Universal Design Cover Feb 19 - Canadian Hearing Society · The Principles of Universal Design are...

Guidelines for Personswith Hearing Loss

&Universal Design

Barrier-FreeAccess

Researcher: Michel David, MSW

CANADIAN HARD OF HEARING ASSOCIATION

L’ASSOCIATION DESMALENTENDANTS CANADIENS

Disclaimer

Copyright © 2008 the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA)

All Rights Reserved. This document may be photocopied, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system ortransmitted in any form or by any means whether electronic, mechanical, or otherwise without the priorwritten permission of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA). However, CHHA should becredited for any information used accordingly.

Direct commercial exploitation is not permitted.

No warranty of accuracy is given concerning the contents of the information contained in this publica-tion. To the extent permitted by law no liability (including liability to any person by reason of negli-gence) will be accepted by CHHA its subsidiaries or employees for any direct or indirect loss or damagecaused by omissions from or inaccuracies in this document.

CHHA reserves the right to change details in this publication without notice.

Canadian Hard of Hearing Association2415 Holly Lane, Suite 205Ottawa, Ontario K1V 7P2

Voice: 613-526-1584TTY: 613-526-2692Fax: 613-526-4718

Toll-Free: 1-800-263-8068 (In Canada only) E-mail: [email protected]

Alternate format versions of the report are available at www.chha.ca

Dr. Charles A. LaszloPast President, CHHA National/Professor EmeritusDepartment of Electrical and ComputerEngineeringUniversity of British [email protected]

Mr. Colin CantlieHearing Awareness ConsultantPast President, CHHA National/Past Chair, Advisory Committee on AccessibleTransportation (ACAT)[email protected]

Dr. Marilyn Dahl Hearing Awareness Consultant/Past President, CHHA NationalPresident, CHHA Vancouver [email protected]

Mr. Duane SimpsonEE Special Projects Officer/ National Executive Co-Chair Defence Advisory Group for Persons withDisabilities/ Regional Co-Chair and BritishColumbia Regional Representative for the NationalCouncil of Federal Employees with [email protected]

Gratitude is also extended to CHHA staff and toconsumers for their guidance, advice, feedback,and suggestions.

March 2008 i

Guidelines for Persons with Hearing Loss

This project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Social DevelopmentPartnerships Program. “The opinions and interpretations in this publication are thoseof the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada.”

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by a generous grant from Human Resources Social DevelopmentCanada – Social Development Partnerships Programs, through the Office for Disability Issues.

The study was conducted by the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association. The ProjectCoordinator and author of this report, Michel David, MSW, wishes to thank his nationaladvisory committee consisting of:

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Wikipedia defines Universal Design as a relativelynew paradigm that emerged from “barrier-free”or “accessible design” and “assistive technology.The definition continues by stating that this newconcept provides a level of accessibility for peoplewith disabilities.

For most people the concept of universal designor barrier free access creates the image of awheelchair ramp to a building. However, for theCanadian Hard of Hearing Association the conceptof universal design is about accessible communi-cation, the ability to be able to understand andinteract with the world around them. Ten percentof the world’s population has some degree ofhearing loss making hearing loss the largest dis-ability in the world. These percentages are modestcompared to the incidence level expected in thecoming decades.

Hearing loss has enormous social, economic andemotional impact, affecting individuals, families andall members of the community. Communicationbreakdown is the primary effect of hearing losscreating issues in interpersonal relationships,educational participation, employment, and socio-economic status. Societal impacts are far-reaching interms of healthcare costs, poverty, loss of economicgains, and reduction in quality of life. Self-sufficiencyand individual well-being are adversely impacted.Society loses out when a significant portion of itsmembers are unable to communicate and partici-pate effectively; this affects not only the quality oflife, it also affects the economic viability of thecommunity.

Upon examination of the rising population ofpersons with hearing loss it became apparent thata Universal Design document focusing on accessfor persons with hearing loss would be a muchneeded and sought after resource tool. With assis-tance from Human Resource Social DevelopmentCanada, Social Development PartnershipsProgram, The Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation has attempted to fill this void withthis document; “Universal Design & Barrier-FreeAccess, Guidelines for Persons with HearingLoss” created by Michel David and his AdvisoryCommittee; Dr. Charles Laszlo, Dr. Marilyn Dahl,Mr. Colin Cantlie and Mr. Duane Simpson. Webelieve this resource guide has encapsulated thenecessary information required to ensure a“Universal Design” concept for all persons withhearing loss.

It is our intent that this document will providethe necessary information required to ensureaccessible communication will be prevalent inmainstream society thereby ensuring access forpersons with hearing loss everywhere.

Janice McNamaraExecutive DirectorCanadian Hard of Hearing Association

Foreword

DISCLAIMER .............................Inside front cover

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................i

FOREWORD .......................................................iii

ENDORSEMENTS ...............................................vi

TERMINOLOGY..................................................1

SECTION 1: PURPOSE .......................................2

SECTION 2: PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN (UD) ............................2

SECTION 3: LASZLO’S PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN FOR HARD OF HEARING ACCESS..3

SECTION 4: CODES, STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES...................................................4

SECTION 5: ROLE OF ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS AND PLANNERS:.......................5

SECTION 6: BEST PRACTICES AND POLICIES...6

UD PRINCIPLE: GOOD ACOUSTICS AND NOISE CONTROL ....................................................6

UD PRINCIPLE: APPROPRIATE VISUAL CONDITIONS..........................................................7

UD PRINCIPLE: BUILT-IN ALERTING SYSTEMS..........8

UD PRINCIPLE: INCLUDE AUGMENTED TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS...........................8

UD PRINCIPLE: PROVISION OF ASSISTIVE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES ......................9

UD PRINCIPLE: AWARENESS OF DESIGN ELEMENTS.............................................................10

SECTION 7: FACILITY-SPECIFIC GUIDELINES ..12

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ....................................12

CAFETERIAS, RESTAURANTS AND PUBS ................13

PLACES OF WORSHIP ............................................13

LIBRARIES ..............................................................13

BUSINESS, MERCANTILE AND CIVIC FACILITIES (BANKS AND SHOPS).................13

POLICE STATIONS, COURTS AND CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES...................................13

WASHROOMS FACILITIES ......................................14

TRANSPORTATION AND TRAVEL FACILITIES ..........14

HOTEL, MOTEL AND OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS............................................14

SCHOOLS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES .............................................................15

HEALTH CARE FACILITIES.......................................16

MUSEUMS, GALLERIES, THEATRES AND RESOURCE CENTRES .............................................17

PRIVATE, RETIREMENT AND LONG TERM CARE RESIDENCES.................................................17

SECTION 8: SERVICE-SPECIFIC GUIDELINES ...18

RADIO, TELEVISION AND FILMS ...........................18

WORKPLACE AND JOB INTERVIEWS ......................19

INTERNET – WEBSITES...........................................19

INFORMATION, RECEPTION AND SERVICE COUNTERS............................................................19

WALKING AND BUS TOURS ..................................19

CONFERENCES, EXHIBITIONS, WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS ...................................................20

MUNICIPAL, PROVINCIAL, FEDERAL ELECTIONS AND OTHER ELECTIONS ....................20

EMERGENCY SERVICES (FIRE, AMBULANCE, 911, SECURITY) .....................................................21

SECTION 9: RESOURCES .................................22

SECTION 10: BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................24

SECTION 11: GLOSSARY.................................28

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Table of Contents

vi March 2008


Endorsements

The Canadian Hard of Hearing Associationwishes to thank its partners who contributed to

the research and editing of this document:

http://www.caslpa.ca/http://www.kadis.com/ta/tinnitus.htm

http://www.voicefordeafkids.com http://www.hearcanada.com/

http://www.canadianaudiology.ca/ http://www.anac.ca/en/

To assure clarity in studies and reports, the defini-tion of terms used is always necessary. In the fieldof hearing loss proper definitions are exceptionallyimportant because there is much confusion aboutterminology. The definitions of hearing loss anddeafness are poorly understood not only by thegeneral population but also by researchers, ana-lysts, and planners.

Hearing loss can be defined in one of two ways:

1. Audiometric: the medical diagnosismade by a hearing healthcare professionalthat specifies the degree and configurationof hearing loss.

2. Functional: specifies how a person with ahearing loss functions in terms of language,communication mode, and preference.

The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association defineshard of hearing individuals as ‘a person who has ahearing loss and whose usual means of communi-cation is spoken language.’ This definitionincludes a broad spectrum of hearing loss, includ-ing those who are deafened and those deaf inchildhood and educated orally.

(Source: Canadian Hard of Hearing Association,Characteristics, and Needs of Persons with Hearing Loss,May 2007)

“The Canadian Association of the Deaf [CAD] rec-ognizes a person to be medically/audiologicallydeaf when that person has little or no functionalhearing and depends upon visual rather thanauditory communication. Visual means of com-munication include sign language, lipreading,speechreading, and reading and writing. The CADalso accepts the definition developed by GallaudetUniversity for use in the United States census:“Anyone who cannot understand speech (with orwithout hearing aids or other devices) usingsound alone (i.e. no visual cues such as lipread-ing) is deaf.” Source: (Canadian Association of theDeaf, Definition of Deaf, July 2002)

(For detailed definitions, refer to our glossary inSection 11 and to our website athttp://www.chha.ca/chha/projects-words.php).

Deaf and deafened persons do not generally ben-efit from audible warnings, devices, etc. They relymainly on visual cues that allow them to under-stand or be aware of their environments.

Hard of hearing persons on the other hand relyon both audible and visual signals and cues.

These differing needs should be kept in mindwhen developing plans for new buildings, reno-vating older ones, and providing meeting andevent accessibility.

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Terminology

2 March 2008

Section 1: Purpose of Document

The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association haslong recognized the need to compile a documentthat clearly states the barrier-free needs of hardof hearing persons in contrast to the needs ofother disabilities. Our experience is that hard ofhearing persons have not received the sameattention and consideration as those with mobili-ty and visual disabilities. Given the increasingattention that Universal Design and Barrier-Freeaccess is receiving from government organiza-tions intent on making Canadian facilities accessi-ble, it is time to put hearing loss at the forefrontof planning exercises.

When researching the Internet, researchers facethe problem of defining the needs of the twomajor groups with hearing loss. However, there isno body of academic publications that could becited. Various organizations have attempted toprovide guidelines in some areas such as educa-tion, and transportation, however there are fewdesign guidelines related to residences, mercan-tile, indoor entertainment facilities, outdoor recre-ation facilities or restaurants.

The purpose of this document is to provideresearchers, planners, and event coordinatorswith the information they require to make sounddecisions.

This document will:

■ Provide resources and information pertainingto the accessibility needs of persons withhearing loss.

■ Encourage the review and updating of existingstandards and guidelines to bring them intoline with current and future requirements ofthe population.

■ Foster discussion and continuing updating ofthis document to keep it relevant and useful.

Section 2: Principles of UniversalDesign (UD)

“Designing environments involves the considera-tion of many factors, including aesthetics, engi-neering options, environmental issues, industrystandards, safety concerns, and cost. Typically,products and environments are designed for theaverage user. In contrast, universal design (UD) is“the design of products and environments to beusable by all people, to the greatest extent possi-ble, without the need for adaptation or special-ized design” (http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/about_ud/about_ud.htm).

