IBM tunes in to technology initiatives for deaf and hard of hearing people

In many university settings worldwide, students who are deaf or hard of hearing rely on visual aids, lip reading, or independent note takers to "hear" the lecture. Stenographers or sign interpreters are options only in settings where financial resources exist, and the professional skills are available. Deaf and hard-of-hearing professionals face similar challenges. As a rule, getting complete and accurate information from teleconferences, Webcasts, or group meetings of any kind can be difficult, if not impossible.

IBM, along with industry partners in business and education, is working to change all that for the eight percent of the global population that has some form of hearing loss. A long-standing innovator in developing technology to support people with disabilities, IBM began working on speech-recognition technology more than 40 years ago. In 2001, IBM collaborated with Saint Mary's University in Nova Scotia, Canada, to adapt its basic speech-recognition technology for use in an educational setting.

• Students involved in IBM's Extreme Blue program have developed a new technology called LAMA (Location Aware Messaging for Accessibility) that permits users to receive a wide range of location-specific messages—such as transportation schedules, emergency alerts, fire alarms, and security and safety instructions—directly on their mobile phones. Developers believe LAMA will someday allow deaf and hard-of-hearing people to more effectively function in airports, train stations, shopping malls, sporting events, and business offices.

Many of us have never experienced what it's like to live and work without the ability to hear. But for an estimated 20 million Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing, navigating a world wired for sound can be a daily challenge. Traditional accommodation solutions are often too expensive or simply impractical for use on a day-to-day basis. At least that's what most businesses and educational institutions think. And historically speaking, they're right. IBM believes something different.