Auditory Discrimination

Personal assistive listeners reduce problems associated with background noise in one-on-one listening situations. By sending the sound signal directly to the individual's ears (using a headset, ear bud, hearing aid, etc.), an ALD enables an individual to hear and understand important sounds. Personal assistive listeners provide amplification and sound clarity.

Amplification and clarity technology can be beneficial to many people, but sometimes text communication is needed. For individuals who have some degree of functional hearing but who still have difficulty using the telephone, a captioned telephone may be the solution. For example, the Captioned Telephone (CapTel) is a phone that works like any other telephone but it displays live captions of the conversation. The CapTel phone automatically connects to a captioning service where a trained operator transcribes what is being said. The message is then displayed on the phone's display for the CapTel user to read while listening to the caller. Another option that may be helpful to federal employees is Relay Conference Captioning (RCC). This service is available to all federal employees nationwide who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and gives them equal access as participants in conference calls and/or multi-party calls. Relay Conference Captioning is a service of Sprint and GSA. It is made available free of charge to all Federal Employees. For details, visit: http://www.fedrcc.us/fedrcc/.

Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may benefit from the use of Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services during small and large group communication situations when verbatim conversation is essential to effective communication. CART is a process of converting speech into text through a third party (CART writer). A trained CART writer or stenographer uses a keyboard or stenographic machine to transcribe spoken speech into written text which is then transmitted onto a viewing device (e.g., computer monitor, video screen). Many captioning services offer remote CART and internet captioning where the CART writer is not physically present at the event but can listen-in through a telephone line.

Individuals who have difficulty communicating orally may be able to communicate effectively by typing, writing, or using sign language. In addition, individuals who have difficulty communicating in writing may be able to communicate effectively orally.

The following companies offer communication access technologies that are uniquely designed to be used by and with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The software products and equipment offer such features as: Speech to Text, Speech to Video Sign Language, Speech to Computer Generated Voice, Text to Computer-generated Voice Or Video Sign Language, or face-to-face text communication solutions.

Attachments for office cubicles to enhance privacy and reduce external noise.

Extraneous noises can be very distracting. Noise from radios, office equipment, traffic and employee conversations can make it difficult for someone who is hard of hearing to focus on important sounds in the environment. To block extraneous noise, sound control products such as carpeting, hanging baffles, wall panels or cubicles might be used. If possible, discontinue the use of personal stereos or provide the employee with a space free from extraneous sounds resulting from copy machines, faxes or printers.

Noise canceling headsets and headphones designed for listening tasks use a combination of passive soundproofing and type of technology called active noise control to reduce exposure to unwanted background noise and improve the signal to noise ration when listening to music or another sound source through the headset.  Headphones and headsets of this type usually have a small battery door built into one of the ear cups. When purchasing a noise canceling headset, be sure that you are purchasing the correct type for the task at hand.  Some headsets that are advertised as having noise canceling microphones are intended for speaking rather than listening tasks.  These only have noise cancellation in the microphone portion of the headset and do not have a battery on the ear cup.

Notepads or white boards can be used for many accommodation-related functions in the workplace. These can generally be purchased from any office supply or general merchandise store.

Portable text communication devices are a type of assistive technology (AT) that is designed for one-on-one communication. There are a number of communication access technologies that are uniquely designed to be used by and with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. These access technologies offer such features as: face-to-face text communication; speech to text; speech to video sign-language; speech to computer-generated voice; and text to computer-generated voice or computer generated video signing.

Relay Conference Captioning (RCC) is a free service to all Federal Employees and is dedicated to providing functional equivalency to deaf and hard-of-hearing participants in conference calls and/or multi-party calls. The service uses high-quality captioners that deliver live, realtime text streamed to an Internet-connected computer anywhere in the world. During captioned conference calls, participants can follow along with the dialogue by reading it on-screen as it is spoken and captioned.

A scribe or notetaker writes or types information that is communicated to him by another person. A scribe does not interpret information or perform essential job functions.

Most noise that is transmitted through a wall from one side to the other is airborne; this includes sounds made by TVs, stereos, voices and loud music, especially bass. This noise can be quite loud if the sound source is close to the wall. By soundproofing the party or common wall, the sound produced on your side will stay on your side and little or no noise from the other side will pass through. You can achieve wall soundproofing by installing our noise blocking products for walls. Another common noise problem is absorbing sound and reducing echo or reverberation within a room. You can achieve an acoustically enhanced room by installing our sound absorbing products for walls to improve acoustics.

The modification of supervisory methods can be a reasonable accommodation. Examples include meeting with employees more or less frequently to discuss daily/weekly job tasks, encouraging employee to let supervisor know when something is unclear, providing instructions auditory or in writing, using remote communication options when appropriate, and using a goal-oriented management method.

Telework, within certain fields, can be an excellent alternative for employees who have conditions that make it difficult for them to leave their home or reliably travel to a place of work. Employers should consider if a job can be made compatible with telework for their employees and communicate their expectations and requirement for the job to be performed out of home. Allowing work from home during worksite or office construction; extremely hot, cold, or inclement weather; or parking renovations could be a reasonable accommodation.

Training modifications can include: receiving materials in alternate formats, such as Braille, large print, audio, and text; receiving materials in advance of training using assistive technologies, such as CART, interpreter, and recording devices; having trainings broken into smaller increments; allowing additional time for training; receiving one-on-one tutoring; seating away from distractions; and  logging in remotely.

Two-way radios are often used to communicate "in the field". When it is difficult to understand what is being said using a two-way radio, or when the worker has no hearing, it may be possible to use a two-way radio that has text-messaging capabilities. There are a limited number of dual function two-way systems. For more information, contact the companies listed here.

Voice recording and playback devices can be used to create reminders and take notes. For example, due to difficulties with memory associated with a seizure disorder or from medications taken, an employee might benefit from the use of a voice recorder that would enable verbal directions / instructions to be recorded.  This would enable the employee to listen repeatedly and over an extended period of time if needed.

The following companies offer voicemail transcription services or voice to text products for voicemail. Voicemail transcription could be used as an accommodation for a number of reasons. In particular, someone who is deaf or hard of hearing might use a service or product to capture voicemail messages, convert them to text, and have the text message sent to an e-mail account, PDA, cell phone, or other mobile device.

Redesigning a worksite as an accommodation can include moving a workstation closer to a break room, restroom, office equipment, or employee parking lot; duplicating work materials in a workspace; teleconferencing into meetings; having others report to the employee physically; or communicating in an alternative way (instant messaging, pager, texting, or telephone). Modifying a workspace for an employee who experiences limitations in concentration can help limit or even eliminate both auditory and visual distractions. These modifications can include relocating employees to private area away from high traffic areas, reducing clutter in the employee’s work environment, redesigning an employee’s workspace to minimize visual distractions, and providing higher cubicle walls and/or cubicle doors.

Some individuals benefit from having directions and other instructions provided in writing. Example of this would include communicating through email when possible, providing transcripts of meetings, using agendas for trainings, and having checklists for tasks that need completed.