The Voices of Orientation and Mobility Specialists Who Instruct Individuals with Deafblindness

Introduction: To better serve students with visual impairments who are enrolled in personnel preparation programs training orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists, faculty should be aware of effective teaching strategies, tools, and resources to use. In this context, it is vital that instructors in personnel preparation programs for O&M specialists to understand how to best serve students with visual impairments. Two prior studies have addressed this need. This study sought to establish what techniques and teaching strategies O&M instructors who are visually impaired use when teaching students O&M skills to ensure their safety. Methods: This study used a qualitative research design using a case study approach to explore the teaching strategies, nonvisual skills, and accommodations that O&M instructors who are visually impaired use when teaching O&M lessons to their students. Eight participants with visual impairments who are O&M instructors were interviewed for this study. Results: The themes that emerged from the interviews included structured discovery learning and philosophy, monitoring and teaching strategies, equipment and materials, and accommodations. These findings played a vital role when instructors with visual impairments provided O&M lessons to students who are visually impaired. Discussion: This research confirms and adds to the previous research regarding instructional strategies, equipment and materials, and accommodations utilized by O&M instructors who are visually impaired. Additionally, further information was provided concerning instructional strategies (e.g., structured discovery learning and philosophy, monitoring). Implications for Practitioners: The results reported in this study can serve as guidelines for O&M personnel preparation program faculty who are teaching students with visual impairments in their blindfold or simulation cane courses. This study can also be used as a reference for students with visual impairments to advocate for accommodations with their university's office of students with disabilities to be successful in an O&M personnel preparation program.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS) integrating assistive technology (AT) and virtual reality (VR) into their practice. Drawing from broader research on AT adoption, these findings underscore the value of a phenomenological approach in understanding how specialists perceive, adapt to, and navigate the challenges of using AT and VR – ultimately contributing to more accessible and effective mobility instruction. Materials and methods This study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to examine how Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists experience the integration of AT and VR in their work. Using purposive and snowball sampling, nine specialists with hands-on experience in AT and VR adoption were recruited, offering diverse perspectives and rich, idiographic insights. Verbatim transcripts and collaborative data immersion ensured authenticity and informed a rigorous thematic analysis aligned with IPA’s core principles. Trustworthiness was enhanced through triangulated interviewing, reflexive documentation, member checking, and critical peer review. Findings In this study four themes emerged (1) Community-based learning and real-world application; (2) Individualised instruction and technology integration; (3) Systems-level influences on learning opportunities; (4) Foundations for lifelong success. Conclusion By examining the lived experiences of O&M specialists, this study provides critical insights that guide the development of intuitive AT and VR tools while informing curriculum and professional training. These findings support more equitable service provision for individuals with visual impairments by promoting inclusive design, policy development, and user empowerment.

Is an Appropriate Wheelchair Becoming Out of Reach? – Part 2

Libras is the mother language of people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (D/HH) in Brazil, characterizing them as people who use visual cues and signs to communicate with the world. Specialized researchers and educators affirm that people who are D/HH first have to be literate in their mother language (L1, sign language) in order to learn the second language (L2, written language). The teaching-learning process of written language as L2 is still a challenge, subject of many investigations and experimentations. This paper presents results and discussions from exploring and understanding problems and solutions of the design for Deaf persons who are sign language (SL) users to adopt an Assistive Technology (AT) product. This AT product refers to a solution for use in the teaching-learning process of Brazilian Portuguese written language as L2. Our methodological approach is to follow the phases of a framework in proposition, which combines concepts of Co-design, adoption of AT, HumanComputer Interaction lifecycle, Semantic Numbers theory and Writing Process. The framework proposed aims to include codesigners in every phase to guarantee higher chances of being accessible and potentially adopted by the stakeholders. Our results were obtained from two semio-participatory workshops, in which we worked with the Stakeholders Diagram and the Evaluation Frame as co-design artifacts. In the former case, many problems, questions, solutions and ideas were presented by stakeholders, to whom cultural diversity and multimodality were central aspects to be considered in the design of an AT product for Deaf people who are SL users.

