Saturday, August 8, 2015










             Making the Catholic Deaf and Hard of Hearing          
                           Ministries Inclusive at the Mass








"  The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place".

                                                      -George Bernard Shaw





 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 to embrace the Joy of the Gospel.


Church Inclusion Example: 


Here is an example of a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry that considers diverse needs (audio loops, real time captioning and sign language) of those with hearing loss. See http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/1270/worship-with-people-with-hearing-loss.  

Real time Captioning is high quality verbatim of speech-to-text rendering of the spoken word with little lag time that allows participation. It's our language.  Captioning is the language of many who are deaf and hard of hearing.  The three most common diverse communication needs of those who are deaf and hard of hearing are Audio Loops, Captioning and Sign Language.  Having only one type of access basically means it is only serving a segment within the deaf and hard of hearing population.  You need all three common basic communication access because the deaf and hard of hearing population is diverse. 


Another Inclusion Example:



A Non-Catholic church that has many accommodations to the diverse hearing loss and deaf population which is a model for others to follow in terms of recognizing the diversity of those who are deaf and hard of hearing:  



"All our worship services are in ASL with voice interpreters for those who don't know sign.  We also provide computerized assisted real-time captioning (CART), tactile interpreting for Deaf-blind and a loop assisted listening system." (Source: http://www.christdeafchurch.org -Christ Church of the Deaf)



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"For the Deaf or Hard of Hearing:



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

 speaker.

Arrange for interpreter or real time captioning services at 

least 

two weeks in advance.
Utilize room amplification system or personal amplification
 system.
Provide all materials to the interpreter or CART reporter one 
week in advance.
Provide bright lighting.  Avoid creating a special atmosphere 
with dim lighting."
(Source: http://www.dioslc.org/ministries/disabilities/guidelines-for-accommodating-people-with-disabilities)

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Can we make our church accessible and inclusive too? :



I'd like to see more Diocese/Archdiocese Catholic Deaf and Hard of Hearing ministries, programs, organizations, website and services be more inclusive by providing access for the hearing loss population; offering many resources, options and adaptations to deafness, hard of hearing and hearing loss and not just provide sign language, simply because 90 percent of those with hearing loss and deafness do not know sign language. 
We need closed captioning, real time captioning (CART/remote CART), audio induction loops, FM systems besides sign language.  We are not a 'one size fits all' in our communication, language and accommodation needs.

Often the majority of Catholic Deaf ministries de facto communication access is sign language, but in the secular world the de facto communication access is not only sign language, but also real time captioning and audio loops because ADA recognizes them as valid and effective communication access/accomodations for the diverse deaf and hard of hearing population.  Many Catholic dioceses hire sign language providers that go around to interpret the Mass, but there are very few who hire CART providers (or remote CART providers) to do the same in spite of the fact that the majority of the deaf and hard of hearing do not know or use sign language. Many churches do not have audio induction loops, or  FM systems/ALD's as well.

There is an estimate of about 12 million Catholics with a hearing loss in the USA.  What is especially useful is including more Captioning real time services in our native English language (in the USA) in verbatim format, and Audio Induction loops so that all those with hearing loss can be included in the life of the church and be able to be fully, consciously and actively participate at the Mass as Vatican II articulates.   

At least in my website search, I'm not finding inclusion of all deaf and hard of hearing being served in all the Catholic churches/Dioceses/Archdioceses, and especially  in Catholic hearing impaired ministries or Catholic deaf and hard of hearing ministries.  

Catholic churches are not inclusive to all the deaf and hard of hearing if it is not accessible in their own language and 90 percent of the deaf and hard of hearing do not know sign language because English (usually, although Spanish is growing) is their language.  Real time captioning is the verbatim of their English (or Spanish) language.  

I have attended many different churches as well and I found so many are not hearing accessible.  Those with hearing loss and deafness often have no access to God's Word and access to God's Word means having  Real time Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops, and not just one type of communication access because we are diverse. 

