JAMPAPER 3./IV./2009 CREATING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES WITH A HUNGARIAN-AUSTRIAN MULTIMEDIA SIGN LANGUAGE DICTIONARY Závoti Józsefné1, Katona György2 1,2 University of West Hungary Benedek Elek Faculty of Pedagogy [email protected] , [email protected] Abstract The aim of the research and development was to create a multimedia communication tool and accessibility that helps the sign language acquisition of hearing impaired people. Another aim was to compile a common Hungarian - German digital dictionary of sign language used in a foreign language area (Austria) and in Hungary. The digital dictionary has been developed by sign language experts, specialists in surdopedagogy and information specialists from both language areas. A sign research was carried out in both countries to record the currently used signs that correspond to the selected vocabulary. Researchers of NYME (University of West Hungary) concentrated on the signs used by local (West-Transdanubian) deaf and hard of hearing people, while the Austrian partner (Alpen-Adria University, Klagenfurt) employed the Austrian standardized signs. Our digital dictionary (www.omaa.fullnet.hu) also functions as a German-Hungarian, Hungarian-German dictionary as the menu is available both in German and Hungarian languages. The sign languages used in the two countries are simultaneously shown on the display in moving pictures. According to regulations sign language is naturally presented by deaf people in the videos. By watching these motion pictures the user has the opportunity to imitate, acquire and even compare the signs. The dictionary contains the sign of more than one thousand words in a way that etymological explanations are added to all words/signs in both languages. Providing a closer insight into the sign language culture of the neighbouring country, the programme can undoubtedly be useful for sign language teachers as well. The display was tested by Austrian and Hungarian deaf people, whose remarks and suggestions were taken into consideration during development. Keywords: multimedia, dictionary, deaf, sign language Antecedents The University of West Hungary Benedek Elek Faculty of Pedagogy has been rather responsive to the requirements of higher education considering the situation of young people living with impairment, so the assistance of some disabled students learning in spontaneous integrated education processes had already been supported by the conception of the Ministry of Education. The different ministry and government decrees and, finally, the Higher Education Law confines unambiguously the inclusion processes as well as the processes promoting and guaranteeing equal study opportunities for young people living with impairment. Beside declared ways of support and in compliance with the training profile of our institution (social welfare, pre-school teaching) we were looking for other opportunities that expand the horizons of students who do not live with disabilities by involving them in the world of students with special needs. Sopron presents special circumstances for social welfare training as not only social services and child welfare institutions are provided for students as practice training scenes, but also different types of institutions for children and adults with special needs. Our students regularly visit institutions for children with mental health difficulties and special needs, schools for children with learning difficulties and for children in state care as well as kindergartens providing integrated education. Among these institutions for special needs education our students are keenly interested in Tóth Antal Kindergarten, Primary School and Methodology Centre. The school was established more than 100 years ago for children who are deaf or hearing impaired. From 1991 the school also provides a programme specifically designed for students with learning disabilities. Time spent among deaf and hard of hearing children is not only a professional but also a moral and emotional experience for 95 JAMPAPER 3./IV./2009 students. It is conveyed by the limited communication possibilities of hard of hearing children, the outstanding attitude of educators and the scale of values the school represents. The special communication of hearing impaired children and their professional educators means a strange and a bit mysterious language for an outsider. Emotional impact, the intention to keep contact with and convey information to other persons as well as trade specification are the most important factors that motivate more and more students to acquire sign language. Considering deaf and hard of hearing young people’s difficulties in socialization processes and their special perceptual and sensory responses, specialists in surdopedagogy from Tóth Antal School, Sopron together with the establishers of Butterfly Wing Foundation (Kovácsné Horváth Erzsébet, Pichlerné Gábor Beáta and Szendrődi Andor) decided to create a digital sign language dictionary in a way that they combined the specific communication requirements with information technology. The geographical situation of Sopron – it is located 6 kilometres from the Austrian border - as well as special methods of teaching German language in Tóth Antal School suggested the idea that the Austrian sign language using community should be available and more understandable for young people who communicate in sign language in Hungary. By this means they tried to expand deaf and hard of hearing young people’s opportunities in employment, student exchange programmes and everyday life situations in Austria. The recognition of sign language as an independent language is considered an issue of constitutional law in Austria. For recognition by law in 2005, Krausneker academic doctor of linguistics, fought firmly by the means of science and minority rights to make equal opportunities successful in the field of communication as well [7]. Integrating sign language into foreign languages means integrating deaf people – as citizens having equal rights - into the society of hearing people. As a relation between new challenges in the profession of social work and requirements of special needs education and rehabilitation, the sign language dictionary manifested itself as an interesting and new opportunity for social welfare students, on the other hand accessibility was quite attractive for hard of hearing students of the university. The financial support of the Austrian-Hungarian Action Fund [17] made it possible to start the project with the cooperation of the Centre for Sign Language and Deaf Communication at the Alpen-Adria University, Klagenfurt and the University of West Hungary Benedek Elek Faculty of Pedagogy, Sopron. From the Austrian partner’s side Prof. Franz Dotter and Marlene Hilzensauer worked actively in the project, which was carried out in two cycles: between March 2007 – March 2008 and September 2008 – July 2009. Creating equal opportunities The Act promoting equal opportunities for the impaired and their integration into the society defines the advocacy skills of the impaired and the adequate adaptation on the part of the society. This can manifest itself in many different ways depending on the type and degree of impairment. In case of hearing impaired persons, language barriers in administration must be eliminated. A typical way of providing communicational accessibility is to guarantee the presence of a sign language interpreter and it is the public institutions and offices that are responsible for the organisational tasks related to this condition. Young people with hearing impairment studying in higher education also make use of this requirement. In their case the finances can be covered using the per capita support or other funds promoting equal opportunities. Having studied in an adequate institution within the framework of public education, hard of hearing young people enter the majority society where they get confronted with a number of hearing and communication barriers. Since the educational institutions practicing segregated teaching are aware of this fact and of how frustrating such experiences can be, they search for processes that could help their students’ future integration into the society with fewer conflicts. Apart from the standards in education, special education and rehabilitation, they look for and facilitate programmes and projects that are able to answer the challenges caused by changes in the society and economy in order to successfully integrate young people with impairment into the society. 96 JAMPAPER 3./IV./2009 Aims of research and development Not only a good command of both languages but also an extensive knowledge of the given geographical units and the related characteristics of linguistics and cultural anthropology were needed to create the Austrian – Hungarian sign language dictionary. Sign language should not be considered in any way to be a translated form of another oral or written language. It is rather a difficult connection between a kind of thinking and grammatical structure determined by the biological condition of the deaf individual and the cultural, behavioural and habitual structure of the person’s human environment. According to Franz Dotter [4] sign language is not a simple speech but a characteristic system of signs including several kinds of different elements. This system is varying; even a segregated institution or a circle of deaf individuals can use unique signs. As in most countries, there is a tendency for standardization of signs in Austria and Hungary