Communication between hearing and non- hearing individuals remains one of the most critical challenges in inclusive human interaction. Sign language serves as the primary mode of communication for the hearing- impaired community; however, a lack of sign language proficiency among the general population often results in social and professional isolation. Hand Talk AI: Sign Language Detection with Deep Learning aims to bridge this communication gap by developing an intelligent, real-time speech-to- sign language translation system. The proposed system utilizes Python-based technologies integrating speech recognition, natural language processing (NLP), and deep learning algorithms to convert spoken language into corresponding sign language gestures displayed through animated GIFs or static visual images. The system dynamically adapts to ambient noise, achieving high accuracy in speech recognition and smooth sign gesture rendering. By transforming voice input into visual signs, Hand Talk AI promotes inclusivity, accessibility, and empowerment for individuals with hearing impairments across educational, healthcare, and social environments. This innovation demonstrates the potential of deep learning and NLP integration in enhancing assistive communication technologies, fostering a more inclusive and accessible digital society. Keywords:Sign Language Recognition, Deep Learning, Speech-to-Sign Conversion, Python, Tkinter GUI, Accessibility, NLP, Speech Recognition.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to survey the faculty of personnel preparation programs that train orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists in the identification of accommodations, teaching techniques, and resources needed to teach students who are visually impaired (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision) and who are enrolled in blindfold and simulation cane courses (hereafter, cane courses). Cane courses are used to teach the techniques of independent cane travel, and they require total visual occlusion using blindfolds as well as simulated low vision using goggles that depict different visual acuities and field losses. Methods: This study surveyed personnel preparation programs training O&M specialists with an online questionnaire with open-ended items to identify the program’s required accommodations, teaching techniques, and resources needed to teach visually impaired students who are enrolled in cane courses. The survey was e-mailed to 22 universities in North America, which have personnel preparation programs for O&M specialists and asked for responses from individuals who teach cane courses. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data. Results: Results showed that the format of the cane courses was varied, a variety of accommodations and teaching strategies were used, and the universities’ office of disabled students generally did not know how to accommodate these courses. Discussion: A need exists for a student who is visually impaired to be an experienced traveler and to be knowledgeable about what accommodations and strategies he or she will use when they need to teach a fellow student during a cane course. Visually impaired students must be able to monitor the safety of their peers as well as the changing dynamics of the environment in which they are working. Implication for practitioners: To effectively teach visually impaired students who are enrolled in cane courses, university faculty teaching these courses could request prospective visually impaired students to provide documentation regarding their travel skills prior to acceptance into a personnel preparation program in O&M. In addition, students with visual impairments need to discuss with their universities’ office of disabled students and legal counsel what reasonable accommodations are relevant for visually impaired students enrolled in the cane courses and what accommodations they believe the universities are committed to providing these students.

This study assessed the teaching strategies employed by lecturers to support learners with hearing impairments (LwHI) in higher learning institutions in Tanzania, addressing a critical gap in inclusive education practices. The research underscores the importance of adapting pedagogical approaches to promote equitable learning opportunities for all students. The study was guided by two objectives: (i) to examine the current teaching strategies utilized by lecturers in inclusive classrooms, and (ii) to explore the perceptions of LwHI regarding the effectiveness of these strategies. Employing a qualitative research approach within a single case study design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 10 lecturers and 10 students with hearing impairments. The findings revealed that lecturers implemented a range of instructional strategies, including video captioning, transcription, sign language interpretation, visual aids, and the use of multimedia resources. Additionally, assistive technologies such as listening devices were employed alongside collaborative learning techniques. Despite these efforts, both lecturers and learners reported several challenges, including limited proficiency in assistive technology use, overcrowded classrooms, time constraints, and communication barriers due to unreliable interpretation services. The study recommends enhanced classroom modifications, targeted training for lecturers in sign language, and the increased application of interactive teaching methods. Furthermore, it calls on curriculum developers to integrate the specific needs of learners with hearing impairments into educational planning and instructional delivery.

