Back2Basics: Reconnecting to the essence of YOU

E94: Janice Lintz - The Changemaker

Episode Summary

Janice Lintz is an accomplished consultant/advocate across the hearing access, advocacy and related political spectrum. Her journey started when she realized that her heart sank whenever her daughter — diagnosed with hearing loss at 2 ½ — struggled to understand museum guides and actors on stage, even with hearing aids. Not one to wait, she plunged into the research and learned that cultural venues could provide better hearing access with relatively inexpensive technology, and from that moment on, she became a changemaker. Her story will make you want to get more involved in advocating for people with disabilities.

Episode Notes

Janice Schacter Lintz is a passionate, accomplished hearing loss consultant and advocate. She is well known and respected for her ability to assess situations, identify areas for improvement, recommend solutions, and implement programs that help organizations improve customer service and grow profits. Her ability to break down issues and do what is needed to affect change has earned her unprecedented access to business leaders, government officials, political leaders, and respected academians around the world.

Since 2002, Janice has become the global “go-to” person on all matters related to access for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Equipped with an undergraduate degree in business, a law degree, and experience as a successful litigator, Janice leverages her broad background to articulate compelling business cases for organizations in both the for-profit and not-for-profit worlds to improve hearing access for customers with hearing loss. 

See http://www.hearingaccess.com

A culture lover, Janice felt her heart sink whenever her daughter – diagnosed with hearing loss at 2 ½ – struggled to understand museum guides and actors on stage, even with hearing aids. Not one to wait, Janice plunged into the research and learned that cultural venues could provide better hearing access with relatively standard technology, such as the induction loop, a coil placed around a room that wirelessly transmits amplified sound to a hearing aid.

Janice works with domestic and international organizations to benchmark best practices and helps clients leverage the most effective solutions for their situations. Working with multiple organizations, she helped the NYC Transit recommend that induction loops be included in all NYC subway information booths and call boxes as part of President Obama’s $13.5 million Stimulus Package. She also worked with the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission to implement this same technology in all taxis. New York City is the first United States city to offer this technology in its transit systems.

The New York City resident and mother of two is 2020 WBENC WeTHRIVE Program in Partnership with IBM Attendee, 2018 The Points Guy + Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeepers Partnership Travel Grant Recipient, 2016 Aspen Institute Spotlight Health Scholar, and a 2016 United State of Women Summit ‘Nominated Changemaker.’ New York State Governor David Paterson appointed her to the Interagency Council for Services to the Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard of Hearing twice. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin J. Martin appointed her twice to represent the interests of people with hearing loss for two terms on the FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee. The New York City Mayor’s Office appointed her to the Taxi of Tomorrow Stakeholder Committee. The US Access Board appointed Janice to both the Rail Committee and the Passenger Vessel Emergency Alarms Advisory Committee.

Janice is an Advisory Board member of The Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University. She is a former member of The Lower East Side Tenement Museum’s Advisory Committee. She has participated in six Renaissance Weekend retreats for leaders in business and finance, government, the media, religion, medicine, science, technology, and the arts.

Janice is also a Consumer Education/Travel/Food writer. Thrive Global, The Outdoor JournalForbes/Lifestyle, Forbes Woman AfricaYahoo Travel, Huffington Post, Johnny Jet, and Consumer Mojo published her articles. Condé Nast Traveler, Departures, Travel + Leisure, Good Housekeeping, Skift, Southern Living, Fox Business, NPR, MSN.com, and Reader’s Digest have quoted her and included her recommendations. She has traveled to 139+3 UN countries and 194 Travelers’ Century Club destinations and is on a quest to visit every country in the world.