The Principles of Universal Design are defined bythe Centre for Universal Design as:

1. Equitable Use: The design is useful andmarketable to any group of users.

2. Flexibility in Use: The design accommo-dates a wide range of individual prefer-ences and abilities.

3. Simple and Intuitive Use: Use of thedesign is easy to understand.

4. Perceptible Information: The designcommunicates necessary information effec-tively to the user.

5. Tolerance for Error: The design mini-mizes hazards and the adverse conse-quences of accidental or unintentionalactions.

6. Low Physical Effort: The design can beused efficiently and comfortably.

7. Size and Space for Approach and Use:Appropriate size and space is provided forapproach and use.

Source: The Centre for Universal Design-http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/


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A standard bank of pay-phones is not accessibleto everyone. If one of those pay-phones hasText Telephone/TTY capability, the telephonebecomes accessible to everyone, regardless oftheir hearing acuity.

“When designers apply universal design principles,their products and environments meet the needsof potential users with a wide variety of character-istics. Hearing loss is just one of many characteris-tics that an individual might possess and should beconsidered when developing a product or environ-ment she and others might use”.

Source: http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/instruction.html

Making an environment accessible to people withhearing loss often benefits others. For example,captioning designed to make the audio portion offilm and TV programs accessible to those withhearing loss, is today often used by all patrons innoisy environments such as sports bars and inmuseums. When computer assisted realtime trans-lation (CART) is provided at conferences, theybecome accessible to more people, including sen-iors who do not wear hearing aids and newCanadians still perfecting their language skills.

It makes sense therefore to take into considerationthe needs of persons with hearing loss. But whatare those needs?

Section 3: Laszlo’s Principles ofDesign for Hard of Hearing Access

According to Dr. Charles Laszlo, FoundingPresident of the Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation, CM, OBC, PhD, PEng, CCE, ProfessorEmeritus, Department of Electrical and ComputerEngineering, University of British Columbia,“[when doing an Internet search on accessibilityfor persons with hearing loss]… Unfortunately,much of the information is repetitive and few, ifany, are formulated in terms of Universal DesignPrinciples.” Professor Laszlo has for years arguedthat the needs of hard of hearing persons mustsimilarly be recognized and formulated in termsof Universal Design Principles. The following tablesummarises the design elements to be considered.CHHA is the first organization to promote Laszlo’sPrinciples as the foundation for hard of hearingaccessibility and we encourage all architects,designers and planners to incorporate them intheir strategic plans, accessibility audits, eventsplanning, architectural and interior designs.


1. Design for good acoustics and noise control

2. Design for appropriate visual conditions,including placement of light sources, levelsof illumination and adequate signage

3. Non-acoustic alerting and notification systems are built-in

4. Augmented telecommunication systemsare included

5. Provisions for assistive communicationtechnologies are part of the organization’sBest Practices

6. The design includes awareness of theeffect of design elements on people withhearing loss

Source: Charles A. Laszlo, Private communication,2006

4 March 2008

Section 4: Codes, Standards andGuidelines

The laymen will come across many terms used byvarious government levels and organizationswhen preparing their accessibility plans. This sec-tion seeks to clarify the difference between Codes,Standards and Guidelines and help answer thequestion: “Why are some facilities accessible andothers less so, or not at all?”

National Building Codes (NBC): These codesapply to the construction or renovations of federalbuildings and structures including those of CrownCorporations and construction in those provinceswhich have adopted part or all of the NBC underprovincial acts. Buildings leased by theGovernment of Canada are not bound by TheNational Building Code but fall under ProvincialBuilding Code regulations.

“The National Building Code of Canada is amodel code whose principal objective is to set outrequirements and criteria to provide a minimumacceptable level of health and safety for occu-pants of buildings across Canada. As a modelcode, the NBC has no legal status unless adoptedor adapted by an authority having jurisdiction.Through adoption and adaptation, it serves as thebasis for all building regulation in Canada.”(Source: National Research Council).

Government departments and Crown corpora-tions must follow the National Building Code butare free to exceed its regulations.

Provincial Building Codes (PBC): Eachprovince has its own Building Code coveringconstruction. Builders may refer to the NationalBuilding Code for guidance, but there is noobligation or guarantee on their part that theywill duplicate it.

“Provincial codes are model National BuildingCodes, Fire Codes, and Plumbing Codes, that areadopted as they are or modified to suit localneeds. Once adopted these codes become thelegal regulations for construction for that provinceand are enforced by that province.” (Source: http://www.about-building-in-canada.com/provincial.html)

Municipalities must enforce provincial buildingcode regulations; however they are free to exceedthese regulations.

Canadian Standards Association (CSA): TheCSA “is a not-for-profit, non-statutory, voluntarymembership association engaged in standardsdevelopment and certification activities. CSA stan-dards reflect a national consensus of producersand users – including manufacturers, consumers,retailers, unions and professional organizationsand governmental agencies. The standards areused widely by industry and commerce and oftenadopted by municipal, provincial, and federalgovernments in their regulations, particularly inthe fields of health, safety, building and construc-tion, and the environment.” (Source: Neutropenia Support Association Inc.).

The Standards Council of Canada (SCA) isthe coordinating body of the National StandardsSystem, a federation of independent, autonomousorganizations working towards the future devel-opment and improvement of voluntary standardi-zation in the national interest.” (Source: Canadian Standards Association, CAN/CSAB651-M90)

Because the Barrier-Free Design standards devel-oped by the CSA and the SCA are voluntarystandards, they are not legally binding untiladopted and/or mandated by appropriate juris-dictions. Without such incorporation of stan-dards into regulations, builders are not obligatedto follow them.

FROM VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE TOINDUSTRY STANDARDS

In its role as the only national consumerassociation for the hard of hearing inCanada, the Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation strongly encourages municipal,provincial and national jurisdictions to adoptthe guidelines set forth in this document andadapt them to their existing or future acces-sibility plans. Voluntary compliance needsto be replaced by standards that areadopted and enforced by Industry.


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“Why are some facilities accessible andothers less so, or not at all?”

The most common reasons are:

1. The voluntary nature of the standards,unless adopted by a government is oneof many loopholes that allows con-struction of barrier-prone facilities.Unfortunately it is the cost of doingbusiness to the detriment of hard ofhearing citizens.

2. In order to protect businesses fromfinancial hardships, the barrier-freerequirements of building codes coveronly new construction or major renova-tions. Older buildings are often exemptfrom meeting accessibility standards andguidelines until they are due for majorrenovations.

3. Building codes, standards and guide-lines often recommend the minimumaccessibility standards acceptable.There is no incentive for the architect/construction company to provide morethan this minimum. This is possibly dueto the limited awareness of architectsand designers and the possible addi-tional costs involved. Awareness train-ing of both designers and project spon-sors is essential.

4. Since national, provincial, municipalcodes may differ, the accessibility provid-ed may differ substantially even thoughthe facilities constructed/renovated mayall be in the same city.

Section 5: Role of Architects,Designers And Planners

Architects, Designers, Managers, and EventPlanners play a special role in ensuring that build-ing constructions and renovations, Building Codesand existing Standards and Guidelines used bytheir facility exceed the minimum requirementspresently in use. Minimum requirements will nolonger stand court challenges under the HumanRights Acts.

5.1 City Planners, Architects, Policy Analysts,Administrators, Building Management,Interior Designers, Events Planners andLandscape Architects should take into con-sideration guidelines and standards that

(Source: Canadian Association of Speech-LanguagePathologists and Audiologists, 2000)

(Source: Participation and Activity Limitation Survey(PALS), Statistics Canada, 2001)


MEET:

■ the needs of persons with hearing loss

■ regulatory requirements (municipal, provincial and federal)

ANTICIPATE:

■ the future requirements of their facilitiesgiven the rise in noise induced hearingloss in youth who use unprotected musicplayers

■ The future requirements of our agingpopulation. More than half of all individu-als over the age of 75 (56%) report somedegree of hearing loss

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5.2 The multiple roles of the organization asboth service provider and employer willinfluence the degree, scope, standards,and guidelines to be used.

5.3 The organization needs to examine itsprocedures and infrastructure in a step-by-step process that identifies and elimi-nates all barriers to communication. Asample Communication AccessibilityChecklist can be downloaded fromCHHA at http://www.chha.ca/chha/ projects-communication.php

5.4 Annual accessibility reports shall identifysteps to be taken over time to removeidentified barriers and to preventnew ones.

5.5 To achieve effective, efficient, and eco-nomical outcomes, organizations needto consider integrating accessibility plan-ning into their business planning cycles.

5.6 Accessibility standards and guidelinesshould be made available for public con-sultation as part of the organization’saccountability to the community.

5.7 Under provincial and federal HumanRights Acts, organizations are required toaccommodate the needs of individuals,except where this would cause unduehardship to the service provider.However, the modest costs involved inproviding effective accessibility has madethe assertion of undue hardship a virtualnon-issue which the courts could dismisswithout detailed analysis.

Section 6: Best Practices and Policies

UD PRINCIPLE: GOOD ACOUSTICS &NOISE CONTROL

6.0 DESIRABLE ACOUSTICS – Rooms needto be designed for proper reverberationand attenuation of sound:

a. Too little or too much furnishing willaffect comprehension

b. Piped-in music, waterfalls and foun-tains, radios, air conditioners, fluores-cent lighting and open windows are allpotential sources of noise that requirereduction or elimination

c. Sound reverberation and attenuationcan be controlled through the judi-cious use of carpeting, lowered ceil-ings, textured wall paper or wall sur-faces and the use of sound reducingchair and table leg covers

d. When choosing material for plumbing,heating and air ducts, designers needto consider choosing the quietestdevices, pipes and fixtures to furtherreduce noise

e. Designers need to consider locatingrooms that are potentially noisy suchas lunch rooms, copying rooms, etc.,away from lecture halls, offices andwherever persons with hearing lossmay work or gather

f. Investigate and remedy all causes ofextraneous noise


6.1 PROVIDE TV CAPTIONING –Televisions used in hotel rooms, restau-rants, pubs, meeting rooms, etc., shouldbe capable of displaying captions. Theprovision of Open Captioning is recom-mended for the benefit of all clients,especially in a noisy area. In public ven-ues, TVs need to be defaulted to OpenCaptioning and the proprietor needs tostand by the policy. It is imperative foreveryone to have accessible communica-tion at all public venues.

6.2 MAKE USE OF ALDs – AssistiveListening Devices (ALDs) are technicaldevices that make communication easierin difficult listening environments. Theyare used to minimize the effects ofnoise, echoes, and distortion when ahard of hearing person must listen tospeakers at a distance or a noisy place.There are three types of ALDs:Frequency Modulation (FM), Infrared(IR) and Audio Loop (AL). Wiring forsound amplification systems should beconsidered when building or renovating.

6.3 PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS – ALDscan work in conjunction with publicaddress systems providing the personwith hearing loss high acoustic claritywithout distortion. Public address sys-tems are notorious sources of noise forpersons with hearing loss and nolonger need to be sources of frustra-tion. Public address systems can also bejoined with text-communication sys-tems to provide both audio and visualmessaging capabilities.

UD PRINCIPLE: APPROPRIATE VISUALCONDITIONS

6.4 INDOOR LIGHTING – Adequate ambi-ent and artificial lighting is important forspeechreading or watching sign lan-guage interpreters. Designers need toconsider that certain lighting situationscan be a detriment to persons who usevisual clues to help them understand thespeaker. Ambient light can be controlledby the architect’s judicious placement ofwindows and where he decides to locatethe building on the lot, or controlled bythe use of curtains in older buildings.Artificial light should likewise be control-lable through dimmers and spot lights.