Visual sign language has been in existence for quite some time as the world’s most used third language. It comes in different flavours which can be likened to a dialect. Nigeria as a country has three different types with ASL (American Sign Language) as the most used in school education for the deaf. Issues in documenting the sign languages include determining what to document, reason for documentation and precisely who to document. During the critical investigation, studies proved that digital communication rooted in Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be adopted as an innovative solution to the issues. This is primarily a qualitative study, library research method was employed relying on secondary data. Conclusively, documenting visual sign languages will preserve and promote the various sign dialects among the hearing-impaired and also non-signers willing to learn. Suggestively, Artificial Intelligence should be ethically harnessed in communication and designs for documentation, education and social interactions. Therefore, Communication design experts, Prompt Engineers, Media and Information Technologists with the deaf educators should team up for a robust sign language data bank while relying on AI. All these are key, not only for documentation, but will also aid in the official recognition of the Nigerian visual sign language.

The integration of assistive technology (AT) in education has become essential in promoting inclusive learning, particularly for learners with disabilities. This study explored the role of AT in supporting learners with hearing impairments (HI) in selected schools in Lusaka and Ndola Districts, Zambia. The study sought (1) to assess the accessibility and availability of assistive technology devices for HI learners, (2) to establish the effect of AT devices on their academic achievement, and (3) to identify the challenges faced in using AT while exploring strategies for improvement. A review of literature from Björk-van Dijk & Bremmer (2020), Chifinda (2017), Kaulu (2019) and other scholars highlighted both the benefits and limitations of AT in facilitating learning for HI students. Guided by Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development (1978), the study adopted an interpretivism paradigm, a qualitative approach and a phenomenological study design to gain insights into learners’ experiences with AT. The target population included HI learners, with a sample of 23 participants drawn from five schools. Focus group discussion guides were used as research instruments and data collection was conducted through focus group discussions, with data analyzed thematically and the ethics were upheld. The findings revealed that while AT devices like computers, tablets and projectors were present in most schools, access was inconsistent due to resource constraints, power outages and lack of sign language integration. Additionally, AT positively influenced digital literacy, problem-solving and engagement, yet challenges such as limited availability, inadequate teacher training and exclusion from computer labs hindered its effectiveness. Participants recommended providing more computers, incorporating sign language into digital platforms, training teachers in sign language, and improving infrastructure. The study concludes that AT enhances academic achievement for HI learners but requires institutional and policy improvements to maximize its impact. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by highlighting the need for inclusive digital learning environments and offering practical strategies for enhancing AT integration in Zambian schools. Key Words: Assistive Technology, Hearing Impairments, Academic Achievement, Inclusive Education, Digital Learning, Special Education, Educational Technology DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/74-10 Publication date: December 30 th 2025

The aim of this research is to explore the meaning of sign language for CODAs through a qualitative design and phenomenological approach.
 The study group of the research consisted of 15 female and 15 male CODAs. The data of the study were collected through in-depth interviews with the participants using a semi-structured interview form and data analysis was conducted using MAXQDA 2020 software. In the research, it was determined that CODAs attribute a special meaning to sign language beyond being a means of communication. Sign language has a central place in their lives, both because of the emotional connection they have established and because it enables them to have a profession and a job. The fact that it enables them to make the deaf visible in society, to help the deaf, to take part in various social responsibility projects for the deaf are important dynamics in the process of making sense of sign language.
 Sign language is also the language they prefer to use extensively. Language use preferences in their daily lives are structured on the basis of habits. As children of deaf parents, the lives of CODAs, as part of the deaf community, involve interaction with both the deaf and hearing community, and the findings of the study show that the participants are heavily engaged with the deaf community. One of the important findings of the research is that CODAs intensely feel a sense of belonging to the deaf community.

Chinese Sign Language (CSL) and Chinese are languages used in the Chinese mainland. As a dominant language, Chinese has great influence on all levels of CSL. CSL, as a visual sign language, is fundamentally different from Chinese in linguistic structure. Unlike English, Chinese, as a pictograph, has influence on Chinese and CSL. This study explains in detail the influence of Chinese characters on CSL at the lexical level, including many elements from Chinese, such as “仿字 fangzi” (form imitating Chinese characters), “书空 shukong” (writing in the air with the index finger), loan translation, finger spelling, and mouthing patterns. This influence is not a simple borrowing of Chinese characters, but a creative imitation and adaptation according to the needs of sign language to express meaning. After a long period of evolution, the characteristics of Chinese characters are naturally integrated into CSL loanwords, which makes the relationship between sign language and Chinese characters closer. CSL borrows a large number of Chinese words, most of which are signs to express non-core concepts. These borrowed signs are an indispensable part of the CSL sign language family, enrich sign language vocabulary, improve the accuracy of sign language expression, and play a positive role in promoting the learning, work, and lives of deaf people.

