new service for hearing impaired at WDW [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

SueM in MN

01-05-2002, 10:28 AM

That does sound great. I can see it working well for things like the Jungle Cruise, the Land and AK Safari where a sign language interpreter wouldn't work at all and a script would not work either.
I hope that the quality is better than some of the TV shows I have seen. We had videotaped the show Survivor, but something had happened to the sound (it didn't record), so we thought, no problem, we'll just watch the closed captioning. It turned out to be such poor quality that it was almost incomprehensible. Words spelled so wrong that you couldn't tell what they were saying, things that the captioner figured out later were wrong, so it was inserted farther down. I feel really bad for anyone with a hearing disability that is relying on the information they are getting from closed captioning.
My DD likes the closed captioning on sometimes while she watches TV, so I have seen the variation in quality. Some is really good (even news shows where you know it is real time captioning). Some is really bad, including shows that are scripted so they should be able to get it right.

lisapooh

01-05-2002, 11:39 AM

Sue,
THe boat ride in the Land is interpreted and is done quite well. The terp uses a flexible flashlight for lighting and the deaf add extra light from their own flashlights. You know we carry falshlights with us so we can talk when it isn't well lit. Jungle Cruise is also interpreted. What is done is the deaf guests all go in the same boat together. Then the add others to fill the boat if there is room. Safari wouldn't be a problem for an interpreter except for the bouncing. Interpreter might bounce out of the truck and get hurt. It is the one that is not interpreted and the only one I really haven't gotten the whole story for.

SueM in MN

01-05-2002, 05:42 PM

I'm surprised to see that the Jungle Cruise and the Land are interpreted. I didn't think there would be room for someone to be facing the audience for those. I guess you learn something every day.
I can see that the Safari would be too bumpy. That's one where the new captioner would work well. The story part doesn't last very long, but the driver's comments about the animals really help to figure out what animals to look for and where to look.

lisapooh

01-05-2002, 07:55 PM

I think those of us who are deaf and hard of hearing tend to scan more side to side in order to not miss things. Plus my dh will signal me where to look.

Wheelsie

01-06-2002, 12:09 AM

Wonderful news.....this sounds great!! :)

Mazzy

01-20-2002, 06:57 AM

As someone who is partially deaf doesn't sign, this is great news for me. :D

I've just been across to the offical WDW site and there is no mention of this at all, just the usual list of captions etc.

Does anyone know where I can find out more information about this service, ie which attractions it is used on?

Thanks :D

lisapooh

01-20-2002, 07:59 AM

You might contact Mark Jones, who is the sign langauge coordinator for WDW. He is the one who has the most information on helping deaf guests. If you are in the parks and see one of the interpreters ask them. They are the ones who clued me to reflective captioning and the availablity of ALDs. Also for special events you can get a voice interpreter if needed. I prefer ASL but that is because it is my second langauge at this point and I use it reguarly. Not all deaf use it or even know it. Depends on the person and their circumstances.

slyster

01-20-2002, 11:22 AM

Can someone please clarify something for me? My friend (deaf) and I are heading down to WDW in September? We were there about 7 years ago and we had an interpreter with us for about 6 hours one day. We basically used the interpreter for all the shows and after the 6 hours went on rides. It sounds like there are certain shows and times that an interpreter is available? Even though having reflective captioning is a great idea, nothing beats having an interpreter there for the shows. Can you request an interpreter even if a ride or event has reflective captioning?

Any feedback on how the process works would be an appreciated and a description of the reflective captioning as well. Is it a small box (makes it more difficult since the deaf person would have to look at the box and maybe miss part of the show/ride) or is it in visual range of the show, ride, or event so that the deaf person will have everything in their "line of sight"? Hope this makes sense. I also want to commend WDW for their efforts in making WDW as accessible as possible. Thanks Disney!

lisapooh

01-20-2002, 03:02 PM

Contact person is Mark Jones. He is great.
Yes shows are interpreted on schedule with each park except for Animal Kingdom having 2 days per week with the interpreter.
Schedule is
Mon,Thur Magic Kingdom
Tues, Fri EPCOT
Wed, Sun Studios
Sat Animal Kingdom
It is a mix of shows, rides and parades that do not have reflective captioning.

