Brazilian Sign Research Articles

LÍNGUA BRASILEIRA DE SINAIS: BREVE HISTÓRICO DOS ASPECTOS EDUCACIONAIS DOS SURDOS

This article aims to present a compendium of the evolutionary history of Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) and its reflections on the deaf community, particularly concerning education for all. Schooling must be ensured for everyone, and therefore, addressing any disparities caused by specific needs is crucial. This dynamism reflects the shared responsibility of public and private agencies within legislative and educational contexts to provide specific training related to the language and prepare the environment for promoting teaching and learning. The method used involved exploratory bibliographic research in scientific articles and books, with filters for the central theme of this work. The results reveal a concerning state of involvement and interaction of public policies and effective actions for the integration and inclusion of deaf individuals in social and educational contexts, highlighting the challenge for more in-depth research on the topic to promote solutions and address the social disparities faced by these individuals.

For a sustainable education in Brazilian Library Science

The study starts from the global goals of inequality reduction and legal frameworks towards people with disabilities to evaluate curricular components and institutional guidance of active undergraduate courses in Library Science in the southeast area of Brazil. This study, which is of an applied nature, aims to investigate if and how universities offer education oriented to qualification in and towards diversity. The empirical field consists of 22 (twenty-two) courses certified by the Ministry of Education of the Federal Government of Brazil. Once these courses were submitted to documental analysis, we located 13 (thirteen) political-pedagogic projects and 9 (nine) summarized course syllabi to execute the exploratory reading based on keywords related to the inclusion domain and later definition of analytical categories. The reading, analysis, and critical interpretation regarding the results show significant gaps in the librarian education about diversity. Disregarding the predominance of optional courses on Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), the undergraduate courses of the investigated area as an empirical field of this study fail to present, satisfactorily, components or specific objectives aimed toward the learning process of people with disabilities.

ASPECTOS QUE CONFEREM COMPLEXIDADE À INTERPRETAÇÃO NA PERSPECTIVA DO INTÉRPRETE EDUCACIONAL DO ENSINO MÉDIO

At the expense of a greater insertion of the deaf in the academic environment, the educational interpreter of Brazilian Sign Language – Libras, has been gaining recognition in relation to the importance of his performance in the teaching process of this student. This study explored the aspects that confer complexity to the interpretation of Portuguese for Libras in the educational environment, aiming to identify, understand and offer reflections on the elements that foster this phenomenon, in order to build new perspectives in the field of action of the educational interpreter of Libras, with emphasis on the collaborative work between the teacher and the educational interpreter. With a unique case study, through the simple self-confrontation instrument proposed by Yves Clot (2010) with an approach in the psychodynamics of work that sought to promote the reflection of one's own action during the work activity. Intertwining the conception of Sobral (2008) and the assumptions of Bakhtin (2009, 2010) that emphasize the dialogic nature of language, it argued that the meaning of words emerges from interaction in specific contexts and the field of translation that there is a need to recreate the dialogue between different cultures and social contexts. Resulting in the survey of the following elements that confer complexity. Resulting in the survey of the following elements that confer complexity to the interpretative act in the educational sphere: I) construction of concepts: from simple to complex; II) collaborative work between the teacher and the educational interpreter; III) emotional aspects in the performance of the educational interpreter.

Theonymy in Brazilian Sign Language: the signs of Orishas

Name-giving and organizing the world through concepts and categories are human acts underlying lexicon production in any language. The lexicon of a language includes proper nouns, which particularize people, places, or things. Onomastics is the field of Linguistics devoted to studying proper names. This article focuses on the proper names of Orishas in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). It analyzes 10 signs that name Orishas in Libras as to their formal and semantic-motivational aspects and taps into the iconicity underlying the relationships between these signs and their referents that might have influenced their creation. This qualitative, applied study is based on descriptive and documentary methods and draws theoretically on Castro (2001), Sousa (2019; 2022a; 2022b; 2023), and Vidigal and Teixeira (2014). Findings indicate that 7 out of the 10 signs are classified as morphologically simple, while the remaining are compound and constituted by Libras-only formants, i.e., without borrowing from the Portuguese language. Iconicity was found in all signs except for NANAN-BURUKU in the semantic-motivational analysis. Findings point to a strong relationship between the naming of Orishas in Libras and the visual experience of the deaf, especially through the iconic relationship between the signs and their referents.

