Reasonable Accommodation and Information Accessibility by Various Formats the Difference Between Braille, Sign Language, and Speech Format

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Abstract

Information accessibility for persons with visual disabilities is the transformation into text data, braille or speech format. For persons with hearing disabilities, information accessibility includes closed-captioning, notetaking, and sign language translation services. Although such methods are standard and essential, this paper will discuss possible differences in comprehensibility between these various formats. We designed a research project, ‘Reasonable Accommodations of Reading Accessibility (RARA),’ to evaluate the consistency of academic quality in braille, sign language, and speech formats. First, we will focus on the features of the Japanese language, because these features could possibly affect the differences in the understanding among each means of conveying. Second, we introduce two concepts, Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP), as key factors in our research project. Third, we will discuss the outcomes of interviews from 2018 that targeted each two users of braille and of sign language. The outcomes suggested mainly about unique ways of understanding content in various means of transmission. Finally, we will outline the present phase of the RARA project.

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Keywords

Information Accessibility, Reading Accessibility, Higher Education, Means of Transmission

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15 pages

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Creative Commons License: CC-BY

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