Virtual Capture: BNSF Metra Train Passing Through Communities

Overview

Conducted a random experiment on with an iPhone with Googlemaps: Captured one of my Westbound Metra commutes from Chicago Union Station to the Rte-59/Aurora station by using live Googlemaps.  By using Googlemaps on my iPhone, it was an interesting and fun way to identify landmarks / communities that the express commuter train passes through going ~60 mph.

YouTube Link
** You can pause/forward/rewind the video if you want to study certain areas in depth.

Observations and takeaways from the experiment

• Captured roughly 37 minutes of Googlemaps usage
• The train route is approximately 30 miles in length
• Roughly equal to 730 MB of iPhone video
• Used iMovie (Mac) to speed up and playback the video to 8X the normal speed to compress it down to roughly 3 minutes long vs the 37 minutes of actual video time (includes the removal/editing out time spent at 2 stops and other screen distractions).  
• Playing back the video at 20X was just too fast to really grasp/read nearby locations and landmarks.
• Export of the video in 720p resulted in a file size of 2.15 GB.
  
• The Googlemaps ‘My Location’ blue dot roughly shows you the path you are traveling. Per Google, accuracy of the location is dependent on several factors - how far you are from a cellular tower, if there is anything blocking your signals and reception.  Thus the blue location dot can at times appear to veer off track or jumpy.  Either way this still provides a good representation of paths being traveled.

Conclusion

• While there are other apps and ways to capture your travel routes, this was just an experiment to see what it would look like with Googlemaps.  
• This could be a good way to track your walk, if you go jogging or biking.  Though I advise against using mobile devices while driving unless you are a passenger.
• Experimenting with technology and software is a fun way to find out what works, which can give you ideas for future projects for home or work!

For any questions, feedback, or comments feel free to email me at: mooredlm@gmail.com or leave a comment.

Technology Needs for Deaf in Apartments and Retirement Centers

by Donald Moore, October 2018

Overview

This is a shorter version of of a posting I did for the Illinois Association of the Deaf's website, which focuses mainly on the human and technology needs for deaf consumers in apartments and retirement centers.  If you want to read the full version, read “Apartments and Retirement Centers for the Deaf” article on IAD’s website.

In 2017, I had the opportunity to visit “Martha’s Vineyard Place”, which is a Deaf Apartment complex, in Dallas, Texas during a side excursion while on a combined business/personal trip.  The complex is entirely new and is open for residents.  See below flyer and contact the apartment management directly for any residency questions. 

Current and Future Living Arrangements

While many deaf are currently living in apartments, condos/town-homes and single family homes - have not yet considered what type of living arrangements may be desired or needed in the future.  This can be challenging considering the social and communication needs of deaf residents when approaching retirement or requiring senior and assistive care. 

Some places only offer housing for those requiring low-income assistance.  Oftentimes, availability is limited and there can be long waiting lists.  It is a possible that with the large number of “baby boomers” (1946-1964), and the “Rubella Bulge” (1960’s) entering their senior years - that availability will become limited. 

Always check on availability in advance and do not assume there is space immediately ready.

Very few places offer full accommodations for deaf residents.  Some accommodations may be non-existent or minimal.  While everyone’s accommodative needs may be different, the need for social interaction with others is equally important.  The need for on-going human and social interaction is one of the basic needs as identified within Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.  Thus this is where the value of deaf designed centers is important.  Especially within the Physiological needs as shown in Maslow's Hierarchy of needs chart (see below).  Again there is a very small subset of communities that offer full inclusion for deaf residents.

What is Full Inclusion for Deaf?

Staff that can sign and communicate well with residents, the availability of hearing assistive devices for entry gates/doors, fire and security alert systems.  As well as communication systems such as the availability of video phones/conferencing, and the wide-availability of high-speed Internet and WI-FI access for two-way video (i.e. FaceTime, Skype and VRS/VRI), and email.  Not only that, the residency of other residents with similar communication needs (signing in ASL) allows others to fully participate in conversations, social and gaming activities.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs 

Source: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html 

Conduct the appropriate research and follow up will help you determine availability and the match for your needs.

