Signs of Access in a Digital World: Online Delivery of Deaf Studies Curricula in Ireland at Third Level,

Authors

Brian Nolan, Institute of Technology, BlanchardstownFollow
Lorraine Leeson, University of Dublin, Trinity College

Document Type

Conference Paper

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Disciplines

2. ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, Communication engineering and systems

Publication Details

INTED 2009, Valencia, Spain, 9-12 March.

Abstract

Irish Sign Language (ISL), an indigenous language of Ireland, is recognized by the European Union as a natural language. It is a language separate from the other languages used in Ireland, including English, Irish, and, in Northern Ireland, British Sign Language. Some 5,000 Deaf people use ISL. Given the history of suppression of signed languages across the EU, the average Deaf person leaves school with a reading age of 8.5 to 9 years. Given this, it is no surprise that Deaf people are the most under-represented of all disadvantaged groups at third level. This poses two challenges: (1) getting Deaf people into third level and (2) presenting education in an accessible form.

Recommended Citation

Nolan, B. & Leeson, L. (2009) Signs of access in a digital world: online delivery of deaf studies curricula in Ireland at third level, INTED 2009, Valencia, Spain, 9-12 March.