Sign Languages Commons^™

Impact And Utilization Of Asl Lab Spaces In University Settings, Nathan J. Dutra, Michele Vincent

Journal of Interpretation

American Sign Language (ASL) is a challenging yet rapidly growing language taught at both secondary and higher education levels. Despite its increasing popularity, there is limited literature on utilizing ASL labs as learning centers. This quantitative study examines the implementation of a new ASL lab at a large four-year university in California. It investigates the factors influencing participation, the motivations behind students' involvement, and their perceptions of the lab's effectiveness. Results indicate significant associations between course modality, instructor influence, and lab participation. The study suggests that ASL labs function as cultural and educational spaces that promote visibility of Deaf culture …

Toward Professionalization: Insights From Sign Language Interpreters In Vietnam, Anh P. Doan

Journal of Interpretation

This study examines how sign language interpreters in Vietnam perceive the professionalization of their field and the strategies they propose for establishing it as a recognized profession. Despite growing demand for communication access, sign language interpreting in Vietnam remains an emerging field with limited institutional infrastructure and no formal interpreter education programs. Data were collected through an online qualitative survey of 28 hearing interpreters working in sign language interpreting across Vietnam. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes in interpreters’ experiences and perspectives. Findings show that many interpreters enter the field through informal pathways such as community …

Lights, Camera… Interpretation: Navigating The Challenges Of Irish Sign Language Interpreting In Broadcast Settings, Kristina Cregan, Sarah Sheridan

Journal of Interpretation

Sign language interpreters working in broadcasted settings face added pressures due to its public nature. This research sets out to explore what the effects of being video recorded during assignments are on interpreters, and to examine how interpreters adapt to the challenges of broadcast assignments. To achieve this, an anonymous questionnaire was sent to Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreters who have experience working in broadcasted environments or being video recorded for public contexts. The questionnaire used a combination of open and closed questions to discover what the challenges are for these environments and how interpreters cope. A thematic analysis was …

The Problem With People: Signed Language Interpreter Disposition Match And Attrition, Dawn M. Wessling

Journal of Interpretation

In the United States, communication access is a legislated right for Deaf people in many settings; however, recent data suggest that the number of signed language interpreters does not meet current service demand. This multiple‑case study contributes to understanding interpreter attrition by examining how disposition mismatches between novice interpreters and more experienced co‑interpreters influence early exit from the field. Attrition among novice interpreters may exacerbate demand–supply imbalances and contribute to persistent shortages in interpreting services.

This study draws on applied and organizational psychology frameworks, specifically attraction, selection, and attrition (ASA) theory and person–organization fit (P–O fit). Using these theoretical lenses, …

Draw To Breathe, Ranran Ma

Masters Theses

This thesis explores visual expression in drawing as an intuitive mode of thinking suited to everyday life—a form of expression that runs parallel to language and surpasses it.

The project begins with a daily Post-it note drawing practice. These drawings often emerge before conscious understanding, subsequently accompanied by brief text, allowing image and word to resonate through emotion and intuition. Through the use of small-scale, portable, low-pressure materials, and with immediacy and intuitive freedom as the foundation of making, a visual language system grounded in the self develops. Through this sustained practice, I developed an instruction-based card system titled Draw …

True Biz: A Fusion Of Written English And Printed Asl, Elysha O'Brien

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper analyzes the book True Biz by Sara Novic with particular attention given to the socio-cultural and historical aspects of the story as well as the postmodern construction of the novel. The narrative of a young girl transferring to a Deaf school and learning American Sign Language features numerous translanguaging characteristics. This essay pays close attention to story elements and how those elements highlight significant aspects of Deaf culture and Deaf history as well as how the postmodern construction of the novel enables a book to feature two differing language systems, namely written English and printed American Sign Language.

Worldbuilding A Place For The Deaf: An Encyclopedic Approach To Writing Inclusive Narratives, Frederick Scott

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

This honors capstone project centered on existing deaf literature sets the stage for further storytelling projects using creative worldbuilding details written in an encyclopedic informational text. Across a fledgling life spent reading hearing fiction, a shortage of deaf literature has not gone unnoticed. To start addressing this shortage, this project collects necessary information to support further writings/publications of deaf literature. A review of American Signed Language and deaf/disabled representation in literary format shows that various strategies are employed to represent the language and people within their culture. The review identified examples of unique or distinct approaches used for various characters' …

What You Don't Hear About Barriers To Healthcare In The Deaf Community: Analyzing Interpreter Experiences In The Deep South, Ryan Augustine

