scholarly journals Improving and Evaluating a Software Tool for Providing Animated Text Enhancements to Close Captions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Mori
Keyword(s):  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
Suitable Alternative ◽  
Limited Access ◽  
Closed Captions ◽  
Audio Information

While television and film technologies have changed according to user preferences, Closed Captions (CC) have suffered from a lack of innovation since their inception in the 1970’s. For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities CC provides only limited access to non-speech audio information. This thesis explores the usability of a new captioning application, EnACT that provides animated text for non-speech audio information such as the emotions portrayed and their corresponding intensities. Reactions from software users were collected and evaluated. Participants found the software easy to use and a suitable alternative to conventional CC options for non-speech audio however, they disliked the amount of time it took for them to adjust timing for the animations of the captions. Overall, participants rated EnACT easy to use and the task of assigning emotions and their corresponding intensities to the video script as relatively simple, however, additional emotional labels were requested by participants overall.

scholarly journals Improving and Evaluating a Software Tool for Providing Animated Text Enhancements to Close Captions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Mori
Keyword(s):  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
Suitable Alternative ◽  
Limited Access ◽  
Closed Captions ◽  
Audio Information

While television and film technologies have changed according to user preferences, Closed Captions (CC) have suffered from a lack of innovation since their inception in the 1970’s. For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities CC provides only limited access to non-speech audio information. This thesis explores the usability of a new captioning application, EnACT that provides animated text for non-speech audio information such as the emotions portrayed and their corresponding intensities. Reactions from software users were collected and evaluated. Participants found the software easy to use and a suitable alternative to conventional CC options for non-speech audio however, they disliked the amount of time it took for them to adjust timing for the animations of the captions. Overall, participants rated EnACT easy to use and the task of assigning emotions and their corresponding intensities to the video script as relatively simple, however, additional emotional labels were requested by participants overall.

Accessible In-Flight Entertainment Systems for Blind and Deaf Passengers

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 7-13
Author(s):  
Caesar Eghtesadi ◽  
Larry Goldberg ◽  
Bradley Botkin ◽  
Trisha O’Connell
Keyword(s):  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Visual Content ◽  
Audio Description ◽  
Sensory Disabilities ◽  
Audio Information ◽  
The U.S

This article describes the development of a prototype accessible in-flight entertainment (IFE) system for people with sensory disabilities. For passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing, the system provides access to content through user-selectable caption display of audio information. Those who are blind or have low vision can find content via talking menus and audio description of key visual content. Findings support the feasibility of project solutions and informed development of recommendations for accessible designs within industry IFE standards. Results are under review by the U.S. Department of Transportation in support of a proposed supplemental rulemaking on requirements for accessible IFE systems.

scholarly journals Effects of Using Vibrotactile Feedback on Sound Localization by Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People in Virtual Environments

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (22) ◽  
pp. 2794
Author(s):  
Mohammadreza Mirzaei ◽  
Peter Kán ◽  
Hannes Kaufmann
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Sound Source ◽  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Immersive Virtual Reality ◽  
Spatial Awareness ◽  
Vibrotactile Feedback ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Audio Information ◽  
Completion Times

Sound source localization is important for spatial awareness and immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experiences. Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) persons have limitations in completing sound-related VR tasks efficiently because they perceive audio information differently. This paper presents and evaluates a special haptic VR suit that helps DHH persons efficiently complete sound-related VR tasks. Our proposed VR suit receives sound information from the VR environment wirelessly and indicates the direction of the sound source to the DHH user by using vibrotactile feedback. Our study suggests that using different setups of the VR suit can significantly improve VR task completion times compared to not using a VR suit. Additionally, the results of mounting haptic devices on different positions of users’ bodies indicate that DHH users can complete a VR task significantly faster when two vibro-motors are mounted on their arms and ears compared to their thighs. Our quantitative and qualitative analysis demonstrates that DHH persons prefer using the system without the VR suit and prefer mounting vibro-motors in their ears. In an additional study, we did not find a significant difference in task completion time when using four vibro-motors with the VR suit compared to using only two vibro-motors in users’ ears without the VR suit.

scholarly journals Saying “Thank You” for Quality Closed Captions: A Promising Shift in Inviting Access

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-268
Author(s):  
Cheryl Green
Keyword(s):  
Real Estate ◽  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Video Content ◽  
Spoken Dialogue ◽  
Video Images ◽  
Implicit Biases ◽  
Closed Captions

Even as deaf and hard of hearing filmmakers and activists repeatedly call for quality captions on all video content, many non-deaf filmmakers have managed to remain unaware of the need for and purpose of captions. Implicit biases drive many filmmakers to exclude access from their budgets and their films. These biases include a notion that caption users are not a viable audience, concerns that captions will threaten the beauty of video images by covering part of the screen, and an audist attitude that any level and quality of transcription of spoken dialogue must be adequate. The author is a hearing captioner and filmmaker. In this essay, she reflects on how she advocates for film accessibility through captions. She describes her strategy, how she frames “onscreen real estate,” and responses from filmmakers for captions, including the hopeful way that some say thank you. Quality captions are contrasted against woefully inadequate captions—or “craptions”—provided automatically by YouTube and by companies with cut-rate services. The author considers a focus on inviting access rather than waiting for a compliance-based method of only captioning a film when the filmmaker learns it is required.

