Deaf Sign Language Users Research Articles

Silent struggles to self-manage high blood pressure among deaf sign language users: a qualitative study.

Tailored self-management support of hypertension, considering language and communication, is important for minorities, specifically in the deaf community. However, little is known about the experiences of hypertension self-management in deaf individuals who use sign language. This study aimed to explore the factors and processes of self-management in deaf sign language users with hypertension. Ten men and women who used sign language participated in this study. Data were collected using in-depth personal interviews conducted in the presence of a sign language interpreter between November 2022 and February 2023. All interviews were recorded and transcribed for conventional content analysis. Qualitative analyses identified four categories related to the self-management of hypertension among participants: personal factors (chronic hand pain, unique language and communication, and efforts to turn crisis into opportunities), family and socioeconomic factors (family support and financial burden of living), challenges (limited health literacy and alienation from health education), and desire for health education considering the deaf community. The results of this study suggest that family support, socioeconomic status, hand pain, and health literacy should be considered for the planning and development of health education on self-management of hypertension in deaf individuals. In addition, this health education requires cooperation with qualified sign language interpreters in healthcare settings.

Barriers and facilitators to the inclusion of deaf people in clinical trials.

This article discusses the barriers that prevent deaf people from participating in clinical trials and offers recommendations to overcome these barriers and ensure equal access to study participation. Between April and May 2022, we conducted six focus groups with 20 deaf adults who use American Sign Language, all of whom had previous experience as research study participants. Focus group prompts queried community awareness of clinical trial opportunities, barriers and facilitators to deaf people's participation in clinical trials, and recommended resources to improve clinical trial access. This qualitative focus group data is supplemented by survey data gathered from 40 principal investigators and clinical research coordinators between November 2021 and December 2021. The survey queried researchers' prior experiences with enrolling deaf participants in clinical trials and strategies they endorse for enrollment of deaf participants in future clinical trials. Focus group participants unanimously agreed that, compared to the general hearing population, deaf sign language users lack equivalent access to clinical trial participation. Reported barriers included lack of awareness of clinical trial opportunities, mistrust of hearing researchers, and refusal by clinical trial staff to provide accessible communication (e.g. denial of requests for sign language interpreters). Survey data from 40 principal investigators and clinical research coordinators corroborated these barriers. For example, only 2 out of 40 survey respondents had ever enrolled a deaf person in a clinical trial. Respondents indicated that the most helpful strategies for including deaf sign language users in future clinical trials would be assistance with making recruitment information accessible to deaf sign language users and assistance in identifying qualified interpreters to hire to help facilitate the informed consent process. The lack of communication accessibility is the most common factor preventing deaf sign language users from participating in clinical trials. This article provides recommendations for hearing researchers to improve deaf people's access to clinical trials moving forward, drawing from mixed-methods data.

Benefits and development of assistive technologies for Deaf people's communication: A systematic review

The development of technologies has made digital accessibility relevant to many everyday processes. Multiple resources have been designed to meet the special needs of a wide variety of people, such as Deaf sign language users, who require inclusive technologies to facilitate their communication in work, educational, and social environments. The objective of this study is to identify assistive technologies that favor and improve communication between Deaf and hearing people. To this end, a systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA checklist and using the Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases. A total of 492 documents were identified and subjected to inclusion and exclusion criteria, of which 27 were included in the quantitative synthesis. As a result, technologies based on gesture recognition for the translation of sign language into speech and vice versa, technologies for sign language teaching, technologies for automatic caption generation, technologies based on online content, and technologies based on text and illumination networks were found in the studies. The findings suggest that there is a need for further research into the motivations for developing sign language technologies, as a contribution to the inclusion of Deaf communities in society without linguistic impositions.

Application of the truth and reconciliation model to meaningfully engage deaf sign language users in the research process.