6.5 OUTDOOR LIGHTING – At night ade-quate artificial light is important forspeechreading and safety reasons.

6.6 ACCESSIBLE SEATING – Meetingrooms should be designed so that allmembers of the audience have clearsight-lines to the speaker. Further, thedesign must ensure that speakers cannotbe placed in front of a window.

6.7 INFORMATIONAL SIGNAGE –Internationally accepted signs and sym-bols provide persons with hearing lossvisual cues about which accessibility serv-ices are provided by the organization.

6.8 DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE – Adequatesigns and symbols provide persons withhearing loss visual cues about the direc-tion to various services, business loca-tions, floor numbers and level locationin parking lots. It is recommended thatCNIB standards for contrasts and coloursbe adopted.

(Source: The Canadian National Institute for the Blindand Transport Canada: “Design Guidelines for Meetingthe Access Needs of Blind and Visually ImpairedTravelers in Transportation Terminals” 1989)

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6.9 MAKE USE OF RECOGNIZED SYMBOLS – Accessible facilities shouldbe identified by the internationallyaccepted symbols of hearing loss accessi-bility. Organizations are strongly encour-aged to use the designated symbol in alltheir promotional activities.

6.10 ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS –Kiosks, point of sales, and other interac-tive transaction machines require textmessages in conjunction with audiomessages.

UD PRINCIPLE: BUILT-IN ALERTING SYSTEMS

6.11 NON-ACOUSTIC EMERGENCYALARMS – Alarms that light and flash inconjunction and in unison with audibleemergency signals are required and leg-islated in some provinces.

Research supports the findings thatlower frequencies are more effective forall building occupants, including thosewho are hard of hearing.

Non-acoustic notification should be con-sidered for use in, but not limited to:

a. Fire/smoke alarms in public facilitiesand private residences

b. Security entrances, gates and barriers

c. Emergency alarms and sirens

d. Fire station sirens warning road trafficto beware

e. Telephone ringers

f. Door bells

g. Microwave ovens

h. Oven timers

i. Electronic kiosks (ex. automated banktellers)

j. Perimeter, baby and similar monitors

k. End-of-class and end-of-period buzzers

l. Elevator alarms

UD PRINCIPLE: INCLUDE AUGMENTED TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

6.12 DO NOT DEPEND ON THE TELE-PHONE – The organization should notrely on the telephone as their primarycommunication tool with hard of hear-ing customers. Since they cannot hear,or have problems understanding whenusing telephones, persons with hearingloss often prefer to use alternative com-munication modes when made available.Preferred alternatives include but are notlimited to Text Telephones (TTY), fax,email and instant messaging networks(ex. MSN and Skype).

6.13 USE MESSAGE RELAY SERVICES(MRS) – MRS is a free service providedby major telephone companies thatallows persons with Text Telephones tocall those who do not have a TextTelephone, or vice versa. Organizationsshould make their staff aware of theservice and consider integrating it aspart of their normal business practices.

6.14 SIMPLIFY INQUIRIES – Provide a toll-free inquiries line for Text Telephoneusers. Email inquiry lines should beavailable.

6.15 PROVIDE TEXT MESSAGING – Kiosks,point of sales and other interactive trans-action machines, including restaurantdrive-throughs require text messages inconjunction with audio messages.

6.16 PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS – SeeSec. 6.3

6.17 PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE TELEPHONES –Accessible telephones (TTY, volume con-trol and hearing aid compatible (emit-ting an electromagnetic field accessibleto a hearing aid’s Telecoil) should beprovided by employers and merchants,in elevator and taxi telephones.

8 March 2008


6.18 PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE PAY-PHONES –Public Pay-TTY Telephones should beavailable at every cluster of public pay-phones. The Canadian Radio-televisionand Telecommunication Commission(CRTC) requires that “for all new pay tele-phone installations and pay telephonereplacements in banks of pay telephones,the Commission directs Bell Canada et al.and TCI to equip at least one of the paytelephones with a TTY unit.”(Source: Telecom Decision CRTC 2004-47-144).

6.19 IDENTIFY ACCESSIBLE TELEPHONES– Accessible telephones should be clearlyidentified. (See Sec. 6.9)

UD PRINCIPLE: PROVISION OF ASSIS-TIVE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

6.20 PROVIDE AN ASSISTIVE LISTENINGDEVICE (ALD) – Assistive ListeningDevices (See Sec. 6.2) are devices thatmake communication easier in difficultlistening environments. ALDs should beprovided in recreational facilities, the-atres, conference centres other places ofassembly such as meeting rooms, audi-toria and classrooms. The successful useof ALDs depends on the appropriateprovision of hearing aid compatibleaccessories such as headsets, ear-buds,neckloops and silhouettes.

6.21 PROVIDE PRINTED RESOURCES –Persons with hearing loss benefit byreading material and handouts ahead ofany meeting. Having read the materialahead of time they are better preparedto expect certain words when speech-reading. For similar reasons, materialsshould be provided to communicationproviders ahead of meetings (Captionersand Interpreters).

6.22 ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS – SeeSec. 6.10

6.23 CASH REGISTERS – The LCD or otherdisplay of the price on the cash regis-ters should face outward towards thecustomer.

6.24 PROVIDE TV CAPTIONING – SeeSec. 6.1

6.25 PROVIDE COMPUTER ASSISTEDREALTIME TRANSLATION (CART) –Another type of interpretation, CARTprovides visual text with nearly instanta-neous translation of the spoken word.The CART provider types the speaker’swords on a stenographic machine whichis connected to a computer with soft-ware to translate the stenographic codeinto English. The translation can then beread on the computer screen; for largergroup events the CART text can be dis-played on a large video screen or pro-jected onto the wall. CART can be pro-vided remotely through an Internet andtelephone link. Not all meetings requirethe use of CART but if offered, CART canprovide a transcript of the proceedingsand facilitate the understanding of allthe meeting’s participants, especially infacilities with poor acoustics.


6.27 PAD AND PAPER – The oldest form ofeffective communication technology isoften the only low-tech requirement staffmay need to communicate effectively.

March 2008 9


UD PRINCIPLE: AWARENESS OF DESIGNELEMENTS

6.28 EVALUATE THE DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR SPACE –The design of interior and exterior spacehas a major impact on the ability of hardof hearing people to function and onthe steps that should be taken to servepersons with hearing loss. For this rea-son, the design characteristics of thespace and environment in which servicesare delivered must be evaluated.

6.29 BEWARE OPEN SPACE DESIGNS –Open Space Designs provide sight andlight solutions that benefit persons withhearing loss, but acoustics are general-ly worse. The problem does not affectonly hard of hearing people. OpenSpace Designs are noisy with theincreased use of cell phones, computers,copiers, and human interactions. Whileclear lines of sight to speakers andalarms via office doors and walls withwindows, adequate lighting, corner mir-rors, and similar Open Space Designsolutions are beneficial, the need to vig-orously control acoustical and noiseaspects should be a major concern toInterior Designers.

6.30 ARCHITECTURAL LANDSCAPEDESIGN – Consideration should begiven to the following:

a. Locate the building on the lot thatfaces away from environmental noisesuch as roads

b. Locate the building on the lot thatfaces away from the rising and settingsun in order to control ambient light

c. Provide a clear line of sight for personswith hearing loss to entrances, exits,band shells and other venues

d. Landscaping should take into consider-ation the necessity to reduce noise butstill allow a clear line of sight

e. Garden landscaping, ornaments andplant material should also take intoconsideration the need for visual cuesfor the hard of hearing

6.31 BEWARE ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE (EMI) – “…Electro-magnetic fields are the by-product ofmany electrical devices and ystems, suchas fluorescent lighting, electric motors,and electric power lines. Many moderndigital devices, such as computers, elec-tronic game systems, and microproces-sor-controlled equipment, have switch-ing rates whose frequencies can produceinterference (EMI). Digital wireless tele-phones, wireless local area networks andother data transmission devices thatoperate at high frequencies can alsocause interference problems for listenerswhose hearing aids contain telecoils.There are also naturally occurringsources of electromagnetic fields, such asthose created by lightning and perhapsmost commonly, electrostaticcharges…[Electromagnetic] fields can beserious sources of interference for hear-ing aids being operated in the telecoil(T-coil) setting to use telephones andassistive listening devices (ALDs).Interference can be experienced as ahum, buzz, crackle, or feedback whinethrough a hearing aid, competing withand often entirely masking the soundsource one is trying to hear… Guidanceon the application of various interferencereduction techniques is readily availablefrom a number of books and othersources. Measurement of hearing aidsfrom a number of manufacturers hasdemonstrated that the levels of immuni-ty recommended by ANSI C63.19“American National Standard for Methodsof Measurement of Compatibility betweenWireless Communications Devices andHearing Aids” are quite achievable and in

10 March 2008


fact are available in a number of com-mercially available products today”. (Source: Access Board Research).

The EMI aspects should always be con-sidered by the electrical designer, usuallya consulting engineer. For example, theuse of single-phase motors requires theflow of large currents in the wires andthese generate magnetic fields.Depending on where the wires run,these fields may interfere with loops andhearing aids. The use of three-phasemotors eliminates the problem.

6.32 MAKE USE OF ACOUSTICAL CONSUL-TANTS – Sections 6.28-6.32 are guide-lines only. In the evaluation of existingspaces and in the design of new indoorand outdoor environments, the use ofacoustical consultants experienced inhard of hearing needs is highly recom-mended.

6.33 USE CHECKLISTS – Communicationand Accessibility Checklists specificallydesigned with the needs of persons withhearing loss are useful tools when plan-ning or designing accessibility compo-nents. Their use is highly recommended.A sample Communication AccessibilityChecklist can be downloaded fromCHHA at http://www.chha.ca/chha/ projects-communication.php

6.34 EXCEED MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS –The minimum accessibility require-ments of building codes, guidelines andstandards provide for basic and ofteninadequate accessibility of facilities. Thegrowing population of persons withhearing loss requires organizations tomaximize their accessibility provision.Exceeding the accessibility require-ments of building codes is economical,efficient and effective and will reducethe possibility of challenges under theHuman Rights Acts.

6.35 INVESTIGATE – Investigate to deter-mine what emergencies might dispro-portionately affect building occupantswho receive your services and what non-acoustic alerting devices, systems, andprocedures could be provided to addresstheir needs. This may require the provi-sion of appropriate fire alarms. To ensurepersons with hearing loss are aware ofemergency signals alarms should provideboth visual and auditory signals.

6.36 RECEPTION AND FRONT ENTRANCES –In tandem with appropriate signage, theprovision of ALDs, accessible telephonesand good acoustics in reception rooms,the organization’s front-line staff shouldreceive awareness training in communi-cating with persons with hearing loss.Such training is available online or fromlocal community resources.

6.37 DEVELOP KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF –Participation in Hearing Awareness andSensitivity Training helps staff (minimumof all front line workers in contact withcustomer) feel comfortable in servingpersons with hearing loss. Annualrefresher training is necessary to ensurethat new and summer staff continues toprovide the organization’s mandatedlevel of service. Staff training should beprovided in conjunction with and as partof a Best Practices Policy.

