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This national study was undertaken to learn about the characteristics and demographics of Deaf entrepreneurs and small business owners. Descriptive research methodology was to obtain data from a clearly defined population comprising Deaf entrepreneurs and small business owners. The researcher designed a questionnaire to answer six research questions. Study results were based on nationwide responses from 86 deaf men and women. Implications for career counseling were generated from participant responses and the researcher's extensive career counseling experience with the Deaf population. Data collected from participant responses determined the characteristics and demographics, and provided the basis for developing recommendations for counseling, training, and educational tools that could be used by others with similar career aspirations. Study results showed that the majority of respondents started their business before the age of 35, had been in business for more than 10 years, came from residential and/or mainstream school settings, and had earned at least a Bachelor degree from a vast range of accredited colleges and universities. Most respondents were born deaf to hearing families and used American Sign Language. However, in business the majority used voice and writing with hearing people. The most frequently used communication aids in business were telephone relay services, electronic mail systems, and sign language interpreters. The study sought insight into respondent's career development and identified influential role models and mentors at various career stages. In the early stages of career development family and teachers served as the most influential role models. However, respondent's identified "friends" as the most influential role model when it came to starting their business. Entrepreneurial data revealed that types of businesses varied, with the majority of business owners employing hearing people. Most respondents invested their personal savings to launch their business and conducted business in the private sector. Two frequently reported motivations for going into business were "desire to be their own boss" and "to earn more money." In the start-up phase of their business, most needed more help with marketing, advertising, writing business plans and identifying funding sources. When asked to express, in their own words, their greatest challenge in starting their businesses, frequent responses included "proving to hearing people that a deaf person can run a business" and "communicating with hearing customers." The following summarizes the implications for career counseling. Based on the results of the study it was suggested that Deaf women be given special attention; counselors encourage clients to continue their education beyond high school, and to work before launching their business. Participants in the study suggested that developing strong interests and skills were essential, and that voice was used as a primary communication tool in business. When appropriate, counselors may hold this population as a model to others, demonstrating that deafness alone is not a barrier to career aspirations. An additional technique career counselors may find helpful, is describing the characteristics of the typical Deaf business owner who participated in this study. The typical Deaf business owner who participated in this study was an entrepreneur who raised his/her own money from personal savings, had hearing employees, and conducted business in the private sector with mostly hearing people. / Ph. D.

This phenomenological case study examines the journey of one female with multiple disabilities and how she achieved success in school against difficult odds. It relies on an overview of the disability movement, related legislation from the 1960s to present, and compares the theoretical models of disability. This framework of historical, political, medical, social, and ableist approaches to disability sets the stage for the study which relies on extensive open-ended interviews, a document review, audio recording of an Individual Education Program (IEP) meeting, and a researcher journal to elucidate the role of ableism in education. Data sources for the research included interviews with the student, her family, and her teacher/tutor, as well as a review of her individualized education plans and medical notes. A research journal that draws on the author's 15 years of experience as her interpreter and as a family friend was also used. The research begins with an examination of the disability rights movement which has led to disabled people moving into mainstream society. An explanation of how the effect of ableism in schools impacts students with disabilities is provided. The relevant legislative acts and policies in education are reviewed to explain how they were established to assist students with disabilities to become financially and socially independent after graduation from high school. Finally, this dissertation will introduce ways educators can effectively end an ableist attitude toward students with disabilities in order to assist students with disabilities obtain greater opportunities after graduation from high school. / Ed. D.

As of 2007, approximately 2 to 3 million children and adolescents in the United States had been identified as deaf or hard of hearing. These children are affected by all of the same health issues as hearing children, but are presented with an added challenge of communication with hearing nurses who are not always prepared with ways to understand and communicate with them. As a result, deaf and hard of hearing children are at a greater risk for misguided treatment of health disorders, especially the undertreatment of pain. It is imperative that nurses understand ways to best interpret nonverbal communication from these children and to effectively respond to these children nonverbally. Current research has neglected discovering and discussing ways to improve communication with deaf, hard of hearing and nonverbal children, focusing instead on improving verbal communication between nurses and parents, thereby leaving children as passive participants in their own health care. The results of this integrated literature review present simple and effective strategies nurses can implement into daily practice to facilitate communication nonverbally with deaf and hard of hearing children. The use of appropriate technology and assessment tools, better understanding and enhanced use of facial expressions, eye gaze, touch, presence, and personal space were examined. The writing of this review is an effort to encourage nurses and nursing educators to integrate culturally competent care of deaf and hard of hearing children into everyday nursing practice and into a nursing educational curriculum.

