Miss-Delectable
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Community Press - Bellevue woman advocates for deaf community
Bellevue resident Betty Timon knows what it's like to watch a movie or television show and not understand a thing.
It's not because of a confusing plot or storyline. She's deaf and captioning isn't always available.
This personal understanding of the hardships that deaf and hard of hearing people face has lead Timon to dedicate much of her time to making life better for them.
Timon has been working for this cause since she began losing her hearing 40 years ago when she was 35.
"I wasn't looking forward to a world of silence," said Timon, who spoke with a reporter over the phone using the Text Device for the Deaf Relay System. "Since then I've been working to open up doors to make everything more accessible to people who are deaf and hard of hearing."
Timon serves as a commissioner with the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (KCDHH), where she's worked to address needs of the deaf community such as lack of captioning, accessible telephones and nursing homes that are staffed with people who know how to communicate with the deaf.
"She is really quite an advocate," said Virginia Moore, executive director of the KCDHH. "She's great at bringing to our attention what the needs are for deaf and hard of hearing people in Northern Kentucky."
Currently Timon is working to get online signatures on a petition to the Federal Communications Commission, urging them to address the lack of captioning on downloadable videos and DVR (Digital Video Recorder) recordings.
"I am hoping some day we will have a choice to see what we may like the same as others do," Timon said.
Timon said she's also working to get a sign put up near a deaf child's house in Bellevue, alerting drivers to be cautious.
"People need to understand that deaf children may run into the street since they can't hear a car coming," Timon said. "The sign is really a safety measure so nothing happens to the child."
Bellevue resident Betty Timon knows what it's like to watch a movie or television show and not understand a thing.
It's not because of a confusing plot or storyline. She's deaf and captioning isn't always available.
This personal understanding of the hardships that deaf and hard of hearing people face has lead Timon to dedicate much of her time to making life better for them.
Timon has been working for this cause since she began losing her hearing 40 years ago when she was 35.
"I wasn't looking forward to a world of silence," said Timon, who spoke with a reporter over the phone using the Text Device for the Deaf Relay System. "Since then I've been working to open up doors to make everything more accessible to people who are deaf and hard of hearing."
Timon serves as a commissioner with the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (KCDHH), where she's worked to address needs of the deaf community such as lack of captioning, accessible telephones and nursing homes that are staffed with people who know how to communicate with the deaf.
"She is really quite an advocate," said Virginia Moore, executive director of the KCDHH. "She's great at bringing to our attention what the needs are for deaf and hard of hearing people in Northern Kentucky."
Currently Timon is working to get online signatures on a petition to the Federal Communications Commission, urging them to address the lack of captioning on downloadable videos and DVR (Digital Video Recorder) recordings.
"I am hoping some day we will have a choice to see what we may like the same as others do," Timon said.
Timon said she's also working to get a sign put up near a deaf child's house in Bellevue, alerting drivers to be cautious.
"People need to understand that deaf children may run into the street since they can't hear a car coming," Timon said. "The sign is really a safety measure so nothing happens to the child."