One of the most underrepresented public health populations is the U.S. Deaf community-a minority group of 500,000 + individuals who communicate using American Sign Language (ASL). Research on Deaf health outcomes is significantly lacking due to inaccessible research procedures and mistrust of researchers that stems from historical mistreatment of Deaf people (i.e., Audism). Following the Truth and Reconciliation Model, we hosted three Deaf community forums between October and November 2016 across New England. We invited attendees to share their experiences in the research world and make recommendations about how researchers can better include Deaf people in their studies. A select group of hearing researchers served as representatives of the research community and to issue a formal apology on behalf of this community. Forum attendees (n = 22; 5% racial/ethnic minority; 59% female) emphasized the following themes: Research conducted within general population samples is not an activity in which Deaf people can or will be included; a general mistrust of hearing people, including hearing researchers; researchers' frequent failure to communicate study results back to the Deaf community or the community-at-large; and a tendency of researchers to directly benefit from data provided by Deaf participants, without making any subsequent efforts to return to the community to give back or provide useful intervention. Many injustices and forms of mistreatment are still ongoing; therefore, we recognize that our team's efforts to foster an open dialogue between the research community and the Deaf community must be an ongoing, iterative practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Researching relations between hearing Sign Language interpreters and their deaf clients: Methodological considerations on empirical data collection with prelingually Deaf participants

The present paper discusses necessary adaptations in research methodology to include Deaf Sign Language users in a survey on Sign Language interpreting. Prelingually Deaf Sign Language users have, on average, lower literacy levels than their hearing counterparts. Many of them disfavour reading and writing texts and prefer to be addressed with, and communicate in Sign Language. The present paper reports on a survey among hearing Sign Language interpreters and Deaf Sign Language users that included qualitative expert interviews and a questionnaire with multiple choice as well as free text answers. In total, the questionnaire was processed by 771 participants, 325 of whom are hearing Sign Language interpreters and 446 Deaf Sign Language users. The paper reports on how the data was collected among the Deaf participants including the use of Sign Language and Sign Language oriented Easy Language Plus in order to meet their communicative preferences. The paper is a contribution to the current efforts in Accessible Communication research to adapt methodology according to the participant’s communicative needs.

The mental wellbeing of Deaf sign language users

The mental wellbeing of Deaf sign language users

Supplemental Material for Application of the Truth and Reconciliation Model to Meaningfully Engage Deaf Sign Language Users in the Research Process

Supplemental Material for Application of the Truth and Reconciliation Model to Meaningfully Engage Deaf Sign Language Users in the Research Process

The social construction of 101 non-emergency video relay services for deaf signers

How the police prepare for and engage with a citizen who is deaf and uses British Sign Language (BSL) is a national problem. From the perspective of deaf sign language users, the police remain largely inaccessible and unprepared in how to accommodate their linguistic needs. Four regional forces have responded to this issue by introducing a local solution, a bespoke 101 non-emergency video relay service (101VRS). Independent VRS companies function as the auxiliary service, mediating video calls to a 101 helpline. This service was identified as a simple solution that relied on minimal resourcing and input from the police. In using Pinch and Bijker’s social construction of technology (SCOT) framework, we look at competing interpretations of the 101VRS concept and how this has led to a range of intended and unintended solutions and problems (Pinch TJ and Bijker WE (1984) The social construction of facts and artefacts: or how the sociology of science and the sociology of technology might benefit each other. Social Studies of Science 14(3): 399–441). To maintain the investment in improving access to the police, we recommend harmonization of 101VRS nationally, and ongoing consultation with how front-line services can become better prepared at assisting deaf citizens.

“Sign to me, not the children”: Ideologies of language contamination at a deaf tourist site in Bali

Certain historical processes and sign language ideologies have led to the dissemination of American Sign Language (ASL) signs throughout Southeast Asia via deaf education projects, international development interventions, and tourism, notably in Cambodia and Indonesia. These ideologies normalized attempts to develop standardised sign systems based on national spoken languages and the introduction of signs from foreign sign languages, especially ASL. This history has shaped and mobilized ideas among deaf sign language users about language contact, the spread of hegemonic national sign languages, and the vitality of sign languages outside of the US and western Europe. Some of these ideologies manifest in deaf signers’ concerns about the vitality of what are often perceived to be non-hegemonic sign languages (e.g., sign languages that are not ASL, Auslan, or BSL) and language practices. By examining discourses and practices in the context of encounters between deaf tourists and deaf leaders in Bali, this article approaches larger questions about the territorialization of sign languages, linguistic boundaries, language contact, and sign language vitality.