Honors Theses

Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals experience significant health disparities in the United States, yet the perspective of the ASL interpreter has remained largely absent regarding the barriers documented in existing literature. This pilot case study examined the barriers Deaf individuals face when seeking healthcare through the unique vantage point of eight ASL interpreters across the Deep South: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Guided by grounded theory methodology, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed to find recurring themes. Findings confirmed and revealed barriers that would not have surfaced without the perspective of the interpreter. Four themes emerged from this study: healthcare …

Orthographic Representations In American Sign Language Fingerspelling, Zed Sehyr, Lauren Fillet, Kiana Billot-Vasquez, Emily Saunders, Karen Emmorey

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

This study examined fingerspelling accuracy and error patterns in deaf American Sign Language (ASL) signers and written spelling in hearing English speakers to investigate how orthographic representations are shaped by phonological, visual, and motor encoding strategies. Deaf participants (n = 39) completed a fingerspelling repetition task, while hearing participants (n = 35) completed a written dictation task using the same word and pseudoword stimuli. While overall accuracy did not differ significantly between groups, deaf participants exhibited qualitatively distinct error patterns, including higher rates of deletions and transpositions, compared to hearing participants who made more substitution errors. Deaf participants also produced …

Fragmented Foundations: Interpreter Educator Resources And Uneven Student Preparation, Kierstin S. Muroski

Journal of Interpretation

The readiness-to-work gap among graduates of signed language interpreting programs has been widely acknowledged for decades. Efforts to address the gap have primarily focused on training methods and student performance. This paper shifts the focus to interpreter educators, examining whether the inconsistencies in their awareness and use of discipline-related books may contribute to the disparate educational outcomes of students entering the workforce. Drawing on survey data from 75 interpreter educators in the United States, this study explores demographic patterns of their book awareness and usage in teaching. Results indicate that awareness and utilization of discipline-related books to support teaching are …

Creation And Representation: Rhetorical Effectiveness Of Audience Construction Within The Deaf Vlogging Community, Imani Rodriguez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Diverse minority groups use YouTube as a platform to share stories, grow brands, and develop communities online. While previous research has investigated Deaf-focused videos on YouTube, past focus has been on video genres, creator purpose, and how content engages with existing representation and stigma (Hibbard & Fels, 2011; Li et al., 2022; Souza et al., 2023; Martzos et al., 2021; Oliveira et al., 2021; Parton, 2016). There has also been research on how online communities can initiate open conversation for many minority groups that may not be possible due to location, disability, or censorship (Case, 2012).

This research focuses on …

Against Audiepistemic Injustice: Claiming Deaf Futurity, Pamela R. Conley

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation proposes a new theoretical framework: Audiepistemic Injustice (AEI). Expanding upon existing theories of epistemic injustice (EI), I identify AEI as the systemic marginalization and dismissal of deaf ways of knowing. AEI is a multidimensional phenomenon rooted in the nineteenth century, when auditory and linguistic biases became codified across education, law, and literature. This interdisciplinary study interrogates three nineteenth-century literary narratives as primary case studies to examine AEI: (1) Ivan Turgenev’s “Mumu,” (2) Guy de Maupassant’s “The Deaf Mute,” and (3) Abigail Bradley Hyde’s “The Deaf and Dumb Child: A True Narrative.” I synthesize these literary works with legal …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

Terminating Pregnancies In Boccaccio, Anne C. Leone

Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics - All Scholarship

Analyzing examples from the Decameron (1349-51), De mulieribus claris (1361), and the Corbaccio (1365), I argue that Boccaccio (1313-75) demonstrates an awareness of theological, legal and medical opinions on abortion and contraception at the time. However, he is more attuned to the practical concerns of pregnancy than are many of his contemporaries. Acknowledging the variety of situations facing pregnant people and some parts of their lived experience that were ignored by many religious and legal authorities, Boccaccio highlights a disconnection between theory and practice, and thereby raises questions about the limits of abstract knowledge in the face of practical concerns.

Neural Associations Between Fingerspelling, Print, And Signs: An Erp Priming Study With Deaf Readers, Brittany Lee, Sofia E. Ortega, Priscilla M. Martinez, Katherine J. Midgley, Phillip J. Holcomb, Karen Emmorey

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Fingerspelling is a leading predictor of reading ability for deaf people who use a signed language, but few neuroimaging studies have examined how it supports reading. We used event-related potentials to investigate how fingerspelled words prime printed words. Twenty-four skilled deaf adult readers completed a Go/No-Go task while viewing printed English word targets following related and unrelated primes in one of three conditions: printed English words, American Sign Language (ASL) signs, and fingerspelled words. N400 priming effects were strong across all three conditions. Early N400 effects were similar for printed word primes and fingerspelled word primes, suggesting shared orthographic representations. …

Shifting To A Culture Of Inclusion By Design: Applying A Mixed-Methods Approach To Advance Accessibility Of Public Health Emergency Information & Communication Technology, Jessica L. Franks, Erin Vinoski Thomas