6.38 DEVELOP A BEST PRACTICES POLICY – The organization’s BestPractices Policy should include staffwhen preparing policy. The Policyshould include proven solutions tocommon problems such as:

a. How to speak to hard of hearingclients

b. What community resources are avail-able and how to contact them

c. Where technical devices are availablein the facility and how to obtain them

March 2008 11


12 March 2008

d. How to troubleshoot assistive listeningdevices

e. How to prepare for meetings andinterviews

f. How to communicate by telephone,TTY, etc.

6.39 IDENTIFY CLIENTS – Organizationsshould consider keeping a database oftheir clients who have hearing loss. Bymarking their files with a code or accesssymbol, they are helping their staff pro-vide appropriate services. Privacy legisla-tion should be taken into account beforesuch measures are taken.

6.40 ENCOURAGE EMERGENCY PRE-PAREDNESS – Awareness training is atwo-way street. Persons who are hard ofhearing will benefit from emergencypreparedness in the same manner thatstaff will benefit from communicationand sensitivity training. Provide hard ofhearing persons with written material onwhat to do in an emergency. (SeeBibliography for one possible source)

6.41 PROMOTE/ADVERTISE YOUR SER-VICE – To ensure that accessible servicesfor persons with hearing loss are used byconsumers, organizations are encour-aged to promote and advertise theiravailability in corporate websites,brochures, posters and all other meansof advertising and promotion.

Section 7: Facility-Specific Guidelines

7.0 SECTION 7 CANNOT BE USED IN ISO-LATION.

SECTION 6 MUST BE READ AND ITSGUIDELINES TAKEN INTO CONSIDER-ATION WITH THE ADDITIONALFACILITY-SPECIFIC GUIDELINES PRO-VIDED BELOW.

7.1 RECREATIONAL FACILITIES (BAND,FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, AND OTHERSTANDS, SPORTSPLEXES, SWIM-MING POOLS, ETC.)

7.2 SEE SECTION 6: BEST PRACTICES ANDPOLICIES

7.3 PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS – TheAssistive Listening Devices noted earliercan work in conjunction with publicaddress systems providing the personwith hearing loss high acoustic claritywithout distortion. Public address sys-tems are notorious sources of noise forpersons with hearing loss and no longerneed to be sources of frustration. Publicaddress systems can also be joined withtext-communication systems to provideaudio and visual messaging capabilities.

7.4 ELECTRONIC BILLBOARDS – Also knownas Jumbotrons, provide excellent meansfor captioning, video, and emergencymessages. Provide CART through thismode.


7.5 CAFETERIAS, RESTAURANTS ANDPUBS


7.7 UP-TO-DATE MENUS including the“Day’s Special” increases comprehensionand maximizes communication betweenclient and servers. Text informationshould be between 12-18 pt. For WebPages, font sizes should be adjustable bythe user. (Source: Canadian National Institute for theBlind. Clear Print Accessibility Guidelines)

7.8 QUIET SEATING AREAS without back-ground music improves customer satis-faction and maximizes communicationbetween client and servers.

7.9 DINING ROOMS – Increasingly, eatingestablishments are providing the com-forts of home. Many requirements ofresidential dining, living and kitchen aresimilar to those in an eating establish-ment. See Sec. 7.71-7.79

7.10 ADEQUATE LIGHTING – Care should begiven to providing adequate lighting sodiners can speechread one another easily.

7.11 PLACES OF WORSHIP


7.13 PROVIDE COPIES OF SERMONS ANDORDER OF SERVICES – Helps parish-ioners follow along with the spokencommunication.

7.14 DIRECTIONAL AND INFORMATIONALSIGNAGE – Adequate signs and symbolsprovide persons with hearing loss visualcues about the direction to variousrooms and information about the facilityand its services. It is recommended thatCNIB standards for contrasts and coloursbe adopted.

7.15 LIBRARIES


7.17 ONLINE SERVICES – Computer-basedservices are greatly appreciated by per-sons with hearing loss who might other-wise struggle through a telephone con-versation to find information such asbusiness hours, locations, or an updateof their account.

7.18 DIRECTIONAL AND INFORMATIONALSIGNAGE – See Sec 6.7 and 6.8

7.19 BUSINESS, MERCANTILE AND CIVICFACILITIES (INCLUDING BANKS ANDSHOPS)


7.21 AUDIO LOOP SYSTEMS (COUNTERAND FLOOR LOOPS) – Portable ver-sions used at customer service countersare recommended and beneficial inhigh noise areas.

7.22 POLICE STATIONS, COURTS, ANDCORRECTIONAL FACILITIES


7.24 STAFF AWARENESS TRAINING – Due tothe special nature of interactionsbetween staff, accused and inmates withhearing loss in correctional facilities, staffawareness and training in the needs andbehaviour of persons with hearing loss isespecially important.

7.25 PROVIDE SIGN LANGUAGE INTER-PRETERS – Accused and inmates whorequire sign language interpreters tocommunicate should be accommodatedto benefit from rehabilitation programs.

March 2008 13


7.26 PROVIDE HEARING AIDS AND DEVICES –The hard of hearing accused or inmateshould be provided with an assistive listening device to work with the hearingaid to fully benefit from rehabilitationprograms and therapies. Telephones andtelevisions should likewise be accessibleto allow them access to social and recre-ational opportunities.

7.27 PROVIDE PRINT INTERPRETERS (CART) –See Sec. 6.25

7.28 ACCESSIBLE CELLS – Accessible cells forpersons with hearing loss are requiredin correctional facilities. Cells and pub-lic rooms should be equipped withaudible emergency warning systems,hearing aid compatible telephones, ortext-based telephones and captionedcapable televisions.

7.29 WASHROOM FACILITIES



7.32 NON-ACOUSTIC EMERGENCY ALARMS –See Sec. 6.11

7.33 TRANSPORTATION AND TRAVELFACILITIES


7.35 WEB-BASED TRAVEL PLANNERS –Facilities are encouraged to provideWeb-based travel planners and informa-tion retrieval.

7.36 PROVIDE TEXT MESSAGING – SeeSec. 6.3 and 6.15

7.37 PROVIDE CAPTIONED COMMUNICA-TION DURING AIR TRAVEL – Captionedsafety videos, in-flight movies, in-flightcommunication and captioning turnedon at all airport TVs should be providedas part of the air carrier’s and terminal’sBest Practices policy.

7.38 HOTEL, MOTEL AND OTHER ACCOMMODATION


7.40 ABIDE BY ACCESS CANADA GUIDELINES –Access Canada is a program of the HotelAssociation of Canada designed to meetthe needs of seniors and people withdisabilities. Participating establishmentswill display the Access Canada logo withtheir designated level. The access levelsthat meet the needs of persons withhearing loss are A-3 and A-4. http://tourismmall.victoria.bc.ca/access.htm

7.41 PORTABLE HOTEL ACCESSIBILITY KITS –A kit should be available when requestedby hard of hearing guests. The kit shouldinclude a TTY, ALDs (to warn of doorbells/knocks, alarm clocks), and a tele-phone amplifier. Hearing awarenessmaterial for hotel staff should also beavailable to familiarize themselves withthe equipment and how to communi-cate with their guests.

7.42 NON-ACOUSTIC FIRE ALARMS – Alarmsthat light and flash in conjunction and inunison with audible emergency signalsare required and legislated in someprovinces. Regardless of their availability,the Best Practices Policy of the hotelshould train staff to individually alerthard of hearing persons of fire alarms.

7.43 RECEPTION TTY – Reception areas requirea TTY to be able to accept internal callsfrom guests using a TTY in their rooms.

14 March 2008


7.44 PROVIDE TV CAPTIONING – Older tele-visions in hotel rooms should bephased out and replaced with TVscapable of displaying captions. Remotecontrols MUST allow control of thecaptioning feature.

7.45 SCHOOLS AND OTHER EDUCATION-AL FACILITIES


7.47 MAKE USE OF EDUCATIONAL AUDIOLO-GISTS – Similarly to section 6.32, thereader is encouraged to consult withEducational Audiologists in the evalua-tion of classroom spaces and in thedesign of new indoor and outdoor envi-ronments. The use of these consultantsis recommended for building acoustical-ly friendly classrooms and recommend-ing the best amplification technology forthe selected environment.

7.48 USE “RAMPS” – RAMPS “is an acronymfor a method of managing noise, rever-beration and speaker-listener distancesin the classrooms”.

RAMPS promotes 5 strategies:

■ Reduce Noise (by using sound absorb-ing surfaces)

■ Amplify teacher and student voices(amplification systems and sound-fieldsystems)

■ Manage noise, reverberation and dis-tance (reducing background noise byclosing doors, turning machines off,closing windows and landscaping)

■ Parents and professionals workingtogether (special education advisorycommittees and parents advocate foracoustical upgrades and help raise funds)

■ Student strategies (appropriate seating, peerhelp with P.A. announcements, print versions ofmaterial provided in an audio format)

(Source: VOICE for Hearing Impaired Childrenhttp://www.voicefordeafkids.com/PDFs/Managing_Noise.pdf

7.49 RECEPTION TTY – Reception areasrequire a TTY to be able to accept exter-nal calls from parents who use TTYs.

7.50 PROVIDE ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICEKITS – A kit should be available whenrequested by hard of hearing students inresidence. The kit should include a TTY,ALDs (to warn of door bells/knocks, alarmclocks), and a telephone amplifier).Hearing awareness material should beavailable to residence staff to familiarizethemselves with the equipment and howto communicate with their students.

It is equally important that hearing stu-dents are also made aware of the needs ofhard of hearing students and the reasonwhy they use assistive listening devices.

7.51 PROVIDE TV CAPTIONING – Older tele-visions in classrooms should be phasedout and replaced with TVs capable ofdisplaying captions. Remote controlsshould allow control of the captioningfeature.

7.52 INTERPRETERS AND COMPUTER NOTE-TAKERS – Lectures should be provided inthe alternative format preferred by thestudent (i.e. CART/ASL/LSQ).

7.53 INTEGRATE ANSI S12.60-2002 AmericanNational Standard Acoustical PerformanceCriteria, Design Requirements, andGuidelines for Schools into the design ofall educational facilities. Since there is amajor effort under way to alignCanadian and US standards, it is appro-priate to call attention to this standard.

March 2008 15


The ANSI S12.60-2002 standard pro-vides excellent guidelines for acousticalperformance and it should be followedin both adapting of classrooms toaccommodate hard of hearing studentsand in new designs generally. The stan-dard was motivated by research thatshows that student performance gener-ally is negatively influenced by noise andpoor acoustics.

7.54 HEALTH CARE FACILITIES (HOSPI-TALS, CLINICS, ETC.)


7.56 RECEPTION AREAS – Staff require hear-ing awareness training to better commu-nicate with patients. TTY telephones arealso required for both incoming callsand guest telephones. Informational sig-nage should be prominently displayed.

7.57 REGISTRATION AND BOOKING ROOMS –These rooms are often a source of noise.Patients with hearing loss should beoffered the choice of a quiet room or anAssistive Listening Device.

7.58 IDENTIFICATION – To inform rotatingstaff about the communication needs ofhard of hearing clients, patients shouldbe asked permission to identify theirchart indicating they are a person withhearing loss. This can be achieved bydisplaying a notice or a symbol on theirchart and at the end of their beds.

