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Hi, I�m Margaret Hutchison. I�d like to talk to you about the greatest unknown law
in the history of the United States is the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991. It�s
2010 right now. It�s been a law for a long time. 19 years but a lot of people still don�t
know about it. And, the very saddest part about this is the people who really are meant
to be served by it don�t have any idea about it. The people who have hearing loss are the
single largest group covered under this law. People don�t know what is supposed to be
available to them or how to use it. One of the things that might be available to them
in certain places would be assistive listening devices. Assistive listening devices include
hearing aids actually. Those are everything that is used to help people understand other
people; understand and be able to communicate with other people. It�s really an important
thing to consider. It includes a whole lot of different things. Everything from specialized
alarms that people can use to wake up when they can�t hear to specialized fire alarms
that help them get out of burning buildings when they can�t hear to things that would
be available so that they could go actually and enjoy a theater or movie, they don�t
know about it. People don�t ask for it. I�ve had lots of people come in and not
be aware that their church had these things. So, I want to talk to you and ask you to please
ask when you�re in public places if they have assistive listening systems. You might
help yourself. You might help somebody else too.