Mass for the 'Hearing Impaired'?
When researching websites to see which access is available for Catholics with hearing loss, I frequently stumbled across some confusing information: 'Mass for the Hearing Impaired' (or similar inference)
Let me give an example of why it is confusing. Let's start with who are the 'Hearing Impaired' in this article below, only to be used as an example of what I am talking about? :
Catholic Article about the 'Hearing Impaired': http://thecatholiccommentator.org/pages/?p=12998
Do they mean the Deaf/ASL community? Or do they mean all those with hearing loss and deafness? Who are the 'Hearing Impaired'? The culturally Deaf use sign language and call themselves 'Deaf' as a cultural and linguistic worldview and in their culture they are not 'hearing impaired'. In fact, it is a major cultural taboo for the culturally Deaf to be called 'hearing impaired'.
The physically deaf have a number of variable preferences including hearing impaired as meaning being physically deaf, or meaning hearing loss because they lost their hearing, whether early in life, mid life or late life, or deafness, or deaf, or hard of hearing, or partial deaf, or late deaf, or oral deaf.
Either way and however they prefer to be called, the question remains when I research websites to see which access is available - Who are the 'Hearing Impaired'?
What does 'Mass for the Hearing Impaired' mean on a website?
Does it mean a Mass with Sign language?
Does it mean a Mass with Audio Loops?
Does it mean a Mass with Captioning (CART)?
In the typical article above (it is a common find) -- It's confusing because it seems to infer that all those with hearing loss and deafness (or those who are 'hearing impaired') use sign language for communication access when many use CART (Remote CART, or real time captioning) and Audio Loops.
It portrays the fact that the mainstream hearing people think sign language is what all those who are 'hearing impaired' use. This example article is a typical common find, and not an isolated example. You can find many other similar variations of common mainstream perspective taking.
This is great of course providing sign language and very necessary but I'm trying to raise diversity awareness among those with hearing loss and deafness by raising this issue and it is important to raise because it affects communication access. The majority of the hearing impaired do not use or know sign language and still need support or access by including Captioning and Audio loops. Other wise they are not able to fully participate at the Mass or have access to the Homily etc.
My whole blog purpose intention is to raise this awareness because it does affect communication access, or rather lack of it.
The churches need Sign language AND Captioning AND Audio loops because the population is diverse. Why does this matter? 90 percent of those with hearing impairment do not know sign language and so therefore the church is not fully inclusive or accessible to the 'hearing impaired' if the church does not have a Universal Design approach to accommodating the deaf and hard of hearing.
We need Captioning, Sign Language and Audio loops in order to accommodate the 'hearing impaired' and have a 'Mass for the Hearing Impaired'.
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Here are some more website examples about 'Mass for the Hearing Impaired':
Deaf and 'Hearing Impaired' Mass: http://www.iobserve.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=3089&cntnt01origid=57&cntnt01returnid=58
Mass for the Hearing Impaired:
Catholic Mass Hearing Impaired Assistance: http://www.sttimothymesa.org/hearing-impaired-assistance/
Mass for the 'Hearing Impaired': http://www.stgerald.org/signing.html
Interpreted Masses for the 'Hearing Impaired':
_________________________________________________________
Universal Access:
" 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."
_________________________________________________________________
"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 - Jewish Standard;
Lois Goldrich)
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 - Jewish Standard;
Lois Goldrich)
Captioning Shares the Message
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