Donald Moore can be reached at mooredlm@gmail.com for any questions, feedback or comments.

Virtual Teams - Technologies in the Work Place for Deaf/HOH Professionals

I recently read “A Manager’s Guide to Virtual Teams", by Yael Zofi.

http://amzn.com/0814416594   

This book provides insights, tips, and what is expected when working with virtual teams.  Suggested read for anyone who works remotely and/or with split in-office and remote employees.  While virtual team are not entirely new, they have become more commonplace over the past decade. As Forbes magazine pointed out in 2013, today approximately 30 million workers telecommute at least one day a week from their homes (1). 

On the flip side, one thing not often mentioned in business books such as this one: many of the same remote / tele-worker / video conferencing concepts and technologies can also be applied to deaf/hoh workers.  In the past 5 to 7 years, video relay services (like video conferencing), on-line and wireless/mobile technologies (email/instant messaging), and live-captioning have become more widely available for usage in the workplace.  

These are valuable tools that can be used by deaf/hoh professionals to help level the playing field with communication, provide equal access to employment and career advancement opportunities.  Oftentimes, accommodation costs are minimal and employees usually know what works for them.  I encourage managers, human resources / talent officers to reach out and learn about such available tools and services for employees. In many cases, these technologies can be quickly implemented and put to use.

I plan additional blogs on these topics to expand awareness of accessibility tools in the workplace, along with other relevant employment and Economic topics.

References

(1). http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2013/02/18/one-in-five-americans-work-from-home-numbers-seen-rising-over-60/ 

Revised Recommendations: Web Contact Form Design for W3C

In 2001 I recommended to the W3C Accessibility Consortium to suggest including additional fields on web contact forms to help facilitate communication with deaf/hoh consumers. This recommendation was eventually published in a book - refer to this link for more information. http://home.comcast.net/~mooredlm/accessibility/published.htm

Since 2001, new technologies and ways of contacting and interacting with professionals and consumers have greatly changed, thus the original form design recommendation is due for an update.

While the need to update the form has been floating in the background for sometime, I recently received an email from a Web Site Manager from a Government web site in the Washington, D.C. area asking if the recommendations are still relevant and/or should be updated - a sign that the recommendation needs to be updated.

Hence the reason for this blog entry:
I have updated the suggested web contact form design, and would like input on the new form design, which contains updated ways on one can be contacted.

The redesigned form is available for your review and comments at:
http://home.comcast.net/~mooredlm/accessibility/revised_w3c_recommendation.html

The most recent form changes are

Removed Pager number and pin fields as numeric based pagers are nearly extinct and not as user friendly,

Greater emphasis on wireless / mobile device email addresses,

The inclusion of Videophone numbers,

Fax and TTY options should remain on the form for those older, or not yet utilizing modern communication mediums such as wireless/mobile devices and VP (video phones) such as the Sorenson VP-200, Purple P3, and ZVRS Z4.

If you have any comments, feedback and/or other suggestions, feel free to send me an email at mooredlm at gmail.com

After I receive a reasonable number of replies and comments, I will update the web form design recommendations, and re-submit to the W3C for their consideration.

On the flip-side, if you are involved in web development, design, communications or printed media for your organization/company, take a few moments to consider bringing up similar accessibility recommendations for your contact / help desk web forms.

I look forward to your feedback, suggestions and comments.


Regards,

- Donald
Prosumertech Blog
http://prosumertech.blogspot.com

Is On-Line Graduate School for You?

Is on-line graduate school for you?

On-line grad school can be an optimal post-grad education option to consider if you are deaf or hard of hearing.

Today with the wide-availability of high-speed Internet connections, attending classes remotely (on-line) has become a reality. There are a number of reasons why taking classes on-line may make sense. In fact, online classes provide a number of advantages for deaf/hoh students that helps to break down communication barriers, which are discussed more in detail throughout this blog entry.

