Embedded Files
“Do Good Things Justice for All,” an IEEE SIGHT Project – funded by Humanitarian Activities Committee SIGHT Project funding 2019 - 2020, continuing into 2021.
Another several Drop-In Session working meetings were held in May 2021 to complete the 'Do Good Things Justice for All' SIGHT Group project plan. We enter the next phase of the project which is to prepare reports, and next steps. We will create more media and post here.
Kindly take time to complete our survey about the SIGHT Group program and send us your pictures, stories, articles, media, etc. about humanitarian projects and or opportunities you have noticed (kit@ieee.org).
https://forms.gle/HQkjGthdJx4g6RsJ7
In particular, if you have noticed a need during the past year during COVID-19, or if you have participated in a humanitarian effort over the past year, please let us know about your experience.
Please let us know if you or if someone you know has participated in a Humanitarian activity over the past year. People who volunteer for IEEE SIGHT do not have to be IEEE Members; everybody is welcome. It has been an extraordinary year with many needs in our community and globally. IEEE NJ Coast Section SIGHT Group will recognize the volunteers, person or people, the project, the organization, and we will recognize anyone who have participated in IEEE Humanitarian projects and activities in June 2021 with a Certificate.
Survey May 2021: https://forms.gle/tmhP8YXJP5A3efKL6
Some handy links for reference and to share:
IEEE SIGHT Blog:
Join IEEE SIGHT, Find an IEEE SIGHT Group:
https://sight.ieee.org/get-involved/
IEEE NJ Coast Section PACE SIGHT Group 'Do Good Things Justice for All' 30 second video for IEEE SIGHT Day 2021:
https://www.sites.google.com/site/sensosmartvirtualsensors/do-good-things-justice-for-all
Dr. Don Heirman interview in a noisy background -- https://youtu.be/q7__NQm_4h8
A YouTube explaining PowerPoint Closed Captioning for Accessibility: https://youtu.be/Pxx1QwQkoFM
IEEE NJ Coast Section History Wiki:
https://ethw.org/IEEE_New_Jersey_Coast_Section_History
Important reminder: Free Captioning Software available from Google Play, 'Live Transcribe' is very helpful to improve communication when Sign Language interpreters are not available, companions cannot join a person with hearing loss, when hearing aids must be removed, and when masks and or plastic barriers make communication more difficult. Please see the photo collage further down the page for more details.
A reminder: please view a fabulous video interview with Professor Dr Don Heirman. He described his experiences with hearing aids while in a loud room. We lost our friend, colleague, and SIGHT Group Volunteer Don Heirman in December 2020. We are very grateful to have had time together.
May 2021
New York State Senate Resolution Honors The Honorable Paul Piperato.
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/resolutions/2021/k304
In order to include your ideas and opinions about Humanitarian Activities, and 'Do Good Things Justice For All,' kindly send in your comments, ideas, videos, media, pictures, stories, news items, etc.
Also, please share your ideas and experiences with Humanitarian projects:
Have you noticed a Humanitarian Need over the past year? Please describe.
Have you noticed a Humanitarian Project over the past year? Please describe.
Have you shared any information about how hearing loss impacts people's lives?
Have you shared information about Closed Captioning with other people to improve Communication? Please describe.
Have you Volunteered in a Humanitarian Project over the past year? Please describe.
Have you noticed a Humanitarian Need during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency? Please describe.
Will you Volunteer in a Humanitarian Project in the future? Please describe.
Do you have a suggestion about how IEEE NJ Coast Section PACE SIGHT Group can provide Volunteer Humanitarian Activities in the future? Please describe.
Please send your responses to kit@ieee.org.
Information about Humanitarian activities of all kinds is available from a variety of sources. Please consider sharing any information you may know with our SIGHT Group.
A program that addresses the complex issues of Homelessness is the Jericho Project. Information is available at:
More Justice Day Activities were brought to our attention by SIGHT Group Volunteer, Margaret J Lyons, PE:
Monmouth Vicinage Continues Law Day Observance with Virtual Law Day Symposium
The Monmouth Vicinage will hold a series of educational events during May and June on the Law Day theme “Advancing the Rule of Law Now” as part of a virtual Law Day Symposium.
On Thursday, May 13 at 9:30 a.m., a virtual panel presentation on jury trials will be presented in observance of Juror Appreciation Week. The presentation, “Virtual Juries: Inspiring Citizens’ Participation in Jury Service in a Pandemic,” will include Superior Court Judge Owen McCarthy and attorneys Charles Crocco and Jonathan Lomurro. Panelists will discuss the court’s operation of virtual jury trials and how the Judiciary has involved the public in court processes to ensure transparency during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Panelists also will discuss the first virtual civil jury trial in the state, which was conducted in the vicinage. They will review innovations in screening, monitoring, and engaging virtual jurors. This is a free event and open to the public.
Attendees can register at https://njcourts.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3zjkBoJ9RAuPrqHBP8F3OQ.
On Monday, May 24 at 12:30 p.m., a presentation, “Qualified Immunity and the Application of Pierson v. Ray,” will explore the Law Day theme. The presenters are law professors who also will discuss the doctrine of qualified immunity and its constitutional origins. This is a free event that is open to the public.
