Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 1993. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, April, 30, 1993. Also available in print.

Thesis (M. Communication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 1999. / Summary in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this thesis is to show the historical discrepancies in literacy skills of deaf students in the United States and how they correlate to language philosophies and the resulting educational practices. These philosophies are described chronologically beginning with the first formal educational institution, in 1817, followed by the Oralism Movement, the philosophy of Total Communication, and the Bilingual-Bicultural Approach. All three language approaches can be seen today in schools for the deaf across America, but only the bilingual-bicultural approach builds a foundation in a natural L1 (American Sign Language) in an effort to develop an L2 (English).

Denmark's (1979) functional definition of profound deafness is adopted. Deaf individuals are aware of sound and may detect vibration but they have a limited facility of speech. Conrad (1979) and Rodda (1970) have shown the low level of scholarly achievement of such individuals. Denmark suggests that as young adults, they face the hearing world largely isolated from their parents, their friends and the professionals who advise them. This study is an attempt to explore the social problems brought about by such isolation. The thesis investigates the individual profoundly deaf young adult's self concept in relation to others. A unique form of Repertory Grid interview (Kelly, 1955)using sign language was developed, and was successfully employed with the majority of individuals. However, it became apparent that a substantial minority were lacking, sometimes wholly, in a structured form of language. A pre-interview routine was used to determine the form of investigation appropriate to the individual - an interview using sign language, or one placing heavy dependence on non verbal communication (such as mime and body language). Both forms of investigation enabled an 'existential phenomenological' description of the self-awareness of the individual to be produced. In the larger group, the procedure followed was near to the orthodox analysis of Rep Grids; in the smaller group, analysis involved a greater degree of interpretive intuition. Justification for the judgements made in each case is provided. The findings are reported in the form of case studies: 40based on Rep Grids, 10 on non-verbal interviews. Thematerial provides an advance in the understanding of the experience of the profoundly deaf young adult. Exuberance and vitality feature in the majority group interviewed by Repertory Grid method. Examples of isolation and of intense personal relationships are found in the minority group. The deaf have a special concern with: those whoaccept them and those rejected by them; dependence upondeaf peers rather than hearing adults; the apprehension of success and personal failure. The main finding of this research is that the young adult deaf do possess a self-awareness and this self-awareness is that of the normal individual. Theidiosyncracies of deaf behaviour are especially wellrepresented in the smaller group. This research confirms the suggestion of Denmark that the majority of deaf individuals referred for psychiatric help are not suffering from mental illness. The study also provides research evidence for necessary changes in the early education and upbringing of the deaf.

No description available.

A study on assessing communication challenges between clerks and deaf patients at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital was conducted in 2010. The aim was to assess the existence of communication challenges, possible reasons and solutions to these. The literature reviewed identified a gap in the knowledge of communication between staff and deaf patients. A health systems’ study was conducted using a descriptive, cross sectional survey. The study population was made up of 33 clerks who worked at the registration and records area and deaf patients who stayed at Efata and received health services from the hospital. All clerks were interviewed and a random sample of 106 deaf patients was estimated using Epidat statistical software. Self administered questionnaires were used for data collection. Results confirmed the existence of communication challenges between the two groups. A majority of clerks were not trained in Sign Language. They used a combination of methods to communicate with deaf patients, and few clerks could use Sign Language. The patients also used a combination of methods due to the frustration of not having a common method of communication with clerks. The findings clearly showed that there are communication challenges between the two groups and Sign Language needed to be introduced to clerks in order to accommodate deaf patients. Further research may be done on all healthcare providers and to all deaf patients in the region served by Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, and this could have a positive impact on the quality of service offered by the hospital to the deaf community.

Improved techniques (particularly electrical apparatus) make it possible to teach hearing-handicapped children the use of language at an age when their motivation and their capabilities for this learning are at their peak. The result has been to ease considerably, the burden of basic educational training, and also to permit the balancing of this with the broader socialization of the child. This makes early diagnosis more important than ever; but it also makes family participation a vital ingredient. Two companion studies - one concentrating on the pre-school child, and the other on the school-aged child - have been undertaken to sharpen this part of the focus - the family, parental, and related influences which bear on the progress in his early years now possible for the hearing-handicapped child. With the co-operation of the Parent-Teachers Association of the Jericho Hill School, and the School personnel, information was obtained from some eighty parents of children of school age residing in British Columbia, who responded to a questionnaire enquiry. This was followed by interviews with families living within Great Vancouver. The area of enquiry included a) the implications of the handicap, and b) the contributions made by parents in the treatment of the child; an assessment being made of more helpful and less helpful family situations respectively. Information and interpretation is an evident need, for both children and parents, and as training potential as well as behaviour consequences. Attributes which distinguish the more helpful family from the less helpful are indicated. Some general findings relate to (a) community attitudes and (b) services for the hearing-handicapped child. Because of its exploratory nature, this study must leave several questions unanswered; but the importance of early diagnosis and co-operative relationships between clinics, parents, and school, are clearly indicated. Social Work Services are particularly relevant if the differential needs of children (in family terms as well as degrees of hearing loss) are to be met. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

