Before I begin, I would like to tell you my background, my story.
When I was 16 years old I began working part time in a well-known UK retail store. I worked in the foods department, so it was my role to make sure the shelves were packed and looked full.
One day I was instructed by my manager to ask a member of staff to help me with a frozen order. When I went over to this member of staff I asked him to help.
His back was towards me and he didn’t reply. I wondered if he was ignoring me. I felt a little embarrassed, and so I shyly asked him again.
Again no response, so I tapped his elbow hoping he would respond this time. When he quickly turned around he signed to me that he was deaf. I didn’t know how to sign, I had never met someone who was deaf before. What was I going to do?
My colleague was very friendly but we could only communicate at a basic level. So, I decided to take sign language classes as soon as I could.
I am still learning BSL, currently studying BSL level 4 in Northern Ireland.
While learning BSL level 2, I was encouraged by my teacher to engage with the deaf community, to take part in activities and begin to use BSL daily. By doing so I became more aware of the deaf community and loved making new friends.
While at a deaf club I asked many people about products and services for Deaf/ hard of hearing.
Being a product designer in Northern Ireland, I look at old, good products and work out new ways of developing these to create even better products.
Many products for Deaf/ hard of hearing appear to be out-dated when compared to other products for sale.
For example look at these products below:
On the left we have the alarm system for Deaf/ hard of hearing. On the right we have a baby monitor. Both products are for sale now, and are being used by many people.
It is interesting to see how the baby monitor has inviting LED lights, it is wireless and it is digital. Compared to the alarm system for deaf it is a lot more modern and advanced.
This is just one example, there are many more.
What do you think? Tell us in the comments below!
At the moment I have been working on an idea and would love your help!
I am interested to find out how you would, if needed, contact the Emergency Services 999- for Police, Ambulance, Fire or Coastguard.
Do you feel that you have proper access to contacting 999?
I have created a very short online survey, just 11 questions which takes roughly 1min 40secs to complete! Not long at all….Could you help me? Please click on the link in the speech bubble to have your say.
https://beccah.typeform.com/to/pgkKrL
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R Peaker
December 18, 2014
With the establishment of the Care Act next year, will Deaf people be able to gain a Personal Budget equivalent to technology provision (hearing aids, implants, etc) and choose to spend it on communication support instead? If they would prefer not to use technological aids, can that budget be transferred from ‘health’ to ‘social care’ at the Deaf person’s request? That would be an interesting outcome. Anyhow, PIPs or PBs might allow people to purchase the best equipment out there and not just rely on what their local council provides, if they do provide anything. It will be interesting to see how the Care Act could work; though the near abolition of Legal Aid may make taking possible claims through legal processes if denied impossible for most
Comet
December 18, 2014
The UK has an emergency sms service. Deaf peeps only need to register their phone and then once registered can text 999. It’s effective but slower than if you were making a voice call.
beccahume
December 19, 2014
It does indeed. I too believe it would be a slower process. I would be interested to know your thoughts;
https://beccah.typeform.com/to/pgkKrL
Mark Catling
December 19, 2014
“It is interesting to see how the baby monitor has inviting LED lights, it is wireless and it is digital. Compared to the alarm system for deaf it is a lot more modern and advanced.”
I work for Bellman & Symfon, the Swedish company that manufactures the alarm system featured in the article and I felt it was important to point out that like the baby monitor, the Bellman Visit system is also wireless, also digital, and is in fact extremely electronically advanced having to alert to multiple sounds around the home (door/telephone/mobile/smoke alarm/alarm clock, etc) – not just to a baby crying. It also uses LEDs but of course doesn’t need to have an LED array or a display.
Excellence in design is really important to us both in the usability of our products and their appearance. The former is always a little subjective but products in a range go through a cycle of redesign and reengineering and more recent Bellman & Symfon developments reflect a new, modern look. Indeed the Domino Pro Listener won Sweden’s prestigious Stora Designpriset (Grand Award of Design), so the good news is that the very best in European design is now featuring in technology for Deaf and hard of hearing people.