邁入數位電視紀元乃是全球之趨，而其對於增進身障者獲取各類資訊的「媒介近用權」具有莫大助益，其中針對聽障社群接取內容最重要的近用需求──「字幕」和「手語」服務，在數位科技匯流發展下，皆可以「隱藏式」之方式供應，同時造福聽障和非聽障之傳播權益，以及減輕廣電業者相關技術的支付成本。因此，近用服務的提供從過去的消極被動轉向現今的積極樂觀。而外國先進國家大多皆以公共廣電媒體之設立價值與目標，作為該國近用服務推動的核心主體，希望藉由數位電視的技術研發，達成更多聽障輔助應用之需求和供應滿足，協助其順利進入數位包容社會。故本研究以探詢國外落實近用服務情形，以做為我國公共廣電服務借力使力之參考，期許對我國聽障社群在傳播權益上產生影響。 　　 　　研究發現，英國、歐盟針對聽障社群的媒體近用落實，無論在法規的制定、實務的推行以及技術的研發等各層面皆有所重視，認為數位電視平台的時代，應協助聽障融入數位包容社會，並設法增進其傳播權益，以彰顯聽障與一般大眾之平權的公民地位；而在我國公視部份，其營運目標始終視英國BBC為效法對象，希冀在內、外資源充份下能達至同BBC供應近用服務之標準水平。然而在多種因素交織下，現階段公視對於聽障媒體近用服務的提供，則依舊保持類比電視時代之作為，不過，經本研究與其互動後了解，公視未來可能朝向增加其他近用服務項目發展，期望數位電視真正來臨時，其能化過往被動態度轉向積極進取：公視目前在電視平台持續兩個「手語專門」節目的製播，並預計規劃將手語服務擴大至「運動」類型節目，以符合聽障收視的期待；至於字幕服務，在已完備的基礎上，試圖朝向「表情字幕」與「即時字幕」發展；另外，於2011年HiHD數位頻道將推出「隱藏式字幕」功能。在網路平台方面，公視服務仍然延伸至電視頻道的節目宣傳與相關資訊供給為主，對於加強聽障的網路近用權益，例如「無障礙網頁空間」以及「近用小組」，認為必然有公共義務介入加以落實，但礙於目前並無相關資源規劃與投入，因此要實際推行仍有很大的進步空間。 / The main purpose of this study is to discover the practice of the right of media access in foreign countries, in order to provide reference to Taiwan’s Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) and to make progress on communication interests for hearing impaired community. “Caption” and “Sign Language” are the most important tools for hearing impaired people to gather all kinds of information and fulfill the necessity of access service. Under the digital convergence, these tools can be provided in special ways, which makes the hearing impaired people and the hearing people share the benefits simultaneously and the cost-down effect of broadcasting industry. We know that most developed countries positioned their access service project by referring to nation’s PSB. They believed the new era of digital TV is a solution to attend the balance between demand and supply of hearing impaired aid applications. While the provision of access services is getting more active and optimistic, the digital inclusion is much close to us. The study shows, British and Europe Union think they should assist hearing impaired people to be involved in e-Inclusion society and highlight equally citizen status by enhancing the rights of hearing impaired people. All the aspects such as regulation enactments, practical implementations and technique developments has been considering all the time on the stage of digital TV platform. Just like the BBC in British area, Public Television Service (PTS) in Taiwan is taking BBC as a benchmark to achieve the access services standard in condition of sufficient resources. However, changing the status quo is not so easy for inextricably interwoven reasons. PTS still works in an analog status. In spite of the circumstances haven't changed much till now, there are much more possibilities in the future. The study discovered some new progressive plans are possible for PTS’s access services in digital journey: PTS will continue to provide two programs which are sign-presented, and moreover, sign language service is going to show up in sports genre; As to caption services, PTS is working on facial expression caption and real-time caption provision; HiHD would have closed caption function in 2011. In the case of Internet platform, PTS is focused on propaganda and related information of TV programs. Barrier-free web space and access group are considered necessary for strengthening hearing impaired people’s Internet access rights and interests, but with insufficient resources planning and investment to put into realization. We can see there is still so much to do if we believe we have the affirmative obligations.

Afrikaans text / Alhoewel daar al vorige navorsing oor die dowe of hardhorende kind gedoen is, handel dit meestal oor die vroee identifisering van die kind se gehoorverlies,sy/haar plasingsmoontlikhede, en kommunikasie,asook die hantering van die kind met gehoorverlies binne die skoolopset. Die meeste beskikbare literatuur wat handel oor riglyne by die hantering van die dowe of hardhorende kind binne die gesinsopset, is verouderd. Hierdie studie is 'n fenomenologiese navorsingstudie. Uit die semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is verskeie temas geidentifiseer wat betrekking het op die hantering van die dowe of hardhorende kind in die gesin. Praktiese riglyne is vir ouers daargestel ten op sigte van die dowe of hardhorende kind se kommunikasie, gesinslewe,die skool, asook sy/haar emosionele en sosiale funksionering. / Although previous research has been done abouth the hard-hearing child, most of the available research concentrates on early identification of hearing lost, placement and communication as well as to cope with hearing loss within the school environment. The majority of the literature which is currently available concerning guidelines for the deaf or hard-hearing children within the family group, is outdated. A phenomenological study has been done. By means of semi-structured interviews practical guidelines have been collected. Several themes were identified in the course of these interviews, namely: communication by the child with hearing loss, the effect of the hearing loss on the family members, the impact of hearing loss in the school environment and the implications of hearing loss on the child's emotional and social functioning. Guidelines were suggested for the practical management of deaf and hard-hearing children concerning communication, family life, scool and emotional and social functioning. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

