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Cape Cod Chapter

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Information You Can Use

If you haven't checked out the free equipment available from the Massachusetts EDP, you should go to the website ASAP! The choices have expanded dramatically. Instead of the TTY for people with severe hearing loss, there is the Dialogue VCO phone which is a modified CAPTEL for the folks in Massachusetts who don't have access to CAPTEL, (unlike 48 other states). The Clarity Dialogue VCO is a powerful amplified, hearing aid compatible phone that allows you to make VCO calls through MassRelay. Simply speak into the handset, and then read the replies on the built-in screen. It is easy to use and no typing is required. The equipment is free if your income is under the guidelines, and is provided by the $.75 extra charge on everyone's phone bill.

  • Captioned Telephone Conversations--free phone calls.

hamiltoncaptel.com Hamilton Web Captel

How do people call me using Hamilton Web CapTel? The person calling you must first dial the toll free number 1-800-933-7219. At the prompt they will be asked to enter your telephone number and press #. Then, if you are logged on to the service through your Internet connection and waiting for Hamilton Web CapTel calls, the call will automatically appear on your screen at the same time your voice telephone line rings. Answer the voice line, and your conversation can begin. Please note that the "Waiting for call" button must be activated.

sprintcaptel.com Sprint

How can you call information? Use your local area's information 10 digit number, or toll free number. WebCapTel is designed to only accept 10 digit numbers at this time. Is there a human doing the captioning or is it voice-activated software? Currently humans do the captioning. They are fully certified to operate CapTel calls and all calls are kept completely confidential. They ensure that the captions are least 98% accurate with a 3 to 5 second delay from the time the words are spoken to the time they are captioned. Since voice recognition technology is not yet 98% accurate on its own, the trained captioners are there to ensure that level of accuracy.

  • New accessibility rules announced by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, take effect in 1 year. Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)

The text of the rule is available on the Internet at www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=DOT-OST-2004-19482

  • Cape Cod Disability Access Directory www.capecoddisability.org Find accessible places all over the Cape. by JAM Specialists, Jean Anne McLaughlin, Director.
  • Learn Sign Language

    • Do you know of a good sign language teacher, or are you looking for a sign language class. We are trying to match teachers and students. Please contact us.

  • Entertainment
    Been to the movies lately? SHHH Cape Cod members would love to have captioned movies shown at theatres on the Cape. (There are 61 movie screens on the Cape, and the Cape Cinema in Dennis is the only one which regularly shows subtitled movies.) At a recent CORD meeting, Mary Watkins, Outreach Manager for WGBH, explained about Rear Window Captioning® for people who are deaf, HH or blind. See the MOPIX website or Insight Cinema for more information. You can subscribe to the mailing list to find out what films are playing.
  • The Regal Theater at the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis shows an open captioned movie every day, at least once and sometimes twice. Titles change every week.
  • Open Captioned Live Theater Schedule: C2 (coalition caption) Inc. www.c2net.org/List.htm
  • Last legislative session, The Ryun Bill, Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act, to provide a $500 tax credit for each hearing aid purchased for dependents and adults over 55 sat iin the Ways and Means Committee. Happily, our own Congressman Delahunt has signed on as a co-sponsor. The comparable Senate introduced by Sen. Coleman of Minnesota, is also making little progress. And amazingly, neither of our senators, Kerry or Kennedy have signed on as co-sponsors. While not a generous or realistic compensation, this could be the difference between buying a T-coil or not. We all could find some use for this money, but the bills will continue to go nowhere unless we make contact with our representatives and senators.
GO TO: www.house.gov     www.senate.gov for homepages and email links.

For a bill summary and list of sponsors: thomas.loc.gov    see bill summary

Your local represenative--Congressman Bill Delahunt in Hyannis 508-771-0666 or www.house.gov/delahunt/
  • WHEN THE CAPTIONS DON'T PLAY ON YOUR TV, sometimes it is a matter of throwing a switch in the control room. Here's a handy list of addresses and phone numbers to contact. Unfortunately, it's hard to contact them after hours at these numbers.

    Go to the National Captioning Institute's Help desk at www.ncihelpdesk.org Click on links and download the Contact List.

  • The Tech Man, Dave Swanson, wrote an article in the May newsletter on Decibel measurement. Try out the Interactive Loudness Scale at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

  • Statistics from the Better Hearing Institute at www.betterhearing.org

    • IS HEARING LOSS COMMON? YES 28 million Americans, 10% of the population, experiences some form of hearing loss. Additionally, 78 million rockin' and rollin' Baby Boomers are approaching, what used to be called, "senior adulthood" and will probably experience a much greater incidence of hearing loss.

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© SHHHCape Cod       Last update 5.08