Miss-Delectable
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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2005/10/13/1260475-sun.html
The deaf and hard of hearing will soon be able to more closely follow the action down at city hall.
The executive committee of council yesterday approved a one-year pilot program to automatically provide captioning or sign language services at all major civic events and celebrations.
The services will be available on request at committee meetings and other public meetings.
"I'm really excited," said Marilyn Kingdom, president of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, Edmonton branch. "It's something we've been wanting for a long, long time."
The cost of providing sign language or captioning at major public events has been budgeted at $16,000 a year, but the committee also voted to spend an additional $5,000 on a public awareness campaign to promote the program. It will be up to individual departments to fund the services at public meetings.
"People who are hard of hearing, or the impaired, or people with disabilities, have every right to have access to the democratic process."
Nickel said the services are currently available on request at large events, like the Queen's visit, and on request at council meetings. The pilot project - which significantly expands on that - should begin within six months, he said.
Kingdom said captioning will generally be displayed on large screens beside the stage at major events, but that will depend on the size of the venue and the number of people in attendance.
Another option would be lending those in attendance who are hard of hearing a laptop with the captioning displayed on the screen, she said.
"We've had frustrations in the past wanting to attend certain events," Kingdom said. "We just want to participate like everybody else."
The Citizen Action Centre will co-ordinate requests for the service
The deaf and hard of hearing will soon be able to more closely follow the action down at city hall.
The executive committee of council yesterday approved a one-year pilot program to automatically provide captioning or sign language services at all major civic events and celebrations.
The services will be available on request at committee meetings and other public meetings.
"I'm really excited," said Marilyn Kingdom, president of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, Edmonton branch. "It's something we've been wanting for a long, long time."
The cost of providing sign language or captioning at major public events has been budgeted at $16,000 a year, but the committee also voted to spend an additional $5,000 on a public awareness campaign to promote the program. It will be up to individual departments to fund the services at public meetings.
"People who are hard of hearing, or the impaired, or people with disabilities, have every right to have access to the democratic process."
Nickel said the services are currently available on request at large events, like the Queen's visit, and on request at council meetings. The pilot project - which significantly expands on that - should begin within six months, he said.
Kingdom said captioning will generally be displayed on large screens beside the stage at major events, but that will depend on the size of the venue and the number of people in attendance.
Another option would be lending those in attendance who are hard of hearing a laptop with the captioning displayed on the screen, she said.
"We've had frustrations in the past wanting to attend certain events," Kingdom said. "We just want to participate like everybody else."
The Citizen Action Centre will co-ordinate requests for the service