While its true that taking classes on-line removes the physical and non-verbal communications with classmates and professors; on-line classes are often viable for those who work-full time, travel frequently, and/or are in a location that makes getting to / from class difficult. Which is often the case for executives, senior level employees or out of state students.

This blog entry draws on my current experience as an MBA student enrolled on-line with the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) [www.umuc.edu]. At the present I am pursing a MBA while being employed full-time, and expect to complete the program in March 2011.

Online Class Enrollment

After about six months of research, deliberations and meetings with several MBA programs, I considered several programs on-line, downtown Chicago, and within the surrounding suburbs. In the end, I opted for an on-line MBA program which best suits my schedules and flexibility best.

Just because a class is on-line, it does not mean its easier. Be prepared to spend some time on-line interacting with the instructor and classmates via email, within the on-line classroom using instant messaging, chat, discussion threads and private folders (tools may depend on the web portal offered), as well as conducting research online. You may need to work with virtual teams by using online tools. With virtual teams, you need to take into account everyones strengths, interests, background, skills, and even time-zones when working on class assignments and team projects. When not working with teams, you have individual assignments and papers to complete and submit online. Every online program has a different format for online assignments - review the program requirements, class interaction and teaching methods.

On occasion, there may be times when you need to participate in audio conference: the professor or a guest speaker may give a presentation on-line. If you are deaf/hoh, you can participate by using video relay services. Read an earlier blog entry that describes how you can incorporate the use of relay and videophones to watch presentations on-line:
http://prosumertech.blogspot.com/2010/03/using-videophones-on-line-school.html

At times, you may have to work with your professor/school to ensure that they are able to get transcripts for any audio / mp3 files and videos used in the course. This can be a learning experience for the professor and yourself. It is equally important to ask in advance before enrolling to find out if the school/program will assist with such requests. At times, getting transcripts of past conferences, podcasts or MP3 files was one of my pain points. Some instructors are able to respond quickly by getting the transcripts from their sources (they usually ask the course material provider or vendor). At other times, the school may have to contract out to get transcription services - this is something you should not have to pay for.

Undergraduate Programs

For some, enrolling online with undergrad programs may meet their needs. Yet, living on campus offers a whole different set of experiences by interacting and being around people you know every day. The decision to attend classes in person or on-line largely depends on your needs and interests.

Juggling School Part-time and Working Full-time
Juggling work and school can be challenging if you have family of your own and travel at times. One thing I’ve found is that it helps to do a little course work each day (often 7 days a week), and read during my train commutes. By reading during my commutes, I can conduct emails/chat, writing, and web research when I get home. Again, by doing a little work each day, it all adds up in the end without being in a rush. On a couple of occasions, I took the day off from work to focus on school work with out the distractions of the office. Also by working full-time, you can apply what you have learned to help make improvements and changes for your organization.

Software
Be advised that in most cases you may need to have the full MS-Office suite for your course work. If you are a student, sometimes your school is able to offer significant discounts for the required software. If not, once enrolled, you can visit www.academicsuperstore.com, and obtain MS-Office for a good discount. It is important to check in advance for software requirements for your school/program. Having a laptop for coursework is also beneficial, which give you the ability to be mobile, go to quiet places to do your work - or even work during your commutes.

Tuition
Yes, graduate school is expensive, and can cost as much as a new BMW or more. If your employer offers tuition assistance, be sure to apply/inquire about it in advance - even if they only pay up to a certain amount.

One possible employer rule to watch out for is that if your employer pays for the tuition, once you complete a program, you may have to wait a year before you work elsewhere, or you will have to reimburse them for the entire program. If they/you transfer within the organization, it shouldn't be a problem. Check with your organization on their tuition reimbursement rules, and the tax-ability of your tuition assistance. If no employer assistance is offered, be sure to check out financing / payment options with the institution before enrolling.