Visually impaired individuals often rely on assistive technologies such as white canes for independent navigation. Many electronic enhancements to the traditional white cane have been proposed. However, only a few of these proof-of-concept technologies have been tested with authentic users, as most studies rely on blindfolded non-visually impaired participants or no testing with participants at all. Experiments involving blind users are usually not contrasted with the traditional white cane. This study set out to compare an ultrasound-based electronic cane with a traditional white cane. Moreover, we also compared the performance of a group of visually impaired participants (N = 10) with a group of blindfolded participants without visual impairments (N = 31). The results show that walking speed with the electronic cane is significantly slower compared to the traditional white cane. Moreover, the results show that the performance of the participants without visual impairments is significantly slower than for the visually impaired participants. No significant differences in obstacle detection rates were observed across participant groups and device types for obstacles on the ground, while 79% of the hanging obstacles were detected by the electronic cane. The results of this study thus suggest that electronic canes present only one advantage over the traditional cane, namely in its ability to detect hanging obstacles, at least without prolonged practice. Next, blindfolded participants are insufficient substitutes for blind participants who are expert cane users. The implication of this study is that research into digital white cane enhancements should include blind participants. These participants should be followed over time in longitudinal experiments to document if practice will lead to improvements that surpass the performance achieved with traditional canes.

PurposeDespite the positive impact that assistive technology (AT) can have on the academic success of students with learning disabilities, it is often inconsistently implemented or abandoned. It has been established that teachers' perceived usefulness of AT can act as a barrier to classroom AT implementation. The purpose of this study is to expand the current understanding of the challenges with implementation of AT within the classroom environment to inform teacher training on AT tools, improve professional development around AT and address the systemic and practical barriers that impact AT implementation within Ontario classrooms.Design/methodology/approachThis research examined Grade 6–10 Ontario-certified teachers' (N = 111) perceptions of AT and the variables that predict perceived usefulness of AT. The study used a mixed methods design including a survey consisting of open- and closed-ended items that elicited information about teachers' AT knowledge and training, their access to AT resources, their perception of administrative support for access to and implementation of AT, the usefulness of AT and the barriers to AT use in the classroom.FindingsAn exploratory linear regression was conducted to predict perceived usefulness of AT from AT training, AT resources and AT knowledge and revealed that AT resources and AT knowledge added statistically significantly to the prediction, whereas AT training did not. A thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses and interview data further identified that access, training, Internet and student motivation may influence AT use.Originality/valueImplications for teachers’ AT training and provision of AT resources are discussed.