L2 motivation among hearing learners of Finnish Sign Language

ABSTRACT The realisation of the linguistic rights of Deaf individuals is, to a considerable extent, dependent upon whether there are majority language speakers who acquire a sign language as an L2 and use their L2 skills. Still, the motivation of hearing persons in learning sign languages as L2s is a largely unmapped area. This study seeks to capture the motivation underlying the L2 use among hearing learners of Finnish Sign Language (FSL) in terms of current theorising on L2 motivation and to test the applicability of central constructs in L2 motivation research in a specific SLA context. We collected data in 2018 using an anonymous online questionnaire (N = 173). We tested a serial mediational model that linked L2 learning orientations and L2 learning experience, through a set of mediating variables, to L2 use. The model was statistically significant and explained 66% of the variance in L2 use. In addition, integrativeness significantly moderated the effect of L2 competence on L2 use. The findings from the quantitative analysis are enriched with the analysis of the respondents’ comments. We discuss the results from the perspective of how hearing learners of sign languages can extend the communication networks of Deaf sign language users.

Factors Related to the Quality of Life in the Context of Deaf Sign Language Users in Brazil

Introduction: Deaf sign language users population often has been facing linguistic difficulties regarding to interacting with people who are not aware, who have not learnt about using sign language, such difficulties may have been revealing serious consequences to their social, emotional and also cognitive development. Objective: This study has aimed to analyze the factors which may be associated with the best scoring of Quality of Life (QOL) in a group of deaf Brazilian sign language (Libras) users. Methods: It is a quantitative study, whose data collection has been assessing using the WHOQOL-BREF scale and a sample profile questionnaire as well. Sixty (60) deaf Libras users, who has been living in Southern region of Brazil have participated. Statistical analysis was used by means of descriptive statistical methods and inference methods, considering the significance level of 0.05 (5%). Results: Results have evidenced that total mean scoring in the WHOQOL-BREF was 43.3%. The domain with the highest scoring was Social Relationships (64.31%), and the lowest-scoring was Environment (54.77%).

The translated deaf self, ontological (in)security and deaf culture

ABSTRACT In this article, we posit and explore the concept of ‘the translated deaf self’, tentatively defined as: ‘the socio-cultural impact for deaf sign language users of multiple, regular, lifelong experiences of being encountered by others and inter-subjectively known in a translated form, i.e. through sign language interpreters’. Regarding translation as both linguistic and non-linguistic, we explore the translated deaf self in terms of ontological (in)security in the context of phonocentrism, demonstrating how the recursive dynamics of structure-agency, within and through which the self is constituted, are impacted by the contingency of being interpreted. We show how such impacts on self, identity and agency are not equivalent to the hearing non-signing actors who also participate in relational encounters through sign language interpreters. The extent to which the shared experience of the translated deaf self may or may not be considered constitutive of (deaf) culture is examined with reference to strategies of linguistic resistances and personal empowerment evident in our data but not universally available or necessarily considered desirable from a collective perspective. Finally, we reflect on how to breakdown the exclusive and excluding nature of considerations such as these by breaking free of the written/signed signifier.

Sign language interpreting in the Pacific: A snapshot of progress in raising the participation of deaf people

Abstract Barriers to acquiring and using a shared sign language alienate deaf children and adults from their fundamental human rights to communication, education, social and economic participation, and access to services. International data collected by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) identify that in economically developing countries, deaf individuals are at particularly high risk of marginalization, which applies to countries in the Pacific region. This report provides a snapshot of the status of deaf people as sign language users in six Pacific nations: Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste and Kiribati. Information was contributed by sign language interpreters from these countries during a panel convened at the first Oceania regional conference of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters, in Fiji, 2018. The report outlines conditions for education through sign language and the emergence of sign language interpreting as a means of increasing access and social equity for deaf people in these countries, albeit this remains largely on a voluntary basis. While Fiji and PNG governments have recognized the status of sign languages in their respective countries and allocated some resources to the inclusion of sign language users, practical support of deaf sign language users tends to be progressed on grounds of disability rights rather than language rights; e.g., several Pacific countries have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights for People with Disabilities, which includes provisions for sign language users, and deaf advocacy efforts have gained political traction from alliance with disability organizations.

