We have a many hearing-impaired people in our shul. Even with a microphone on, there is a lot of distortion and people can't hear well.
We received a PowerPoint Megilla reading CD from Our Way, a division of OU that provides services to the deaf and hearing impaired. The CD presents a screen containing about 2 verses of the Megillah on each screen. As the Ba'al Kri'ah reads the Megilla, someone coordinates the PowerPoint slide so that it displays the verses he is reading.
Question:
I know that the mitzvah is to hear the reading. These people hear some sound, but, as mentioned, it is distorted. Additionally, many of these same people don't really understand Hebrew. So, in a sense, the presentation helps both the hearing-impaired as well as others who can't quite follow where we are.
Is the combo of hearing some "part" of the words (i.e. - "partial" distorted hearing) combined with this reading on screen fulfilling the mitzvah of Megilla reading?
Related question - for those who can hear correctly, staring at the screen causes a possible distraction from hearing the actual reading. (Though, IMO, no more distracting than anxious kids sitting near you jumping around to hear the 1st "Haman".) Is this possible distraction halachically problematic as it may discourage the hearing public from listening to the actual reading?
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