Technology
Hearing Aids
Non electrical hearing aids such as ear trumpets, acoustic urns, and speaking tubes in the early 1800s
Earliest patent of hearing aids were granted in 1836 in England, for a curve piece worn behind the ear
In 1855, the grant for earscoops were given to the US
In the nineteenth century, hearing aids were so big, that they were noticeable on the person.
The stigma of using hearing devices and the publics negative reaction to those devices caused many people to hide their hearing aids.
Because of negative attitude towards the Deaf community, deaf people were sensitive to the fact of wearing such hearing aids.
In the 1920s, hearing aids developed from mechanical to electrical.
Devices were made to look like everyday appliances (radios and purses)
Cochlear Implants
Earliest research was in the 1950s
First CI implant was in 1961 by Dr. William House
In 1984, the Ci began to work for infants and adults, and then it became widespread.
Implants do not restore normal hearing, but they do give a sense of sound for ones surroundings.
FDA approved in 1984
Captioned Movies and TV
Even when silent movies dissolved, deaf people still went to the theater to watch the film.
First began in 1949
Considered a hinderance to hearing people
Was though to be a visual distraction to many
In 1980, closed captioning was made popular.
Sears was the first company to
Captioning in Theaters
Included open captioning
Included Rear Window
Included Personal Size captioning
Hearing people laugh at what was being said, while a deaf person might laugh at the motion the actor was doing.
Decoders
News captioners were hired to type all of the words on a film so that it could be on the screen when the show/ movie aired.
All TV's 13 in or bigger had to have a decoder chip built into it for captions
Stenographers had home based jobs.