Search

For nearly a half a century, research has found that signed languages (e.g., American Sign Language, ASL) are comparable to spoken languages (e.g., English) when it comes to meeting the criteria of linguistic principles for a human language. However, there is limited research available on the topic of signed language disorders, even though they occur with a similar incidence to disorders in spoken language (Cripps et al., 2016: 110-12). The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness in diagnostic and therapeutic activities of two language professionals, Speech-Language Pathologists and ASL Specialists, working with deaf children who exhibit developmental signed language deficits. Pre- and post-research interviews with professionals and observations of professional-student interactions were conducted. This study occurred at a residential school for the deaf with an immersive ASL environment. Due to the lack of knowledge and resources available to language professionals working with deaf children, results suggest that deaf children are not receiving appropriate language intervention. Furthermore, current professionals identified that there is a specific need for a signed language professional, such as signed language pathologist, to specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with signed language delay and/or disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current website designs typically do not include sign language interpretation for deaf people. As a result, many deaf people lack access to critical information on the internet. A pilot study gathered input from deaf adults in one community to identify designs providing best access to information on the internet. The study included four different web design choices: (1) English text, spoken English, and captions; (2) shadowbox-format interpretation of print text and embedded signed language interpretation of video action; (3) thumbnail-sized sign language interpretation of video action; and (4) thumbnail-sized interpretation of the printed text and embedded sign language interpretation of the video action. A mixed research design was used. After demonstrations, deaf participants were surveyed and interviewed to identify which web designs were the most welcoming and provided the best opportunity for comprehension. The outcome suggested that deaf participants relied on signed language interpretation of the text to understand the message and favoured those designs that provided the most comprehensive access. This study provides support for further exploration of new designs incorporating the concepts of Universal Usability that will allow deaf people to fully access the internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]