Resources

Federal disability discrimination laws like the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities and call for equal access to health care services, whether in-person or via a telemedicine appointment. Equal access to telehealth can be achieved by modifying procedures and providing additional support to…

SignUp is a free Google Chrome Extension that provides sign language interpretation on movies and TV shows on streaming platforms, including Disney+ and Netflix. While almost all the over 125 movies that have been translated to ASL (American Sign Language), BSL (British Sign Language) and/or ISL (Indian Sign Language) are for children, anyone visiting the SignUp website may request interpretation…

The International Hearing Loop Manufacturers Association (IHLMA) created a guide to and comparison of Available Assistive Listening Technologies (2021). In the guide, IHLMA notes: “People with hearing loss of all levels, frequently exhibit a disproportionate amount of difficulty understanding speech in the presence of noise. This is especially the case in situations where desired speech signals…

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted an Order (Declaratory Ruling, Order, Report and Order, and Order on Reconsideration) restoring Net Neutrality and bringing back a national standard for broadband reliability, security, and consumer protection, effective July 22, 2024. For People with Disabilities, the Order will: Better safeguard access to IP-based telecommunications relay…

The Hearing Industries Association (HIA) has prepared Your Guide to Financial Assistance for Hearing Aids (2023) as a resource guide for those seeking financial assistance for hearing aids. While HIA does not manage an assistance program, this guide will provide information on the charitable foundations, private organizations, insurance plans, and government programs that help people access the…

In this article, authors Zina Jawadi, Stephen McInturff, and Alexander Chern make a case for providing captioning on telehealth platforms, noting: The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that health institutions select telehealth platforms with live captioning as a feature and provide closed captioning for pre-recorded patient video resources. Yet, automatic or real-time quality…

On June 12, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Report and Order in response to reports that video conferencing services lack—or have inferior—captioning; ineffective display of sign language interpreters; inability of blind or low vision users to find and use volume controls; and insufficient user control of accessibility tools. Further, there is no easy way to use…

What do an acoustics professor, a food critic and an audio producer discuss at dinner? Noise, of course. This Washington Post article discusses "restaurant hearing loss," how noise affects the ears and brain, and what can help.

Cochlear Implant International Community of Action (CIICA) is an exciting new global community of cochlear implant user and family advocacy groups and individuals who support a shared vision of closing the global gap in cochlear implant provision and ensuring lifelong support for all who benefit. CIICA's Goals To increase the number of people globally who have access to cochlear implants and…

The Department of Justice updated its regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in April 2024. There are specific requirements to ensure state and local governments' web content and mobile applications (apps) are accessible to people with disabilities. This fact sheet gives a summary of those requirements. The summary is designed to provide introductory information…