The Dioceses needs to hire CART providers just like many do with sign language providers. They also need to put in place audio induction loops/FM systems in all the churches. After all, most churches (if they want to be ADA compliant) have accessible parking spaces, ramps, and adjusted bathrooms, water fountains and pews for wheelchair access.  Why not make it accessible to those with hearing loss and deafness?  Having access to God's word is important in churches.  Just because the deaf/Deaf, hard of hearing, hearing impaired, hearing loss folks can walk in the door doesn't mean the church is accessible to them.  I have been to many churches and I can safely say, the majority are not accessible to the majority of folks with hearing loss and deafness, the deaf, and hard of hearing.



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"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)

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"An obvious benefit of closed captioning is to allow

 everyone to have an


equal opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits 

of a service, program or activity." 
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Why Real Time Captioning?


  • "Sometimes referred to as oral deaf, they are not signing or "Big D" Deaf. They speak English, not American Sign Language because they’ve lost hearing late in life or, if the loss occurred in childhood, they’ve had speech training and wear hearing aids or a cochlear implant
  • Oral deafness is "the invisible disability."  (Source:  http://www.theopencaptioners.com/faqs.php)


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" No captions is like no ramp for people in wheelchairs or signs stating ‘people with disabilities are not welcome."  (Source:  http://globalaccessibilitynews.com/2015/02/13/harvard-massachusetts-institute-of-technology-sued-over-lack-of-closed-captioning-online/)
This applies just as well to real time captioning in churches as well, only the church is ADA exempt.  The ADA law does not apply to churches.  The church and any kind of worship place of any faith is allowed to discriminate and not provide real time captioning for church services.  90 percent of the those with hearing loss do not attend church because the church is not accessible to them.
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"CART {real time captioning} is classified as an assistive technology and is considered a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is a service provided in the academic setting for students with hearing impairment as well as in public settings such as conventions, churches, corporate meetings, funerals, police interrogations, etc. "  
______________________________________
"Accessible meeting space allows 
everyone to participate." 
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"And students are not the only users of cochlear implants who may benefit from CART services.  CART is frequently used in business meetings, religious services, and medical evaluations by people using cochlear implants."  

____________________________________________


"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." 



____________________________________________





Who uses Captioning?: 



 This is very much an underserved 

population. If CC is made available to them,

 however, it allows them to follow sermons 

and services word-for-word and be 

connected to the message that they were 

previously having trouble hearing. ”  (Source:  http://www.tfwm.com/11-07openingupservices - By David Weiss

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If You Have a Hearing Loss - Advocate 
              for Yourself:
This is very important because all too often, many of those with hearing loss like to 
hide it but in doing so, keeps us all in exclusionary circles.  Each one of us can do our part. When you advocate access for yourself, you do much more.  You help others get access.  Speak up.
“Just as with wheelchair access issues, advocacy is paramount,” Kasper wrote. “Staying at home to avoid problems or pretending to understand when we don’t will not help us or future generations, and joining with others in a cause can be rewarding in itself.” :  (Source: http://www.northjersey.com/news/hackensack-church-offers-captioning-for-hearing-impaired-1.1172320)
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"We depend on captions for television, movies, relay phone calls, live theater and meetings, etc. However, captions are lacking at churches and synagogues. As a result we no longer attend. We feel excluded from the spiritual communities." (Source:  http://xpressivehandz.blogspot.com/2014/07/why-churches-and-synagogues-need-to.html)
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"A general rule of thumb is to ask whether people are able to access the facility and, once in, is effective communication happening?"  (Source: https://hsdcstore.com/adasystems.htm)

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"(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)

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 Pat Gardiner mentions in her article that someone says:


 " The captioned service is so much less stressful for her when she knows she will get every word. "So many assistive device systems for the hard-of-hearing don't help those of us with severe losses and never seem to dependably work on a regular basis. " (Source:  http://www.ncra.org/Membership/content.cfm?ItemNumber=9129&navItemNumber=11457)