This diploma thesis deals with national assessment of language abilities of hearing impaired pupils and closer focuses on pre-lingual deaf pupils at the ends of the primary and lower secondary schools. Based on the definition of the characteristics of the national assessment, the diploma thesis also focuses on an overview of currently used language tests, both at international level as well as it gives information about the practice in selected foreign education systems. Special attention is devoted to information that deal with the assessment of language abilities in the Czech Republic, and the form of participation of deaf pupils in such testing . The practical part is done by a research which was done to find out the views of those involved in the education of pupils with hearing disorders just the current assessment practice language skills of the pupils. In the final part of my diploma thesis is a possible outline for innovations for testing related to information from the preceding parts of my diploma thesis.

This diploma thesis deals with national assessment of language abilities of hearing impaired pupils at the ends of the primary and lower secondary schools. Based on the definition of the characteristics of the national assessment, the diploma thesis also focuses on an overview of currently used language tests, both at international level as well as it gives information about the practice in selected foreign education systems. Special attention is devoted to information that deal with the assessment of language abilities in the Czech Republic, and the form of participation of pupils with hearing impairement in such testing . The practical part is done by a research which was done to find out the views of those involved in the education of pupils with hearing disorders just the current assessment practice language skills of the pupils. In the final part of my diploma thesis is a possible outline for innovations for testing related to information from the preceding parts of my diploma thesis.

South Africa has a dearth of deaf appropriate assistive resources – giving rise to deaf adolescents leaving school early and poor adult outcomes. These factors are negatively influenced by the interaction of other elements such as the inadequate cultural and social nurturing and lack of support. Approached from a bio-ecological model, to pro-actively address the support needed by deaf and hard-of-hearing persons to empower them to develop the capacity to withstand the challenges they have to endure, to stand up to and resist the negative ideas about what they are capable of. In this study, major risk factors were identified as communication deprivation and unpreparedness of parents to raise a deaf child appropriately where mediating factors were identified as social-emotional competence and deaf teaching assistants at South African Schools for the Deaf. The main findings of this study were that the need for early training of parents, access to Sign Language, deaf role models and social-emotional training in SA schools for the Deaf are proposed pathways to well-being. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

This study investigates factors hampering comprehension of sign language interpretations rendered on South African TV news bulletins in terms of Deaf viewers’ expectancy norms and corpus analysis of authentic interpretations. The research fills a gap in the emerging discipline of Sign Language Interpreting Studies, specifically with reference to corpus studies. The study presents a new model for translation/interpretation evaluation based on the introduction of Grounded Theory (GT) into a reception-oriented model. The research question is addressed holistically in terms of target audience competencies and expectations, aspects of the physical setting, interpreters’ use of language and interpreting choices. The South African Deaf community are incorporated as experts into the assessment process, thereby empirically grounding the research within the socio-dynamic context of the target audience. Triangulation in data collection and analysis was provided by applying multiple mixed data collection methods, namely questionnaires, interviews, eye-tracking and corpus tools. The primary variables identified by the study are the small picture size and use of dialect. Secondary variables identified include inconsistent or inadequate use of non-manual features, incoherent or non-simultaneous mouthing, careless or incorrect sign execution, too fast signing, loss of visibility against skin or clothing, omission of vital elements of sentence structure, adherence to source language structures, meaningless additions, incorrect referencing, oversimplification and violations of Deaf norms of restructuring, information transfer, gatekeeping and third person interpreting. The identification of these factors allows the construction of a series of testable hypotheses, thereby providing a broad platform for further research. Apart from pioneering corpus-driven sign language interpreting research, the study makes significant contributions to present knowledge of evaluative models, interpreting strategies and norms and systems of transcription and annotation. / Linguistics / Thesis (D. Litt.et Phil. (Linguistics)

This study investigates factors hampering comprehension of sign language interpretations rendered on South African TV news bulletins in terms of Deaf viewers’ expectancy norms and corpus analysis of authentic interpretations. The research fills a gap in the emerging discipline of Sign Language Interpreting Studies, specifically with reference to corpus studies. The study presents a new model for translation/interpretation evaluation based on the introduction of Grounded Theory (GT) into a reception-oriented model. The research question is addressed holistically in terms of target audience competencies and expectations, aspects of the physical setting, interpreters’ use of language and interpreting choices. The South African Deaf community are incorporated as experts into the assessment process, thereby empirically grounding the research within the socio-dynamic context of the target audience. Triangulation in data collection and analysis was provided by applying multiple mixed data collection methods, namely questionnaires, interviews, eye-tracking and corpus tools. The primary variables identified by the study are the small picture size and use of dialect. Secondary variables identified include inconsistent or inadequate use of non-manual features, incoherent or non-simultaneous mouthing, careless or incorrect sign execution, too fast signing, loss of visibility against skin or clothing, omission of vital elements of sentence structure, adherence to source language structures, meaningless additions, incorrect referencing, oversimplification and violations of Deaf norms of restructuring, information transfer, gatekeeping and third person interpreting. The identification of these factors allows the construction of a series of testable hypotheses, thereby providing a broad platform for further research. Apart from pioneering corpus-driven sign language interpreting research, the study makes significant contributions to present knowledge of evaluative models, interpreting strategies and norms and systems of transcription and annotation. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / Thesis (D. Litt.et Phil. (Linguistics)