Attendees can register at https://njcourts.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__b2rLTItR1ePST-nJ7jK9A.
On Monday, June 14 at 12:30 p.m., the vicinage will host a naturalization ceremony on the South Lawn of the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold. This is a closed event and guests can participate by invitation only. It can be viewed by the public via livestream. For information on how to view the livestream, email MonLawDay.Mailbox@njcourts.gov.
The virtual symposium is sponsored by the Monmouth Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, and the IOLTA Fund of New Jersey. For more information, to request an ADA accommodation, or for interpreting services, contact Ombudsman Rebekah Heilman at 732-358-8700, ext. 87251 or Rebekah.heilman@njcourts.gov. For press inquiries, contact Janet Slocum at 732-358-8700, ext. 87025 or Janet.slocum@njcourts.gov.
April 2021
An IEEE NJ Coast Section Volunteer and Inventor Paula Muller, PhD was featured on the IEEE SIGHT Blog with an InSIGHT Bio. Take a few moments to view her inspiring contributions. https://sight.ieee.org/1969-2/ Consider preparing and submitting an InSIGHT Bio for someone you know to recognize their achievements as a Volunteer, Mentor, Role Model, Inventor, Member of our Community.
IEEE SIGHT Day was celebrated in April 2021 featuring many of the projects from around the globe. A video about our project, 'Do Good Things Justice for All' appeared on the SIGHT Blog.
Interesting research topics involve impact of acoustics in the healthcare environment. For example in the following document, 'Sound Control for Improved Outcomes in Healthcare Settings' authors Anjali Joseph, Ph.D., Director of Research, The Center for Health Design and Roger Ulrich, Ph.D., Professor, Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, present a review and discussion to improve understanding of impact of sound on health outcomes. In addition, they describe regulatory issues, potential methods to reduce noise, and importantly, they discuss Speech Intelligibility. They describe issues of Privacy and also Speech Intelligibility not only among humans, but also with the digital systems. Importantly, Speech Recognition is useful in healthcare settings for user interface to improve infection control by reducing the need to touch surfaces and devices, and by other mechanisms. Healthcare is employing more digital systems including Speech Recognition for Pharmacy Systems, automatic transcription, record keeping, and more. People with normal hearing can detect speech in noise even when signal to noise ratios are as low as -6 dB(A) however, automated speech recognition systems require signal to noise ratio of +15 dB(A) (Busch-Vishniac et al. 2005). Speech Intelligibility can be linked to Patient Safety not only because humans rely on accurate communication, but also because technology systems rely on performance and accuracy.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7352418_Noise_levels_in_Johns_Hopkins_Hospital
Nyack High School's Mock Trial Team just won the County Championship against Clarkstown North.
The Hon. Linda Christopher, Associate Justice of the Appellate Duvision, 2nd Department of the New York State Supreme Court presided over the case of a teen singer suing her parents. Nyack represented the parents.
Shown below starting with the top row left to right are, Attorney, Owen Barrett, witnesses Allie Leen and Ezra Seckin. Second row from left are Attorney, Rachel Asoda, Defense Squad Captain, Talia Reiss, and timer, Shyju Varughese.
Bottom row - witness, Ava Eliasson. Missing is witness, Jasper Brady.
Onward to Area Wide competitions.
March 2021
IEEE SIGHT Day was celebrated; our team created a video to share 'Do Good Things Justice for All.'
February 2021
Celebrating African American History Month.
We will hold a Drop-In Session in February open to anyone. Watch for an announcement and eNotice.
United States Patent and Trademark Office report:
https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USPTOSuccessAct.pdf
Notable inventors and their patents represented in this report:
• James E. West (U.S. Patent No. 3,118,022 for electret microphone)
• Ellen Ochoa (U.S. Patent No. 4,838,644 for optical systems for performing information processing)
• Marian Rogers Croak (U.S. Patent No. 7,715,368 for text-to-donate technology)
• Rory Cooper (U.S. Patent No. 9,254,234 for robotic strong arm)
• Frances Arnold (U.S. Patent No. 6,153,410 for directed evolution of enzymes)
Thank you to the National Inventors Hall of Fame, NASA, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and Marian Rogers Croak for the use of images on the website. Learn more at www.invent.org, www.nasa.gov, www.herl.pitt.edu, and www.witi.com.
Some IEEE Resources on related History, Publications and News and other items of interest:
https://transmitter.ieee.org/celebrating-black-history-month-engineers/
January 2021 Continued
Learn about deep learning:
https://paperswithcode.com/paper/interpreting-and-explaining-deep-neural
Interesting Wikipedia entry about Sign Language:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_language
With updates in January 2021.
