Video Conferencing for the Hearing Impaired October 30, 2010
Posted by travisthetrout in Deafness/HOH, Working Life.trackback
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A few months ago I had my first conference call. I was in a client meeting and she phoned her accountant to go over the figures (as they could explain it to the lawyers better than she could).
Readers of this blog will know that I am hearing impaired and I did struggle in the call.
The strength of my phone work varies, but a conference call is even worse:
- I can’t ask (continuously) for things to be repeated (particularly as the conversation was more for the partner’s benefit than mine);
- It is harder to participate because there is more than one person talking;
- It is harder to ask questions as you don’t want to seem like an idiot in front of everyone if it has already been covered;
- It was not the time to get into “I’m hearing impaired” conversation with the client.
but I survived. However, the call did not need a lot of input from me, just answering questions that we directed at me. I don’t know how I would cope with a full on conference call which required full participation and proper legal advice.
Last week, I had my first video call conference.
This was easier in comparison. But again it is intense (and therefore migraine inducing). The key with video conferencing is that I can lip read. However, I need to:
- be able to see the screen
- be able to see the lips of the person who is talking
- rest
The conference was between 5 different locations, the screen can show images from the other offices, unfortunately this can be so tiny that lip-reading is worthless. I do need the video to be large enough to see the lips and to be on the person talking (hard to change the camera to different people as different people talk). Visibility can also be an issue, the quality of the camera, the light of the room etc etc there are so many variables that I feel that on any given day, a large inter-office conference can be touch and go. However, I see no reason why a call between a few people using video could not be used with ease.
My other negative is the concentration issue . For me continuous lip reading can be quite intense, particularly in situations where I rely less on the ears and more on the eyes (i.e. where the voice is further away, softer or more difficult to understand). A classic example was at university: I always got severe migraines during a two hour lecture after 40 minutes or so – the same applies to conferencing. My stamina was less because I have been out of practice and I found myself really needing a break. As a lowly paralegal in a room of partners and solicitors I did not have this luxury.
Upon discussing this (and my concerns) with a colleague they said that their own concentration dwindles because there is not an actual person in the room and the person talking can’t see them doodling and yawning. They struggle to understand because they are not giving their full concentration anyway and they get more out of a conference call on the phone and would choose this over video conferencing anyway. (Not to mention video conference makes everyone self-conscious).
This is a shame because even though I have problems, video conference calls are much more beneficial for me, and less embarrassing. I would like to hope that we have more, but I think most people would be firmly against this. But it is comforting to know that a lot of people find such calls difficult and it will hopefully not be something that makes me stand out like a sore thumb.
How do you find your conference calls?
My office luuuurves conference calls. Some of my colleagues have 5 a week or more! My prior employer had invested in expensive video conference equipment, so for internal meetings with colleagues at other sites, that was the means of choice.
While I can understand your specific concern about lip reading, for me, without a disability, I find video conferences make me really self-conscious, but conference calls do not.
For me, what makes a good conference call/video conference is:
* Limiting the number of people: I was in a call recently where there were at least a dozen people, all trying to actively participate. I never did work out who was who or which organisation they represented or what their role in the organisation was.
*I find it easier to have conference calls if I’ve previously met the people face-to-face. It helps me understand whom I’m speaking to and why.
*Having a clear agenda: this seems to me to be even more important for a video/phone conference than for a face-to-face meeting. In the best conference calls I’ve been on, all parties have an idea of what to talk about and in what order. The worst ramble on. And on.
Beth,
Thank you for your input. There is a certain amount of self consciousness for anyone where there is a camera.
In a training meeting we had this week (in our office and broadcast by video to other offices) everyone sat on one side of the room to try and avoid the cameras. The speaker sat with his back to the camera so I imagine that wasn’t a great hour and a half for the other offices and they didn’t turn the mics off during the talk so we heard every whisper, rustle of paper and sniff and sneeze.
I totally agree on you points about when makes a good call. I’m sure most people feel the same way it is just about getting people to stick to them.
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