by not playing its required 

 role."  

Source: http://www.pcusa.org/news/2013/6/20/full-participation-people-disabilities-churches/  (insightful article from a non Catholic church that applies to any church)
____________________________________________________________

Theology of Disability (in the church) :http://julieclawson.com/2010/07/23/americans-with-disabilities-and-the-church/ (another insightful article -not Catholic but still good)
___________________________________________________________
  "Disability has become, then, like a 

 guest invited to a party but 

 never introduced” (88).  Olkin (2003)

  recognizes that disability “received the 

 lowest amount of coverage among

  diversity issues”  (Source:  http://acpacsje.tumblr.com/post/34635558939/disability-the-naturalized-silence-by-holly-pearson)



 __________________________________________________________________________




"one estimate is that 90 percent of families affected by 

 disability don’t attend church. But the corollary is even more 

 troubling: 90 percent of churches see no need for a special 

 needs ministry, because they don’t presently have anyone 

 with a disability in their congregation." 

 (Source: The Disabled Body of Christ: http://www.intouch.org/missing-persons/the-disabled/ )
____________________________________________________________

"People with 'disabilities' constitute

  the nation's largest minority

  group, and the only group any of 

 us can become a member of at any

 time." (Source: http://www.disabilityfunders.org/disability-stats-and-facts)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Attitudes can be changed.  Attitudes are the biggest barrier, not the disability.  When you change attitudes, funds follow. With God, all things are possible. 

 __________________________________________________
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Prov. When people really need to do something, they will figure out a way to do it. (Source:  http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Necessity+is+the+mother+of+invention)



________________________________________________________________________________




"The disability rights movement lags

 behind other civil rights movements

  and we

  have to catch up,” adds NOD President

  Carol Glazer.

  "

  (source: http://www.diversitybestpractices.com/news-articles/20-years-after-ada-passage-people-disabilities-continue-lag-employment(
___________________________________________________________________

ADA, church and inclusive

  communities: https://www.rca.org/IncludingAll
____________________________________________________________________________________
ADA and the church:  See http://network.crcna.org/content/disability-concerns/q-ada-church-and-americans-disabilities-act



____________________________________________________________________________________

"So it's not just about the law anymore. It is

  about designing 

 community--a place where 

 everyone is a full citizen, where everyone 

 belongs." 

__________________________________________________________________________________





"…Our world is really suffering from 

indifference. Indifference is apathy, not 

caring. I 

wonder maybe if our Lord does not suffer

 more from our indifference, than he did 

from 

the Crucifixion.” 

(Archbishop Fulton Sheen) 


__________________________________________________________________________________________________


"With millions of deaf/HoH individuals

  living and working in the United States,

  all-

 inclusive events are finally becoming a

 societal standard. " (Source: http://www.signlanguagenyc.com/creating-equal-access-for-deaf-hard-of-hearing/)  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Excluding someone with a 

 disability from the 

 opportunity to hear the gospel—

 whether out of 

 ignorance and oversight or 

 intentionally, 

 assuming the individual is neither

  worthy nor 

 capable of receiving God’s love—

 dishonors God, 

 whose love and compassion is not

  limited. 

 Jesus’ command to his disciples 

 was to take the 

 good news to all the peoples of the

  world, not 

 just those whom society or culture 

 says are 

 deserving of God’s grace."  (Source:  http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/themedarticles.php/1148?pg=all)

___________________________________________________________________




What if all churches were known as

  places where 

 everyone was welcome?

 _____________________________________________________





Church reaches out with live real time captioning: 

http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/04082010/laurnew112510_32554.php 

 ____________________________________________


 This mother's blog  has a sense of sarcastic witty humor and KEEN observant! Her blog says:
In the words of Lawrence Carter-Long, Public Affairs Specialist at the National Council on Disability:


 "Still think "the only disability in life is a bad 

 attitude?" Try ordering from 

a menu with a blindfold on, smiling your way up

  inaccessible stairs or 

reading non-existent captions on a YouTube

  video. Don't like my "bad" 

attitude? Then provide equal access. You'll be 

 amazed at how much my 

mood improves. Oh… and while you're at it,

  please check your 

unexamined privilege at the door. Thank you. 

 Have a nice day!"  
_____________________________________________________________________





"How often do we fail to realize that we are called to be 

Christ's witnesses to the world? How often do we reach

 out to our missing brothers and sisters by inviting them 

to join us at Mass or by asking why they no longer feel 






________________________________________________________________________________________

A Non Catholic church says:

 "Do you realize that those that 

 suffer from various disabilities are

  often left out 

 from Bible teaching or are such a

  minority that it is 

 not cost effective to address their 

 needs?" 
":http://ffoz.org/blogs/2009/05/hearing_impairment.html



___________________________________________________________________


"A disability is only actually a disability

  when it prevents 
someone from doing what they want or 

 need to do. "  
(Source: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/chapter26section4-)main.aspx


_______________________________________________________________



"The importance for people with any

  disability to interact 

 in a standard setting rather than do it 

 differently is 

 critical"

________________________________________________________________________________________________

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-



_______________________________________________________________
“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.” 

_________________________________________________________________________________________



Lord, Hear Our Prayer
Common Catholic Prayers:  http://www.catholicity.com/prayer/prayers.html

_______________________________________________________________________





Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops are the three most common communication access in the secular world of business, education and entertainment that allows for full and active, effective, and equal participation.   Captioning is a wonderful way to share the Joy of the Gospel for so many who are deaf and hard of hearing.

_________________________________________________________

"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)

_________________________________________________________________________


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

____________________________________


______________________________________________________________________


























"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/)








___________________________________________________________________________________________________________









US Bishop Statement:  










'It is essential that all forms of the liturgy be completely accessible to people with disabilities, since these forms are the essence of the spiritual tie that binds the Christian community together' 



(Source:  http://www.disabilityawarenesstraining.com/component/content/article/3/40)







_________________________________________________________________







The purpose of this blog is to raise  Diversity Awareness among those with hearing loss and deafness, and to raise  awareness that many  with hearing loss are being excluded from full participation at the Mass if the church does not have Captioning. Catholics with hearing loss deserve the fullness of their faith.   Does your Diocese/Archdiocese have at least one Mass service in Captioning at a church that one who benefits from it can reasonably travel to in order to fully and actively participate at the Mass? Contact your Diocese/Archdiocese - find it here:    http://www.usccb.org/about/bishops-and-dioceses/all-dioceses.cfm.)





































Is your church or Diocese/Archdiocese  inclusive to all those with hearing loss and deafness by providing Real time Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops?   If 

not - Diversity and Inclusion Awareness is needed in order to share the joy of the 

gospel by applying Universal Communication Access.  It is very important to share 

the Word of God with everyone.  Let's pray for that!

















































"Be not Afraid, Open Wide the Gates" - Pope St.  John Paul II  
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