Through the support of The Nippon Foundation of Japan, the Philippine delegation from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Center for Education Access and Development shared their research studies in Technology and Accessibility in the recent XVII World Congress at the Palais des Congres in Paris, France.
Themed “Sign Language Rights for All,” the convention aimed to ensure the welfare and defend the rights of the Deaf.
Director Theresa Dela Torre imparted a study she co-authored with Christopher Kurz, the learning lab director of the Rochester Institute of Technology-National Technical Institute for the Deaf Mathematics and Science Language.
Titled “Promoting Filipino Deaf’s Language Right in First Bilingual School for Deaf Secondary Students in the Philippines,” the paper described the interventions that ensured the full involvement of the Deaf Filipino Sign Language (FSL) educators and researchers in partnership with hearing allies towards planning and implementation strategies.
Marcella Sintos, also part of the Philippine delegation, presented their research, “Sign Language Videos as an Accessibility Tool for Assessment of Deaf Learners in Philippine Context,” which enlightened the audience on the importance of the medium as additional educational access for the Deaf students.
Initiated by DLS-CSB as part of its bilingual program, the study made use of a video platform created using Adobe animated creative cloud computer application.
Meanwhile, the visuals used were produced in consultation with Filipino and foreign deaf experts in the academe, taking into consideration the technical requirements such as the FSL Signer, location of the signer on screen, signing approach, background color, style and position of English print and cues.
Yamie Yadan and Jasmin Rivera supported Sintos’ output by reporting the poster’s case findings, which will also serve as a preliminary guide to education professionals and decision makers in the government and private sectors who are tasked to implement the FSL Act of 2018 that instructs the inclusion of FSL in the education of the Deaf.