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Tech to involve kids who are Deaf or hard of hearing in
sporting, cultural and social situations
It's important for children to feel included and able to
participate in activities with their peers.
Here are some ways technology can allow kids who are Deaf
or hard of hearing to be involved in sporting, cultural and
social situations.
Sport
Participating in sports is not only fun but boosts health
and self-esteem and builds friendships and life skills.
Here are some tech tools used in Deaf sport:
* Lights or a tactile stimulator (like a Fitbit) to start and
end a race
* Pre-loaded videos on a tablet or smartphone with captions
and diagrams for when coaches are showing players a video
on what plays/tactics/exercises they want to execute or
learn
* FM systems to hear the umpire
* Portable loop system around the bench with the coach using
the microphone
* Laptop or interactive whiteboard to display info such as
score, game plans, and so on
For more information on tech and tools used in Deaf sports,
For other tips on participating in sport, including
non-tech tools,
Cultural
When visiting places like museums and galleries, use
OpenAccess Tours.
This free app allows kids to participate in audio and
guided tours at museums, galleries, parks, zoos and other
destinations.
Audio guide and exhibition information is available in
Auslan, audio with captions and more.
For more information on OpenAccess Tours,
Social
When kids are out and about, there are some handy ways they
can use technology to chat with their friends.
OpenAccess Chat
This free app (available on iPhone and iPad) allows people
who are Deaf or hard of hearing to communicate with people
who are hearing, through text based conversation.
Users are able to be part of the conversation in any
setting.
It's particularly good for having conversations in noisy
environments and allows communication in emergency
situations.
Plus it uses minimal data.
For more information on OpenAccess Chat,
Speech to text technology
This is good for one-on-one situations.
A person speaks into a device and what they say is then
displayed as text on the screen, allowing the other person
to read what has been said.
Note: The person speaking needs to be close to the device
and speak clearly.
Speech to text technology works best in environments with
minimal background noise.
Dragon Dictation and Siri are some of the popular speech to
text technologies available.
OpenAccess Chat also offers a speech to text option.
Video chat
At home, kids might like to use video chat to talk with
their friends.
Video calls are very popular among people who use Auslan,
as they are able to sign to each other.
It's also good for children who are hard of hearing as it
allows them to watch a person's face/lips as they talk.
Note: Video communication can use a lot of data (make sure
you have the right plan for this), so calls are best made
on Wi-Fi connections.
Most smartphones and tablets have a camera enabled, but
laptops and computers might require a separate webcam.
Popular video chat apps include Skype, FaceTime and OoVoo.
What are some other ways children can be involved in
sporting, cultural and social situations?
Tell us by submitting a blog or Auslan video.