Newswise — The Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University has announced the addition of Janice Schacter Lintz and Dr. Michael L. Tumen to its Board of Advisors. Schacter Lintz and Tumen each have a personal connection to BBI’s mission of advancing the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities.
After her daughter was diagnosed with hearing loss, Schacter Lintz learned that cultural venues could provide better hearing access with relatively cheap technology such as the induction loop, a coil placed around a room that wirelessly transmits amplified sound to a hearing aid. She is founder of the Hearing Access Program (HAP), the only organization dedicated to helping the world’s corporations, cultural and entertainment institutions, government agencies, and mass transit organizations improve their accessibility for people with hearing loss.
HAP has established or enhanced hearing access programs at more than 60 organizations, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Holocaust Museum, Yankee Stadium, and the National Football League. Schacter Lintz helped the New York City Transit recommend that induction loops be included in all subway information booths/call boxes. She also worked with the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission to implement this same technology in all taxis on a voluntary basis. Schacter Lintz not only advocates for induction loops but for effective access for the full spectrum of hearing loss so that includes captioning, FM systems, and American Sign Language.
Dr. Tumen honors his son Zachary’s life by participating in the vision of BBI. Zachary, who had severe disabilities, passed away in 2010 at the age of 21. He and his family are passionate about improving the lives of individuals with disabilities and the families who provide support and loving care for them. He has a daughter who is an undergraduate at SU and a son who is a first-year law student at SU College of Law. Dr. Tumen is director of Foot Surgery at the St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bethpage, NY. About the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse UniversityThe Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University reaches around the globe in its efforts to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities. BBI builds on the legacy of Burton Blatt, former dean of SU’s School of Education and a pioneering disability rights scholar, to better the lives of people with disabilities. Given the strong ties between one’s ability to earn income and fully participate in their communities, BBI’s work focuses on two interconnected Innovation Areas: Economic Participation and Community Participation. Through program development, research, and public policy guidance in these Innovation Areas, BBI advances the full inclusion of people with disabilities. BBI has offices in Syracuse, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. For more information, visit bbi.syr.edu.
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