The inclusive paradigm requires that deaf learners are educated in regular schools. In the process of implementing inclusive policies educators often feel that they lack the necessary knowledge and experience to provide effective support for deaf learners. As a result these learners are seldom effectively catered for in regular settings and frequently tend to experience frustration and failure. This research attempted to investigate the nature and manifestations of deafness in primary school learners in order to determine effective strategies to identify and address the diverse needs of deaf learners in the regular schools. A qualitative study was conducted and data was gathered by observations and interviews with three experienced educators. The results of the empirical findings were confirmed with the literature study in order to compile practical guidelines to assist educators to support deaf learners in inclusive education settings in South Africa effectively. / Educational Studies / (M. Ed. (Inclusive Education))

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The deaf community face similar access barriers to health care services and information as do other linguistic minority groups. Amongst others, this includes limited access to English communication, misunderstanding of medical terminology, irregular contact with health care professionals of the same language and cultural background and the need to overcome the challenges experienced by using others as interpreters in a health care setting. Barriers to the written and spoken word limit access to health care information as deaf people cannot overhear conversations, have limited access to mass media and present with low literacy rates. The South African Constitution stipulates that every citizen has an equal right to health care services and should not be unfairly discriminated against, on the basis of language. Unfortunately, despite what is written in the Constitution, the reality is that many South Africans are denied equal access or receive compromised access to health care services because of language barriers. The lack of access to interpreters at health care facilities across South Africa inhibits patients from expressing themselves correctly and limits the providers’ professional ability to make a correct diagnosis and provide relevant information. The current study explores the barriers and facilitators to accessing health care services and health care information for people who are deaf in a relatively well-resourced setting. A sample of deaf participants from the National Institute for the Deaf in Worcester were interviewed to gain an understanding of problems experienced with accessing health care services and health care information. Participants reported communication and socio-economic factors as barriers to accessing health care services. The main barrier to accessing health care information was considered to be the inaccessibility of the mass media. Recommendations were made by participants on ways to improve access to health care services and health care information for the deaf population of South Africa. Keywords: Health care acces, Health care information, Deaf, Worcester, Barriers and facilitators to health care services. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die dowe gemeenskap ervaar soortgelyke struikelblokke as ander linguistiese minderheidsgroepe met toegang tot gesondheidsdienste en inligting. Dit sluit onder andere in beperkte toegang tot Engelse kommunikasie, wanbegrip van mediese terminologie, ongereelde kontak met mediese dienspraktisyne van dieselfde taal en kulturele agtergrond, en die uitdaging wat oorkom moet word om ander mense te gebruik as tussenganger en tolk in ’n mediese situasie. Hindernisse met geskrewe- en spreektaal beperk die toegang tot gesondheidsinligting. Dowe mense kan nie na gesprekke luister nie, het beperkte toegang tot massamedia en vertoon oor die algemeen 'n laer geletterdheidsprofiel. Die Suid Afrikaanse Grondwet stipuleer dat elke burger ’n gelyke reg tot gesondheidsdienste het en verbied onregverdige diskriminasie op grond van taal. Ten spyte van die Grondwet is die realiteit dat baie Suid Afrikaners nie gelyke toegang het nie en ’n laer vlak van mediese dienslewering ervaar as gevolg van taalprobleme. Die ontoereikende beskikbaarheid van tolke by gesondheidsfasiliteite reg oor Suid Afrika beperk die vermoë van pasiënte om hulself behoorlik uit te druk. Dit beperk daarom ook die mediese praktisyn se vermoë om ’n korrekte diagnose te maak en relevante inligting rakende die diagnose aan die pasiënt oor te dra. In die huidige studie is die struikelblokke en fasiliteerders vir toegang tot gesondheidsdienste en inligting ondersoek vir dowe mense in ’n relatief goed toegeruste omgewing. ’n Steekproef van dowe deelnemers is by die Nasionale Instituut vir Dowes in Worcester geselekteer. Deur middel van onderhoude is die probleme wat ondervind word met toegang tot gesondheidsdienste en gesondheidsinformasie geïdentifiseer. Deelnemers het kommunikasie en sosio-ekonomiese faktore as struikelblokke tot die toegang van gesondheidsdienste geïdentifiseer. Die grootste struikelblok met toegang tot mediese inligting was die beperkte toegang tot massamedia. Voorstelle is deur die deelnemers gemaak vir die verbetering van die toeganklikheid tot mediese dienslewering en gesondheidsinligting vir die dowe populasie in Suid Afrika.