7.59 PROVIDE TV CAPTIONING – Televisionsin waiting rooms and patient’s roomsshould support Open or ClosedCaptioning. Signage informing patientsof this service should be prominent andstaff should know how to turn the cap-tioning on and off. See Sec. 6.1

7.60 ACCESSIBILITY KIT – A kit should beavailable on each floor so the nursingstation can provide one as requested.The kit should include a TTY, and anALD. Hearing awareness material shouldbe included for nursing staff to familiar-ize themselves with the equipment andhow to communicate with their patient.

7.61 SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS –American Sign Language (ASL) orLangue des signes québécoise (LSQ)interpreters are required when profes-sionals requested by the patient for allregistrations, pre-bookings and consulta-tions with doctors and other health care.

7.62 NOTETAKING – Patients who do notknow sign language should be providedwith alternative communication services.Some health centres have used comput-er notetaking with laptops, and in somecircumstances even CART services havebeen justified. When all else fails padand paper is a very effective technology.

7.63 ESTABLISH A BEST PRACTICES POLICY –


Pre-admission procedures need to takeinto account:

a. Type of hearing loss and special needs

b. How to inform doctor, surgeon, anaes-thesiologist, nurses and orderlies of thecommunication needs of the patient

c. How to communicate with the patient

d. Policy regarding removal of hearingaids prior to surgery

e. What devices are available from thehospital and how to request them

16 March 2008


7.65 MUSEUMS, GALLERIES, THEATRESAND RESOURCE CENTRES


7.67 RECEPTION AREAS – Staff require hear-ing awareness training to better commu-nicate with patients. TTY telephones arealso required for both incoming callsand guest telephones. Informational sig-nage should be prominently displayed.

7.68 UPGRADE TV AND VIDEO CONSOLES –Older televisions and video consolesshould be phased out and replaced withTVs capable of displaying captions.Open captions are useful to all patrons,especially in noisy environments.

7.69 TOUR GUIDES: Visitors should have achoice of touring the facility using oneof these accessibility strategies:

a. Acousti-guides (Audio + Hard copy oftext)

b. Audio + Text Tours (Audio + Video ona hand held PDA) make tour culturalattractions accessible with completeindependence

c. Sign language interpreters for personswho do not use their residual hearing

d. Specially trained guides and docentsusing Assistive Listening Devices for visi-tors with hearing loss who prefer tospeechread and follow the regular tours.

7.70 OPEN CAPTIONING: All films and videosand clips shown in theatres and comput-er consoles should have text information(subtitles or Open Captioning) providedalong with the audio components.

7.71 PRIVATE, RETIREMENT AND LONGTERM CARE RESIDENCES


7.73 FRONT ENTRANCES – Certain AssistiveListening Devices can replace the audito-ry signals that are not being heard. AHearing Ear Dog will accomplish thesame task and offer companionship andprotection.

7.74 LIVING ROOM – The living room is apotential source of noise if not designedand furnished properly. Carpeting, uncov-ered windows, bare walls, high ceilingsand background noise (fans, radios, openwindows, etc.) require attention.

7.75 KITCHEN – Often a high noise area dueto the fan in range hoods, radios, clinkingdishes, running water, etc. This areaneeds to be regarded as the least accessi-ble part of a home. When speaking to ahard of hearing person in the kitchenalways:

a. Face the person when speaking

b. Turn off sources of noise such as fans,dishwashers, radios and water taps

c. Use tablecloths to reduce the noise ofclinking dishes and flatware

7.76 TELEPHONES – All telephones need to behearing aid compatible (accessible to aTelecoil) and have volume control. A TextTelephone should also be considered.

7.77 ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES –Necessary in every room if the person isunable to hear the audible signals oftelephones, door bells, ovens and firealarms. ALD’s are also helpful to enjoytelevision and entertainment systems.

March 2008 17


18 March 2008

7.78 BACKYARDS AND OUTDOOR LIVING –Wireless assistive listening devices can alsobe used in the backyard to make oneaware of audible signals in the home.

7.79 TELEVISION – All new televisions soldtoday have a built-in closed captioningcomponent. Individuals and retirementhome staff are strongly encouraged tomake them aware of its functioning.

Persons who prefer to use their residualhearing while watching television aregreatly aided by specialty AssistiveListening Devices (FMs, Infrareds, andAudio Loops)

Section 8: Service-Specific Guidelines

8.0 SECTION 8 CANNOT BE USED IN ISOLATION.

SECTION 6 MUST BE READ AND ITSGUIDELINES TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATIONWITH THE ADDITIONAL SERVICE-SPECIFICGUIDELINES PROVIDED BELOW.

8.1 RADIO, TELEVISION AND FILMS


8.3 RADIO – The speed of delivery and thearticulation of radio announcers greatlyaffect the comprehension and listeningpleasure of persons with hearing loss.Frequently, easy listening stations arepreferred by hard of hearing persons.

8.4 TELEVISION: Major film and televisionproducers provide Closed Captioning oftheir films and programs. However, thereare still many independent and specialtyprograms, film producers and educationalinstitutions, etc. who are not providingcaptioning of their products. CHHA rec-ommends that inaccessible materialshould not be purchased or broadcasted.

8.5 FILMS AND TELEVISION PROGRAM-MING: An increasing phenomenon inour culture is the use of backgroundmusic and voice-overs. To a person usinga hearing aid these production and edit-ing ‘enhancements” are noise-barriers totheir comprehension of the dialogue.Whenever possible, these should beremoved and/or the volume reduced.


8.6 WORKPLACE AND JOB INTERVIEWS


8.8 COMMUNICATION AND SAFETY ISSUES– A workplace assessment will providean opportunity to raise awareness aboutworking with a person with hearing loss.

8.9 DESKS – Consider moving desks so theperson with the hearing loss is facingthe door with their backs to a wall. Thisprovides better sight lines and reducessound distortion.

8.10 QUIET ROOMS – Choose quiet meetingrooms and offer accessible seating.

8.11 TECHNOLOGY – Some employees willbenefit from the use of pagers, cellphones, and PDAs. Similarly the use ofinstant messaging programs such asMSN and Skype enhance personal effi-ciency and communication. CART isavailable for conference calls and can beoffered remotely (off-site)

8.12 WHERE TO GET HELP – When in doubt,have a list of community resources avail-able for consultation.

8.13 INTERNET – WEBSITES


8.15 ACCESSIBLE MESSAGES – All audio mes-sages should also be displayed as cap-tions or text.

8.16 ACCESSIBLE VIDEO CLIPS – All video/audio clips should display synchronizedtext messages.

8.17 DISPLAY ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICA-TION COORDINATES – Provide alterna-tive ways of communicating with theorganization. Telephone numbers shouldbe accompanied by fax and TTY num-bers as well as email coordinates.

8.18 ACCESSIBLE ADS AND DOWNLOADS –Advertisements and downloadable mate-rial should be designed or amended toadd text to formats that are not accessi-ble to persons with hearing loss.

8.19 INFORMATION, RECEPTION, ANDSERVICE COUNTERS


8.21 REDUCE BACKGROUND NOISE –Eliminating or reducing background noisewill enhance and facilitate the compre-hension of persons with hearing loss.

8.22 AUDIO LOOP SYSTEMS – Portable ver-sions used at customer service countersare beneficial in high noise areas. SeeGlossary.

8.23 RECEPTION TTY – Reception areasrequire a TTY to be able to accept callsfrom TTY users.

8.24 WALKING AND BUS TOURS


8.26 TOUR GUIDES – Customers should havea choice of seating and the use of anassistive listening device such as an FMsystem for use on the transportationvehicle and while walking in a group.

8.27 UP-TO-DATE TOUR INFORMATION INTEXT-FORMAT – Increases comprehen-sion and maximizes communicationbetween clients and tour staff. Textinformation should have a font of 12-18pt. See Sec.7.7

March 2008 19


8.28 CONFERENCES, EXHIBITIONS,WORKSHOPS, AND SEMINARS


8.30 PROVIDE NAME TAGS – Name tags withlarge fonts and contrasting colors playan important role in successful commu-nication because names are difficult tohear and hard to speechread.

(Source: Canadian National Institute for theBlind. Clear Print Accessibility Guidelines)

8.31 PROVIDE PRINTED RESOURCES –Persons with hearing loss benefit fromreading material ahead of any workshop.Having read the material ahead of timethey are better prepared to expect cer-tain words when speechreading.

8.32 PROVIDE CAPTIONING – Televisions usedin workshop rooms, meeting rooms etc.should be programmed to display opencaptions. The provision of open-captionsis recommended for the benefit of allclients, especially in a noisy area.

8.33 PROVIDE PDFs of POWERPOINT –Presentations should be posted in PDF orPowerPoint formats on the organiza-tion’s website to help persons with hear-ing loss who may not have understoodeverything spoken and be available atthe presentation.

8.34 PROVIDE AN ASSISTIVE LISTENINGDEVICE (ALD) – Assistive ListeningDevices (See Sec. 6.2) are devices thatmake communication easier in difficultlistening environments. The successfuluse of ALDs depends on the appropriateprovision of hearing aid compatibleaccessories such as headsets, ear-buds,neckloops and silhouettes.

8.35 OFFER ACCESSIBLE SEATING – Accessibleseating helps the hard of hearing per-son’s comprehension, reduces visual bar-riers, and ensures the client’s safety incase of an emergency.

8.36 CONFERENCE SITE – Conference organ-izers should take into consideration thehotel’s or conference centre’s accessibili-ty including bedrooms, meeting roomsand ball rooms. Hotel staff require pre-conference training, ALDs should be pro-vided and someone on site should beable to troubleshoot them.

8.37 SPEAKERS/FACILITATORS – Should bemade aware of the presence of hard ofhearing persons in the audience andcoached on communication techniquesand how to use the ALDs provided andthe speed of the audible delivery.Section 6 is applicable to Speakers/Facilitators. Speak clearly at a reasonablerate of speed for CART provider’s benefit.(Note: when Speakers read they oftenspeed up in their oration)

8.38 PROVIDE CART – Another type of inter-pretation, CART will enhance the commu-nication process in all meetings, presenta-tions, conferences, exhibitions, lecturesand educational programs. See Sec. 6.25

8.39 MUNICIPAL, PROVINCIAL, FEDERALAND OTHER ELECTIONS


8.41 ACCESSIBLE SITES – Have events, con-stituency and campaign offices in acces-sible facilities and locations.

8.42 TELEPHONES AND DEVICES – Campaignand party offices should have a TTY,amplified telephones and an assistive lis-tening device (ALD) for use in smallgroup meetings.

20 March 2008


March 2008 21

8.43 ADVERTISE THE ACCESSIBILITY PROVID-ED – Successful attendance of eventsand meetings depends a great deal onadequate promotion.

8.44 ACCESSIBLE MEETINGS – Make commu-nity meetings accessible to persons withhearing loss by providing CART, ALDsand sign language interpreters. To pre-pare, ask about accessibility require-ments on registration forms.

8.45 CAPTION COMMERCIALS AND VIDEOS –Use Open Captioning in campaigncommercials/videos.

8.46 ACCESSIBLE CAMPAIGN MATERIALS –Design or amend advertising/campaignmaterials in captioned formats that areaccessible to persons with hearing losssuch as videos, DVDs, computer disksand downloadable material from yourwebsites.

8.47 ACCESSIBLE WEBSITES – Make campaignand party web sites fully accessible topersons with hearing loss by including atoll free TTY number and an emailaddress to request further information.Ensure any and all video clips are opencaptioned.

8.48 AWARENESS AND SENSITIVITY TRAINING– Encourage all party staff and campaignworkers take part in disability awarenesstraining prior to starting the job.

