Entries by Tina Lannin

When you lip read surveillance CCTV

August 13, 2013 /1 Comment/in /by

If you lip read people, this is good to know! The CCTV Surveillance Camera Code of Practice officially came into force today. As the new code comes into force, we answer some frequently asked questions about who will be impacted and what you’ll have to do. To whom does the Surveillance Code of Practice apply? The code applies only to public bodies such as the police and local governments in England and Wales. Private companies are not bound by it, but they are encouraged to use it as guidance in operating their own systems. Why has the code been introduced? The code was introduced under the 2012 Protection of Freedoms […]

Hearing impairment? Try cochlear implants

August 9, 2013 /0 Comments/in /by

A hearing impairment can be A Good Thing What is a cochlear implant and how does it work? There are estimated to be over a quarter of a million people worldwide who have been fitted with a Cochlear implant and this number is growing all the time. It isn’t a miracle cure for deafness or hearing loss but the benefits that many people experience have greatly increased their quality of life. So what is a cochlear implant? A cochlear implant is a sophisticated electronic device that consists of two parts. There is the external part which contains the microphone and sound processor and an internal part that must be surgically […]

Shortlisted for National Diversity Awards 2013

August 5, 2013 /0 Comments/in /by

Tina Lannin has been shortlisted for the UK’s Largest Diversity Awards. Tina Lannin a local entrepreneur from London has been nominated for the Entrepreneurs of Excellence category at The National Diversity Awards. The ceremony celebrates some of the excellent and inspiring achievements of positive role models and community organisations from across the UK. The awards aim to recognise nominees in their respective fields of diversity including age, disability, gender, race, faith, religion and sexual orientation. Tina Lannin set up 121 Captions to help other deaf people like herself to obtain better access to information and services through high quality communication support and training courses aimed at inclusion and empowerment. Tina […]

DDA compliance – where are the captions?

July 5, 2013 /0 Comments/in /by

Is DDA compliance difficult to achieve? No! The National Disabilities Conference on 4 July in London was organised by Government Knowledge. This is an important event at this moment in time as benefits are being cut, wages are frozen, jobs are cut, and people with disabilities are increasingly marginalised. Yet, DDA compliance is still expected, as the Disability Discrimination Act has been law since 1995. In the UK, less than 70,000 deaf people use sign language however there are approximately 10 million deaf and hard of hearing people who do NOT use sign language – they might lipread and/or use their residual hearing, and therefore rely on captioning and lip speakers. […]

Get training in deaf blind awareness

July 3, 2013 /0 Comments/in /by

Sally, one of our expert deaf and deaf blind awareness trainers, gave us an insight into the valuable work she does. She is always telling people they should get training from her, and we’ve brought her out to say hello! We work as a team all around the UK, delivering both deaf awareness and communication skills training for everyone from the young to the old, the professionals to the man in the street. Everyone who works with people should get training in communication skills. Why should you get training in deaf blind awareness? Last week, we ran a deaf blind awareness day, training a mixture of older people, visually impaired people, deaf and hearing. […]

To the stranger……

June 19, 2013 in /by

by Cath Clarke To the stranger in the changing room at the swimming pool: I’m not being rude. I’m avoiding too much eye contact in case you start up a conversation that I won’t be able to hear.  For someone who is naturally friendly and willing to chat, this goes against my nature but hearing aids and water don’t mix. To the people who invite me out for a meal at a busy restaurant. Oh how I would love to relax, laugh, chat and have fun.  But all I hear is the noisiness of the restaurant.  Hearing aids don’t just amplify what you want to hear – they amplify everything. […]

CART services for the Emergency Services

June 2, 2013 /0 Comments/in /by

Demonstration of CART services We are being kept busy with conferences, exhibitions, and trade shows. This week – on the same day! – our team exhibited at the Deaf Unity 2013 Deaf Learner’s conference and at the first Deaf Awareness Day in Hertfordshire. In Hertfordshire, one of our captioners, Orla, captioned the day’s presentations. She explained how she writes what she hears in shorthand into her steno machine, then her laptop converts this into English. Orla’s captions were streamed to a large screen for everyone to read. She also gave a demonstration of remote captioning CART services on her iPad – the latest in CART technology. CART is Communication Access Realtime Translation, a […]

Bar opens in London for drinkers with hearing problems

May 29, 2013 /0 Comments/in /by

Drinking causes hearing problems Strictly speaking, that’s not necessarily true! A bar for people with hearing problems has opened in London! The perfect place for a quiet drink (I’ll get my coat)… There are so many bars in London to choose from. What’s different about this watering hole? The bar staff have hearing problems themselves – they can sign, there is a deaf security guard, a hard of hearing DJ, there are bright lights at the bar with pens & paper, the fire alarm has a flashing light, the signs are in sign language and English. In a word – access! Salsa, zumba, and DJ workshops are planned where people can be taught […]