LOcuTUS One

It's a strange world sometimes in the deaf community, especially when you participate in a forum attended mostly by deaf people, many of them signers. Some are even CIborgs which is a running joke by those who love their CIs who facetiously say this although nothing like Locutus of Borg when Captain Picard of Star Trek became a Borg. They are still human beings. This strangeness I'm talking about is in the form of misunderstandings and rigid thinking that happens once in a while. This usually happens when suspicion abounds which result in one-sided prejudicial thinking. One instance is not understanding the purpose of the UbiDuo thinking it had to do with Simcom which actually happened in a real discussion.

Have to confess that I was stunned that this HOH blogger seems to think the solution for HOH is to use Simcom where basically you communicate with another person using what looks like a typewriter. yeah, the solution for the deaf/hoh to talk to deaf/hoh is not ASL, it's a cumbersome piece of equipment that looks like a typewriter. Personally, ASL and pen and paper is far far more convenient plus simcomm won't fit in either my back pocket or my evening purse. I'd rather write on a napkin!

First of all, the UbiDuo is a Face-to-Face (F2F) communication device that employs typing wirelessly the words to a person across from you using the same communication device. All done using the written language such as English in this case.  Frankly, it's impossible to do Simcom while using the UbiDuo.

I suppose this person somehow mixed up the name of the company sComm calling it as simcomm. sComm is an abbreviation for Simultaneous Communication. A company that makes the UbiDuo product. A communication device that allow wirelessly typing of words between two people, typically one deaf and one hearing person.  UbiDuo users are able to communicate seamlessly and in real time much like what a real conversation takes place.  Up to four people can use the UbiDuo using two separate units. The UbiDuo could also be used between a hearing mute person and hearing person. Or between a stutterer and a hearing person. Regardless, the UbiDuo fills that niche when signing or writing on a piece of paper simply won't do when it comes down to having full and rich conversations all done in real time.

The second misunderstanding is that some people think the UbiDuo replaces ASL. Not true. Many of the UbiDuo users are native ASL users and signers. Even the co-founder and deaf owner of sComm relies on sign language interpreters in large and small settings. But when it comes to a one to one communication opportunities the UbiDuo fills that niche nicely in communicating with other people in real time whether it's doing breaking business deals with hearing clients, conversations in social settings with hearing people such as in bars and restaurants, interactions with hearing customers, impromptu meetings with your hearing boss or supervisor, or catching up on missed family interactions by those who don't know sign language. That niche to fill is rather large when you think about it.

Instead of assuming what the UbiDuo does, please take the time to ask the company or visit their website to learn more about the UbiDuo communication device and the people who have successfully used it.

BTW, I do not get any commission from selling the UbiDuo. The owner of sComm is a great friend of mine. I've known him since 2005. Ever since 2005 when I first learned about his company and began blogging about it only because I believed in his product was the answer on helping close many of the communication gaps between deaf and hearing people. Both he and I share the same philosophy and vision about communication access using technology as a mean to bridge the communication gap between deaf and hearing people. I simply believe in his patented communication device, the UbiDuo. And so I blog about it exclusively because I know it works. It has given countless deaf people greater independence and confidence in communicating with hearing people in real time. I've seen lives changed because of this. I've seen deaf people get promoted because the UbiDuo allowed them the initiative to forge ahead independently. I've seen family members weep because they were able to communicate fully with their son or daughter for the first time. It's sad, yes, but enlightening at the same time that it has helped open doors to thousands of users, both deaf and hearing, all across the globe. It's about gaining greater independence. It's about more freedom and opportunities.

ASL or sign language will always be there. The UbiDuo simply facilitates the communication in real time between a deaf and non-signer hearing person in a variety of settings and situations. Nothing more, nothing less.