PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT
Release Date: Feb. 28, 2008
Contact: Derric Miller
CSD Communications Office
CSD Partners With BarZ Adventures to Give Virtual Sign Language Tours
of Austin
BarZ Adventures and their innovative GPS audio/video device can now
be your handheld, virtual city tour guide for American Sign Language
users, thanks to CSD of Texas interpreting contributions. Debuts
this weekend at DeafNation Expo, Austin.
AUSTIN, TEXAS (Feb. 28, 2008) Imagine visiting a new city and each
time you come upon a historical landmark, instead of reading a
pamphlet or brochure, the technology you hold in your hand
automatically takes you on an in-depth journey, explaining the
historical significance in full detail, using both audio and visual.
With the GPS Ranger a multimedia global positioning satellite
touring device with a four-inch LCD screen and amplified audio system
this is already possible.
Now, imagine you are deaf.
This cutting-edge technology, created by BarZ Adventures, is
currently available at national parks, zoos, and cities around the
nation. To make these virtual tours more accessible to both deaf and
hard of hearing people, BarZ Adventures initially added a captioning
option to the device. And now for the first time, working together
with CSD, they have created a tour available completely in American
Sign Language (ASL), a tour of Austin, Texas.
With Austins reputation as a hub for innovation and technology,
were proud to offer the cutting-edge GPS Ranger tour. The tour lends
itself nicely to both leisure and business travelers, as visitors can
explore the city at their own pace, on their own or with a group,
stopping to learn more about the sites that pique their specific
interests, says Bob Lander, president and chief executive officer of
Austin CVB. We are especially excited to offer the American Sign
Language tour, which increases accessibility and helps us provide the
best services and amenities possible for all visitors. The GPS Ranger
allows deaf or hard of hearing visitors to experience Austin with the
assistance of a personal guide who details the citys rich history and
signature attractions in American Sign Language.
Susan Sien, a deaf school administrator and citizen of Austin, was
one of the first to take the Austin historical walking tour. The GPS
Ranger tool was offered in both captioning and ASL. It was fantastic,
said Sien. The tour highlighted the landmarks around the city by
incorporating historical photos and video. It was an awesome
experience that will allow the deaf community to enjoy travel even
more.
The ASL tour is being launched March 1, at the DeafNation Expo in
Austin, located at The Crockett Center (10601 N. Lamar). The expo is
open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and anyone who wants to
experience this ASL city tour need only stop by the CSD of Texas
exhibit, where the GPS Ranger will be made available.
I strongly feel that everyone in the world should have equal access
to our national treasures, said Lee Little, BarZ Adventures founder
and inventor of the GPS Ranger. We realized that the Ranger was
perfectly suited for the hearing loss community, and with the support
of CSD, we were able to offer the first sign language tour in America
for any major city. Speaking on behalf of the BarZ development team,
we are all proud to help those with a hearing loss have a more
enriched and enhanced visit to venues all Americans hold dear.
CSD hopes to replicate this model in other locations around the
nation, ensuring that those who use ASL as their primary language are
not excluded from taking these kinds of virtual tours.
This reminds me of my experience at the 1968 Hemisphere Fair in San
Antonio, where such a device was showcased as a ‘future toy,’ said
Bobbie Beth Scoggins, CSD chief operating officer. “We are one step
closer to an even playing field where communications access is
concerned.
About CSD CSD (aka Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc.) was
established in 1975, primarily to provide sign language interpreting
services to deaf and hard of hearing adults in South Dakota. Today,
CSD employs over 2,000 individuals in offices across the nation,
providing a broad continuum of social and human services programs, as
well as telecommunications relay services. CSD is a private nonprofit
agency dedicated to providing quality services; ensuring public
accessibility; and increasing awareness of issues affecting the deaf,
hard of hearing and individuals with speech disabilities. For more
information, please visit http://www.c-s-d.org
.
About BarZ Adventures BarZ Adventures LP is an Austin, Texas based
company combining experts in the fields of computer delivery systems,
documentary film production, and interpretive and educational content
development. BarZ Adventures has designed the patent pending GPS
Ranger with large venues and their visitors in mind. The sole mission
of BarZ Adventures is to enhance the visitor experience by using
modern technology. For more information on the company or its
products, log on to http://www.gpsranger.com
, or call (512) 732-0135.
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