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience inequities in access to timely, accurate, and understandable information and communication technology (ICT), which increases risk for public health emergency (PHE)-related health disparities and impedes opportunities to achieve optimal health. This study assessed federal COVID-19 webpage accessibility levels and explored existing knowledge of and experience with filing accessibility complaints for federal ICT among adults with IDD. Through a mixed-methods approach, we evaluated compliance with accessibility standards for 18 federal agencies’ COVID-19 webpages (study 1) and interviewed 16 adults with IDD about experiences accessing federal webpages and filing accessibility complaints (study 2). We …

Creating Accessible Literature For Deaf Young Adults, Kailee Bates

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Access to literature in a person’s most accessible language is a human right. One that has been deprived from many members of the Deaf community, despite the growth of translated literature in other languages. Translators have yet to tackle the business of creating accessible American Sign Language (ASL) translations for older audiences, specifically for young adults. After the critical period of language development, less resources are tendered for older Deaf students. This project aimed to spread awareness of this need to several different people groups and emphasize the complexity of translating an English text into ASL. It did this by …

The Manifestation Of Synesthesia In The Deaf, Hard-Of-Hearing, And Sign Language User Population, Elizabeth Droubi

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

This capstone project investigated the prevalence and manifestation of synesthesia—a perceptual condition where stimulation in one sensory pathway triggers automatic, involuntary experiences in another—within d/Deaf, hard-of-hearing (DHH), and sign language user populations. Despite an estimated prevalence of over 4% in the general population and findings that many synesthetic experiences are language-based, little is known about how synesthesia presents across different language modalities, including signed languages. This project explored the phenomenon in two phases: an initial online survey assessing the prevalence and characteristics of synesthesia among DHH and signing individuals and follow-up interviews with self-reported synesthetes along with a test-retest procedure …

Transgender & Gender-Diverse Interpreter Experiences, Atlas Rideout

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Transgender and gender-diverse ASL interpreters face unique challenges in their professional lives that remain largely unexamined in interpreting research. This investigational research project addresses this gap by exploring their individual lived experiences through analysis of both anecdotal and numerical data collected via a survey. Through this survey, participants were invited to share their narratives, highlighting issues such as discrimination, self-disclosure, and gender identity within professional practice. At the time of writing, very minimal research has been done on the experiences of transgender and gender-diverse ASL interpreters. The research that has been completed has either lumped transgender individuals in with the …

The Missing Link: Connecting Hearing Parents Of Deaf Children To Resources That Re-Center Language Access Decisions Around Their Deaf Child, Ella Stromberg

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Countless DHH children around the world experience language deprivation (National Association of the Deaf, n.d.). The deprivation of language severely impacts on a child’s comprehension and communication, limiting essential information for growth; in contrast, a hearing child would have advantageous access. Language deprivation occurs when parents cannot access or are unaware about resources to make educated decisions that center around their child (National Association of the Deaf, n.d.). This three-section project examines the experience of a Deaf individual born into a hearing family with no structural language access until his teenage years, highlighting the long-term impact of limited language exposure …

Interactions Between The Deaf Community And Healthcare, Sarah E. Mcfadden

Honors Theses

Background.

This study investigates the issues regarding interactions between the Deaf community and healthcare, focusing on communication barriers, negative experiences, and inaccessibility to health information. Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines requiring healthcare offices to provide interpreters, many health care professionals (HCPs) do not comply for various reasons. The alternatives to an interpreter create gaps in conditions, treatment plans, or post-appointment care.

Methods.

This study involved a review of existing literature and interviews with Deaf individuals and HCPs, including a physician, nurse practitioner, dentist, and registered nurse. The interviewed HCPs work in various settings.

Results. …

Preparing To Bridge The Deaf Math Gap: Exploring Preparation Materials For Asl Interpreters In Math Education, Taylor Victor

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

The gap in performance between hearing students and their mainstreamed deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) peers who use ASL interpreters expands throughout various grade levels and is not a new issue, especially in mathematics. This delay in mathematical development has been prevalent for many decades, and it is still being determined at what level it begins and what the causes are. D/HH students' academic success is often connected to high-quality academic sign language interpreting (Jones, 2017). However, there are still many college-level American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting programs that are not focused on educational interpreting. This lack of focus …

Enhancing Social Emotional And Language Development For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Elementary Students, Nataly Pacas-Rodriguez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Social-emotional and language development are often absent in the curriculum for students in elementary school programs who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing(DHH). When social-emotional and language development are missing, Deaf and Hard of Hearing elementary students may have trouble with communicating with others, understanding social cues, and language comprehension. Deaf and Hard of Hearing students who learn about social-emotional and language development may be more likely to communicate, express their feelings, understand grammar and vocabulary. In order to address this issue, I have created a workshop for 2nd and 3rd grade students at Toro School for the Deaf in …