Writing Errors in Deaf Children

This article is aimed at deaf children literacy and addresses the error frequency in a writing sample. The dataset comes from a writing word task. The writing errors was classified into two types: lexical and phonological. The sample was composed of 199 deaf users of sign language, 15 deaf with hearing prosthesis, and 44 hearing children. All the participants were students of elementary school. As expected, the results show significant differences in type error (lexical vs. phonological) only in the deaf signer’s group, with higher values in errors related to lexical route. However, we also found a positive correlation between phonological errors and the number of coded words in the deaf group.

Ophelia, Emma, and the beast from the east effortful engaging and the provision of sign language interpreting in emergencies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how the Republic of Ireland’s National Emergency Coordinating Group performed with respect to ensuring access to emergency information for deaf sign language (SL) users over the course of two emergency situations in 2017 and 2018 as a result of storms. The storms book-ended parliamentary and public debate around the recognition of the indigenous SL of Ireland, Irish Sign Language (ISL). The author explores if/how increased political awareness led to better access in 2018, and how access provision maps to best practice guidelines set out by the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI) and the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD).Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides empirical insights about the asymmetrical effort that is required of a minority linguistic community, in this instance, community of deaf ISL users and their allies, to secure provision of access to emergency information that is provided as a matter of course to the wider community of hearing English language speakers. The author draws on parliamentary records, social media and print media to document the political, societal and deaf community discourse around ISL recognition and the emergencies.FindingsThe author finds that significant effort was required of deaf people and their allies to secure access to national emergency briefings in 2017, with significant improvement evidenced in 2018 for Storm Emma and the Beast from the East, in the aftermath of the adoption of the ISL Act (December 2017). The author drew on the theory of effortful engaging, which posits that unless we have greater awareness of and pro forma consideration of SLs and deaf people, the burden of work required to ensure appropriate access and participation falls on deaf people.Research limitations/implicationsThere is scope for completing a 360° analysis of stakeholders engaged in the process. Further work should also include interviews with deaf community members and emergency response coordinators.Practical implicationsThis paper identifies implications for emergency coordinating groups: provision of appropriate interpreting must be a pro forma element in the planning for delivery of any emergency information. Broadcasters must be required to ensure that interpreters are visible on screen at all times during live briefings: what is unseen is “unheard” for SL users. Work remains to ensure that deaf people have access to preparatory information in their language, and that they have ease of access to two-way emergency services. Emergency coordinating teams need to integrate the UNCRPD-mapped WASLI-WFD recommendations into their emergency strategy.Social implicationsCommunities depend on information for their survival in times of crisis. Communication requires comprehension and interaction. For SL users, information in an indigenous SL is a lifeline in a time of crisis. This requires emergency response teams to understand that “language” is multi-modal and embed strategies for engaging with deaf communities in all aspects of their processes, with guidance from deaf community leaders and advocates. There is also a need to consider deafblind people and deaf people who have disabilities, who are more vulnerable in crisis situations.Originality/valueThis is the first analysis of state provision of access to information for the Irish deaf community in an emergency setting. It is one of very few empirical analyses of how deaf communities fare in emergency contexts and the first to evaluate a state’s practicevis-à-visUNCRPD-led guidelines on best practice issued by the WASLI/WFD. The socio-political context described represents a unique period where the Irish deaf community and ISL were central to political and media discourse because of the ISL Act and the death of two deaf brothers in tragic circumstances in Autumn 2017.

Primary non-communicable disease prevention and communication barriers of deaf sign language users: a qualitative study

BackgroundDeaf sign language users have lower health literacy and poorer access to non-communicable disease prevention information as compared to the general population. The aim was to explore disease concepts embedded in signs, primary non-communicable disease prevention behaviour and communication barriers among members of a deaf community.MethodsA qualitative study with a social constructivist approach was conducted to explore perspectives of deaf sign language users.15 individuals, two with and 13 without history of diabetes were recruited for semi-structured in-depth interviews in sign language at a deaf community center. The interviews were video-recorded, translated and analyzed using thematic content analysis.ResultsDiabetes as one of the main non-communicable diseases is conceptualized differently in the manual component of signs depending on how deaf sign language users construct diabetes pathophysiologically. The disease conceptualization is not represented in the mouthing component. Health information seeking behavior varies among deaf sign language users and depends on their individual spoken and written language literacy. Overcoming communication barriers is key for developing an understanding of diabetes and other non-communicable disease prevention activities.ConclusionsTo develop barrier-free and inclusive non-communicable disease and diabetes prevention strategies for deaf sign language users, health professionals need to pay attention to sign language specific linguistic concepts. More studies are needed to better understand the specific needs of sign language users and effective strategies in health promotion contexts for sign language users.