Reminders of Mock Trial Practice information:
Dear Jurisprudes and Parents:
As you may recall, the Rockland County mock trial interscholastic trials will start March 8th. We do not yet have a schedule of which schools will compete against us, which side we will take and when we will actually compete. All we know now is that the competition starts on the 8th. However, as promised, we will have two in-house trials beforehand which will pit our Plaintiff Squad against our Defense Squad. In the second trial, team members who are listed as alternates will have an opportunity to compete. Team member performances during these in-house trials will help determine who is on the starting line-up as we move into the March trials.Our in house trials will take place on February 16th from 6 till 9 p.m. and on February 23rd from 6:30 till 9:30 p.m. Both trials will be via Zoom. I'll send info on how parents may watch at a later date. On the 16th our judge will be former NHS Mock Trial team captain and Harvard Law School grad, Miranda Means, Esq., who practices intellectual property law litigation in Boston on February 16th, and James Mahar, Esq., whose Connecticut law firm practice centers around defense litigation in both Connecticut and New York on February 23rd.As I wrote in my last e-mail, practice time increases as we approach competitions. Here's when there will be practice with me from now till March 8th (captains will schedule two more -run-through "Captain's Practices" each week). ALL TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE - if we start later, we'll end later.:
Sundays Jan 31 and Feb 7 - Plaintiff from 12:30 to 3 and Defense from 3 till 5:30 p.m.;
Tuesdays Feb 2 and 9th Plaintiff from 2:20 till 5:30 p.m.*
Thursdays Feb 4 and 11 Defense from 2:20 till 5:30 p.m.*
Sunday Feb 14 and 21 -- NO practice with me - Captains may schedule on these days
Monday February 15th - Plaintiff from 2:20 till 4:20 Defense from 4:20 till 6:20 p.m.*
Tuesday Feb 16th - Trial 6 to 9 p.m.
Wednesday Feb 16 - 2:20 till 5: - Review of Video of the trial on the 15th for Plaintiff only*
Thursday Feb 17 - 2:20 till 5 - Review of Video of the trial on the 15th for Defense only*
Monday Feb 22 - Plaintiff from 2:20 till 4:20 Defense from 4:20 till 6:20 p.m.*
Tuesday Feb 23 - Trial 6:30 till 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday Feb 24 - 2:20 till 5: - Review of Video of the trial on the 23rd for Plaintiff only*
Thursday Feb 25 - 2:20 till 5 - Review of Video of the trial on the 23rd for Defense only*
Sunday Feb 28 - ENTIRE TEAM practices from 12:30 till 5:30 emphasis on the side competing first in March
Tuesday March 1 - Plaintiff from 2:20 till 5:30 p.m.*
Thursday March 4 - Defense from 2:29 till 5:30 p.m.*
Sunday March 7 - ENTIRE TEAM practices from 12:30 till 5:30 emphasis on the side competing first in March
Once we know the schedule for the County Competition, I'll send out a further practice schedule. Count on a long practice for the entire team the day prior to each trial.
* with a hybrid school schedule and with some students attending school in person, we may have to start and end week day practices an hour later to allow for travel from school to home.
I can't emphasize enough that it is vital to arrange your schedule so that you attend each practice in its entirety. Each team member's role is dependent on every other team member "being on the same page" as we go through the continual process of refining direct and cross exams, openings and closings. Read your affidavits once a day prior to individual attorney/witness practices. Know not only what is in your affidavits but also what is not and have a reasonable understanding of all other affidavits. See you at practice.
Dr. Lee p.s. Zoom address for all practices and our in-house trials is:
Update 20 January 2021:
Michelle Calabro is an inventor who will present her experience and her innovation with us during Women's History Month. Her very exciting and creative game can be found online at:
https://www.theforgergame.com/
Updates 19 January 2021:
Amanda Deol of Addteq provides us a link to screen reader products for those with vision loss:
Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service 18 January 2021
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr._Day
We held a Drop-In Session for Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service. An attendee was interested in becoming involved with improving water quality for example dealing with lead in drinking water in Philadelphia. We will be exploring this topic and potential projects.
Lead poisoning Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning
Lead exposure has been linked to brain changes increasing opioid addiction and risk taking behavior.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.18.048264v1.full.pdf
Updates 17 January 2021:
Mock Trial case. Notes about other approaches to rights of Children for example, UK:
https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/pdf/FPI%20is%20it%20legal%20Feb_08.pdf
https://www.loc.gov/law/help/child-rights/index.php
https://www.loc.gov/law/help/child-rights/uk.php#Child%20Labor%20and%20Exploitation
https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/full-text/?cid=70
Updates 9 January 2021:
Do Good Things Justice for All – Help during COVID-19 – Captioning to Improve Speech Understanding
We aim to Commemorate the Memory of The Honorable Paul Piperato, Rockland County Clerk, a friend and advocate for our IEEE NJ Coast Section PACE SIGHT Group project Do Good Things Justice for All; our project has a goal to advance technology for humanity, and reduce barriers for those with disabling conditions for example, to improve communication for those with hearing loss. The Honorable Paul Piperato himself used hearing aids, due to a hearing loss. He was enthusiastic about our efforts, seeing value and offering to provide help to our project in many ways.
To Commemorate the Memory of The Honorable Paul Piperato, we would like to begin an information campaign including posters, public service announcements, training materials, and web content. The information will help employees, public service staff, and visitors – people who go to the various County Offices, healthcare facilities, encounter emergency situations, and visit Public Places – communicate more effectively using free captioning on smart phones. Captioning is helpful for many people.