8.49 RECRUIT HEARING LOSS EXPERTS –Recruit/encourage persons with hearingloss to join and become active in theparty and campaign (equal opportunity).

8.50 DISABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE –Establish an ongoing disability advisorycommittee to consult with staff andparty members on matters relating tothe above.

8.51 COMMUNICATION ACCESSIBILITYCHECKLIST – Download CHHA’sCommunication Accessibility Checklist toensure access to your offices.http://www.chha.ca/ chha/projects-communication.php

8.52 EMERGENCY SERVICES (FIRE, AMBU-LANCE, 911, SECURITY)


8.54 INVESTIGATE – Investigate to determinewhat emergencies might disproportion-ately affect persons with hearing lossand what strategies could be used toaddress their needs.


22 March 2008

WESTERN CANADA

Western Institute for the Deafand Hard of Hearing2125 West 7th AvenueVancouver, BC V6K 1X9T: (604) 736-7391TTY: (604) 736-2527Fax: (604) 736-4381Email: [email protected]: https://www.virtual-vendor.com/ecom1/100020/www/

ALDS – Distributing Inc.PO Box 12118Murrayville RPOLangley, BC V3A 9J5T: (604) 514-0053 (Voice / TTY) Toll Free: 1-866-845-ALDS (2537) Fax: (604) 514-0037Email: [email protected]: http://www.alds.com/index.php

Calgary Deaf and Hard ofHearing Services 63 Cornell Road, NWCalgary, AB T2L 0L4T: (403) 284-6214 TTY: (403) 284-6201 Fax: (403) 282-7006 Toll Free: 1-877-711-3447 Email: [email protected]: http://www.dhhs.org/index.php

Saskatchewan Deaf and Hardof Hearing ServicesRegina Office 2341 Broad Street Regina, SK S4P 1Y9 T: (306) 352-3323Toll Free: 1-800-565-3323TTY: (306) 522-0750 Toll Free TTY: 1-888-272-9116Fax: (306) 757-3252Email: [email protected]: http://www.sdhhs.com/index.html

Society for Manitobans withDisabilitiesHead Office – Winnipeg825 Sherbrooke StreetWinnipeg, MB R3A 1M5Telephone: (204) 975-3010Toll Free: 1-866-282-8041TTY: (204) 975-3012Toll Free TTY: 1-800-225-9108 Fax: (204) 975-3073Email: [email protected]: http://www.smd.mb.ca/

CENTRAL CANADA

Canadian Hearing Society 271 Spadina RoadToronto, ON M5R 2V3T: (416) 928-2500TTY: (416) 964-0023Fax: (416) 928-2523Email: [email protected]: http://www.chs.ca/offices/toronto/index.html

L’Institut Raymond-Dewar 3600, rue Berri, Local A-464 Montréal (Qc) H2L 4G9Voix: (514) 284-2214 poste 3608 ATS: (514) 284-3747 poste 3608Télécop: (514) 844-6575 Courriel: [email protected] web:http://www.surdite.org/magasin/

EASTERN CANADA

South-East Deaf and Hard ofHearing Services, Inc.1690 West Main Street Moncton, NB E1E 1G9 T: (506) 859-2979 TTY: (506) 859-6101 Email: [email protected]: http://www.south-

eastdeaf.nb.ca/equip.htm

St. John Deaf and Hard ofHearing Services Inc.02-646 Fairville Blvd.Saint John, NB E2M 4Y7T: (506) 633-0599 TTY: (506) 634-8037 ATSFax: (506) 652-3382 FaxEmail: [email protected]: http://www.sjdhhs.com/

Society of Deaf and Hard ofHearing Nova Scotians 117-1657 Barrington Street Halifax, NS B3J 2A1 T: (902) 422-7130 Fax: (902) 492-3864Email: [email protected]: http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/sdhhns/

Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation-Newfoundland andLabrador103-136 Crosbie RoadSt. John’s, NF A1B 3K3T: (709) 753-3224Toll Free: 1-888-753-3224Fax: (709) 753-5640Email: [email protected]: http://www.chha-nl.nl.ca/

NORTHERN CANADA

Yukon Health and SocialServices – Hearing Services204 - 4114 - 4th Ave.Whitehorse, YK Y1A 4N7T: (867) 667-5913Fax :( 867) 667-5922Web: http://www.hss.gov.yk.ca/ programs/social_services/ disabilities/health_services/

NORTH WEST TERRITORIESAND NUNAVUT

Rely on Deaf & Hard of HearingServices (DHHS) in Calgary for tech-nical devices and equipment.


Section 9: Resources

ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES AND SYSTEMS FOR THEHARD OF HEARING

* Information on devices can be obtained from the following distributors and retail-ers, your local hearing aid dispenser or deaf and hard of hearing service agency.

SPECIALIZED SYSTEMSFOR PUBLIC FACILITIESAND BUSINESSES

Public accessibility systems for Housesof Worship, Sporting Facilities,Theatre, Performing Arts, Cinema,Tour Providers, Boardrooms,,Courtrooms and Government facili-ties, Auditoriums.

EdB Sound Acoustics Inc.Toronto, ONT: (416) 248-9007Web: http://home.eol.ca/~jdbsound/index.html

Phonic Ear Ltd.10-7475 Kimbel StreetMississauga, ON L5S 1E7Email: [email protected]: http://www.phonicear.ca/

Sennheiser (Canada) Inc.221 Avenue LabrossePointe-Claire (Qc) H9R 1A3Toll Free: 1-800-463-1006Toll free Fax: 1-800-463-3013T: (514) 426-3013 Fax: (514) 426-3953Web: http://www.sennheiser.ca/

SNA Consulting(Server-based TTYs)377 Pickford DriveKanata, ON K2L 3P3T: (613) 599-1284Email: [email protected]: http://www.snaconsulting.ca/contact.htm

CONSULTING ENGINEERS

Association of ConsultingEngineers of Canada130 Albert Street, Suite 616Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 T: (613) 236-0569Toll Free: 1-800-565-0569Fax: (613) 236-6193Email: [email protected]: http://www.acec.ca

Canadian AcousticalAssociationP.O. Box 74068Ottawa, ON K1M 2H9T: (613) 993-9746Fax: (613) 954-1495Email: [email protected]: http://www.caa-aca.ca/MainFrame.htm

Canadian Council ofProfessional Engineers (CCPE)180 Elgin St., Suite 1100Ottawa, ON K2P 2K3 T: (613) 232-2474Fax: (613) 230-5759Email: [email protected]: http://www.engineerscanada.ca/e/index.cfm

Canadian Consulting Engineer 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800Toronto, ON M3C 4J2T: 1-800-268-7742 (Press 1, Dial 5111)Fax: (416) 510-5134 Web: http://www.canadianconsultin-gengineer.com

CHHA RESOURCES:

■ Hearing Awareness from A to Z(accessibility checklists, commu-nication tips, training, etc.)http://www.chha.ca/chha/proj-ects-atoz.php

■ Consumer Consultations: CHHABranches and Chaptershttp://www.chha.ca/chha/about-branches.php

Disclaimer: The above lists arenot all-inclusive and we adviseeveryone to first speak to their localaudiologist, hearing aid dispenseror deaf and hard of hearing serviceagency about devices, systems andconsultants available.

March 2008 23


Access Disability Awareness(Canada), Inc. Hearing Loss Seminar.Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation. Ottawa, Ontario.May 9, 1997.

Advisory Committee onAccessibility. Access DesignGuidelines. City of Calgary. Calgary,Alberta. January, 2002.

American Society of Heating,Refrigerating, and Air-ConditioningEngineers, Inc. “TechnicalCommittee 2.6. Sound and VibrationControl”. September 10, 2007.http://www.ashraeregion7.org/

Compliance Engineering. “ANSIC63.19: Establishing CompatibilityBetween Hearing Aids and CellularTelephones”. September 10, 2007.http://www.ce-mag.com/archive/01/Spring/Hoolihan.html

Acoustical Society of America. ANSIS12.60-2002 “American NationalStandard Acoustical PerformanceCriteria, Design Requirements andGuidelines for Schools”. September10, 2007. http://asastore.aip.org/

Anonymous. “Building in Canada,Provincial Codes.” June 27, 2007.http://www.about-building-in-canada.com/provincial.html

Anonymous. “Deaf/hard of hearingpeople”. Accessibility 101. 26 June,2007. http://www.accessibility101.org.uk/ tips/22.htm

Association of Science-TechnologyCenters. “Accessible Practices-BestPractices”. ASTC Resource Center.June 27, 2007 http://www.astc.org/resource/ access/best.htm

Bowden, A.F. Guide to AccessTechnology for the Lay Person,Ottawa, Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation, Ottawa, Ontario,September, 1995.

Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists andAudiologists. “Noise InducedHearing Loss (N-IHL) Fact Sheet”.June 2000. June 27, 2007.http://www.caslpa.ca/PDF/fact%20sheets/noise%20induced%20hearing%20loss.pdf

Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists andAudiologists. “Attention: NoisyClassroom May Be Harming YourChild’s Learning”. November 13,2007. http://www.caslpa.ca/PDF/noise%20in%20classroom/noise%20in%20classroom%20backgrounder.pdf

Canadian Association of the Deaf.“Definition of Deaf (Deaf Issues)”.Canadian Association of the Deaf,Ottawa, Ontario. June 27, 2007.http://www.cad.ca/en/issues/ definition_of_deaf.asp

Canadian Association of the Deaf.“Universal Design (Deaf Issues)”.Canadian Association of the Deaf,Ottawa, Ontario. June 27, 2007.http://www.cad.ca/en/issues/ universal_design.asp

Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation. “Accessible PoliticalAdvertising and Campaigns”.Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation, Ottawa, Ontario. June28, 2007.http://www.chha.ca/chha/projects-accessible.php

Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation. Characteristics andNeeds of Persons with Hearing Loss.Human Resources and SocialDevelopment Canada. May 2007.

Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation. “CommunicationAccessibility Checklist”. CanadianHard of Hearing Association,Ottawa, Ontario. June 28, 2007.http://www.chha.ca/chha/projects-communication.php

Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation. Resources for Hard ofHearing and Deafened. CanadianHard of Hearing Association,Ottawa, Ontario. June 28, 2007.http://www.chha.ca/documents/en/resources_guide.pdf

Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation. “Symbols of Access”.Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation, Ottawa, Ontario. June28, 2007.http://www.chha.ca/chha/projects-symbols.php

Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation. “Where to ObtainDevices and Systems”. CanadianHard of Hearing Association,Ottawa, Ontario. June 28, 2007.http://www.chha.ca/documents/en/where_to_obtain_devices.pdf

Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation. “Words-Hearing LossVocabulary”. Canadian Hard ofHearing Association, Ottawa,Ontario. June 28, 2007.http://www.chha.ca/chha/projects-words.php

Canadian Hearing InstrumentsPractitioners Society. “Hearing Lossand Hearing Aids”. November 13,2007. http://www.hearcanada.com/Consumers/010_Hearing_Loss.cfm

Canadian Hearing Society. “HotelAccess/Hospitality Kit”. July 27,2007. http://www.chs.ca/chsshop/shopdisplayproducts.asp?cat=Hotel+Access+%2F+Hospitality+Kit&id=79

24 March 2008


Section 10: Bibliography

Canadian National Institute for theBlind. “Clear Print AccessibilityGuidelines”. June 2006. July 27,2007. http://www.cnib.ca/en/services/accessibility/text/clearprint/CNIB%20Clear%20Print%20Guide.pdf

Canadian National Institute for theBlind and Transport Canada. GoingPlaces Access Needs of VisuallyImpaired Travellers in TransportationTerminals: Design Guideline. 1989

Canadian Radio-television andTelecommunication Commission.“Telecom Decision CRTC 2004-47,Access to pay telephone service”.Canadian Radio-television andTelecommunication Commission.Ottawa, Ontario. 15 July 2004. 26 June 2007.http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/eng/Decisions/2004/dt2004-47.htm

Canadian Standards Association.“About CSA”. June 27, 2007.http://www.csa.ca/about/Default.asp?language=english

Canadian Standards Association.Barrier Free Design (B651-M90).Rexdale, Ontario. September 1990.