“Not like them”: New Signers’ narrative constructions of the authentic signer

Much of sociolinguistic research aims at exploring various aspects concerning authentic and native speakers. Throughout the literature, both concepts are not only frequently conflated but the corresponding terms oftentimes even used interchangeably. Focusing on emic perspectives of deaf sign language users, and strategically applying a theoretical approach well established in educational and race studies, the research examines how New Signers construct the counter-story of their own status as ‘the authentic signer’ (TAS) against the backdrop of the master narrative of native signer ideology. The qualitative analysis is based on conversations with 31 deaf signers recorded in the context of 10 focus group, which were conducted in 9 cities throughout Germany. The research demonstrates that participants construct the status of TAS either as inherited or as the outcome of a dynamic process of intentional change. Introducing notions of ‘Deaf aristocracy’ vs. ‘Deaf meritocracy’, the paper proposes a significant extension to current conversations about native speaker ideologies by providing empirical evidence that deaf conceptualizations embrace a clear differentiation between authentic and native language users, which therefore must also be upheld in relevant academic discourses.

Authentic public and patient involvement with Deaf sign language users: It is not just about language access.

This article concerns Public and Patient Involvement practice with Deaf people who are sign language users. It draws on the experience of public and patient involvement in a project concerning Deaf people's lived experience of dementia and focusses on: (i) creating the conditions of trust in circumstances of unrecorded knowledge; (ii) being a community insider as a necessary but not sufficient condition without public and patient involvement and (iii) community consultation as influencing positive public and patient involvement practice. It sets out a series of recommendations for authentic public and patient involvement practice with Deaf sign language users linked to each of these themes before considering more generally barriers to Deaf people's involvement in public and patient involvement in health and social care research.

How do we know what we don't know? Exploring Deaf people's experiences of supporting their Deaf family member living with dementia.

Deaf sign language users living with dementia and their carers, some of whom are Deaf, routinely face everyday barriers in accessing information, support (both formal and informal) and services. The familial care situation is further complicated given that most Deaf people will choose a life partner who is Deaf and most Deaf couples will have hearing children. This study focussed specifically on the everyday experiences of Deaf carers and the impact of caring for a loved one with dementia. Drawing on data from a wider consultation about dementia care, three Deaf carers were directly interviewed in British Sign Language by a Deaf researcher about their everyday experiences of care, support, and services. Thematic analysis focussed on: access is more than the provision of interpreters; effective care for the carers; and unknowing risk taking. Findings demonstrate the multifaceted effects of barriers to knowledge and information when the care partner is also Deaf, the urgent need for effective support for Deaf carers and unrecognised safeguarding concerns that are a result of lack of access to forms of basic knowledge about living with someone with dementia and potential coping strategies. Nonetheless, the participants demonstrated novel solutions and resilience in the face of these multiple challenges. Implications are drawn for future targeted services to supported Deaf carers of people affected by dementia.

Using video technology to engage deaf sign language users in survey research: An example from the Insign project

For many deaf signers, a signed language is their first or preferred language; spoken or written languages are often second languages and literacy levels among deaf signers vary. Historically, surveys carried out with deaf signers have been in written form, which means that findings of such studies may be problematic in terms of whether participants are a representative sample (as only those with higher levels of literacy may respond) and in terms of the integrity of the responses (if respondents did not fully understand questions). This paper therefore discusses issues faced in conducting survey research with deaf signers, given that they may face challenges in accessing questionnaires in written form. The paper also discusses how to conduct a multi-country study with deaf signers when they do not have a common sign language by designing a questionnaire using International Sign. We present a case study of the Insign project, which employed an online survey methodology that allowed 84 deaf respondents from 22 different countries to view questions in International Sign about their experiences with existing communication technologies and their expectations of service provision to access European Institutions. We explore the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach in relation to the use of International Sign, challenges in recruiting enough respondents, the time needed to create a signed questionnaire instrument, and how to enable deaf participants to respond in sign language. We conclude with recommendations for social science researchers to consider when administering surveys with deaf signing communities.