During COVID-19 while people are wearing masks, or when public employees are behind plastic barriers, during a health emergency such as on an ambulance or in an emergency room, or in various other situations, communication can become more important and even more challenging. COVID-19 precautions prevent Sign Language Interpreters and companions from accompanying a person with hearing loss. This is challenging during medical procedures, when people are isolated, during medical emergencies when emergencies are at an all time high, and at many other times. With social distancing, people are trying to speak to each other from further away. Even without serious hearing loss it can become difficult to hear what another person is saying. This causes problems for many people and exacerbates communication for those who already have challenges.
Therefore, we believe free captioning of speech on smart phones is a timely solution and that it will be helpful to many people. It will be helpful to people who have hearing loss, and also those who are experiencing more challenges hearing others due to COVID-19 precautions including social distancing, masks and plastic barriers. (Please scroll down to see the Collage of Captioning below.)
We would like to share this important message.
IEEE NJ Coast Section PACE SIGHT Group would like to invite Volunteers, the Nyack Mock Trial Team, and others to propose posters, public service messages, web messages and designs, and to create examples of how captioning can be helpful to improve communication for people with hearing loss, and during COVID-19 precautions including social distancing, masks, plastic dividers, and others.
For more information and to send in your ideas, please email Kit at kit@ieee.org.
For Women's History Month March 2021
It's almost that time again. March, Women's History Month is almost upon us. We had a terrific event in March 2018 together with Stevens Institute of Technology and at their location. Please see the videos on our IEEE NJ Coast Section History Wiki to see the pictures and videos. We launched an effort to promote Celebrating our History: Inventing our Future, and in particular, learning how to promote Inventing among underrepresented, minority, women, and children inventors.
https://ethw.org/IEEE_New_Jersey_Coast_Section_History
We have made progress since that date, helping people learn facts and statistics about inventing, and more about how to be an Inventor, with a tour at the Edison Museum, efforts with IEEE Milestones, meetings at among other places our favorite Bell Labs historic locations and Maloney's Pub in Matawan. And we have even had some success with our Volunteer efforts to advance Inventions by Women.
Thank you to Graham Alig Patent Agent for all your patient instructions and for your hard work on behalf of one of our newest Inventors, Paula Muller, PhD. Congratulations to Paula for her innovative Sociavi, connecting generations made easy. Congratulations on the success of your joint endeavor. Thank-you, again, Graham.
You can find Paula's patent, U.S. Patent 10,623,696 on the USPTO.gov website.
For this March, we will be planning some events we hope you will all find interesting enough and that you will choose to participate, and perhaps prepare some content. We know many of you are interested in this topic and would like to make a contribution.
Radio Program, Webcast: We will plan episodes of 'The Law & You' for The Honorable Dr Duncan Rogers Lee, II Esquire's radio program which can also be uploaded to our IEEE Section History Wiki, IEEE NJ Coast Section Website and Facebook page, IEEE TV, and our IEEE NJ Coast Section PACE SIGHT Group Blogspot for re-purposing the content. https://www.sites.google.com/site/sensosmartvirtualsensors/do-good-things-justice-for-all
Examples of The Honorable Dr Duncan Rogers Lee, II Esquire's program are at: https://www.wrcr.com/category/podcasts/
Listen to the radio station live: https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/index.cfm?stationCallSign=WRCR
Each episode must be one hour long. We will be covering suggested topics important to the Law and also to our various programs including: History of Women Inventors; Promoting Inventing for Underrepresented, Minority, and Women Inventors; Justice and the Americans with Disabilities Act -- Accommodating hearing loss with technology including Captioning; Impact of Disabling Conditions in the American Justice System; How Technology has reduced the number of Missing and Exploited Children; etc.
Please share the plan with others who might be interested.
From Tiffany Lucey's email:
Thank you for participating in the creation of our virtual video presentation to IEEE on Workforce Partnerships in STEM Education and Computing. The presentation was very well received and documents our collaboration and lessons learned at Toms River Regional Schools through the Office of Naval Research TR:TechReady grant. I am so very grateful for your ongoing contribution to the growth of learning opportunities for our children.
Here is a link to the video submission:
Here is a link to the conference and other sessions offered:
https://ewh.ieee.org/conf/stem/
Sincerely,
Tiffany Lucey
Supervisor of Educational Technology
Toms River Regional Schools
1144 Hooper Avenue
Suite 210
Toms River, NJ 08753
732-505-5500 ext 7
With updates in December 2020.
History of the current project:
We are delighted for the opportunity to create the Pilot for the Experiential Learning Simulation and Training System with Captions (ELSTS). The System will use Virtual Reality, provide measures of the acoustic scenes, and augment meetings with single user Captioning on a display.
ELTS will help people understand how people with hearing loss hear the world and how Captioning can improve speech understanding.
Dave Nall has provided us with an excellent means to experience hearing loss in real time. Our recent meeting and demo is available here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IhXQNJ4oMPHbVX7_w36Uww2Gcxlp7SY0/view?usp=sharing
https://fosspost.org/open-source-speech-recognition-2021/
(If trouble with this link, please email kit@ieee.org.)
