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Tech Tools for the Hard of Hearing

Assistive technology can improve people’s lives considerably. It promotes independence, productivity and inclusion to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. We live in a world that’s quickly evolving, and because of this, assistive technology is prime for innovation and production. Over 54 million Americans have a condition that requires some type of assistance throughout their day – so there’s plenty of need for assistive technology.

Improving the Classroom Experience for Hard of Hearing Students

This has already been a tough year for students and teachers, but as school doors open this fall and winter, they may experience more challenges than ever before. This is surely true for students with hearing loss… and for teachers that are new to accommodating these students. Teachers of course embrace the responsibility to teach every single student in the classroom. While students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may require accommodations to learn effectively, it’s up to the instructors and teachers to ensure proper schooling.

Teleworking: 5 Ways Relay Conference Captioning Can Help

We’re living in fast times. During the 21^st century, there have been tremendous strides made in communication technologies. Because of these technologies, people can work remotely. When work can be performed from home or anywhere with a Wi-Fi or wireless signal, it is sometimes expected. Knowing the ins and outs of conference captioning can make telework easier and accessible.  

What is Relay South Dakota?

The goal of Relay South Dakota is to help people who are deaf, are hard of hearing, are deaf-blind or have a speech disability to be a part of the conversation in an easy-to-use, affordable manner.

Sensorineural vs Conductive Hearing Loss

Even though hearing loss affects everyone differently and can be caused by many different reasons, there are two types of hearing loss that you need to know about: sensorineural and conductive. Understanding the differences between these two types can help you better understand your health and treatment options.

Day in the Life: Relay Communication Assistant (CA)

Communication Assistants, otherwise known as “CAs”, bring people together – literally! These hard-working professionals put the “relay” in Relay Services, acting as the vital telephone accessibility link for deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, low vision, or speech-disabled Americans. While their work is necessarily invisible, the people behind the onscreen characters stand out for their unwavering commitment, dedication and reliability. 

Hearing Loss Denial Can Hurt Relationships

Communication, verbal or non-verbal, is at the heart of every relationship we have. From a simple smile to sharing a story, nothing binds us together like conversation – and nothing keeps us connected like sharing time with family and friends. But for many of us, age-related hearing loss can lead to unintended rifts that start small and snowball into bigger issues over time.

History of Relay Service in America

Today’s Telecommunication Relay Service allows those with hearing loss the opportunity to use the telephone… but that wasn’t always the case. The invention of the telephone in the 19^th century was a modern marvel, yet people with hearing loss couldn’t take advantage of this exciting new technology for nearly 90 more years. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way.

Stay Connected with Remote Conference Captioning

Teamwork makes the dream work – especially when it comes to business conference calls. Relay Conference Captioning (RCC) empowers deaf and hard-of-hearing professionals with real-time, streamed captioning during conference calls and webinars.

It’s a must-have collaboration and communication tool for today’s high-productivity workplace.

What Is Listening Fatigue

Listening fatigue is a very real occurrence for many people, which affects both physical and cognitive areas. Listening fatigue comes from the extra amount of concentration used when following along with a conversation. Continuous listening takes a lot of attention and energy.  People tend to strain their brains whenever exerting a lot of effort and energy toward one thing. This is even more exemplified for people with hearing loss.

That’s why understanding and treating listening fatigue for people with hearing loss could be life-changing.