Connectivity
While this topic may sound trivial, its also important to have regular access to high-speed Internet DSL / broadband services. Also be prepared to work at other locations away from home to accommodate your travel needs, class/teammate schedules (and time zones). You may want to identify in advance of alternate locations where wi-fi services are available in areas you frequent or travel to. Places such as public libraries, McDonald's, Starbucks, and Panera Bread offer free Internet access. Also be prepared write/reply to respond to timely emails on your smartphone (Blackberry, iPhone, iPad, Android, Palm etc). Be sure to keep your addresses up to date in both your laptop and smartphone address books.

Future Career Opportunities
Many working professionals choose to enroll into graduate school to seek career changes, get into management, learn how to harness new business ideas and technologies. It is often said that you will always be learning during your life time. Given the time and expense, enrolling into graduate school requires serious considerations and commitments.

ABC News Story about Video Phones in the Workplace

ABC News story about the use of video phones at work, which I give a brief demo. The web link has been posted [Link].

Recommended Website: Deaf Scientist Corner

I stumbled across this web site, “Deaf Scientist Corner”, created by the Texas Woman’s University of Denton, Texas.

This web site profiles some past and recent famous / notable deaf scientists, which can serve as a role model for teens undecided about careers and budding deaf scientists. The site contains a summaries of famous / significant deaf in the technology and science fields: Such as some well known famous deaf scientists and inventors, such as Weitbrecht- the phone coupler - a.k.a. the TTY inventor, and Thomas Edison - the incandescent bulb (light bulb).

Today technology has helped level the playing field for communication access within and outside of organizations and ones workplace. There are many current and future opportunities within the science and information technology fields. As some often say that future jobs have not been created yet, and are waiting to be discovered.

For instance, 25 years ago, who envisioned that web masters, bloggers, and working with relay services and video phones would become popular career fields using every day technologies. If you have you have the desire foot to work in the information technology and/or science fields, by staying current with trends and the needs of business and consumers, you can position yourself for future jobs that will be created.

Links and references to this web site was approved by Texas Woman's University.

Using VideoPhones: On-Line School Programs and Audio Conferences

Overview

You may have read or heard success stories using videophones to connect to family, friends, co-workers and make relay calls. Did you also know videophones are also useful for participating in audio conference presentations / calls if you are enrolled in an online course/degree program?

I'm currently enrolled as an on-line MBA student with the University of Maryland University College. This term has weekly presentations, demos and discussions with the professor and/or guest speakers. The length of the online sessions have ranged from anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

How it Works
I use my Z-340 to connect to the audio portion of on-line conference, which is hosted by the professor using a web-based conferencing software (Wimba). A laptop is used to connect to the web-based conference to view a PowerPoint presentation and/or web pages. Both a laptop and Z-340 are set beside each other at location that has a good Wi-Fi or LAN Internet connection.

In order to be able to call into a conference session that has audio, the speaker has to enable call-ins with a phone number and pin (depends on the web-conference software capabilities and options). When you call a ZVRS (or any other vrs) interpreter, tell them you are joining a conference call, when prompted, you can either enter the conference code/pin using your Z-340 keypad, or have the interpreter enter it for you.

Tip: Once in the call, have the interpreter and your laptop muted to prevent audio feedback. The interpreter can turn on his/her mike when you want to speak, or your microphone if you want to use voice carry over (vco) where you can speak for yourself.

If your professor plans to use / uses a web-based on-line presentation tool, I suggest conducting a trial call-in session beforehand so you both will know how it works before the actual scheduled meeting to ensure a trouble free conference.

At the beginning of the term, we had to consult with the software manual and vendor to figure out how to call into the conference since nearly everyone was initially relying on audio output from their computer speakers - which does not work for relay calls. After some research, it was found that Wimba’s capabilities does allow for audio call-ins with a phone number and pin - which was exactly what was needed to make this work for the weekly sessions.

Ironically, Wimba’s (and possibly other providers) documentation still references the use of a phone relay (TTY) service - which is obvious that the documentation is outdated but still relevant. You can use your preferred method of relay service to participate in on-line class audio sessions by videophone, TTY, or Internet/chat relay. However, the use of video relay services for audio conferences is said to be more efficient and quicker than by Internet/chat text or TTY relay.

