When people talk of accessibility to meetings, they often think only in terms of wheelchair ramps. I would like to address another aspect of accessibility that is often overlooked — accessibility for those who are hard of hearing, though not deaf. People who would not benefit from an American sign language interpreter.
Monday night as I sat at the Northfield Town Meeting, I will not say that I struggled to hear the comments made; any struggle ended within five minutes when I completely gave up hope of hearing what was being said. I could understand occasional isolated words spoken by the moderator, but that was hardly enough to piece together a cohesive understanding of what was transpiring. I wanted to speak about one article, but was terrified to do so, as I was not even sure that this article was still under discussion. After verifying with someone nearby that it was, I did get up the courage to speak my piece.
My inability to hear the proceedings not only meant that I did not hear the voices of others, but it also nearly silenced my voice. My hearing loss is probably more severe than most people, but I know that I was not the only one who missed large chunks of the discussion. Fortunately, there is technology available that can remedy this situation. CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) services can provide onsite captioning. Massachusetts recommends use of this technology for town meetings. Unlike an ASL interpreter, CART providers display the information in a format that is accessible to all.
I have spoken to Northfield town officials about use of CART in future Town Meetings and they are already looking into this. I urge residents of other towns to ask their town officials to do the same. Hearing loss affects a large percentage of the population and should be acknowledged as deserving accommodations.
Elizabeth Lareau Whitcomb
Northfield