Studien undersöker dövkompetensens betydelse (kunskap om döva, teckenspråk och deras kultur) för döva i mötet med rättsväsendet. Syftet är att visa vilka konsekvenser som avsaknaden av dövkompetensen kan få. För att få svar på studiens frågor valde jag en kvalitativ och explorativt forskningsansats för att undersöka respondenternas uppfattning och upplevelse av mötet med rättsväsendet. Kvalitativ intervjustudie med döva med teckenspråk som sitt första språk. Som har varit i behov av samhällsstöd och upplevt avsaknad av dövkompetens. Åtta personer intervjuades och därefter gjordes en analys för att tolka och förstå döva som upplevt denna avsaknad av dövkompetens. Som analysredskap har jag valt vardagsrasism och audism som teoretiska utgångspunkter. De slutsatser jag har fått fram av respondenterna är att bemötandet de fått i mötet med rättsväsendet egentligen inte är enskilda handlingar, eftersom dessa enskilda handlingar upprepas av olika enskilda personer. Till följd av avsaknaden av dövkompetens har konsekvenserna oftast blivit allvarliga och till och med förödande för några av respondenterna. / The study investigates the meaning of deaf competence (knowledge of deaf, sign language and their culture) when deaf people encounter the justice system. The intention is to outline the consequences of the lack of deaf competence. I´ve chosen a qualitative and explorative research approach in order to reach the answers of the study, to examine the respondents’ perception and experience in the encounter with the justice system. Qualitative interviewstudy with deaf people who´s first language is sign language and who´s been in need of support from the society and experienced the lack of deaf competence. Eight people were interviewed and then an analysis was made to interpreted and understand deaf people who´s experienced the lack of deaf competence. As tools during analysis I use everyday racism and audism theoretical smarting points. The conclusion I´ve reached from the respondents is that the treatment they’ve received from the justice system actually isn´t individual actions, due to these individual actions being repeated by various individual people. The lack of deaf competence as a result of the consequences are often become serious and even devastating for some of the respondents.

This study investigates the news discourses to find out how deaf people and/or deafness is represented and analyses how the discourses might be affected by or influence common attitudes and prejudices about deaf people and/or deafness. First, however, this study analysed the contents of the news articles quantitatively in order to find frequencies of different news topics with references to deaf people and/or deafness and whether deaf people were allowed to talk or not. After the content analysis, ten articles were selected for the discourse analysis.   The results of the content analysis show that deaf people are represented and allowed to talk in most of the articles, but that hearing people are also represented in a majority of the articles. Most articles are about culture and personalities, but there are also articles about for example sign language and hearing devices. Most deaf people are represented as individuals, but they are also represented as representatives for the deaf and as both individuals and representatives.   The discourse analysis shows that deaf people are represented as a linguistic and cultural minority in both cultural and personal discourses but represented as broken and in need of being fixed for integration in society in medical discourses. In medical discourses, only experts talk about deafness and no deaf people are represented. In other discourses, both deaf and hearing people talk about deaf people, sign language and deaf culture. In some of the discourses, however, it is clear that deaf people are represented from the hearing viewpoint on deafness. There were discursive discrimination of deafness in medical discourses but occurred rarely in other discourses except when the medical view on deafness is present. Deaf people are represented as a minority distinct from the hearing majority in most articles and some of the cultural discourses show attempts to build a bridge between the deaf world and the hearing society. The majority of the discourses point to pluralism as a social practice but some of those discourses also point to inclusion and exclusion as social practices. The medical discourses however point to both assimilation and exclusion as social practices.