Other Features

Some on-line web-conferencing tools may also have a small window feature for short chats - this allows meeting participants to ask questions and be responded to (if monitored and used by meeting moderator).

Photo: Z-340 and Mac on a call (screens simulated for confidentiality purposes), gives you the idea of participating in an on-line conference and use of a audio line.

Lastly, you are not limited to the laptop / Z-340 / ZVRS set up. If you have a wide-screen monitor you can have both the presentation and Z-4 (or other soft video phones) side by side on the screen. You can also use other vp devices or a preferred vrs provider, you can do pretty much the same thing, using your preferred tools. You will have to experiment and find what solution works best for you.

Donald Moore is a Freelance writer and blogger at http://Prosumertech.blogspot.com

He may be contacted by email at: mooredlm@gmail.com

Flattening World for Deaf / Hard of Hearing Consumers and Professionals

I created a white-paper and a PowerPoint presentation about the "Flattening World for Deaf / HOH Consumers and Professionals", which discusses the how the latest technologies and services have helped level the playing field for deaf/hoh consumers and professionals in recent years.

Also discussed, is why corporations should pay attention to this often overlooked population segment, along with a few general tips on how they can improve their products and services to meet these consumers and working professionals.

Read the white paper and/or view the PowerPoint presentation - provide feedback, comments, share with friends, co-workers and recruiters. Hopefully this article and presentation will be a small step in the right direction to help improve consumer and employment relations for the deaf/hoh population segment.

I welcome feed back and comments to help further improve and update this white paper and/or presentation. Feel free to share

these links with others as long as you cite the source.

Recommended Web Site: Deaf and Hard of Hearing People at Work

If you have a young deaf/hoh child, student, friend or relative that needs a role model for working deaf/hoh adults, I recommend visiting the "Deaf and Hard of Hearing People at Work" website, which is maintained by Karen Putz. Link: http://deafhhcareer.com/

This web site contains a number of success stories of deaf/hoh professionals in the work place.

Recently, I was asked to write a story about my own career - which now appears on the site at: http://deafhhcareer.com/donald-moore-it-professional-and-blogger/

Microsoft Office 2007: Online and PowerPoint Training with Transcripts

Microsoft provides a handful of on-line training resource to help you get started to learn about some of the advanced features of the MS-Office 2007 product line for programs such as Word, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint, Access and OneNote.

Many of these tutorials include text transcripts found in the bottom portion of the screens, which are useful for those not able to hear or understand the audio portions. Link: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/FX100565001033.aspx

In addition, many of the online demos can be downloaded in PowerPoint format, and can be used for off-line viewing and/or for your organization.
Link: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA101926501033.aspx

With these tutorials, you can take your skills and career to the next level by learning how to use many of the program features offered within MS-Office.

Note: While I have used some of the online demos and presentations, I have not verified that every one of them have text transcripts available. You can use this blog article as a starting point for your training and reference needs.

Tenacity and Snap!VRS Announce Exclusive Partnership to Help Organizations Better Serve Deaf and Hard of Hearing Employees

Snap!VRS announced a partnership with Tenacity Operating, LLC, ("Tenacity"), a leader in the field of accessible telephony, that will help companies and organizations offer visual communication and relay services with the only comprehensive and accessible video technology of its kind.

Tenacity's accessaphone(tm) Total Conversation (aTC(tm)), a video softphone, extends telephony by including real-time text, video, and voice with the same endpoint compatible with the business' current infrastructure. This easy to use video softphone is now further enhanced as a VRS-ready solution through the Snap!VRS partnership, making it easy for enterprises to find a one-stop solution for Section 508 compliance. Section 508 is the important part of the American Disabilities Act that works to eliminate barriers in information technology.

