Fingerbraille: An Investigation of Japanese Methods for Communicating with Individuals who are Deaf-Blind

Abstract

There are many techniques for communicating with individuals who are deaf-blind. In Japan, another technique, known as fingerbraille, is also used. Fingerbraille is a tactile method of communication that is based on Japanese braille script. This article introduces the reader to the history of the development of this communication technique and to the characteristics of its use by both individuals with deaf-blindness and professional interpreters, with the hope that its use will be expanded to other languages. COMMUNICATION AND DEAF-BLINDNESS People who are deaf-blind face severe difficulties in both communication and mobility. The emotional impact of breaking communication barriers between persons who are deaf-blind and persons without disabilities is evident from stories of famous individuals with deaf-blindness, such as Helen Keller. Helen Keller's story is well known around the world, and since the days of her advocacy, many breakthroughs have been made in the development of communication techniques for people who are deaf-blind (Keller, 2009). People like Helen Keller who lost their sight and hearing prelingually, as babies, are considered to be similar to those who were born deaf-blind. In this article, people who lost their sight first are referred to as having blindness-based deaf-blindness, and those who lost their hearing first are referred to as having deafness-based deaf-blindness. Although all individuals who are deaf-blind face similar challenges in terms of communicating and understanding their environments, each one has different needs. Compared to those who are congenitally or prelingually deaf-blind, individuals who have blindness-or deafness-based deaf-blindness have advantages when learning and using communication techniques. They typically have been offered educational and rehabilitation services on the basis of their first disability and may have learned some system of communication, such as sign language or braille, before they became deaf-blind. Thus, there is a need for a variety of communication methods for persons who are deaf-blind, with each method suited to different strengths (Spiers & Ehrlich, 2002). Fingerbraille is one such method. The initial single disability plays a strong role in determining the communication methods used by individuals with either blindness-or deafness-based deaf-blindness. Sign language, for instance, is considered difficult for persons with blindness-based deaf-blindness to learn because it is a primarily visual language. As a result of the highly idiosyncratic experiences of each individual, no single method for communicating could be equally effective for all those with deaf-blindness. Furthermore, no technique, such as tactile sign language, fingerspelling, or print-on-palm, is universally easier to learn or to use--all pose challenges. In the ongoing search for additional means of enabling people who are deaf-blind to communicate with others in real time, having more methods to choose from is critical for addressing individual needs. In several dimensions, including speed of conversation and ease of comprehension, fingerbraille is uniquely suited to people who have blindness-based deaf-blindness (Mitsunari, 2003). [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] THE DEVELOPMENT OF FINGERBRAILLE Fingerbraille was created in Japan in 1981 for use by people with deaf-blindness. In fingerbraille, the interpreter faces the individual who is deaf-blind from the side and uses touch-writing. The interpreter taps characters, in braille, onto the uppermost digit of the middle three fingers of each hand like the keys of a braille writer. The method of tapping is similar to that of typing on a Perkins Brailler or a braille notetaker, but it is an entirely tactile method of communication by the fingers on the fingers. It follows the traditional system in Japanese braille of hiragana and katakana characters, while omitting the Chinese kanji characters. …