Purpose The main objective of this article is to contribute to the field of accessibility in the teaching of sign language in the international panorama, examining its applicability, evaluation methods as well as the assistive technologies used to improve teaching experiences and the creation of new materials, proposing a theoretical framework that relates the teaching of sign language at different academic levels, the training of teachers, as well as parents, and the use of technology to achieve educational inclusion. It follows that the adoption of hybrid technology approaches, following universal design principles, can help to integrate access to education and sign language literacy. Design/methodology/approach The working method used to carry out this work consists of a systematic review of the scientific literature. This is a research project based on the recapitulation of information about sign language in the international panorama and the improvements used for its instruction. For this purpose, the well-known PRISMA (Moher et al. , 2009) is used to synthesize the search carried out. A systematic review of the articles published in scientific journals about pedagogy in the teaching of sign language in the international field and technological innovation for sign language teaching has been carried out, incorporating different approaches and personal assessments. The first phase of the method consists of identifying and analyzing the articles published in scientific journals on the teaching of sign language on the international scene and the importance of new educational models with the incorporation of various didactic adaptations, evaluating the selected articles over a period of time from 2009 to 2021. Six steps were used in the systematic review study (Figure 1). First, Steps 1–4 were conducted in 2020 and 2021 as part of a doctoral research. A schematic summary of Steps 1–4 is presented below, followed by Steps 5 and 6, added later to the study after completion of Step 4. In the case of the first four steps they were conducted by two researchers: the thesis tutor and the doctoral student, and Steps 5 and 6 were conducted by the Ph. Findings To carry out the analysis of the results, the codification of the variables was carried out. The selected studies are characterized by their international context with a final selection of 39 studies have found several variables that affect the relationship between the teaching of sign language in the international arena and the use of technological innovations to adapt their teaching to students (Figure 4). In this section we present the technology grouped variables included in each factor and the possibilities of standardization and applicability of sign language teaching in the international panorama. Within these articles, the importance of defining training programs in sign language for teachers and the need to evaluate teaching programs is identified, with a focus on actions to improve school curricula to achieve linguistic standardization and inclusion in the academic environment, as well as their use at all levels of education. Therefore, professional practices and cooperation between institutions such as: associations of families of deaf students and educational institutions must be improved, making it possible to give a quality education. Within the exclusion criteria, the articles that do not use sign language teaching tools ( n = 45) were subsequently discarded, followed by the articles that do not indicate any intervention in students with disabilities ( n = 48), concluding with the articles that nonsign language disability education ( n = 44). Subsequently, among those selected, the technology articles that do not speak about sign language were discarded ( n = 32), as well as the studies that protect indigenous language but not sign language ( n = 33) and, to conclude, the linguistic normalization articles but do not cite sign language ( n = 37). Originality/value Communication is the element by which the authors can understand each other with the rest of the people around us, in the diversity of language, within non-verbal language, the authors find sign language, the language of deaf and mute people, of families, as a professional employee and nowadays, learned by many non-deaf and mute people to achieve a more inclusive and integrated society with all people. Every country has the right to have its own sign language, especially one that claims its culture and customs, through non-verbal communication with which to express multiple meanings, emotions and intentions. It is essential to know and apply the technological advances that are being developed, promoting the right to autonomy and the defense of the indigenous language as a cultural element of the intangible heritage of each country. The use of technology allows the democratization of culture and access to information regardless of where one lives in the world, in an increasingly globalized society in which communication plays a fundamental role. In the case of the global pandemic, it has forced us to the advancement of home education and the use of efficient digital tools to achieve it such as videoconferencing, in the field of disability there are still many limitations on this use by the various companies that develop them. Within the inclusive educational research the authors must emphasize the need for equality of tools and content for all types of students, especially in sign language. Large digital gaps have been generated in families with and without resources at international level, which also have a member with a disability, this is pointed out in the research mentioning the current situation of the American continent, as well as the search for improvement of the tools and platforms in which they are developed.

Purpose Assistive technology (AT) supports participation and functional independence in children with disabilities; however, its integration within paediatric occupational therapy practice remains inconsistent. This scoping review aimed to map occupational therapists’ perspectives on the recommendation, selection, and implementation of AT for children with disabilities and identify barriers and enablers influencing AT use. Materials and methods This scoping review followed Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and was reported according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL. Peer-reviewed qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies exploring occupational therapists’ perspectives on AT use for children (<18 years) published up to 31 March 2025 were included. Data were synthesised using inductive thematic analysis. Results Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria across high- and low-resource settings. Three overarching themes emerged: (i) systemic and policy influences on AT utilisation, (ii) professional and contextual determinants of occupational therapy decision-making, and (iii) family and child factors shaping AT adoption. Major barriers included funding limitations, restricted access to devices, inadequate professional training, fragmented services, and sociocultural stigma. Key enablers included therapist expertise, interdisciplinary collaboration, opportunities to trial AT, contextual adaptation, and family-centred practice. Conclusion Occupational therapists’ use of AT is shaped by interconnected systemic, professional, contextual, and family-related factors. Strengthening training, interdisciplinary collaboration, culturally responsive practice, and equitable access to AT services may support more effective participation-oriented paediatric occupational therapy practice.