Enhancing the inclusivity and accessibility of your online calls

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yo Yehudi ◽  
Kaitlin Stack Whitney ◽  
Malvika Sharan
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Video Conferencing ◽  
Community Building ◽  
Online Training ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Closed Captions ◽  
Post Hoc

Multinational video conferencing and online calls for training and community building have been commonplace for many organisations, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. These calls can be intended to be hands-on and interactive, but it requires conscious designing, pre-planning, and careful moderation in order to make them inclusive for a range of abilities. This article describes formats and tools for designing online training calls for accessibility. Measures include high-quality real-time or post-hoc transcriptions or closed-captions for spoken content in calls, providing writing-based interactive discussions, and consulting with experts and people with lived experience before any of these actions are implemented. Many of these options are cost-free, although sometimes for-pay alternatives may offer better accessibility if funding is possible. Finally, iteration and feedback are essential parts of accessibility design in participatory events including online calls. As organisers, we should accept that we may make mistakes and hence, ensure that we build pathways to enable evidence and experience-based improvements.These measures will aid participation for a broad audience but may be especially helpful for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, people for whom the call language isn’t their preferred language, and people who are not comfortable speaking in front of a group.

Measuring “Language Access Profiles” in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children With the DHH Language Exposure Assessment Tool

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Matthew L. Hall ◽  
Stephanie De Anda
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Communication Mode ◽  
Developmental Potential ◽  
Language Access ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Language Exposure ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

Purpose The purposes of this study were (a) to introduce “language access profiles” as a viable alternative construct to “communication mode” for describing experience with language input during early childhood for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children; (b) to describe the development of a new tool for measuring DHH children's language access profiles during infancy and toddlerhood; and (c) to evaluate the novelty, reliability, and validity of this tool. Method We adapted an existing retrospective parent report measure of early language experience (the Language Exposure Assessment Tool) to make it suitable for use with DHH populations. We administered the adapted instrument (DHH Language Exposure Assessment Tool [D-LEAT]) to the caregivers of 105 DHH children aged 12 years and younger. To measure convergent validity, we also administered another novel instrument: the Language Access Profile Tool. To measure test–retest reliability, half of the participants were interviewed again after 1 month. We identified groups of children with similar language access profiles by using hierarchical cluster analysis. Results The D-LEAT revealed DHH children's diverse experiences with access to language during infancy and toddlerhood. Cluster analysis groupings were markedly different from those derived from more traditional grouping rules (e.g., communication modes). Test–retest reliability was good, especially for the same-interviewer condition. Content, convergent, and face validity were strong. Conclusions To optimize DHH children's developmental potential, stakeholders who work at the individual and population levels would benefit from replacing communication mode with language access profiles. The D-LEAT is the first tool that aims to measure this novel construct. Despite limitations that future work aims to address, the present results demonstrate that the D-LEAT represents progress over the status quo.

Family Support in Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Systems

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-21
Author(s):  
Patti Martin ◽  
Nannette Nicholson ◽  
Charia Hall
Keyword(s):  
Family Support ◽  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Federal Law ◽  
Think Tank ◽  
Learning Collaborative ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Program Components

Family support has evolved from a buzzword of the 1990s to a concept founded in theory, mandated by federal law, valued across disciplines, and espoused by both parents and professionals. This emphasis on family-centered practices for families of young children with disabilities, coupled with federal policy initiatives and technological advances, served as the impetus for the development of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs (Nicholson & Martin, in press). White, Forsman, Eichwald, and Muñoz (2010) provide an excellent review of the evolution of EHDI systems, which include family support as one of their 9 components. The National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM), the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and the Center for Disease Control Centers cosponsored the first National EHDI Conference. This conference brought stakeholders including parents, practitioners, and researchers from diverse backgrounds together to form a learning collaborative (Forsman, 2002). Attendees represented a variety of state, national, and/or federal agencies and organizations. This forum focused effort on the development of EHDI programs infused with translating research into practices and policy. When NCHAM, recognizing the critical role of family support in the improvement of outcomes for both children and families, created a think tank to investigate the concept of a conference centered on support for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing in 2005, the “Investing in Family Support” (IFSC) conference was born. This conference was specifically designed to facilitate and enhance EHDI efforts within the family support arena. From this venue, a model of family support was conceptualized and has served as the cornerstone of the IFSC annual conference since 2006. Designed to be a functional framework, the IFSC model delineates where and how families find support. In this article, we will promote and encourage continued efforts towards defining operational measures and program components to ultimately quantify success as it relates to improved outcomes for these children and their families. The authors view this opportunity to revisit the theoretical underpinnings of family support, the emerging research in this area, and the basics of the IFSC Model of Family Support as a call to action. We challenge professionals who work with children identified as deaf or hard of hearing to move family support from conceptualization to practices that are grounded in evidence and ever mindful of the unique and dynamic nature of individual families.

The Colorado Journey Towards Optimal Outcomes for Children With Hearing Loss

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Yoshinaga-Itano
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Diverse Population ◽  
Language Outcomes ◽  
Maternal Bonding ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Optimal Outcomes ◽  
Outcomes For Children ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss

Abstract It is possible for children who are deaf or hard of hearing to attain language development comparable to their hearing peers, but these outcomes are not guaranteed. The population of children with hearing loss is a diverse population and although the variable of the age of identification is less variable, there are numerous variables that could potentially and have historically impacted language outcomes of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Variables such as hearing loss, maternal level of education, and maternal bonding can overcome the benefits of earlier identification and intervention.

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