Reflective captioning is done with a see through plexiglas screen that is places in front of you and you adjust it so you see both the captioning and the show itself. Pretty much the same as you watch tv with captioning. You do not miss portions of the show.

You can request an interpreter for shows and events that are not normally interpreted. For example. I am an avid pin collector and wanted to go to a Pin Talk. I emailed Mark and asked if it was possible. I actually asked him to pick the one that was most convenient for his people and he actually pick the best one on property.

On another occasion I wanted to go on a Backstage Tour. I am not fully deaf at this point (in my future) and lip read well. Since it was a small group on the tour he worked with making sure I had a guide who understood how to best communicate with me and a a low range voice that carried and was very clear. I would now need an actual interpreter but at that time I did not.

He also arranged where I would sit at the Candleligth Processional so I could both see the interpreter and Marlee Matlin since my wheelchair could not be placed in the actual area the deaf were sitting so I would not need to transfer to a bench but could remain in the wheelchair during the show.

I will working again with Mark for my upcoming trip in March and another in September for the EPCOT Pin Event.

If you are interesting in schedule of interpreted events please email and I will send you the schedule from October. It may change some but will give you idea of the schedule.

slyster

01-20-2002, 05:50 PM

Thanks Lisa for the information. I will have my friend Cindy contact him probably in the summer since we are planning on a September trip. While I certainly appreciate that Disney has interpreters available on certain dates, it bothers me just a little bit that we have to follow Disney's schedule for interpreters. For example, if we are only going for 3 days, it sounds like we have to go to park on the day they have the interpreter. We will certainly contact Mark and find out more information. Thanks again :)

lisapooh

01-20-2002, 06:42 PM

Mazzy
Are you on the Jazzy Boards too?

Mazzy

01-22-2002, 07:14 AM

Hi Lisa :wave:

Sorry I'm not sure what the Jazzy Boards are?

I am from the UK, and am on the UK boards regularly. Maybe you could enlighten me on the Jazzy Boards?

Thanks :D

lisapooh

01-22-2002, 07:37 AM

Pride's Chat Boards for users of Jazzy wheelchairs or their scooters. We have a Mazzy there from England. That's why I asked.

Mazzy

01-22-2002, 12:12 PM

Lisa, thanks for explaining to me what the Jazzy Boards are, I obviously have a namesake over there, *** it aint me! ;)

I'm curious though to find out more information about the new wireless captions, do you know where I could find out which attractions they are provided on?

Thanks :D

lisapooh

01-22-2002, 01:40 PM

I would think that Mark Jones would have that information. Mark.Jones@disney.com
He is the Coordinator for Sign Langauge and well versed in all things for the deaf and a great help.

SueM in MN

01-23-2002, 12:20 AM

It wasn't posted yet on the official WDW Board when I looked last week, so your best bet is the contact in fo that Lisa posted.

Mazzy

01-24-2002, 06:14 AM

Thanks Lisa and Sue for the info! :D

AbbyKate

02-13-2002, 10:25 AM

My 3 year old dd was diagnosed this week with mild - moderate sensorineural hearing loss. We are going to be at WDW before she gets her hearing aids. I need help! I'm so new at this I don't even know the questions to ask or the options available. If anyone can give me some advice I'd really appreciate it! Thanks so much!

lisapooh

02-13-2002, 04:32 PM

I'll be honest with you. Unless you as a family use ASL the interpreted shows will be of little use to you except to introduce her to others with similar hearing loses. What she misses is what she misses. Go for visual activities. Rides that she can see and feel and not those dependent on dialog. Characters if she likes them. Make sure she is not sitting behind someone taller. Assistive listening devices if she will put up with them. Captioning at her age is not an option.
I know she is getting hearing aides but consider having her learn ASL as well. It is not true that ASL will hinder her learning English and speech. It will lower her fustration levels when it comes to communicating.
Welcome to the world of deaf and hard of hearing. It can be a rough road but we still live very great, productive lives if we want. Be her advocate. Treat her as a normal kid and she will do great.

slyster

02-13-2002, 07:10 PM

Hi there....It may be a good idea to contact Mark Jones at Disney. He is an expert and can probably give you different options and tell you specifically what shows may not be beneficial or enjoyed by your daughter.