We will design and develop the Pilot with close collaboration of the IEEE NJ Coast Section SIGHT Group team members, Stevens Institute of Technology and the Intelligent Network Systems Lab where we will engage engineering students and professors, Stakeholders, SIGHT Group Members, IEEE PACE, perspective Members, etc. to reduce risks. We will test the Pilot in Meetings and (Covid accommodations to be determined) Classrooms at Stevens Institute of Technology, at the Nyack Mock Trial Team (Covid changes - practices and competition have been canceled and courtrooms are now closed). In addition, the team was a finalist in the ‘Do Good Robotics Competition’ at UofM College Park, inspiring the name for our project. We hope to attract more interest, potential funding, etc. We have also attracted support from the SociAvi collaboration for aging community members which has great value and provides reach to individuals in need. This need has expanded dramatically since the advent of Covid 19.
December 2020 -- Update -- Adjusting to COVID-19 includes opportunities to Do Good Things. Please see also updates on IEEE NJ Coast Section History Wiki: https://ethw.org/IEEE_New_Jersey_Coast_Section_History
So much good news. Where to begin?
Today (15 December 2020) we learned that our own team members Dave Nall and Margaret J Lyons, PE have been awarded Honorable Mention SIGHT Volunteer of the Year by the IEEE SIGHT Organization in recognition of their Volunteer Work with SIGHT. Congratulations to Dave and to Margaret. How cool is that! Let's Celebrate with Dave and Margaret. Please see the letters below.
Nyack Mock Trial Team paused for COVID-19 and will now be online. New Case Announced for the Season. We are very grateful to The Honorable Dr Duncan Rogers Lee, II, Esq. for his and the team participation and for the Stakeholder and Community Membership they bring to our project. Watch here for more information and for case documents for the new online season.
We are very grateful to our Stakeholder and Community Member in this project, The Honorable Carolyn Laredo. For more information about the important services she provides through her company, please see also her website: https://lawmediationny.com/
Volunteers have successfully helped Paula Muller, PhD achieve Patents for her technology innovations. Congratulations Paula. Thank you to Graham Alig and all the volunteers involved with Inventing Your Future. Kindly see SociAvi page https://sociavi.com/ and also our volunteer Patent Agent, Graham Alig. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gcalig/ Watch our blog for updates:https://www.sites.google.com/site/sensosmartvirtualsensors/sociavi-keeping-seniors-connected-and-improving-communication
Our team is involved with IEEE Standards including IEEE P2933 for Connected Healthcare, representing the position of people who need Access and Accommodation.
Our team is involved with forming a new IEEE community to develop deliverables looking at a broader level and 'about raising awareness so that accessibility considerations are more broadly incorporated in technology and standards development' and we as a team have learned that scope is possible. Watch here for more information and documentation.
Our contact person at IEEE Headquarters is Moira Patterson. Thank you Moira and the entire team.
Global Market Affairs & Community Engagement Director. standards.ieee.org m.patterson@ieee.org
Springer Book Chapter on TIPPSS with Florence Hudson near completion.
Florence's first edition is available: Women Securing the Future with TIPPSS for IoT Trust, Identity, Privacy, Protection, Safety, Security for the Internet of Things, Editors: Hudson, Florence (Ed.)
https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030157043
Conference ACM/IEEE CHASE 2020 17 and 18 December 2020 led by team member Yingying Jennifer Chen, PhD.
https://conferences.computer.org/chase2020/
Letter from IEEE SIGHT to Dave Nall and to Margaret J Lyons, PE:
Sent on behalf of the 2020 SIGHT Steering Committee Chair Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan:
Dear Dave,
Dear Margaret,
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the work you have done this year as an IEEE SIGHT volunteer, and inform you that you have been selected as an Honorable Mention of the 2020 SIGHT Volunteer of the Year!
You have been selected due to your contributions to IEEE SIGHT, the New Jersey Coast Section SIGHT Group, and your local community through the "Do Good Things, Justice for All" project. It was easy to see in your nomination files that you have made a positive impact and exhibit steadfast commitment to furthering the IEEE SIGHT mission.
I would like to close by simply saying congratulations! We are extremely thankful to have you as part of the IEEE SIGHT community. Please find your certificate of special recognition attached.
