About this Blog
STONE DEAF PILOTS is a deaf-tech blog that covers deaf technology, assistive technology, and tech-related accessibility issues faced by the deaf and hard of hearing.
Currently, an estimated 28.8 million Americans experience some form of hearing loss. In the next ten to fifteen years, this number will increase due to several factors: the aging baby boomer generation, and increased use of high-volume listening devices (for example, iPods) that cause hearing damage.
The goal of STONE DEAF PILOTS is to educate anyone, deaf or hearing, that wants to understand more about deaf assistive technology and product usability design.
Podcasting on a deaf blog? Yes!
All of my posts can be downloaded and listened to as a podcast by clicking on the 
button at the top of each post. Odiogo is a text-to-voice podcasting service that is free of charge. Yes, I realize the funny irony of a blog written by a deaf user about deaf technology having a podcast. I thought the Odiogo service was very cool, and I wanted to be able to offer a podcast to my hearing readers. I hope that doing so will encourage more readership and help me reach a wider audience. You can read more about my decision to offer Odiogo podcasting here.
About the Author – Kathryn Hill
Hi, my name is Kathryn Hill and I write this blog. I have been deaf since age 3 1/2 due to meningitis. I work as a Sr. Graphic Designer for a consumer software company and I am a freelance photographer/blogger. My photography work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Cycle News, FHM, American Marketplace, Slow Food, and Food & Wine. My photography blog won “Best Photo Blog” in the 2005 Deaf Blog Awards, and I recently photographed the cover of Carly Milne’s book, Sexography. I have written about social and deaf issues on LA VOICE & Wired, and have been featured on Danger as a “Hip User.” I was also a contributor for Regina Lynn’s book, The Sexual Revolution 2.0: Getting Connected, Upgrading Your Sex Life, and Finding True Love — or at Least a Dinner Date — in the Internet Age.
I believe in bridging the gap between the deaf and hearing communities, and I strongly feel that technology is a powerful tool for this. The field of assistive technology is still growing and there is a great need for technology products that can enable the deaf and hard of hearing to function more independently in the world.
I specialize in determining how current technology products can be more deaf-friendly. Due to my knowledge of technology usability and my experience being deaf, I am a qualified consultant for any company wishing to make their products more deaf friendly.
I am available for hire in the fields of research, consulting, and product beta testing.
I currently reside in San Francisco. My interests include bicycling, traveling, kitchen experimentation, and spending way too much time on the Internet.
You can learn more about me here.