Although I totally agree with Lisa about signing lessening communication frustrations and barriers, I encourage you to check out all possible communication modes; and most importantly find out what your daughter feels comfortable with. Hope this helps :)

SueM in MN

02-13-2002, 09:01 PM

I agree with using whatever works to communicate. My daughter is not hearing impaired, but she is multiply disabled and can't speak. She has used ASL since she was about 3 and is pretty good at getting her point across even though she has motor problems that keep her from being able to sign well. ASL is used in a lot of Early Childhood and Special Education classes, even when none of the students are hearing impaired. It just helps them to be able to start communicating and is one of a menu of ways that are used to communicate. And I agree with Lisa that it doesn't hinder learning speech skills. In fact, I have read some things that suggest it even helps.

I almost forgot, one good show that I would recommend is the Festival of the Lion King in AK. It is a musical show, but there is so much going on with dancing, gymnastic monkeys, characters to see, etc. that I think she would enjoy it a lot even without being able to hear it.

lisapooh

02-13-2002, 09:50 PM

Festival of the Lion King Show is a must. I enjoyed it even before I found out about interpreters at Disney.
Do ask Mark for suggestions. He is wonderful and very well versed in making things great for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Can you believe I didn't meet him at Disney but at a Deaf Studies Meeting put on by Gallaudet.

slyster

02-13-2002, 10:18 PM

Great comments above :) I too have heard of the wonderful stories of children/adults who learned ASL as means to communicate and overcome their communication barriers. I really admire how Disney provides different accomodations for different kinds of disabilities, specifically hearing losses. My parents are deaf and 20 years ago when we went to DW, these kinds of accomodations just weren't available. I went 7 years ago with my partner who is also deaf and they were providing interpreters when no other amusement park was. Just wanted to say that :) Thanks Disney!

AbbyKate

02-13-2002, 10:36 PM

I can't thank y'all enough just for replying. You are my first introduction to this new world. I will contact Mark.

teri

02-14-2002, 01:09 AM

My son is no longer deaf but he has a severe auditory processing disorder. We adopted him at age 3 1/2 and he had had untreated ear infections with severe scarring and retraction pockets. We started doing basic signs and a communication board with him right away, it was great. This was a kid who didn't understand anything - not even pointing to an object, and he picked up on a few basic signs and cb very quickly. After he had his ear surgery and tubes put in, every sound was overwhelming to him. When we went to WDW the first time a couple of months later, we made sure to indicate to any characters or CMs that he was a bit autistic and hearing impaired... the characters were ALWAYS wonderful. They would take extra time with him, and a few of them signed to him (although he didn't really get it) and believe me - we appreciated it. Be sure to let them know, every time you meet a character, or a server in a Disney restaurant - tell them. You will be at amazed how many of them make an effort to connect. :)

AbbyKate

02-14-2002, 10:59 PM

Since y'all have been so kind I thought I'd tell you a little bit more about my sweet dd. She was adopted at birth and has developed normally. Her speech is better than many of her friends. I started noticing some behavior issues that made me think she might not be hearing everything. I am thrilled that she will have the benefit of hearing aids to help her. We actually taught her to sign as an infant so that she could communicate with us before she started talking...basics like "thank you", "more", "please", "all done". We still occasionally use signs, so she is comfortable with it as a communication method. Like I said in an earlier post, I am so brand new at this that I don't even know what options will be appropriate with her level of hearing loss. I've been all over the web, but if y'all have any favorite sites, I'd love to know them. Thanks again for your advice and encouragement. WDW is my favorite place on earth, and it does my heart good to think about sharing it with my dd, especially in light of all of this. Happy Valentine's Day!