Sincerely,
Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan
2019 -2020 IEEE SIGHT Steering Committee Chair
--
Julianna M. Pichardo
Program Specialist, Humanitarian Activities & Sustainable Development (IEEE SIGHT)
IEEE Corporate Activities
445 Hoes Lane
Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
Office: + 1 732.562.2669
Mobile: +1 732.575.0098
j.pichardo@ieee.org
Our team Presentation and Springer Book Abstract -- by Katherine Grace August, PhD, Mathini Sellathurai, PhD and Paula Muller, PhD:
In early 2020, the world was transformed by an unprecedented public health emergency – a global pandemic caused by Coronavirus and associated Covid-19 – and a shattering cascade of consequences spreading most velociously through healthcare systems, the economy, education, government, transportation, justice, and virtually every aspect of life public, and private. Technology and technology disparity have emerged as pivotal in world affairs, and public policy has taken a higher priority in determination of systems requirements than consumers or product-driven markets. It became clear that timely and comprehensive access to intelligent technology and a connected lifestyle should not be considered discretionary but compulsory for every human being. The Covid-19 outbreak also made clear that fragmented noncompatible dispersive systems do not serve present nor future needs. Providing assistance (Accommodation) and connection (Accessibility) to people with differing abilities, for example the elderly and those with hearing loss and other disabilities, underrepresented, minorities, economically challenged, and marginalized populations has become even more difficult and uncertain. While people with special needs are often served by separate or dedicated devices and may be supported by alternative systems, their lack of availability and interoperability created major challenges. The digital divide has amplified existing disparities, leading to great harm to many individuals, their families, and communities with sickness and death, economic devastation, and tremendous suffering expected to impact families, communities, and nations for generations. Previous forecasts about Internet of Things (IoT) Connected Lifestyles (CL), predictions of tremendous increases, nevertheless did not anticipate the present unprecedented needs of the society as a whole, affecting every one of its constituents. Moreover, this great expansion of IoT extended to Connected Healthcare (CH) and includes its requirements for example, Trust and Privacy, which is all now integrally linked with CL. As a result, there is an urgent, immediate and ubiquitous increasing demand from stakeholders of every type, and a widening diversity of users. Intelligent Technology and Connected Lifestyles in this context will improve not only safety and security, but it will allow our essential interactions with the world. The envisioned world of IoT connected healthcare, intelligent technology and connected lifestyles will be only possible under a system of Trust, Accessibility, and Privacy (TAP).
June 2020 -- Update -- Summer Mentoring Program Available Through School District Collaboration:
Tiffany Lucey Supervisor of Educational Technology Toms River Regional Schools 1144 Hooper Avenue Suite 210 Toms River, NJ 08753 732-505-5500 ext 7
Tiffany Lucey's Summer Program will offer opportunities for Students to improve their technology skills and for expert Mentoring. Our IEEE PACE SIGHT Group Project provides a perfect opportunity for everyone. We look forward to hearing from the Students and we Engineers and Volunteers will enthusiastically participate in the Summer Project to provide Mentoring to the students.
Please contact Tiffany Lucey at tlucey@trschools.com
Please contact Kit August at kit.august@gmail.com
Please contact Tom Willis at tw1431@att.com
Please contact Giovanni Vannucci gv@milvius.com
( Also from Tiffany Lucey: Join us for Jersey Shore Makerfest 10/24/2020 www.tinyurl.com/TLeBoard@TiffanyLucey YouTube )
15 May 2020 -- Update Comment by Dave Nall, Simulation Architect:
Task Progress (experiential hearing loss simulator) :
The phone based conference bridge with the moderator audio profile modification has been implemented. Attendees to the conference bridge can experience the effect of hearing loss while listening to the moderator. The audio profile can be altered while the moderator is speaking to provide different experiences. The conference bridge audio can be recorded for future use.
Simulation:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IhXQNJ4oMPHbVX7_w36Uww2Gcxlp7SY0/view?usp=sharing
Observations from the Project:
The project has provided a lot more insight of how broad the impact is when hearing loss is involved in everyday tasks. From simple everyday interactions (stores, offices, meals, and groups) to the needs to interact with government services and the legal system. While I see the result of the ADA in curb cuts and ramps for those with more physical impacts, now that I am looking, I do not see as many results for the benefit of hearing impaired.
The Caption system is expected to improve speech understanding for those who are aging, have moderate hearing loss, students with hearing loss, and others. Not everybody uses Sign Language. Not everybody benefits from hearing aids or FM systems. Captioning can fill in the gaps at a much lower cost. We intend to demonstrate the ease and convenience of Captioning in our pilot. We will measure the cost of the system, time to set up, and flexibility for use. We will conduct surveys of users.
In the image, we have used a free software 'Live Transcribe' from Google Play. We have adapted a waste wearable smartphone carrier with a plastic cover for a hands free configuration. People who may be wearing a mask might be more challenging to hear. Also, the mask obscures facial movements and expressions making Captioning more universally useful to improve communication. In particular, when Sign Language Interpreters cannot accompany a person, or when the hearing aid must be removed, Captioning can become even more important.
Background
An advantage of working with the Nyack Mock Trial Team is that there is no actual plaintiff nor defendant, and therefore, without compromising privacy the work focuses mainly on the environment and logistics within the Court, among real attorneys, judges, and clerks. At present, the courts are closed. However, the need for accommodation in the legal system is as great for witnesses, attorneys, judges, plaintiffs, defendant, and others. And now with Covid 19, many people are wearing masks which reduces the loudness of speaking voices by as much as 10 dB and obscures the mouth of the speaker making speech even more difficult to understand. Captioning can help with speech understanding.
Video of Pizza with Mock Trial Team and IEEE Volunteers: https://youtu.be/DMGTj4YgV0E
Video Example of Mock Trial Team Member at practice: https://youtu.be/IugbFlC1eGQ
Video Example of Mock Trial Competition 1 https://youtu.be/J3DF0ecudHk
Video Examples of Mock Trial Competition 1 https://youtu.be/WsRodLU9jeo https://youtu.be/v8d-gZvUN7E https://youtu.be/6pEANDuM6uo https://youtu.be/AXfm1vZkCQ0
We have developed a very good relationship with the Rockland Bar Association which is helping us with access and audience, the Rockland County Clerk’s office (The Honorable Paul Piperato – who has recently passed away 5 May 2020), and many others. Law & Mediation PLLC, Carolyn M. Laredo, Esquire, who consults on cases involving the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), provided strong input that resulted in bringing together many concepts inspiring the Experiential Learning Simulation and Training System.
