Due to weather and road conditions, NVRC's office will be closed on Monday, February 8, 2010
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Advocacy: Captions |
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Maryland Introducing Bill to Require Public TVs to Display Captions
Public Information from Maryland Governor’s Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH)
ODHH is introducing Senate Bill 68: State Government - Human Relations - Closed-Captioning Activation Required, which would require that television receivers located in any part of a facility open to the general public have closed captioning activated at all times when the facility is open and the television is turned on.
The hearing for SB 68 is scheduled for Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 1:00 PM.
click here for more information
Showdowns Scheduled in Movie Captioning Cases
By John Waldo, Hearinglosslaw.com 1/8/10
Next week in San Francisco, on Jan. 13, a federal appeals court will hear oral arguments in a case out of Arizona that may determine once and for all whether movie theaters may be required to show captioned movies to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Then two months later, on March 12, a superior court judge in Seattle will hear arguments over whether movie captioning may be required by the Washington state Law against Discrimination.
The Arizona Attorney General's Office brought an action against that state's Harkins theater chain . . .
click here for more information |
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Blue Ribbon Sponsor |
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Many thanks to Celebrate Communication 2009
Blue Ribbon Sponsor:
Virginia Department for Deaf and Hard of Hearing /
Virginia Relay
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Governor McDonnell Declares State of Emergency |
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Governor McDonnell Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Next Major Winter Storm
http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=474&z=43
The storm's final track and potential snow, ice or rain amounts are still uncertain, but the current outlook calls for the possibility of up to 20 inches of snow and high winds in the northern and western parts of the state; up to three-quarters of an inch of freezing rain for much of western and southwestern Virginia; and heavy rains and high winds in southeastern Virginia.
The precipitation, along with high winds and saturated ground, means that there is a high potential for power outages, hazardous road conditions and blocked roads. Areas that receive significant ice or freezing rain could be without power for several days.
Virginians can prepare for the storm by having an emergency kit in their home and vehicle that includes water, food, a battery-powered radio, blankets, flashlight and extra batteries. Virginians are also encouraged to keep handy the emergency numbers and shelter locations for their immediate area, and to contact their local emergency manager if in need of shelter or assistance. If it is an emergency call 911. |
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Annual Super Bowl Captioning Survey |
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Join NVRC to Monitor Captioning of Super Bowl Commercials
Ladies and gentlemen, take your places in front of the television next Sunday for Super Bowl XLIV to help NVRC with its annual monitoring of captions on the commercials. This year coverage of the game is being provided by CBS. The official start time is 6 pm on Sunday, February 7, 2010 with kickoff at 6:30 pm.
Why do we target the Super Bowl for this caption monitoring? Because its huge audience attracts many advertisers who pay a very high price for their commercials. Wikipedia says that a 30-second commercial for Super Bowl XLIV will cost $2.8 million. Compared to this, the cost to add captioning is teeny tiny.
We’d like to have several volunteers to help us with the tally, including readers who live in other parts of the country. Some commercials are broadcast nationally while others will vary by region. We’d like to capture both regional and national information.
Commercials you can expect to see no matter where you are watching will include Anheuser- Busch (Go, Clydesdales!), Career Builder, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, US Census Bureau, GoDaddy, Paramount Pictures, Homeaway, and Diamond Foods.
HERE’S HOW TO HELP |
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Research in Music Therapy |
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Music Therapy Assists Toddlers with Cochlear Implants
Music therapy can assist in the speech acquisition process in toddlers who have undergone cochlear implantation, as revealed in a new study by Dr. Dikla Kerem of the University of Haifa. . . .
"Music can constitute the bridge between the quiet world that the child knew and the new world of sounds that has been unfolded following the operation. It is also important that the parents and staff learn the best way to expose these children to music, the use of music for communication and the importance of the therapist’s undirected approach (which enhanced the children’s communication in music therapy and in play to a greater degree than in the directed one). Music therapy is gradually penetrating the field of rehabilitation, but there is still a lot of work to be done in improving awareness of this important area", Dr. Kerem explains.
click here to read the full article
Music Therapy 'may help cut tinnitus noise levels'
BBC News
Individually designed music therapy may help reduce the noise levels experienced by people who suffer from tinnitus, say German researchers.
They altered participants' favourite music to remove notes which matched the frequency of the ringing in their ears.
After a year of listening to the modified music, individuals reported a drop in the loudness of their tinnitus.
The researchers said the "inexpensive" treatment could be used alongside other techniques to relieve the condition.
click here to read the full article |
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iPods and Hearing Loss |
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Apple Not Liable for Hearing Loss Caused by iPods
By Filip Truta, Apple News Editor, 1/4/10
http://tinyurl.com/yec865c
Apple is not being held responsible for the hearing loss allegedly caused by one of its iPods, according to a report saying that a federal appeals court rejected a class-action lawsuit brought against the Mac maker.
The plaintiffs argued that the iPod earbuds were designed to be placed deep in the ear canal. Joseph Birdsong and Bruce Waggoner claimed that such a system increased the danger of hearing damage, although the court took Apple’s side for providing a warning with each iPod that urged users to avoid hearing damage by setting the volume at a safe level.
click here to read the full article |
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