Sign language literary translations: linguistic, dramatic and technological aspects

The research reported here considers how norms of Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) literature (Sutton-Spence, 2021) operate with deaf translation norms (Stone, 2005) and literary translation norms (Toury, 1995) to create some potential norms of deaf literary translation. Presenting some considerations upon the concept of the “visual” in Libras literature and translation, we draw upon translations in three different genres of literature, made by three deaf translators, to understand better the key multimodal relationships between signed literature, written texts, images and video editing in literary translation. Analyzed in terms of the linguistic, dramatic and technological elements (Bartolomei; Perreira, 2021), we show how the translations create acceptable target language texts by focusing on the visual esthetics of the texts.

Perception of deaf patients about medical care

Deaf people are those who understand and interact with the world through visual language. Due to the linguistic and cultural differences that characterize the deaf population, this group still faces difficulties in accessing health services. For this reason, it was proposed to investigate communication difficulties in providing care to deaf patients. This is a qualitative study which was carried out at the Association of the Deaf of Maranhão (ASMA), in São Luís. The sample consisted of 10 women and 10 men, all over the age of 18. The information was collected through semi-structured interviews, with the help of Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) interpreters. Data interpretation were performed based on thematic content analysis. Two thematic categories were identified: “communication” and “autonomy”. In the first, the interviewees pointed out the lack of knowledge of the doctors about the needs of the deaf community or about their language, LIBRAS. In an attempt to establish a dialogue, the patients reported the use of writing, gestures and orofacial reading during the consultations. These strategies, however, are insufficient, since the information cannot be well understood. The second evidenced the need for the presence of companions to mediate the dialogue, as the participants stated that they did not find LIBRAS interpreters in the health units, resulting in loss of autonomy and confidentiality of information. It is concluded that this scenario of adversity implies important consequences for the health of this population, as well as lower adherence to treatments and a decrease in the search for medical care.

Educational videos on erosion disseminated through social media for soil education

ABSTRACT Soil education plays an important role in preventing soil degradation processes by raising awareness among the population about the importance of this non-renewable resource. Using new educational technologies in teaching, such as educational videos and social media, can speed up communication and information. This article aimed to develop educational videos on the topic of erosion, posted on social networks, as a way of popularizing science. Four videos of a maximum of 7 minutes were produced, which were shown in the classroom and on Instagram (@saberessobresolos). In-class promotion reached nine undergraduate and postgraduate classes, totaling an average of 255 students. Metrics used for evaluation were polls and video engagement on the social network. Instagram metrics results indicated, in a period of 49 days, 1615 profiles had accessed the video. There was a reduction in this engagement in other publications, probably due to the variation in time, day of the week, and frequency of posts. The results of the surveys were positive for all the characteristics evaluated, with little disparity among the videos. On a smaller scale, negative feedback was observed, such as: the narration, running time, the translation into Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), and video captions. Approximately 81 % of individuals reported experiencing soil erosion effects, and 59 % had encountered issues as a direct consequence. The evaluation also indicated the videos’ ability to enhance knowledge is above 90 %, largely due to the dynamic and inclusive nature of this pedagogical approach, fostering genuine comprehension of the content, satisfaction in learning, and the ability to engage in meaningful discussions on the subject. Disseminating educational videos through social media ensured the democratization and widespread access to soil education, as it expanded reach and facilitated the exchange of knowledge between universities and society. The project fulfills its mission of producing and popularizing knowledge on soils, expanding scientific dissemination, making it more accessible, and contributing to recognizing the importance of conserving this resource.