"This partnership will enable large enterprises - government agencies, corporations, and educational institutions - to better meet the needs of existing and prospective employees who are deaf and hard of hearing," said Snap!VRS Executive Chairman, Richard Schatzberg. "With Tenacity's excellent and well-earned reputation in communication infrastructure and Snap!VRS'strong service, the match will provide a single solution for Section 508 compliance and benefit those looking to give all of their employees the best communications solutions they can."

For the complete press release on this news, visit www.snapvrs.com

Estimated 278 Million Deaf/HoH Consumers WorldWide

Updated: Last Spring while conducting research for a paper for my MBA program, I came across the World Health Organization’s (WHO) web site, where a web page listed that there is an estimated 278 million deaf / hoh people around the world - thus I have updated the tag line of my blog to reflect the latest estimates. This is a 178 million increase from the previous estimate of 100 million worldwide that was mentioned else where.

Yet, for a large number of them, they reside in low-to middle income population zones, where access to technology goods such as computers and the Internet may be extremely limited.

WHO estimates that the number of deaf/hoh consumers is expected to increase due to increasingly aging population segments - everyone naturally loses their hearing as they age, regardless of ethnicity. The bottom line is that companies should pay attention, and produce products and services for this growing population segment.

The WHO page outlining the latest count of deaf / hoh people in the world can be viewed at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs300/en/

Test drive wireless phones before buying

As many of you know, the market for wireless devices and phones has become saturated (there are many models and options now available), it has become increasingly important to be able to test and get a real feel of the phones you are interested in before purchasing. The large number of devices and services available can be overwhelming at times.  Thus its important to take your time and research before selecting a device.

While a device may look great online, it may not be as appealing when you set your own eyes and hands on it in person.
The opposite can be said - some devices are not so well displayed online but are actually great in person.

I recently went to Best Buy to run a small shopping errand, and out of curiosity, I checked on the latest models of wireless phones – Wow! there is a large number of devices available compared to 5 years ago! I took a good 15 minutes to take a look at some of the latest models.

Findings
While I won't name any specific models - some of my findings were:

- Some of the new phones look like they were designed for tweens and teenagers - not worthy of consideration for working adults. They should list the recommended ages on each device.

- Secondly I was surprised how bad some of the physical keyboards were. People still need to type messages and emails.
Note to manufacturers: don't make the keyboards any smaller. A combination of keyboard and touch screen is probably what most consumers want.

- Thirdly, you need to consider the operating system of each phone, and need to determine what kind of system you prefer and want (see below).

- Lastly, make it worthwhile to find store(s) in  your area that have the actual devices on display that you can examine before buying online.

Popular Phone Operating Systems
Some of the popular operating systems are (in no particular order)

- iPhone (Apple)
- Rim / Blackberry
- Windows Mobile (Microsoft)
- Nokia
- Android
- Other: Carrier specific

Recommendations
I suggest reading two previous previous blog postings highlighting some recommendations on how to select your next wireless phone / device.

1. “Wireless Devices: Phone Research and Shopping”

2. “A Quick and Dirty Guide to Selecting Your Next Smart Phone / Wireless Device”

Discuss
As a reader, share with others what have you done or considered when making a decision in selecting a replacement or new wireless device?

Contact Numbers and Email Addresses to the 4th Power

In these days, it seems many of us are getting multiple assigned device numbers and email addresses - how can one possibly memorize them all?

Yet this all seems ironic given that many deaf and hard of hearing consumers may not utilize voice services, and actually end up having more phone numbers than hearing consumers.  This article will illustrate some examples of what has become common and tips on how to manage to share your contact information with others.

While the various relay services, communication devices, and various touch points (VP, VRS, email and wireless devices), are a blessing in disguise, we seem to have more numbers and email addresses for each person than ever before.