SueM in MN

02-14-2002, 11:17 PM

I'm glad you feel welcome here.
Here's a website I think is good: EXCEPTIONAL PARENT (http://www.eparent.com)

lisapooh

02-15-2002, 09:07 AM

AbbyKAte I applaud you for having both sign and voice in place for you daughter. You are truly a wonderful parent. I can't tell you have many children I have worked with who never communicate with their deaf and hard of hearing children.
I remember on track meet we were at where a father was yelling at his deaf son. WE offered to interpret because we know the child is not oral but the father said no. That the kid understands everything I say. Well Dad turns around and the son signs to us, What was Dad saying? THe boy did not understand a word of what his father was saying. Happens all the time.
Btw I am hard of hearing and I also work as a sub with the deaf and hard of hearing plus I am an interpreting student and have already started doing some interpreting. And boy do I know the fustration of hearing but not necessarily understanding the words.

AbbyKate

02-15-2002, 02:27 PM

Hi y'all! I just heard from Mark who sent me a list of all of the interpreted performances and parades. Do you think it would be worth it to sit in that section or do you think dd will be distracted because she doesn't understand the signs? I think I might give it a try and see how she does. If nothing else, by the end of the week she'll have been introduced to lots of new signs.

lisapooh

02-15-2002, 03:07 PM

I would definately sit in the area where the interpreters are. They are very visual and she will see many new signs. If you see Jennye and Vince, tell them Lisa says hi. Vince is probably the most visual of the guys. Incredible facial expression. Angela (older hispanic woman) is the best of the women but Jennye and Tara are also excellent. All the guys are great. Theresa is also good. She interpreted a talk for me. Not something that needed a lot of facial expression but then she did the Tapestry of Dreams parade and used a lot of facial expression.
Btw they will stop and talk to you and after a week you get to know the different interpreters.

DisneyPhD

02-16-2002, 01:40 PM

AbbyKate, best of luck with your daughter. There are so many resources avilable out there on deafness. The most important advise I would give is talk to deaf adults, they were once deaf kids. Keep an open mind regarding your families options for education and remember the most important thing is communcation, not the mode used.

I am not deaf, but am a social worker and I speicalize in working with deaf people, and family members of deaf people. I can't tell you how many times I have encountered families who feel they can communicate well with their deaf child, but the deaf child does not feel the same way. Giving your daughter exposeure to the Deaf World is a wonderful gift that she will share with you and be thankful for.

Have a great trip to Disney, she will love it. Babies after all don't understand what the words are to atractions, but my 9 month old loved going to WDW 2 months ago. Your daughter doesn't know what she is missing, only what she is getting. :)

teri

02-16-2002, 01:43 PM

I'll bet you all have already seen the German movie (with subtitles and sign), Beyond Silence.... what a great movie about family issues.

SueM in MN

02-16-2002, 05:29 PM

One of my dad's sister's had several sons who were deaf. That was a long time ago and I know at that time they were told they had to choose between ASL or speech/lip reading. Not both. I remember going over there and it being SO LOUD at their house. The boys talked loud because they couldn't hear themselves speak and they didn't know how loud they were. I don't know why the parents talked loud because my understanding was that the boys were profoundly deaf.
So much better to have a menu of things to choose what works best for the situation.

DisneyPhD

02-16-2002, 10:46 PM

Originally posted by teri
I'll bet you all have already seen the German movie (with subtitles and sign), Beyond Silence.... what a great movie about family issues.

Have you seen Sound and Fury yet? it is nowout on viedo tape and was on PBS last month. It is a documentry about C.I (Coclear Implants) and one familes choices regarding 2 deaf cousins. It is very interesting. I don't know if I would recomend it to someone just learning about the deaf world just yet. It is very emotionally charged and getts into some very true issues regarding how a deaf person views themselves and how they fit into their world. It is really intersting and the people in it are remarkable people. One thing is for certin, the battle between oralist and signers is still going strong and today and every emotionally charged.