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How do you make it Inclusive to all those 

who are deaf and hard of hearing?:



"However, in order to serve ALL deaf, hard of hearing, the hearing impaired or people with hearing loss (whichever terms you choose), all of these accessible solutions need to be provided, and the Deaf and hearing impaired should always be placed down front where they can use their eyes to see to hear and the audio amplifiers to be picked up by their assistive devices. Captions should be on the wall or a screen for those who need to read what is being said."  (Source:  http://limpingchicken.com/2014/01/16/deaf-discrimination-to-deaf/)


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Providing Access to church life for all those with Hearing Loss and deafness:


Those with hearing loss should have access to Mass, RCIA and Bible studies via Captioning and Audio loops and whatever else makes it work for them to actively participate. Sign Language is great, but so is Captioning and Audio Loops.  Funds need to be allocated for such to address the diverse hearing loss population and the cultural and linguistic preferences and diversity within the hearing loss population.  

Does your church have a Mass service in Captioning?  We all want access to church that considers our cultural, social,  and linguistic preferences don't we? We all do better hearing God's word in our native language and in a way that works for us and feels comfortable for us don't we?  We all want to be able to fully participate.  We are not asking for much are we?  What if the church sound system broke? Or the organ? or The microphone? Would you do something about that?  We all want access to God's word don't we?

Multi-culturalism and diversity means celebrating diversity, not deciding which communication access a person with a hearing loss should be using in having access to God's word. Whatever works for a person and in a way that they feel comfortable with is the right one for that person (and we all vary in our choices, responses and adaption to hearing loss and deafness and what is effective which means real time captioning, sign language and audio induction loops/fm systems).   Providing access to the church allows inclusion.  It is being  respectful to their communication needs, and considering the person's cultural,social and linguistic preferences.   It celebrates our multi-diverse and multi-cultural church. It includes everyone.



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 “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)  

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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 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/ - by cottonhelen)

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“CART is fast becoming one of the most requested services for late–deafened adults and individuals with little or no sign language acquisition, and it has gained acceptance with and become a preference for many Deaf individuals in schools and workplace settings"  



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Same Language subtitles to help reading:  


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"People who learn English as a second language often understand English text better than speech". 

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Making it Inclusive to all those who are deaf and hard of hearing:

How do you create a Hearing Loss and Deafness 

Friendly Church?:




 A hearing loss and deafness friendly church is a hearing accessible church that allows access to full and active participation during worship whether it is Captioning, Sign Language or Audio Loops.  It includes ALL those with hearing loss.  The three most common ways are Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops and they are usually not interchangeable to most.  We are diverse.


Here is an example of full inclusion below by considering the three most common communication access -Sign Language, Captioning, Audio Loops etc:




See the pictures on the following link.   http://www.hearingloss.org/sites/default/files/docs/KMenck_thursday.pdf  (then go to page 3 and 23)  for an example picture. 

Notice how the outdoor sign on the above link includes Captioning, Audio Loops, Sign Language and Large print.  That is full inclusion that is considering all of those with hearing loss, not just one segment of the hearing loss population.  The article gives advice on how to make a church hearing accessible with various pictures of how captioning  (CART) can be displayed.  

Wouldn't it be nice to have an accessible church so we can share the joy of the gospel to all?

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Who Benefits from Church Captioning (Remote CART)?:



Including Captioning at a Catholic Mass allows the late deaf, the oral deaf and the severe to profound hearing loss folks access to church life and the Mass. Captioning can provide access to the hard of hearing as well (mild to moderate hearing loss) although they generally prefer audio loops as a cultural and linguistic preference.  Some of the signing Deaf  who are bilingual can use Captioning as well provided they are comfortable reading and speaking.  You'd have to ask of course.  Yes, I know, I keep saying that.  We are diverse you see. Ask Ask Ask. 

