Hamilton Shows Why Captions Enhance Viewing Pleasure for All

Shari Eberts Advocacy, Break the Stigma, Captions, Coping Strategies for Hearing Loss, Disability, Hearing Loss, Technology Captions, Disability, Hearing, Hearing Loss Hacks, Inclusion, Living With Hearing Loss, Technology

One of the many things I have missed during the quarantine is live theater — the heady feeling of anticipation as the audience falls silent and the show begins, the complex sets that bring a new world to life, and the actors who can make us feel something special night after night. I love the feeling of connectedness as the real world falls away, if only for a few hours. All the better when the performance is captioned, of course.

So it was with excitement that I sat down to watch Hamilton on television. Hamilton is one of my favorite Broadway shows. I love the variety of the music, the complex relationships among the characters and the incredibly detailed book. I have listened to the music more times than I can count, but watching Hamilton on TV with captions helped me discover nuances of the lyrics I had missed. The same was true for my husband, and his hearing is fine. The captions boosted our enjoyment since we were able to read along with the dialogue to catch every single word.

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Has Covid-19 Unmasked Your Hearing Loss?

Shari Eberts Advocacy, Break the Stigma, Coping Strategies for Hearing Loss, Disability, Hearing Loss, Telehealth Hearing, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Living With Hearing Loss, Telehealth

Masks make it hard for everyone to hear — hearing loss or not — but if you are struggling to hear more than the average person, it may not just be the mask, it may be your hearing. Hearing loss often comes on gradually, making it hard to notice at first. It may seem like everyone has started mumbling or the speakers on the television have stopped working properly. It can be upsetting and frustrating, especially since it now takes more effort to communicate effectively. Conversing with people with masks will make it harder still, since you are losing important clues like facial expression and lip movements that you may have been using to decipher speech.

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Will Covid-19 Inspire Positive Change for People With Hearing Loss?

Shari Eberts Advocacy, Captions, Coping Strategies for Hearing Loss, Deafness, Disability, Gratitude, Hearing Loss, Technology, Telehealth Captions, Hearing, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Inclusion, Living With Hearing Loss, Technology

Winston Churchill said, “Never waste a good crisis,” and people with hearing loss have taken his advice with Covid-19. Times have been very hard for many of us with hearing loss during the pandemic — increased levels of isolation, difficulties communicating because of masks and the lack of captioning on many video conferencing platforms — but the community has come together to advocate for change and to build awareness.

It feels like our efforts are having impact. More consideration is being given to the communication needs of people with hearing loss in a variety of settings, including in hospitals. Technology companies are rolling out new options to aid with communication. Media coverage of clear face masks is on the rise. This is all good news.

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Are Hearing Loss & Deafness Sometimes Like Apples & Oranges?

Shari Eberts Advocacy, Captions, Community, Coping Strategies for Hearing Loss, Deafness, Disability, Hearing Loss, Lipreading, Technology Captions, Deafness, Disability, Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Hacks, Technology

Providing accessibility accommodations that work for both the Deaf and Hearing Loss communities can be a challenge. This is clear to anyone with a hearing loss who requested captioning but was provided with a sign language interpreter instead. For most people with hearing difficulties, including me, a sign language interpreter provides no assistance.

But as I learned at an interesting panel discussion hosted by the Museum, Arts and Culture Access Consortium (MAC), a group whose mission is to promote access and inclusion at cultural institutions in the NY metro area, the reverse is also true. According to a Deaf panelist, captioning is not helpful for many members of the Deaf community, especially school aged children under the age of 15.

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Person-centered Care Critical During COVID-19

Shari Eberts Advocacy, Audiology, Hearing Loss, Person-centered Care, Telehealth Audiology, Hearing Aids, Living With Hearing Loss, Person-centered Care, Telehealth

COVID-19 has disrupted hearing health care, potentially for the better. Both audiologists and patients have needed to adapt. In my latest article for Ida Institute, I provide my suggestions for how providers can best partner with their patients during this difficult time. Practicing person-centered care will not only help providers forge strong relationships with patients during this time of crisis, it will help patients develop the self-care skills they will need for success with their hearing health for years to come. To read the full article click here. 

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