While the move towards the inclusion of learners with a learning disability gains momentum, the Deaf community is reluctant for the inclusion of deaf learners in a mainstream society. Arguing that the needs of deaf learners are entirely different to those of other learning disabilities, they believe that a mainstream educational environment will deprive a deaf learner with a sense of identity and a common culture. Consequently, the purpose of this research essay is to investigate the experiences of a solitary mainstreamed deaf learner in a high school educational environment, and to try and ascertain the effect such an educational environment has had on him. My participant is currently the only deaf learner in his school. He is completing Grade 12 this year at an IEB school. Utilising an oral-audal mode of communication, as well as having a cochlear implant and an assistive device, the participant communicates predominantly through lip-reading and speaking English. He identifies himself as belonging to a hearing world, and as such his exposure to other deaf peers, Deaf culture and Sign language is minimal. This research study employed a qualitative research design and data was collected using documentation, an open questionnaire, observation and an in-depth interview. All data collected was analysed using the qualitative content analysis technique. Each data source was analysed, data was broken down into codes, grouped into common categories and finally placed in educationally relevant themes. In this research essay, four themes were identified, namely the learning environment, mode of communication, socialisation in a hearing world and mainstream versus specialised educational settings. Through the analysis of the data it became evident that aspects such as the curriculum, educators’ teaching strategies and methodologies, as well as the school’s extra-curricular programme all contributed to the learner’s learning environment. While utilising an oral-audal mode of communication, the participant’s audal input is affected by his ability to lip-read, environmental pollution, and his familiarity with the speaker. Because he has been exposed to a hearing environment from birth, he has developed adequate socialisation skills. While preferring to socialise with individuals who are familiar with him, he does however not mind socialising with strangers. As such he has developed good social skills. While having been exposed to both a mainstream and a specialised educational setting during his educational career, the participant has enjoyed the opportunities mainstream education has afforded him and encourages other deaf learners to mainstream as he has. He does however state that in order to succeed within a mainstream environment, the deaf learner has to be self-motivated, confident and an active participant both in and out of the classroom. In addition, the participant felt that having mainstreamed had affected his character, making him quieter, more sensitive, gentle and emotionally strong. In essence, the following study has helped to highlight both the benefits and challenges a deaf learner faces in a mainstream educational environment. Through the concerted and unified efforts of all stakeholders – the school, its educators, the deaf learner and his family, it becomes evident that deaf learners can be successfully included and achieve positive academic, emotional and social development. / Mrs. O.R. Pettipher

The Central Statistical Services (CSS) currently estimates that there are approximately 412 421 profoundly deaf people and approximately 1 237 264 extremely heard-of-hearing people in South Africa. Irene Bester of the SABC has noted that there may even be around 2 million people in South Africa who regard sign language as their fi rst language. It is estimated that the number of deaf and hard of hearing people stands at 5 million (Kruger 2000:35). According to Ethnologue there are 12 100 deaf persons in South Africa, including 6 000 Black, 2 000 English white, 2 000 Afrikaans white, 1 200 Coloured and 900 Indian (Gallaudet University 1986). Whilst there are a number of primary and secondary institutions dedicated to the education of the deaf and hard of hearing, facilities which function on a tertiary level are limited. Research has indicated that there exists a dire need for a facility to fi ll this void, and to simultaneously accommodate experiential spaces as well as the administrative functions required for the proper management of the needs of this sector of the population. The main objective of this dissertation is to create a centralized facility for the deaf and hard of hearing in Tshwane. This facility would focus on the wellbeing of the student and facilitate his or her introduction into society as a productive and well adapted individual through specialized and career orientated training and experiential exposure. As discussed in this document, the facility will serve as the headquarters for DEAFSA in Pretoria and also as a training facility in various fi elds. The provision of adequate and well-appointed facilities for the development of life skills for the deaf and hard of hearing is of paramount importance to achieve this objective. Apart from the educational and administrative components, one of the main features of the facility will be a Sound Exploratorium. This will be a space where sound will be introduced through the four other senses, making it possible for those who are hearing impaired to experience sound. Curiosity is intensifi ed when the use of one sense is limited or totally absent. Sound will become another dimension of the architecture and will be introduced through the building fabric and other media. The individual will be guided through the building and experience the sounds of the city and their environment through their other senses. Tagged sensory movement will guide the user through the facility, giving the individual a sense of power and accomplishment, and thus increasing the intensity of the experience. The architecture becomes a stage for activities where the visual and experiential dominates spatial understanding. The facility will enable the user to experience the city in a different way and become aware of how sound influences us within the built environment. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Architecture / unrestricted

This thesis focuses on the social context of deaf patients' hospitalization. Its aim is to describe the experiences of deaf patients with hospitalization. The thesis focuses primarily on communication, patient rights, awareness, adaptation of deaf patients to the environment and the concept of Deaf Friendly Hospital. The data were obtained by way of semi-structured interviews. The benefit of this thesis is that the hospitalization is described from the deaf patients view not from the medical staff one. The research results pointed to shortcomings in healthcare facilities and in access of their staff to deaf patients. Key words: deaf, communication with the deaf, patient's rights, deaf patient, hospitalization of the deaf.