For arguments sake – below is an illustration of an example of what a family of four usually has to keep track of:

Work
- Local 10 digit number
- VP Device number(s)
- Toll free number
- Blackberry SMS number
- Fax (While its not relay related, its another number to track)
* Multiply the count of numbers by two if you have a working spouse

Home
- Landline or Other VOIP (broadband phone service) number
- VP assigned number some may have more than one VP device (I.e. VP-200, Z-340, PC based, etc).
- My own toll free number
- Spouses toll free number
- My wireless device SMS number
- Spouses device SMS number
- Teens wireless device SMS number(s) 
* Multiply by the number of wireless phones in the household

As the above illustrates, for work and in a family of four, there are about 12 different numbers to use and to keep track of.
Why I say "about" - because new technologies are forthcoming and changing all the time -thus new numbers will come and go.

Multiple Email Addresses
Now about multiple email addresses - no doubt many of us have more than one email address as well. We have them for various reasons – such as for work, home and wireless devices.

Examples
- Work email
- Home primary email
- Push email provider (for wireless device) (I.e. MobileMe, Mail2web, Fusemail, Gmail, Hotmail, etc).
- Spouses primary email
- Spouses push email provider (for wireless device)
- Kids primary email addresses
- Kids wireless phone email addresses

Add them up, that's a minimum of 7 email accounts for a family of four. Image the same with your friends – dealing with multiple email addresses and numbers.

Solution
What to do?
Only give out contact numbers and email addresses on an as need to know basis. There is no need to share all numbers and email addresses with everyone, you should selectively give your email/number to your contacts to prevent confusion.

For example, for your immediate family, share the primary contact points with them. 
For your friends and distant others, you may have a different set of preferences and ways for them to contact you.

Tips

• Create Different Versions of Personal Contact Cards
  Use FedexKinkos and Vistaprint.com, they can print up hundreds of cards in a flash for a low cost.
  If you need a few just cards print them yourselves.  Microsoft Word and Publisher offer document templates that allow you to create and print your own contact cards.  You can buy business card paper in most office supply stores (Avery paper).
• Document Email Addresses and Numbers into a MS-Word, MS-Excel or other readable format
  This will provide you a way to keep track of your numbers and email accounts.
• Utilize Address Books on Your Computer (i.e. Ms-Outlook, email/ISP provider) and Your Wireless Handheld
  By doing this, it will help you better manage your contact information, and reduce the need to memorize so many numbers and email addresses.

Lastly, make an effort to memorize at least some you important numbers and email addresses for emergencies or when you computer and/or handheld wireless device is not available.

Leader in Deaf Community to Head Outreach Efforts for Snap!VRS

Snap!VRS announces the recent hire of Sean Gerlis, the President of the New Jersey Association of the Deaf.
http://www.snapvrs.com/about_us/press/article/?id=24

Purple Announces Community Campaign: Dream Bigger

Purple announced a new community campaign called Dream Bigger (http://www.purple.us/dreambigger). The campaign honors 10 Trailblazers in the Deaf Community from across the country that have had tremendous impact in the areas of sports, civil rights, politics, business, language, community, medicine, art, and education.

Over the next three months, there will be local events (across the US) in the communities of the Trailblazers honoring their commitment to the Deaf Community. In addition to honoring the Trailblazer, Purple will have their new P3 netbooks on site to show attendees their latest products, specifically designed for the deaf and hard-of-hearing market.

In October, all the Trailblazers will convene in Washington D.C. for the 'Trailblazers of the Year' Gala dinner where one of the ten Trailblazers will be awarded $10,000 in their name given to the deaf charity of their choice.

By visiting the Dream Bigger website, visitors can view videos from all the Trailblazers, find information on the local events and vote for who they think the Trailblazer of the Year should be.

DeafCode Launches Captionfish.com, a Captioned Film Search Engine

With summer quickly approaching – a lot of new movies are being released. Yet, would you like to look for open captioned or rear window view movies showing at theaters near you? 