City of Edmonton. “Services forCitizens who are Deaf or hard ofhearing”. Citizen Action Centre.Edmonton, Alberta. November 5,2007 http://www.edmonton.ca/ portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_267_211_0_43/http%3B/CMSServer/COEWeb/community+and+people+services/people+services/people+with+special+needs/servicesforcitizenswhoaredeaforhardofhearing.htm

City of London AccessibilityAdvisory Committee. “FacilityAccessibility Design Standards”.City of London. London, Ontario.2006. June 27, 2007.http://www.london.ca/Accessibility/2006_AccessibilityPlan.pdf

City of London. 2006 FacilityAccessibility Design Standards.Enviromental & EngineeringServices & City Engineer. London,Ontario. April, 2006.

City of Ottawa. “2007 City ofOttawa Municipal Accessibility Plan(COMAP)”. City of Ottawa,Ottawa, Ontario. January 2007.June 27, 2007http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/csedc/2007/ 01-16/Comap%202007.htm

City of Winnipeg. “Universal DesignGuiding Principles”. Planning,property and DevelopmentDepartment, Planning and LandDivision. Winnipeg, Manitoba.June, 2005. June 28, 2007.http://www.winnipeg.ca/PPD/ planning/pdf_folder/UDesignGuidingPrinciples.pdf

Dahl, Marilyn. Twice Imprisoned:Loss of Hearing, Loss of Power inFederal Prisoners in British Columbia.PhD. Thesis, Faculty of GraduateStudies, Interdisciplinary GraduateStudies, University of BritishColumbia. April, 1995.

Deafness and Hearing Aids.Information, news and help for thehard of hearing. 2006-2007.October 24, 2007. http://www.deafness-and-hearingaids.net/2007/ 03/05/in-the-ear-ite-hearing-aids/

Doelle, Leslie, L. AcousticRequirements of Meeting Rooms.Public Works Canada, Architecturaland Engineering Services, AES/SAG1-4:86-14, February 1988.

Government of Alberta. Barrier-FreeDesign Guide. Alberta Labour, ClientServices Division, TechnicalServices. Edmonton, Alberta.

Government of British Columbia,“Accessible School Facilities. AResource for Planning”. Ministry ofEducation, Skills and Training.British Columbia. June 26, 2007.http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/ capitalplanning/resources/access.pdf

Government of British Columbia,“2006 Internet Standards andguidelines, Version 2.0”. Ministry ofLabour and Citizen’s Services,Online Channel Office, Province ofBritish Columbia. August 2006.June 26. 2007.http://www.cio.gov.bc.ca/prgs/standard.pdf

Government of Canada. “Access aworld of information for personswith disabilities”. PWD Online.Ca,Services Canada. Ottawa, Ontario.June 27, 2007. http://www.pwd-online.ca/

Government of Canada.“Accessibility of the ElectoralSystem”. Elections Canada On-Line.June 27, 2007. http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=gen&document=ec90505&dir=bkg&lang=e&textonly=false

Government of Canada. Advancingthe Inclusion of People withDisabilities (2006). HumanResources and Social DevelopmentCanada. March 29, 2007.September 10, 2007.http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/hip/odi/documents/advancingInclusion06/toc.shtml

Government of Canada. “BestPractices for Tourism Serviceproviders For Person withDisabilities”. CanadianTransportation Agency. 2006.November 13, 2007.http://www.cta-otc.gc.ca/access/newsletter/summer2006/ summer2006_e.pdf

March 2008 25


Government of Canada. “BuildingCodes Centre”. National ResearchCouncil, Institute for Research inConstruction. Ottawa, Ontario.November 28, 2005. June 27,2007. http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/codes/home_E.shtml

Government of Canada. Code ofPractice-Removing CommunicationBarriers for Travelers with Disabilities.Canadian Transportation Agency.Ottawa, Ontario. 2004.

Government of Canada. Impact ofUniversal Design principles on FederalOffice Facilities: A report by theInterdepartmental Working Group onUniversal Design, Public Works andGovernment Services Canada.Ottawa, Ontario. November 14,2000.

Government of Canada. Guide toPlanning Inclusive Meetings andConferences. Treasury BoardSecretariat. Ottawa, Ontario.October, 2002.

Government of Canada. “Guide toRemoving Communication Barriersfor Travelers with Disabilities”.Canadian Transportation Agency,Ottawa, Ontario. June 4, 2004. July27, 2007. http://www.cta-otc.gc.ca/access/codes/communication/guide/section2_e.html

Government of Canada.International Best practices inUniversal Design: A Global Review,Canadian Human RightsCommission. Ottawa, Ontario.2006

Government of Canada. Inclusionby design or how to reach a wideraudience. Public Service HumanResources Management Agency ofCanada. Ottawa, Ontario.

Government of Canada. “NoAnswer: A Review of Governmentof Canada TelephonicCommunication with People WhoAre Deaf, Deafened, Hard ofHearing, or Have a SpeechImpediment”. Canadian HumanRights Commission, August 8,2005. June 27, 2007http://www.chrc- ccdp.ca/proactive_initiatives/tty_ats/toc_tdm-en.asp

Government of Canada. “NoAnswer II- A Review of FederallyRegulated Organizations’Telephonic Communications withPeople Who Are Deaf, Deafened orHard of Hearing.”. CanadianHuman Rights Commission,September 10, 2006. June 27,2007. http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/pdf/reports/tty2report.pdf

Government of Canada.“Participation and ActivityLimitation Survey 2001”. StatisticsCanada, Ottawa, Ontario. April 4,2004. June 27, 2007.http://www.statcan.ca/english/ freepub/89-577-XIE/

Government of Canada. UnequalAccess, Accommodation of employeeswith disabilities in the federal publicservice: a case study approach.Canadian Human RightsCommission, CommunicationsBranch. Ottawa, Ontario. March1996.

Government of Canada. UniversalDesign and Barrier-Free AccessGuidelines and Standards forDND/CF Facilities. Department ofNational Defence. C-98-007-000/AF-Z01. January 2006.

Government of Ontario.“Accessibility for Ontarians withDisabilities”. Ministry ofCommunity and Social Services.June 27, 2007. June 28, 2007.http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/pillars/accessibilityOntario/

Government of Ontario. Standardsfor Barrier Free Design of OntarioGovernment Facilities. ManagementBoard Secretariat. Toronto, Ontario.September, 2004.

Government of Saskatchewan. “TheUniform building and accessibilityStandards Act, Government ofSaskatchewan, 2005”. Queen’sPrinter. Regina, Saskatchewan.March, 2006. June 28, 2007.http://www.qp.gov.sk.ca/index.cfm?fuseaction=publications.details&p=918

HAC of America Group. “HARCRoom Valet, Visual Alerting Systemsfor ADA Compliance”. August 2,2007. http://www.roomvalet.com

Hotel Association of Canada.“Access Canada, Standards andTraining Program”. Hotel Associationof Canada. June 26, 2007.http://www.hotelassociation.ca/site/programs/access_canada.htm

Hotel Association of Canada.“Access Canada, PropertyStandards Manual”. HotelAssociation of Canada. December 4,2007 http://www.access-canada.ca/code/AccessCanada_Download_Reports/default.aspx

Laszlo, C.A. Assistive ListeningDevices and Acoustical Design forHard of Hearing People. AnnualMeeting of the Canadian AcousticalSociety. Toronto, Ontario. October,1993.

Laszlo, C.A. Hearing Accessibility inthe Home. BC Parents. Vancouver,B.C. January, 1998.

26 March 2008


Laszlo, C.A. Individual or PublicResponsibility: Who Should Supplythe Receivers? IFHOH Journal 13(3)17-22, December 1992.

Laszlo, C.A. It Is AboutCommunication! (Invited PlenaryPaper), Canadian AcousticalAssociation 1999 Annual Conference,Victoria, October 1999.

Laszlo, C.A. Telecommunications andthe Hard of Hearing. COST 219Conference. Paris, France. June, 1990.

Mayor’s Access AdvisoryCommittee. Universal Design Policy.City of Winnipeg. Winnipeg,Manitoba. October 16, 2001.

Morris, Stuart. CommunicationTechnology for the Hard of Hearingand Late Deafened: What’s OutThere? Canadian Hard of HearingAssociation-Edmonton Branch.Edmonton, Alberta. August 2001

Northeast Technical AssistanceCenter, Rochester Institute ofTechnology, National Institute forthe Deaf. “NETAC Teacher TipsSheet: The Role of AssistiveListening in the Classroom” 2000.November 8, 2007.http://www.netac.rit.edu/publication/tipsheet/alds.html

Neutropenia Support AssociationInc. “CSA – Canadian StandardsAssociation (CSA)”. June 27, 2007.http://www.neutropenia.ca/community/csa.html

North Carolina State, College ofDesign. “The Centre for UniversalDesign”. June 27, 2007.http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/about_ud/about_ud.htm

Office of the Fire Marshall. “SmokeAlarms: the Basics”. Town ofLaurentian Hills. Laurentian Hills,Ontario. June 27, 2007.http://town.laurentianhills.on.ca/Miscellaneous/Alarmed%20for%20Life.pdf

Proctor, Nancy. “Providing Deafand Hard-of-Hearing Visitors withOn-Demand, Independent AccessMuseum Information andInterpretation Through HandheldComputers”. Archives and MuseumInformatics: Museums and the Web2005. June 27, 2007.http://www.archimuse.com/mw2005/papers/proctor/proctor.html

Queen’s University. “Queen’sUniversity Accessibility Guidelines”.Queen’s University. Kingston,Ontario. June 27, 2007.http://www.queensu.ca/camplan/reports/aguide/1-0.html

Rubin, Rhea Joyce. “Planning forLibrary Services for People withDisabilities”. Chicago: DifferentVoices, Common Quest: ALA OLOSPre-conference. June 2002. June28, 2007.http://www.infogrip.com/docs/ people_with_disabilities.pdf

The Jewish Museum. “AccessPrograms”. June 27, 2007.http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/site/pages/page.php?id=needs

United Church Of Canada. “DeafMinistries, How You Can Hear InYour Place of Worship”. June 27,2007. http://www.united-church.ca/intercultural/deaf/access

United States Access Board. “ADAAccessibility Guidelines forBuildings and Facilities (ADAAG)”.June 27, 2007. http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm#4.30

United States Access Board. “AccessBoard Research, ELECTROMAGNET-IC INTERFERENCE (EMI) AND AIDSFOR PERSONS WITH HEARINGLOSS”. June 27, 2007.http://www.access-board.gov/research/interference.htm

University of Washington. “UniversalDesign of Instruction: Definition,Principles, and Examples”. May 17,2007. August 2, 2007.http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/instruction.html

Voice for Hearing ImpairedChildren. “ Managing Noise in theClassroom by Building RAMPS”.November 8, 2007.http://www.voicefordeafkids.com/PDFs/Managing_Noise.pdf

Voice for Hearing ImpairedChildren. Responsibilities of anEducational Audiologist. VOICE forHearing Impaired Children.Toronto, Ontario.