Providing Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops serves all of those with hearing loss and deafness.  Captioning though can cover a wide spectrum of those with hearing loss (if they can read and speak)  PLUS  Captioning can provide comprehension to many other disabilities (central auditory processing disorder, autism (information processing), learning disability, auditory dyslexia, attention deficit, low vision (by adapting the font size and back lighted), the deaf-blind (can use real time captioning by feeding it into a refreshable braille display device or screen reader adapted for this purpose), those with working memory issues, Seniors and those learning English as a second language that helps them understand it better when audio is combined with writing. Captioning is a wonderful way to share the Joy of the Gospel.


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"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)


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  Is having access to Mass a luxury? Are we asking too much? : 

"Quality captions are not a life-and-death matter. Nor are they a luxury in the manner that a Carnival cruise or a Mercedes might be. They are a necessity for a basic level of inclusion in a world that has so many other ways to alienate the Deaf and hard-of-hearing population" (Source.http://www.vitac.com/news_blog/vitac-blog.asp?post=331 -VITAC)



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"Exclusionary churches, like exclusionary societies, are themselves ill. We must stretch ourselves to look at healing in new ways and seek responses that heal the church and heal our communities.”  Source: http://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/towards-full-participation-of-people-with-disabilities-in-churches -World Council of Churches)


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"…If I can’t fully participate, I don’t go. 

Our church isn’t there yet.” (Source:  http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201312/ramp-it-how-parishes-can-increase-accessibility-28230#sthash.YfofSqWI.dpuf -By Laura Fletcher)



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"While Gallaudet has a strong sign-language ethos, captioning (also known as CART, or Communication Access in Real Time) featured in 80% of presentations at an orientation day. "  (Source: http://www.irishdeafkids.ie/2011/gallaudet-cart-students/_Team IDK)



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Real time Captioning on your IOShttp://www.mactrast.com/2013/07/sprint-bring-real-time-captioning-to-phone-calls-on-your-ios-device/


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Brief description of CART (captioning) used by the late deaf, oral deaf, and those with severe to profound hearing loss:  


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Did you Know?     

See especially the highlights on this link: http://captioningtheword.com/information/did-you-know.html



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90 percent of people with hearing loss do not know sign language:   


"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

Only 4 to 10 percent of those with hearing loss attend church because access is not available. That MEANS 90+ percent are NOT in church.  Most likely a good many of those who DO attend happen to have access like sign language or audio loops etc., otherwise they are not able to fully participate.
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Seniors with hearing loss are growing due to aging baby boomers:




Senior Ministry:   “ For this type of audience we do real time captioning, projected onto a screen so that those folks who can’t hear well enough to follow along during the program, or when a speaker is presenting, will be able to read what is being said, very similar to closed-captioning on television.” (Source:  http://voiceprintinc.com/medford-church-to-test-program-for-hard-of-hearing-seniors/)

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Captioning at the Stadium

 http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/20131014cards-provide-captioning-deaf-stadium.html


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

hearing with the CART at a church service -now 

that is being REALLY SMART! :



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Secular Hearing Loss and deafness support groups:



wonderful secular organization for those with Hearing Loss is:   

http://www.hearingloss.org  



 There is another wonderful secular organization for the late deaf adult at http://www.alda.org . 

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CHURCH ACCESS:



__________________________________________________





US Bishop Pastoral Statement: 

"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."

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



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Sacrosanctum-concilium and Captioning:



Canon Law regarding Communication access:  Captioning CAN allow that 'fully conscious and active participation' for many with hearing loss and deafness if they can read (receptive) and speak (respond expressively):


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




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Captioning services for Live Performances and Events: http://www.adiarts.ie/resources/captioning-service

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Captioning services at a non-Catholic church: http://billcreswell.blogspot.com/2011/01/closed-captionioning-at-calvary-church.html



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Another Captioning service at a non-Catholic church:  http://heraldmagazine.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/captioning-during-worship-has-been-miraculous/


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The case for Captioning:


