Harris Corp. joins effort to develop radio that is accessible for the
\nhearing, vision impaired <\/p>\n
Etan Horowitz <\/p>\n
Sentinel Staff Writer <\/p>\n
LAS VEGAS <\/p>\n
Against a backdrop of cell phones that play live TV and computers
\nthat fit in the palm of your hard, the announcement that Harris Corp.
\nof Melbourne made at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show
\nhere on Tuesday stood out for its simplicity. <\/p>\n
The defense contractor has joined with National Public Radio and
\nTowson University to create the International Center for Accessible
\nRadio Technology, in an attempt to bring the enjoyment of radio to
\nthose with hearing or vision impairments. <\/p>\n
“We are going to use the tools available to us to reach this audience
\nthat largely today is being underserved,” said Howard Lance, the chief
\nexecutive officer, chairman and president of Harris Corp. <\/p>\n
Harris is donating equipment and $50,000 in seed money toward the
\nresearch and development of the accessible radios. Accessible radio
\nwill utilize HD Radio, a higher quality radio-broadcasting technology
\nthat allows a station to have several channels broadcasting different
\ncontent. Harris’ Broadcast Communications Division, based in Ohio,
\nhelped with the development of HD Radio technology. <\/p>\n
At Tuesday’s news conference, officials showed off a prototype of a
\ncar dashboard with an accessible radio. The dashboard had a video
\nscreen, but it displayed different images to the driver and
\npassenger. The driver sees GPS-navigation data and hears the radio
\nbroadcast from the car’s speakers while the passenger sees a screen
\nwith closed captioning of the same radio broadcast. <\/p>\n
Cheryl Heppner, the executive director of the Northern Virginia
\nResource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons, said this
\ntechnology will finally allow her to understand why her husband
\nlaughs so uproariously when he listens to Car Talk on National Public
\nRadio. <\/p>\n
“And I could annoy him by singing along badly to the lyrics of his
\nfavorite song,” Heppner said. “Captioned radio could open up a world
\nI’ve never had.” <\/p>\n
Heppner said captioned radio is particularly important during
\nemergency situations. <\/p>\n
“After Katrina, making captioned radio a reality became far more
\nimportant to me,” she said. “When every other communication failed,
\nthat battery-powered radio helped people stay in touch, but only if
\nthey could hear.” <\/p>\n
Harris officials said they expect radios with large screens that can
\ndisplay the captioning to be available for sale by the end of this
\nyear. <\/p>\n
Besides bringing radio to deaf people, Harris and its partners are
\nalso working to improve the experience of listening for the blind.
\nUnlike old-time radio dials, there is no static when switching
\nbetween digital radio stations. <\/p>\n
The newly formed International Center for Accessible Radio Technology
\nwill develop audio cues for blind people as they switch between
\nchannels. The center will also work to expand the number of offerings
\nthat radio reading services provide, such as the local newspaper.
\nThose two initiatives will take longer to materialize. <\/p>\n
Officials said there are about 650 million hearing- and
\nvision-impaired people worldwide who could benefit from the new
\ntechnology. <\/p>\n
Bill Pasco, the director of Sun Sounds of Arizona, which operates a
\nnetwork of four radio reading services, said the two most popular
\nfeatures are the grocery-store ads, including the coupons, and the
\ndeath notices and obituaries. <\/p>\n
“Digital radio reading services have the power to overcome all the
\ndisadvantages of conventional radio,” Pasco said. ” . . . All the
\npotential, all that promise, all that lovely information won’t mean a
\nthing if the darn radio is not accessible to me. Unfortunately, that
\nhas been the trend in consumer electronics for quite a while now. . .
\n. Older people, people with low or no vision, a rapidly growing group,
\nare getting really tired of being handed just one more box which
\nexcludes them from the mainstream. . . . It is critical that the
\nconsumer manufacturers wake up and recognize that making radios and
\nother consumer products which are inclusive is not only the right
\nthing to do, but the path to financial success and ultimately their
\nsurvival as a company.” <\/p>\n
Etan Horowitz can be reached at ehorowitz@orlandosentinel.com<\/p>\n
or 407-420-5447. <\/p>\n
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Harris Corp. joins effort to develop radio that is accessible for the hearing, vision impaired Etan Horowitz Sentinel Staff Writer LAS VEGAS Against a backdrop of cell phones that play live TV and computers that fit in the palm of…<\/p>\n