Then, check out Captionfish.com, a new web service being offered by DeafCode.Com

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Captionfish.com provides captioned movie results for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Captionfish.com's Instant CC Film Finder™ provides effortless location search; New theaters added daily

SEATTLE, WA – May 18, 2009 – DeafCode, LLC. announces the launch of its first beta of Captionfish.com. It is the first website to integrate an Instant CC Film Finder™, which provides immediate and effortless custom results within 30 miles of a chosen location, refreshed on each visit to Captionfish.com. Results for up to 7 days in the future and 60 miles away are available at the click of a button. "The DeafCode Team was inspired to create Captionfish because of the need to find a comprehensive list of captioned movies in one place," said Chris Sano, DeafCode, LLC. Co-Founder. "We've received a tremendously positive response and feel Captionfish has the potential to become one of the most popular online destinations for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. We are adding more theaters every day and will continue to enhance the website's functionality with new features - many driven by our visitors' feedback."

Additional highlights of Captionfish.com's features include:

• Effortless Searching- Using its Instant CC Film Finder™ Captionfish offers the easiest way for visitors to find captioned movie results within 30 miles of their location.
• Comprehensive results- Captionfish's Instant CC Film Finder™ results can be customized for up to 7 days in the future or up to 60 miles away from a specified location.
• Open Captions and Rear Window identification- Captionfish.com provides easy to identify icons that distinguish between an "open captioned" or "rear window captioned" showing.
• Mobile edition- Captionfish provides a mobile website optimized for mobile phones so deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors can find captioned movie results while they are on the go. Mobile applications for Smart phones are under development.
• Closed Captioned Trailers- Captionfish links to a growing list of closed captioned movie trailers so the deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors can enjoy previews of current and upcoming movie releases.
• RSS Feed for custom results- Captionfish enables an RSS feed so each visitor can check for the latest captioned film results using their preferred RSS reader wherever they like.

About DeafCode LLC.

Founded in 2009 by three deaf internet professionals with 30 years of combined experience, DeafCode LLC's mission is to utilize their skills and technological expertise to enhance the overall internet experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. DeafCode is based in Seattle, WA. For more information, visit www.deafcode.com

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Captionfish.com and DeafCode are trademarks of DeafCode, LLC. All other company and product names may be trademarks
of the respective companies with which they are associated.

New LinkedIn Group: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Professionals Group

There is a new Deaf and Hard of Hearing Professionals LinkedIn group, which may be beneficial for working or retired professionals looking to network with others.  If you haven't checked out LinkedIn - a professional networking site, consider joining so you can join the group. You can read my blog entry about Networking with LinkedIn and Facebook in 2008.

Once you've joined LinkedIn, and created a professional profile: Consider joining the "Deaf and Hard Of Hearing Professionals" LinkedIn group to network professionally, make new friends and create new networking opportunities.

To join the group, after you create a LinkedIn profile, log in and select “Search for Groups” and enter “deaf” and click on the search button.  Several groups will appear within the search results.  Select “Join this group” under the “Deaf and Hard of Hearing Professionals” group.  The group moderator will then make the determination if you can join the group.  Address all questions and concerns regarding this group to the group moderator.

Happy Networking!

Communication Technologies: Past, Present and Future

If you are reading this article on-line, you win a "point" for being up to date in using some of the latest technologies.

This article focuses on past, present and future accessibility and technologies that have greatly benefited the deaf / hard of hearing community over the past 30 years or so.  The list is not all inclusive, but contains a list of topics (technologies) that continue to be mainstream today. 

 

• For the younger crowd, this chart can help provide an insight to the limited technologies and services of the past. 
• For those of you who are younger than baby boomers a.k.a. Generation X, Y, Millennials and Z (I.e. 1964+ or younger), many of you can relate to the topics discussed. 
• For seniors, the chart can provide you with an update on what technologies are available for your use, and give you a chance to learn something new.

The linked chart was developed from comments from others, my own experiences and perspectives.  The chart contents may be updated overtime as I receive comments and continue to expand on it.   You do not necessarily have to agree to what is listed.

Since the chart is too wide and long for display on this blog, it has been converted into an Acrobat PDF file and posted on Comcast - click on the link below.

[Click to see: Chart of Communication Technologies: Past, Present and Future]

This blog is open to receiving feedback and discussions based on this topic.