Theorizing The Body In The Asl Interpreting Field: Promising Dimensions For Further Research, Taylor L. Woodall-Greene, Lucy E. Bailey

Journal of Interpretation

This paper theorizes body politics in the American Sign Language Interpreting profession. The field is facing problems with burnout and attrition. We focus on the interpreting body and present four themes, including the embodied demands, the limited available scholarship over “the body” in ASL, the fluctuating meaning of the interpreter’s bodily labor, and the educational implications of our analysis. We argue that attention to body politics matters, and more research is needed on the intersections between the body and the ASL interpreting profession. Continuing the research into these theoretical dimensions and interpreters’ self-care given the embodied demands of the profession, …

Admission Screening Into Signed Language Interpreter Education: A Longitudinal Case Study Of Readiness, Len Roberson, Sherry Shaw, Gail D. Hughes

Journal of Interpretation

Testing applicants for admission into academic interpreting programs, whether spoken or signed, centers on the attempt to recruit and retain students who are most likely to acquire interpreting skills and successfully complete programs. Despite continual experimentation with various screening instruments and procedures in interpreter education, a definitive battery of tests to predict favorable student outcomes remains elusive to researchers, and programs are justifiably reluctant to enforce admission decisions based on screenings that have not been sufficiently evaluated for validity and reliability. This exploratory study provides an analysis of nine years of admission screening data to identify variables that might significantly …

Unearthing Silence: Deaf Archaeology As A Pathway To Social Justice And Accessibility, Abigail H. Steiner

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Deaf archaeology is an emerging field exploring the material culture, spaces, and histories of Deaf communities to understand their social lives and identities. This paper examines Deaf archaeology as a framework for uncovering the historical presence of Deaf individuals and promoting social justice. It begins by defining deafness, contrasting medical and cultural perspectives, then traces the field’s roots in sign language evolution, marginalization, and Deaf education. Through a timeline of findings, the study reveals how Deaf individuals have been recognized or overlooked historically. Engaging with the Southern Tier Deaf community, I explore accessible archaeology and the role of Deaf archaeology …

Deaf-Centric Expression Of Biblical Language And Themes, Grace M. Tang

Senior Honors Theses

Christianity contains complicated language and concepts that many individuals can struggle to express in American Sign Language (ASL) in ways that resonate with the Deaf community. Accessibility for the Deaf extends far beyond the translation of words into signs, requiring recontextualization to fit a Deaf lens and adaptation of communication methods to match the oral tradition and Deaf culture. This qualitative study evaluates how the hearing-centered language and themes of the Bible can be effectively portrayed to Deaf audiences through comprehensive interviews with three Deaf Christian pastors and three hearing Christian interpreters. This research found that Deaf churches allow for …

Iconicity As An Organizing Principle Of The Lexicon, Erin E. Campbell, Zed Sevcikova Sehyr, Elana Pontecorvo, Ariel Cohen-Goldberg, Karen Emmorey, Naomi Caselli

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

The view that words are arbitrary is a foundational assumption about language, used to set human languages apart from nonhuman communication. We present here a study of the alignment between the semantic and phonological structure (systematicity) of American Sign Language (ASL), and for comparison, two spoken languages—English and Spanish. Across all three languages, words that are semantically related are more likely to be phonologically related, highlighting systematic alignment between word form and word meaning. Critically, there is a significant effect of iconicity (a perceived physical resemblance between word form and word meaning) on this alignment: words are most likely to …

Hands That Speak, Zoe M. Huxtable

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For my Honors Project I created Hands That Speak, a visual installation of media in the College of Arts and Sciences on the 3rd floor. I designed this visual installation to introduce the students and staff at the University of Akron to Deaf culture, ASL (American Sign Language), and the significance that Gallaudet University has in both of those things. The installation brings together my own education in ASL and Deaf culture from the University of Akron, and my personal experience going to Gallaudet University, and puts it into a multimedia visual display that's easy for the community at the …

Audism And Its Effects Within The Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Community, Angela Peterson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

“Audism and its Effects within the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community” takes a closer look at the history and growth of the Deaf community, highlighting key struggles in Deaf education, the emergence and recognition of American Sign Language (ASL), and powerful movements such as Deaf President Now. From there, the paper explores the concept of audism—discrimination against those who are deaf or hard of hearing—and how it continues to affect the lives of Deaf individuals through harmful misconceptions, limited control over accessibility, and barriers within politics, law, and medicine. Alongside the broader struggles of the Deaf community, the paper …