Deaf Culture - Science topic

Thank you very much, Akhter Al Amin!

I was interested in language contact and how one language can influence another. For example, in the case of Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) we have many linguistic borrowings from the Portuguese language. Some signs are spelled using the sign alphabet and others use a hand configuration that refers to the initial letter of the Portuguese word. In addition, we can also observe a lot of influence on the Libras syntax. Now about the other question, could a sign language also influence an oral language, in a small community, perhaps influencing prosodic or even pragmatic aspects of the oral language?

Dear Santosh Shail

Congratulations for this great project of the Canadian Institute of Mass Communication (CIMCweb.com). In Brazil, we developed the Hand Talk app. This is a revolutionary app for the deaf community. Representing an accessible solution, the app was acknowledged around the globe for its innovation and potential. The startup has won a number of awards including the Best Social App of the World in 2013, handed by UN at the World Summit Mobile Award, in Abu-Dhabi.

https://www.handtalk.me/br/Sobre

Best regards,

Carlos Alberto da Silva Júnior

A very nice question, yes, ma'am, in some cases, people with hearing impairments who are allowed to learn the language

That is the next step, International Sign Language already exists, but it is only used in formal conferences. The deaf experts told me that deaf people do not like to use it, and they prefer their natural language and they are proud of it.

Right now on the paper I wrote the architecture of ACE is being used in schools and experts to learn multiple sign language data, such as sign and context. Meanwhile as I travel to multiple countries I'm learning the grammar of each sign language and validate it with the deaf experts.

All this data will allow me to build an automatic translator for sign languages and oral languages text, this can be the bridge to teach kids a new language. From natural language that we been gathering data from, to a international sign language that is not natural. International sign languages are not natural because they often have contexts that are not natural to their specific home ambient, however the context still exists and can be explained or interpreted by a machine that has this information that we been collecting with my context standard that I purposed (not just random words, but rather a context code that is linked to other contexts).

I also learned that while there are many rules for sign language, there are not much different from one another, while word order changes and there are some linguistic exceptions, they can be translated with the tool I'm creating.

With all this I believe that their natural language can be persevered and this can help them to extend to learn another language, International sign language which they can use as they see fit.

Another note that is important is to keep the information well structured, so that it is possible to keep track of language evolution, which is special important for international sign language context and the creation of new international signs.

But one step at a time, I must first gather data from grammar sign language in order to build a language grammar architecture and the translator.

In the next paper I will write I plan to show the results I gathered and the translator grammar tool. Then the next step is to prove this concept by using serious games with educational content translated by the grammar tool I created.

I suggest you to read two books. The first is useful from theoretical viewpoint, the second is good for case studies.

1. Robben, A. C. (2010). Death and Anthropology: an Introduction. In A. C. Robben (Ed.), Death, Mourning and Burial: A Cross-Cultural Reader . Malden-Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

2. Dying and Death in 18th-21st Century Europe: Volume 2. M. Rotar, A. Teodorescu & C. Rotar (eds.), Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 2014. ISBN (10): 1-4438-5547-2; ISBN (13): 978-1-4438-5547-1

Am Ann Deaf. 2004-2005 Winter;149(5):415-20.

Marital status and birthrate of deaf people in two Swedish counties: the impact of social environment in terms ofdeaf community.

Carlsson PI1, Danermark B, Borg E.

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Abstract

Deafness affects many social interactions. The impact of deafness depends on several factors, e.g., the type of social environment in terms of the particular Deaf community a person lives in. The authors recorded the birthrate and the proportions of married and divorced people among deafpeople in two Swedish counties: Narke, which had a strong Deaf community, and Varmland, whose Deaf community was weak. In both counties, the authors found that deafness was associated with low marriage rates and low birthrates. Further, in Narke, 99% of the people in the sample were married to another deaf person; only 10% were in Varmland. In Narke, the divorce rate among deaf people was about the same as that of the reference population (i.e., the county's marriage-age population). In Varmland, deaf people had a relatively low divorce rate. The findings are discussed from medical and social perspectives.

Disabil Health J. 2015 Oct;8(4):579-85. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2015.06.005. Epub 2015 Jun 30.

Sexual health behaviors of Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users.

Heiman E1, Haynes S2, McKee M3.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Little is known about the sexual health behaviors of Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users.

OBJECTIVE:

We sought to characterize the self-reported sexual behaviors of Deaf individuals.

METHODS:

Responses from 282 Deaf participants aged 18-64 from the greater Rochester, NY area who participated in the 2008 Deaf Health were analyzed. These data were compared with weighted data from a general population comparison group (N = 1890). We looked at four sexual health-related outcomes: abstinence within the past year; number of sexual partners within the last year; condom use at last intercourse; and ever tested for HIV. We performed descriptive analyses, including stratification by gender, age, income, marital status, and educational level.

RESULTS:

Deaf respondents were more likely than the general population respondents to self-report two or more sexual partners in the past year (30.9% vs 10.1%) but self-reported higher condom use at last intercourse (28.0% vs 19.8%). HIV testing rates were similar between groups (47.5% vs 49.4%) but lower for certain Deaf groups: Deaf women (46.0% vs 58.1%), lower-income Deaf (44.4% vs 69.7%) and among less educated Deaf(31.3% vs 57.7%) than among respondents from corresponding general population groups.

CONCLUSION:

Deaf respondents self-reported higher numbers of sexual partners over the past year compared to the general population. Condom use was higher among Deaf participants. HIV was similar between groups, though HIV testing was significantly lower among lower income, less well-educated, and female Deaf respondents. Deaf individuals have a sexual health risk profile that is distinct from that of the general population.

Sincerely,

Zahra Jafari

To make a MOOC accessible to Deaf and hard of hearing students, you would need to to offer picture in picture capability of a pre-recorded interpretation (by a qualified/certified interpreter) of the video content in the sign language of choice. For example, in the US it would be American Sign Language. For hard of hearing or oral students with hearing loss, captioning in English would also be needed. The reason machine type translation and augmentive communication won't work is because sign language is not just a collection of signs. It has a rich grammatical structure that incorporates facial expressions, mouth morphemes, classifiers and spatial use, in addition to actual sign choices. The reason captioning in English is not a solution for ASL users is because English is a second language, only in our educational system is not taught as a second language. You would also want to ensure that any quizzes or assignments have a video sign component for full accessibility.