W3C World Wide Web Consortium.“Web Accessibility Initiatives. WAI:Strategies, guidelines, resources tomake the Web accessible to peoplewith disabilities”. June 28, 2007.http://www.w3.org/WAI/

William Sounds Corporation.“Hearing Helper Tour GuideSystem, Model TGS PRO 720”.Thorvin Electronics. June 27, 2007.http://www.thorvinelectronics.com/sound/williams_tgssysa.pdf

Wikipedia. “National Building Codeof Canada”. Wikipedia. April 18,2007. June 29, 2007.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Building_Code_of_Canada

Wikipedia. “Hearing Aid”.Wikipedia. October 2007. October24, 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_trumpet

March 2008 27


Assistive Listening SystemsThese systems transmit amplifiedsound via hearing aids, headsets orother devices. They include infrared,loop and FM systems. Portable sys-tems may be available from the

same audiovisual equipment suppliers that serviceconferences and meetings.

Assistive Listening Devices (ALD’s) ALDs are technical devices that make communica-tion easier in difficult listening environments. Theyare used to minimize the effects of noise, echoes,and distortion when a hard of hearing personshall listen to speakers at a distance or a noisyplace, ex. IR Systems, FM Systems.

Audio Loop (AL) Systems Audio loop systems consist of a wire (or thin looppad) that is placed around the listening area, aspecial amplifier, and microphone(s). Speech sig-nals are amplified and circulated through the loopwire. The resulting magnetic energy field isdetected and amplified by the “telecoil” or tele-phone switch circuitry common to many hearingaids, cochlear implants, and induction loopreceivers. The end result is a high quality ampli-fied reproduction of the original speech signal.Intelligibility is greatly increased because the dis-tance between the speaker and the listener(s) isbridged and background environmental noise isreduced. The loop is available in three formats1) A hard-wired system built into the walls of ameeting room 2) A portable system that can bemoved from room to room as required and3) A smaller portable version used at customerservice counters.

CaptioningCaptioning is text interpretation of the audio(sounds, voices) on a video or television program.Captioning may be Closed (appears when activat-ed by a remote or other device), Open (presenton screen without requiring a device to make itso), or Realtime (present on the screen with theaid of computer assisted technology)

Closed Captioning (CC)This symbol indicates a choice forwhether or not to display captions for a

television program or videotape. TV sets that have abuilt-in or a separate decoder are equipped to dis-play dialogue for programs that are captioned whenselected by the viewer. Also, videos that are part ofexhibitions may be closed captioned using the sym-bol with instruction to press a button for captioning.

Opened Captioning (OC)This symbol indicates that captions,which translates dialogue and other

sounds in print, are always displayed on thevideotape, movie or television program. OpenCaptioning is preferred by many including hard ofhearing individuals and people whose second lan-guage is English. In addition, it helps everyone innoisy environments.

CARTComputer Assisted Realtime Translation (CART) pro-vides visual text with nearly instantaneous transla-tion of the spoken word. The CART provider typesthe speaker’s words on a stenographic machinewhich is connected to a computer with software totranslate the stenographic code into English. Thetranslation can then be read on the computerscreen; for larger group events the CART text canbe displayed on a large video screen or projectedonto the wall. CART can be provided remotelythrough an Internet and telephone link.

Deaf (uppercase D) Term used to denote members of a sociolinguisticand cultural group whose preferred mode of com-munication is sign language.

deaf (lowercase d) A term used to describe persons with early onsethearing loss who have little or no residual hear-ing. Their preferred mode of communication isspeech and speechreading.

Frequency Modulation (FM) Systems FMs are assistive listening devices (ALD) that func-tions as a mini-radio station on a broadcast fre-quency that brings a speakers voice directly intothe user’s headset.

28 March 2008


Section 11: Glossary

Hard of Hearing A person is hard of hearing if they have a hearingloss and whose usual means of communication isspoken language. This definition includes a broadspectrum of hearing loss, including those who arelate-deafened and those deaf in childhood andeducated orally.

Hearing AidsHearing aids include:

a. Behind-The-Ear (BTE) Hearing Aid: Arcshaped hearing aids that fit behind the ear.They vary in size, style and features.

b. Body Hearing Aid (BHA): Powerful aid thatresembles a miniature tape recorder or radio,often clipped to a breast pocket or belt.

c. Bone-anchored-hearing-aids: Work by con-ducting – or carrying – sound through thebone in your skull. Sounds are heard whenthe vibrations of the sound are transmitteddirectly from the vibrating part of the boneconduction hearing aid through your skullto the cochlea, omitting out the outer andmiddle ears. Bone conduction hearing aidsare an option for people who cannot use aconventional hearing aid.

d. Cochlear Implant (CI): A surgical device forpeople who would receive little or no ben-efit from hearing aids. The internal partsare surgically implanted into the cochlear.The external part consists of a microphone,programmable speech processor, andtransmitting coil.

e. Completely-In-The-Canal (CIC) Hearing Aids:Small aids that fits inside the ear canal.

f. In-The-Canal (ITC) Hearing Aids: Largerthan the CIC; custom fitted for the hearingaid wearer.

g. In-The-Ear (ITE) In-the-Ear (ITE) hearingaids house all the components in a custommade shell that fits completely within theouter portion of the ear. Its size, larger bat-tery, and easy-to-use controls may also behelpful for those with limited manual dex-terity or for those with a moderate tosevere hearing loss.

(Source: Canadian Hearing InstrumentPractitioners Society)

h. Open-fit or Over-the-Ear (OTE) or Receiver-in-the-Canal (RIC) hearing aids are very dis-creet, light-on-the ear devices suitable formild to moderate high frequency hearinglosses (and normal or borderline normalhearing in low frequencies.) A thin, transpar-ent tube rests in front of the ear, then intothe ear canal. Soft pliable earbuds, or cus-tom molded open acrylic earmold holds thetube in place, while keeping the canal open.In some designs, the receiver is housed inthe tip of the tubing and inserted directlyinto the ear canal. (Source: CanadianHearing Instrument Practitioners Society)

i. Receiver-in-the-Canal (RIC). “These devicesare similar to the BTE aid. There is howeverone crucial difference: The receiver of thehearing aid is placed inside the ear canal ofthe user and thin electrical wires replacesthe acoustic tube of the BTE aid. There aresome advantages with this approach: First,the hearing aid receiver is placed furtherfrom the hearing aid microphone. Thisreduces the risk of acoustic feedback (com-monly denoted “howl”.) Second, the tubeconnecting the hearing aid and the ear-plug(also commonly referred to as “dome” orear-mould) can be made extremely thin. Thismakes it possible to design an even smallerhearing aid that is even more inconspicuous”.(Source: Wikipedia)

Hearing Ear Dogs Hearing Ear Dogs are specially trained dogs thatalert persons with hearing loss about sounds intheir environments such as door bells, smokealarms, telephones etc.

Information SymbolThe most valuable commodity oftoday’s society is information; to a per-son with a disability it is essential. Forexample, the symbol may be used on

signage or on a floor plan to indicate the locationof the information or security desk, where there ismore specific information or materials concerningaccess accommodations and services such as“LARGE PRINT” materials, audio cassette record-ings of materials, or sign interpreted tours.

March 2008 29


Infrared (IR) Systems Similar to the FM System, but instead of radio fre-quency, IR uses a spectrum of light that is invisibleto the naked eye to transmit sounds. It requiresan unobstructed path between the source and thereceiver.

Late-Deafened Late-deafened individuals are those who may havegrown up hearing or hard of hearing but, havelost all usable hearing at some point, usually asadults and after acquiring speech. They may alsoself-identify as deafened or oral deaf.

Signalling (Alerting) Devices Devices used to indicate the telephone, doorbell, orother loud sounds in the home or office by chang-ing the auditory signal to visual or vibratory signalse.g. a door bell alarm, baby sound monitor.

Sign Language Interpreting Sign Language interpreters facilitatecommunication between Deaf andhearing people through their knowl-edge of Sign Language and DeafCulture.

Soundfield Amplification Systems “Soundfield amplification systems amplify andbroadcast the instructor’s voice through wall orceiling-mounted loudspeakers. The system con-sists of a microphone/FM transmitter, amplifier,and one or more loudspeakers. A loudspeaker canalso be placed next to the student. The soundfieldspeakers should be strategically placed in orderfor the student to achieve the most benefit fromthe system. The system should be installed underthe guidance of an audiologist or someone whounderstands room acoustics.”

(Source: Northeast Technical Assistance Center, RochesterInstitute of Technology: http://www.netac.rit.edu/publica-tion/ tipsheet/alds.html )

Speechreading Speechreading (often called lip-reading) is theability to perceive speech by: (1) watching themovements of a speaker’s mouth, (2) by observ-ing all other visible clues including facial expres-sions and gestures, and (3) using the context ofthe message and the situation.

T-switch A T-Switch is found on a hearing aid. It activates a“telecoil or T-coil” which emits an electromagnet-ic field making it compatible to some telephonesand a variety of assistive listening devices.

TTY (Teletypewriter) aka Text TelephoneTTY is a generic term that is applied toText Telephones of any kind. A TTY orTTY compatible device allows users tocommunicate over a telephone line,

using text. The TTY symbol indicates the availabilityof a device used with the telephone for communi-cation with and between persons who are hard ofhearing/Deaf and persons who can hear. A specialtelephone operator may assist with communicationwith hearing persons who do not have a TTY.

Telephone Devices Devices used to assist telephone communicationsuch as volume amplifiers, ringer amplifiers, calldisplay, and TTYs.

Volume Control TelephoneThis symbol indicates the location of tele-phones that have handsets with amplifiedsound and/or adjustable volume controls.

UD – See Universal Design

Universal Design (Wikipedia Encyclopedia)Universal design, which is related to “inclusivedesign” and “design for all,” is an approach tothe design of products, services and environmentsto be usable by as many people as possibleregardless of age, ability or circumstance. It linksdirectly to the political concept of an inclusivesociety and its importance has been recognizedby governments, business and industry. Universaldesign is a relatively new paradigm that emergedfrom “barrier-free” or “accessible design” and“assistive technology.” Universal design strives tobe a broad-spectrum solution that helps everyone,not just people with disabilities and is a part ofeveryday living and is all around us.

Courtesy of Graphic Artists Guide(http://www.gag.org/resources/das.php) Special thanks to the National Endowment for the ArtsGraphic design assistance by the Society of EnvironmentalGraphic DesignConsultant: Jacqueline Ann Clipsham© copyright 1995 – 2002, Graphic Artists Guild

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CANADIAN HARD OF HEARING ASSOCIATION

L’ASSOCIATION DESMALENTENDANTS CANADIENS

2415 Holly Lane, Suite 205, Ottawa, Ontario K1V 7P2Voice: 613-526-1584TTY: 613-526-2692Fax: 613-526-4718

Toll-Free: 1-800-263-8068 (In Canada only) E-mail: [email protected]

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