Production of a guide in Brazilian Sign Language for chemical laboratory utensils

The inclusion of deaf people in the Brazilian educational system is guaranteed by the use of Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). It is important that the learning process of these students, especially when dealing with abstract concepts such as those related to Chemistry, is offered based on teaching tools that cover this language. The objective of this work was to develop a guide with signs in Libras, already existing in the literature, of chemistry laboratory materials as a didactic device aiming to promote inclusion and facilitate access to experimental chemistry teaching for deaf students. The work began with meetings to plan the preparation of the booklet and choose the most common materials in laboratory classes (analytical balance, volumetric flask, beaker, burette, Erlenmeyer flask, funnel, suction bulb, volumetric and graduated pipettes, beaker and glass clock) accompanied by searching for the corresponding sign in Libras. The guide was created considering the five Libras parameters: point of articulation, movement, facial/body expression, configuration and orientation of the hands. Therefore, the material created constitutes a facilitator and important tool for interaction between teacher and student in laboratory classes, resulting in a more dynamic and efficient teaching and learning process for the target audience.

Functional Language in Children from a Public Cochlear Implant Program in a Developing Country.

Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that ∼ 32 million children worldwide are affected by hearing loss (HL). Cochlear implant is the first-line treatment for severe to profound sensorineural HL. It is considered one of the most successful prostheses developed to date. Objective To evaluate the oral language development of pediatric patients with prelingual deafness implanted in a reference hospital for the treatment of HL in southern Brazil. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study with a review of medical records of patients undergoing cochlear implant surgery between January 2009 and December 2018. Language development was assessed by reviewing consultations with speech therapy professionals from the cochlear implant group. Results A total of 152 children were included in the study. The mean age at cochlear implant surgery was of 41 months (standard deviation [SD]: ± 15). The patients were divided into six groups considering the type of language most used in their daily lives. We found that 36% of children use oral language as their primary form of communication. In a subanalysis, we observed that patients with developed or developing oral language had undergone cochlear implant surgery earlier than patients using Brazilian Sign Language (Língua Brasileira de Sinais, LIBRAS, in Portuguese) or those without developed language. Conclusion The cochlear implant is a state-of-the-art technology that enables the re-establishment of the sense of hearing and the development of oral language. However, language development is a complex process known to present a critical period to properly occur. We still see many patients receiving late diagnosis and treatment, which implies a delay and, often, the impossibility of developing oral communication. Level of Evidence Level 3 (cohort study).

Toponymy in Brazilian Sign language.

This article presents the results of a research on toponyms of cities in the state of Tocantins, Brazil, in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). Signs were collected from observation and interviews with deaf people. The state of Tocantins consists of 139 municipalities and, so far, we have surveyed 61 toponyms. Signs were categorized into (1) native, (2) initialized and (3) fingerspelled (exclusive categories). Regarding motivation, toponyms categorized as iconic motivation, covering (1) material and (2) cultural and Portuguese language motivation, covering (3) calque and (4) writing. The spelling motivation is the most prevalent in the toponyms of the cities of Tocantins, also combining with other types of motivation, such as (5) material and spelling, (6) cultural and writing, and (7) calque and spelling. We bring further considerations on these categories and suggest forearm as a productive point of articulation for toponymic signs in the context of Tocantins.

Strategy to improve communication for deaf individuals in a basic health unit: "help, need assistance?"

Accessibility is crucial to ensure that all users have interfaces that meet their needs and preferences, promoting inclusion in all sociocultural spaces. In the context of healthcare services in Guanambi-BA, deaf individuals face communication difficulties due to the lack of accessibility in identification signs, which are written only in Portuguese, excluding those who use Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) as their first language. This creates barriers that compromise the autonomy and quality of life of these individuals. Faced with this reality, the objective of this work was to produce images and videos in Libras, accessible through QR codes inserted in the identification signs of healthcare sectors. This initiative aims to promote the autonomy and dignity of deaf individuals using healthcare services in Guanambi, Bahia, contributing to a more inclusive and egalitarian society.