Professor Victor Lawrence, Professor Hong Man, Professor LTC Kennedy-Pegues of US Military Academy West Point, Dr Avi Hauser, Dave Nall, Dr August, Dr Jelinek, Dr Sellathurai, Dr Willis, Dr Vannucci, Dr Wilkus, and many others on the team are investigating hearing loss in the Military which is a complex problem. We are consulting with Professor Skip Rizzo, an expert in Virtual Reality for Veterans and Military personnel. We will develop scenarios for the Experiential Learning Simulation and Training System with Captions to articulate experiences of the Military in the field and following hearing injuries, to help Veterans and others understand the hearing loss they experience, and to improve research and intervention. We will prepare articles to raise awareness and plan additional work for the future.
We are making progress on the Pilot for the Experiential Learning Simulation and Training System with Captions (ELSTS) to improve speech understanding and help people understand how people with hearing loss hear the world. We successfully configured the large screen Captions display and developed the Simulator that alters the voice so listeners can experience how those with hearing loss hear the world. We have taken many recordings at Mock Trial practice and at two Courtroom competitions. Due to Coronavirus and New York on Pause we must alter our Pilot implementations and coordinate with our partners to proceed safely.
The ELSTS will provide Scenarios to help people understand how hearing loss impacts humans in everyday life, it will train people to understand how to improve communication and reduce disparity, and it will Simulate the sensory experience of having a hearing loss. The Captioning will enable display of text of a person’s speech so others can read to improve speech understanding especially in noisy environments.
The Pilot system will be tested and validated by invitation and with Covid 19 considerations. with Stevens Institute of Technology in the lab, classroom and meeting attendees. Picatinny Arsenal, the Military Research group will be invited to review. The Pilot will improve understanding of why and how to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mediation is a diversion to court providing Justice for those with hearing loss when businesses, schools, organization fail to accommodate. The Simulation and Caption system will be designed and Piloted (with Covid 19 accommodations – with the Nyack Mock Trial a high school team in practice and competition, and or during presentations to Bar Association Members and Stakeholders). We will continue our outreach to learn more about NGOs and others who would benefit. We propose to have a greater impact on helping people to understand Sustainable Development Goals - how low-cost technology can reduce suffering, improve communication, speech understanding, and provide opportunity to reduce disparity – help more with fewer resources. We will reduce risks in execution by simplifying the system design and components using mostly off the shelf highly sustainable low complexity solutions (camera, PC, Oculus, level meter, projector) aiming for downloadable apps and simple configurations. Our Pilot testing is set up so that we have at least three places we can conduct testing, and depending on availability and resources, we can shift order and so forth. We involve Stakeholders on a diverse team supported by Stevens Institute of Technologies experienced Professors, a variety of Volunteers, engaging others who will help capture Stories and Scenarios, and communicating with others working in the same fragmented field with similar goals, including Fraunhofer Research (open source algorithms for hearing aids). We joined IEEE Standards Group P2733 to promote the Humanitarian interests in Standards development, and have engaged in writing a book chapter. We will maintain our network of international colleagues for added support and diversity of skills, understanding needs, and for the benefit of everyone’s experience.
Products on the market already include: expensive hearing aids $2K – 8K, monthly subscription caption system, expensive FM systems for public accommodation costing $18 – 20K per room. Virtual Reality systems are often used for psychotherapy, education, etc. In our ELSTS, we propose a unique combination of technologies: voice processed using acoustic equalizers with virtual reality scenarios so people can put on a headset and have the visual and auditory sensory experience of a hearing loss. The training can then step the individual through scenarios for example, driving a car and suddenly seeing an ambulance when you didn’t hear the siren, a student in a class who can only hear the teacher but not the peers or ambient sound, or trying to hear a bank clerk speaking from behind a glass partition, when all you can hear is the loud noise surrounding you.
Roadmap to Sustainability sharing SDG Goals especially 4, 5, 10, and 16 with examples – low cost, open source, apps, easy to use, networked, mainstream technology, simplified solutions, training, sharing solutions, etc.: Phase I Initial Scenarios Design and Development; Phase II Hardware and Content Development; Web Site Content Development; Phase III Pilot and Feedback; Phase IV Lessons Learnt and Shared.
Timeframe - Fall – Winter 2019: Pilot Experiential Learning Simulation and Training System with Captions 1) Kickoff Meeting – with Training on Sustainable Development Goals especially 4, 5, 10 and 16 and how they fit into the project, 2) Order Equipment, 3) Brainstorming with Students and Stakeholders – reminding of SDGs, disparity, special populations, and outcomes that can be transformative, 4) Configure Hardware and Software, 5) Design and Develop Scenario Storyboards, Content, 6) Plan for Development and Pilot.
Winter – Spring 2020: Demo Captions Create Scenarios 1) Intelligent Network Labs Demo of Captions, 2) Review Scenario Content, 3) Create Scenarios and Web Content for Pilot Simulation and Training System.
