Initially the Apple iPhone, a relative newcomer to the Irish telecoms market, may seem to be just another gadget, but there’s a lot more to it. The iPhone 4 differs from its predecessors in being marketed for video calls, media consumption, web and e-mail access. Most relevantly, it supports the FaceTime application which none of
A recent question came in from the childcare sector. How are creche staff taught to manage a child’s hearing-devices (and a sound-field, if relevant)? This is a valid point. Devices like hearing-aids, cochlear implants and sound-fields can really benefit a child ‘picking up’ information in their environment, and to interact with creche staff and other
With today’s teens doing Transition Year work experience and internships to gain workplace skills, businesses need specific advice on hearing awareness. Multinationals, small businesses, retailers and corner shops can all make their service hearing-friendly to broaden their current customer bases and reduce unintentional discrimination during their daily operations. Some everyday tips from deaf people: For
Deaf students with good English language skills are able to learn European languages the same way they did English – visually, and through reading. The use of web-based videos in language-learning allows deaf students to simultaneously see + hear new words in the new language being learned. A good example is SpanishDict.com, the online Spanish
Universities in Ireland have used the Moodle interactive teaching system for years, while schools are just “getting it”. In this piece, we show how the universal design of the Moodle-based Connect School system gives seamless inclusion in class for all pupils. Connect School is a joint initiative of South Dublin County Council and St. Aidan’s
Late in 2009, South Africa’s “Got Talent” show announced its winner, a deaf hip-hop dancer named Darren Rajibal. The 19 year-old had danced for just four years when during a power cut he decided to entertain family and friends by dancing. Many of his moves were learned from internet videos. After the show, the lead
In recent years websites such as CaptionTube and independent services made videos and audio more accessible to deaf or hard of hearing people. In November 2009, Google announced the automatic captioning of videos on its YouTube site to boost captioning provision and support text indexing. Existing captioning services are not always user friendly or free.
A new study by the University of East Anglia (UEA) suggests computers are now better at lip-reading than humans. The performance of a computer based lip-reading system was compared to that of 19 human lip-readers. Results showed the computerised system was over 50% better at recognition than the humans completing the same task. Simultaneously, the
A low-cost way of video-streaming to use and distribute information online has been described in the US by Thomas McNeal Jr. and Landon Kearns. Their article, “Using Video Streaming: Setting up a Cheap System for Distributing Information to Teachers and Students” explores how to set up a streaming system, using tools readily available in classrooms.
Accessibility is a primary focus in modern education. Recent years have brought the introduction of new tools like CaptionTube (a captioning tool for YouTube videos), interactive whiteboards and now podcast transcripts. Teachers and lecturers can face challenges in preparing for a class where a student has hearing issues. If a teacher is showing a video
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