Entrepreneurship in the public educational sector: the translator, the interpreter and the guide-interpreter of brazilian sign language

This article it aims to understand entrepreneurship in the public educational sector on demand, which identifies the problem, whose proposed resolution improves the public service in favor of the school community, the State, society, the worker, in addition to breaking professional invisibility. The concept of entrepreneurship in the public educational sector on demand is characterized by the mechanisms of individual or collective action, with the purpose of realizing a social right, in order to guarantee social effectiveness. Social effectiveness in the public education sector is one that presents changes in the organization, in society, and its relevance seeks to provide diffuse benefits.

Amazonian Medical students’ knowledge of indigenous languages and brazilian Sign language (Libras)

Amazonian Medical students’ knowledge of indigenous languages and brazilian Sign language (Libras)

Scientific signs and terms in the Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS): A reflection on the scarcity and the need for standardization

Resumo: Ao longo da história, os surdos foram privados do acesso às áreas das ciências da natureza, seja pelo tardio consenso quanto à forma como deveriam se comunicar, seja pela crença limitante de que não estavam aptos para tais habilidades. O objetivo deste artigo é discutir a importância da criação de novos sinais e termos científicos para a área das ciências. Realizamos uma pesquisa exploratória e qualitativa, na qual buscamos sinais e termos de modo a manter a fidelidade dos conceitos abordados na exposição de um centro de ciências itinerante. Como resultado, encontramos uma escassez de sinais de parte considerável dos conceitos tratados e a falta de padronização entre os que estão disponíveis e em uso. Concluímos que é necessário maior unidade entre grupos de pesquisa para o desenvolvimento de glossários de ciências em Língua Brasileira de Sinais para que os surdos possam abstrair o conhecimento mais facilmente.

O ENSINO DE QUÍMICA NA INCLUSÃO DE SURDOS: A CONCEPÇÃO DA APRENDIZAGEM CONSTRUÍDA COLETIVAMENTE

ABSTRACT: Contemporary school dialogues with plurality and diversity. In this scenario, deaf students are included in regular classrooms and need to access curricular components in their first language, Libras (Brazilian Sign Language). These students have some noticeable difficulties, such as many chemistry concepts. Thus, this work seeks to identify these difficulties and how to transform them. This study emerged from a research with several investigation phases. In this text, we present part of the interviews conducted with Chemistry teachers and three deaf students who were High School seniors at an inclusive private school in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. As a result, the investigation identified the role of the Libras interpreter and his partnership with the teacher in this process, the perception that inclusion is a movement that requires the commitment of all those involved to resignify the process, and the need for adequate visual strategies for deaf students to understand chemistry.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Personality Factor Battery for Brazilian Sign Language

Resumo Há uma grande lacuna na área da avaliação psicológica de pessoas com deficiências. O objetivo deste trabalho foi adaptar um instrumento de personalidade de autorrelato baseado no modelo dos Cinco Grandes Fatores para a população surda que se comunica pela Língua Brasileira de Sinais (Libras). O estudo contou com seis etapas: tradução, síntese, avaliação por juízes especialistas, avaliação pelo público-alvo, tradução reversa e estudo-piloto. Participaram do processo 21 pessoas com funções diferentes. Os desafios para a adaptação transcultural de um instrumento, atrelados à mudança da modalidade escrita para a visuoespacial, foram múltiplos (e.g., traduzir os itens para Libras, adaptá-los à cultura da população, trocar a modalidade de apresentação do instrumento, encontrar plataformas adequadas). Sugere-se que pesquisas futuras forneçam mais evidências de validade, evitem a mera tradução de instrumentos psicológicos para Libras e dediquem-se à adaptação e normatização de medidas para essa população.

Mobile application: digital health card for deaf adolescents.