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Deaf learners are unique and require special support and assistance. It is apparent in the literature that deaf learners are more exposed to both physical and sexual abuse. The consequences of the latter can lead to emotional problems, for example, enuresis, anxiety disorders, depression, panic attacks, anger outbursts and attention deficits. One of the biggest challenges in the life of deaf learners must surely be communication. Misunderstandings and subsequent frustrations that ensue, normally occur as a result of communication difficulties between deaf learners and the hearing person. From the literature it appears necessary to stimulate the deaf learner's language development as early as possible, as it impacts on several aspects of his/her maturation into adulthood. Communication difficulties can also influence the emotional development of deaf learners. Therapeutic support for deaf learners are a challenge. The therapist that works with the learners should ideally be able to sign. The young deaf learners do, however, not yet have a signing system and consequently communication is problematic. The learners themselves experience frustrations as he/she is not able to express his/her emotions. The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of developmental play therapy as a psychotherapeutic technique for the treatment of emotional problems in young deaf learners. To some degree, the technique makes it possible for verbal communication between therapist and learners to be replaced by physical contact. The aim of the activities is to take learners back to the early mother-child relationship and for the therapist to model healthy relationships. The research undertaken here is a qualitative case study. It was approached from an eco-systemic perspective, in other words learners are viewed as the core system which, in turn, is part of several other systems for example the family, school, church, community, etc. The systems are interdependent, which means that change in the one system also results in change within the other systems. In the data production video recordings, unstructured interviews, observations and field notes were used. Data analysis was done using the principles of coding. The results of the study show that developmental play therapy is indeed an effective psychotherapeutic technique in the treatment of emotional problems in young deaf learners. It would appear that the technique requires adaptation for deaf learners needs in order to be effective. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dowe leerders is uniek en het spesiale ondersteuning nodig. Uit die literatuur wil dit blyk of dowe leerders meer blootgestel word aan beide fisiese en seksuele mishandeling. Die gevolge van laasgenoemde kan lei tot meer emosionele probleme, byvoorbeeld enurese, angsversteurings, depressie, paniekaanvalle, woedeuitbarstings en aandagafleibaarheid. Een van die grootste uitdagings in dowe leerders se lewe is seker kommunikasie. Misverstande en frustrasies wat daaruit vloei, ontstaan gewoonlik as gevolg van kommunikasieprobieme tussen dowe leerders en die horende persoon. Uit die literatuur blyk dit noodsaaklik om dowe leerders se taalontwikkeling so vroeg as moontlik te stimuleer aangesien dit verskeie aspekte in sy/haar volwassewordingsproses beïnvloed. Kommunikasieprobleme het ook 'n invloed op dowe leerders se emosionele ontwikkeling. Terapeutiese ondersteuning van dowe leerders is 'n uitdaging. Die terapeut wat met die leerders werk, moet verkieslik gebaretaal kan praat. Die jong dowe leerders het egter nog nie werklik 'n gebaresisteem nie en gevolglik is kommunikasie 'n probleem. Die leerders self ervaar frustrasies, omdat hy/sy nie die vermoê het om uiting te gee aan sy/haar emosies nie. Die doel met hierdie studie was om die moontlikheid van ontwikkelende speelterapie as psigoterapeutiese tegniek in die hantering van emosionele probleme by jong dowe leerders te ondersoek. Die tegniek maak dit in 'n mate moontlik om die verbale kommunikasie tussen terapeut en leerders te vervang met fisiese kontak. Die doel met die aktiwiteite is om die leerders terug te neem na die vroeê moeder - kindverhouding en gesonde verhoudings deur die terapeut te modelleer. Die navorsing neem die vorm van 'n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie aan. Dit word benader vanuit 'n ekosistemiese perspektief, dit wil sê die leerders word gesien as die kernsisteem wat deel is van verskeie ander sisteme soos byvoorbeeld die familie, skool, kerk en gemeenskap. Die sisteme is interafhanklik wat beteken dat verandering in die een sisteem ook verandering in die ander sisteme tot gevolg het. In die data-produksie is tegnieke naamlik video-opnames, ongestruktureerde onderhoude, observasies en veldnotas gebruik. Data-analise is volgens die beginsels van kodering gedoen. Die resultate van die onderhewige studie wys daarop dat ontwikkelende speelterapie wel In effektiewe psigoterapeutiese tegniek is in die hantering van emosionele probleme by jong dowe leerders. Dit wil voorkom of die tegniek aangepas moet word by dowe leerders se behoeftes om werklik effektief te wees.