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Quick Reference Guide to Accessible All Candidates Meetings
Assistive Technologies and Services
In order for everyone to understand and participate in the dialogue during the meeting, it is important that you arrange for appropriate assistive technologies and services to be made available. The following are key resources for making an All Candidates meeting accessible:
Sign Language Interpreting supports communication between people who use American Sign Language (ASL) and people who use spoken English [or Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) and spoken French]. Sign language interpreters are knowledgeable in the language and culture of both Deaf and hearing people. They provide communication in both a sign language and a spoken language and are bound by a professional Code of Ethics. Sign Language is a requirement for a successful and accessible All Candidates meeting.
Real-time captioning (or CART) uses stenographic and laptop computer technology. A captionist types exactly what each speaker says and the dialogue appears on a laptop computer monitor or is projected to a large screen so that it can be read by all participants, including people with hearing loss. Real-time captioning is a requirement to a successful and accessible All Candidates meeting.
| Sign language interpreting and real time captioning is a requirement for an accessible All Candidates meeting. As these resources are in high demand, schedule sign language interpreters and captionist as soon as you confirm the date of the meeting. |
Deaf-Blind Intervenor provides individuals with deaf-blindness with information from the environment, and may provide communication on behalf of the individual. Be prepared to accommodate requests to arrange for an intervenor. Generally, individuals will arrange for the intervenor themselves.
Attendant Service delivers non-medical physical assistance to help people with a physical disability perform activities of daily living when a person cannot perform these functions themselves. At a meeting, these services might include assistance with toileting, assistance with jackets and other street clothing, assistance with refreshments and other personal care. Providing attendant service is a requirement for a successful and accessible All Candidates meeting.
Assistive Listening Technology & Systems
Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are designed to improve communication for people with hearing loss in situations where hearing aids alone are inadequate. Assistive listening devices carry the sound across distance and over background sounds. The desired sound is sent directly into the listener’s ears. Instead of hearing from across the room, sound is heard as if the speaker is right next to the listener and background sounds are reduced. Assistive listening devices include FM systems, infrared systems and personal amplification systems. Assistive Listening Devices are a requirement for a successful and accessible All Candidates meeting.
- FM systems send signals from the transmitter to the receivers by way of wireless, designated radio waves. The speaker uses the transmitter or it can be jacked into the amplifier of an existing PA system. The receiver is worn by the hard of hearing individual who can adjust the volume.
- Infrared systems use light energy to transmit the signal from the transmitter to the receiver.
- Personal amplification systems assist communication with a hard of hearing person who is not wearing a hearing aid. It is a portable one-to-one communication device. A speaker talks into the lapel microphone. The sound is then carried directly to the headset of the hard of hearing individual. This minimizes background noises and the distance between speaker and listener.