To develop a mobile health application (mHealth) accessible to deaf adolescents, based on their health card, promoting autonomy to the access to the user's health information. This was a methodological study, divided into three stages: a questionnaire to understand the knowledge of deaf adolescents about the health card, and development of the application using videos in Brazilian Sign Language Libras, Android Studio platform with Java language, and evaluation of the application. Most deaf adolescents were not aware of the health card. The application has two interface modes: male and female card, with the particularities of each sex. Furthermore, user's data security is carried out in accordance with the Brazilian General Data Protection Law. The application received a score of 85.5 from experts, being classified as "good" to "excellent" in terms of usability. The application provides information from the health card in text and video in Libras, according to the selected sex, promoting adolescents' autonomy in accessing health information. Future implementations may include expansion to other mobile platforms.

Currículo, alfabetização e interseccionalidade na educação de pessoas surdas

ABSTRACT This article focuses on reflecting on and discussing the intersections of disability, gender, social class, work, and race in processes of teaching reading and writing to deaf students, in the light of post-critical theories of curriculum. The text questions classroom reports and situations, carried out in a public school for Youth and Adult Education in the city of Belo Horizonte - MG. Methodologically, we held discussions with teachers and participant observation in the daily life of a class at the school in 2021. Based on curricular teaching practices observed, the short story Circuito Fechado (Closed Circuit) by Ricardo Ramos was chosen for theoretical questioning from an intersectional perspective. The investigation revealed challenges in teaching Brazilian Sign Language and Portuguese as a second language. The results indicate the importance of considering the context of the student’s life and the prior knowledge of each student in learning processes. Finally, the study reveals how different social markers can cross curricular practices, providing opportunities for other compositions and other readings of the world.

Brazilian sign language teaching and applied linguistics: a possible bridge

Applied Linguistics (AL) can be found in all teaching and learning processes. Its main characteristic is interdisciplinarity, which contributes to other disciplines with research that offers a better understanding of the linguistic problems to which we are exposed. Therefore, according to the social context and historical, political, economic, cultural and identity processes, AL can also take on a transdisciplinary character. In this study, we will address the application of LA to the teaching of Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) by briefly discussing the identity and culture as a guide in the teaching-learning process of Sign Language (SL). AL is growing in Brazil and its ramifications suggest exploring new ways as there is a wide range of methods that have emerged due to the need to develop analysis methods. This study will explore the analytical procedures developed by Systemic Functional linguistics, initially developed by Halliday, which explores the metafunctional character of the language. Nevertheless, initially, we will address methods that allow researchers to identify issues from the appraisal found in the construction of statements expressed by individuals working in Libras training.

THE NURSE FACING CHALLENGES IN LIBRAS COMMUNICATION: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Objective: To identify the main challenges in deaf individuals’ access to healthcare in Brazil and how nurses can take a leading role in potential improvement actions for healthcare assistance to this group. Methods: This is an integrative literature review study, in which electronic data were surveyed on the Virtual Health Library (VHL). Articles with a time frame between 2018 and 2023 were selected to provide theoretical support for the study, based on two search strategies: the keywords "Libras in Healthcare" and "Libras in Nursing Health" were entered into the VHL search field. Results: Fourteen studies were located following PRISMA recommendations. Discussion: The selected studies were divided into four distinct categories - investigative and informative studies on barriers in Libras communication in healthcare, studies discussing the academic training of health professionals related to Brazilian Sign Language, studies highlighting communication barriers with deaf patients from the perspective of healthcare professionals, and studies highlighting communication barriers with deaf patients from the perspective of deaf patients. Based on these found articles, it was possible to verify that most nursing professionals face challenges in providing quality care to deaf patients due to limited knowledge of Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). Additionally, there is a weakness in the training of these healthcare professionals regarding Brazilian Sign Language and low incentive and initiative for autonomous language study. Final Considerations: Effective communication in Libras is vital for inclusion in health. Nurses play a central role, but there is a shortage of studies. It is crucial to train nurses and promote inclusion to ensure quality healthcare for deaf patients.