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Here is an example of how CART (captioning) is used in high schools and colleges:  See http://www.stenotype.edu/news/tag/realtime-captioning-for-deaf-students/   


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What do I need for REMOTE CART (captioning)?:  See Video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMqbg3gKwP4

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"Captions can be captured and relayed remotely."  See http://alacarteconnection.com/how-works/ 



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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) .  Software is 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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A lower 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


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Type Well -Pro and Con:

Type Well:  This is basically a meaning-to-meaning 'translation' of what the speaker is saying to the person with hearing loss.  It is not word-for-word verbatim replication of what the speaker is saying.  They provide a summary of what the speaker means.  For a homily this would work except that the homily is basically being given by a lay person (the type well typist) who decides what the summary is and conveys that and assuming they are theologically equipped/eligible for doing that since subjectivity is involved.   This would work for things that are not in the missalette. . For more information on TypeWell see http://typewell.com.  Here is an example of how TypeWell works at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cawzxTdOtw8.  

There is also something called C-Print that is similar.


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 What is Typewell and how does it work?: http://typewell.com

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What is a Shadow Speaker?:  http://www.cpcweb.com/cpc-500/



Live Internet Deposition Streaming (video and text at the same time):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDxQLhYAELo


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Remote Captioning:  What it is and how it is helpful: http://www.pacifictranscription.com.au/blog-remote-captioning.php

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Does your church have Captioning (Remote CART)? Ask to provide a Mass service in Captioning!

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The Deaf/deaf/HOH need Universal Access:  



"When designing a space or 

planning 

an event, we need to strive for 

universal access—so that all 

members of our communities can 

attend and participate. This means 

that, in addition to ramps and 

elevators, we need assistive 

listening technology like hearing 

loops and captions, and signage 

that makes it clear that the service 

is available. This is a goal that we 

can achieve, but in order to do so, 

we need to change the way we

 think about communication and 

hearing access. "


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

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




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"Listening can be the most active form of participation, demanding effort and attention. Truly, as the scriptures tell us, faith demands hearing, fides ex audit.  "




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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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Caption Catholic Tidbits:


New American Bible Online:


This is a wonderful resource for understanding Catholicism called Catholic Bridge.  See http://www.catholicbridge.com



Catholic Answers:  http://www.catholic.com


Smart call and Smart watch for the hard of hearing, deaf/Deaf, hearing impaired: 



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

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

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



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"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)


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Former Roman Catholics:  http://www.oncecatholic.org

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Pray For Us All!

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

(text guided version offered to follow along)

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How can we make the Catholic church accessible to ALL the deaf and hard of hearing?:  



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"Accessible meeting space allows 
everyone to participate." 
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"Of all the barriers to full participation and inclusion, the barrier of unexamined attitudes is the most difficult to address," states Ginny Thornburgh, director of the American Association of People with Disabilities' Interfaith Initiative." 
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US Bishop Statement:  
'It is essential that all forms of the liturgy be completely accessible to people with disabilities, since these forms are the essence of the spiritual tie that binds the Christian community together' 
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The purpose of this blog is to raise  Diversity Awareness among those with hearing loss and deafness, and to raise  awareness that many  with hearing loss are being excluded from full participation at the Mass if the church does not have Captioning. Catholics with hearing loss deserve the fullness of their faith.   Does your Diocese/Archdiocese have at least one Mass service in Captioning at a church that one who benefits from it can reasonably travel to in order to fully and actively participate at the Mass? Contact your Diocese/Archdiocese - find it here:    http://www.usccb.org/about/bishops-and-dioceses/all-dioceses.cfm.)
Is your church or Diocese/Archdiocese  inclusive to all those with hearing loss and deafness by providing Real time Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops?   If not - Diversity and Inclusion Awareness is needed in order to share the joy of the gospel by applying Universal Communication Access.  It is very important to share the Word of God with everyone.  Let's pray for that!

CC-CaptionCatholic









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