Spring 2020: Pilot Tests at Stevens Institute of Technology, Law & Mediation, and Nyack Mock Trial Team (Practice and Competition) 1) Test Pilot at Stevens, 2) Brainstorming with Students – reminding of SDGs, how low cost advancing technology can have a profound impact on humanity – especially in this case, when technology is important for hearing or understanding speech yet it is often too expensive or fails to help, for including women and girls and those with disabling conditions, for providing access to the Justice system, 3) Storytelling activities – Nyack Mock Trial Team and SIGHT Group Members, 4) Pilot Caption System at Mock Trial Practice.
Summer – Fall 2020: Pilot Tests Law & Mediation, Demo with NGOs, SociAvi, etc. 1) Pilot Experiential Learning Simulation and Training Pilot System, 2) Process feedback, 3) Write articles, lessons learnt, 4) Attend conferences, publish, present at meetings, share with other groups.
Fall – Winter 2020: Share design, development, instructions, and lessons learnt in Region 1, with SIGHT, and beyond. Ensure the message of low-cost solutions to a large humanitarian problem can make a greater impact on reducing suffering and disparity than expensive solutions that fail to help. We can use our engineering skills to improve human opportunity even in places with few resources.
The team structure includes: Organizers, who shepherd the project, organize meetings, write, report, etc. and who are the main architects and designers including but not limited to KG August, PhD, A Hauser, PhD, MJ Lyons, PE, D Nall, VB Lawrence, PhD, H Man, PhD, LTC K Kennedy-Pegues, PhD, YJ Chen, PhD, D Devasitharan, PhD, T Willis, III PhD, G Vanucci, PhD, S Wilkus, PhD, and others. International Collaborators engineering who provide input, research resources, feedback, etc. M Sellathurai, PhD, H Jelinek, PhD, AMJ Skolimowski, PhD, D Tulone, PhD, and others. Our Connections to the Justice System include but are not limited to: the Nyack Mock Trial Team, the Honorable Dr DR Lee, II Esquire, Rockland Bar Association, Law & Mediation PLLC, C Laredo, Esquire who has articulated the need for the ELSTS and Captions. We have developed a relationship with Rockland County Clerk’s Office (Honorable Paul Piperato who uses hearing aids) and who will provide access to his offices, and introduce us to management of County and State Courts. We will be able to present our Humanitarian Technology Pilot System ELSTS and Captions and obtain feedback and more information about how to best introduce accommodation systems in the Justice System. We have and will continue to attend Bar and Court functions, and advocate for Humanitarian issues in the Justice System. Beneficiaries include those in Mediation for ADA violations, court employees, attorneys, students, and those with mild to moderate hearing loss, in addition to our Members, Group, Stakeholders, etc.
Update from Dr Paula Muller of Sociavi: May 2020
In these unprecedented times, where communities are in quarantine and visitations are restricted, communication is crucial for aging adults and their families and electronic means are helping to bridge the distance and isolation.
1. Times are tough, but we are tougher... staying connected to families
An update from a recent IEEE NJ Coast Section Celebration when attendees became familiar with the goals of the Do Good Things Justice for All project: https://youtu.be/LPXHTfCrZgM
An update from a recent IEEE NJ Coast Section Proposed IEEE Milestone Neutrodyne approved for placement at Stevens Institute of Technology. This Milestone Celebration would provide an excellent opportunity for demonstration of the Do Good Things Justice for All Pilot Captioning System: https://youtu.be/T0IGuBnEF6I
An update from The Honorable Dr Duncan Rogers Lee, II Esquire:
The Nyack High School Mock Trial team collaboration with Dr. August’s team of IEEE engineers came to an early end this school year due to the SARS-Cov 2 virus. While the engineers were able to take some measurements during practices and during our Intramural trials, the season ended abruptly on March 9th and hence, all further efforts to take courtroom sound measurements this season. The good news was that the Nyack Team was unbeaten at that time.
A local tragedy, the death of Rockland County Clerk, Paul Pipperato, not only was a great personal loss to those of us who knew him, but also the loss of a great advocate for the IEEE efforts to bring access to justice closer for those with hearing loss. Mr. Pipperato, suffering from impaired hearing himself, was an advocate for the IEEE project.
Dr. Duncan Rogers Lee II, Attorney-Advisor, Nyack High School Mock Trial Team.
During the week of May 4, 2020, Jacobs (www.Jacobs.com) highlighted accommodating deaf/hard of hearing team members in the workplace. Jacobs ACE (Access. Connect. Empower.) Network, a community within Jacobs of employees who are dedicated to connecting and empowering those with disabilities or physical or cognitive adaptive challenges, provided PowerPoint slides for a Culture of Caring moment at the start of meetings that week. The slide deck noted some global statistics familiar to NJ Coast SIGHT group: 1-6 people experience hearing loss; 41% of over 50s experience haring loss. The main slide reminded and encouraged people to utilize some basic courtesies at the start of meetings: Speak Slowly & calmly, provide video content with captions and transcripts, get the listeners’ attention before you start to speak, SMILE!
And here’s a picture of me in my WFH office
Be well & keep up the good work! It helps to have purpose and not be adrift in these times.
mjl Margaret J Lyons, PE
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