Technology Tools and Deafness

Internet Accessibility

Web-based Video and Audio Clips can be made accessible by providing captions, sign language interpretation, or a text transcript.

• Captioning on the Internet
• Animated Sign
• Video Sign

Captioning Digital Content for use on the Internet

Captioning Quicktime Movies - This is a .pdf tutorial made by our own, Kay Ezzell. We have had teachers making Quicktime Movies to incorporate in their multimedia projects for many years. Adding captions is a great way for students to increase literacy skills.

Magpie - http://ncam.wgbh.org/webaccess/magpie/
MAGpie is the ideal authoring environment for multimedia specialists, publishing companies or service providers who want to add captions, subtitles and audio descriptions to their work. However, others will also benefit from its use. Research performed by WGBH has demonstrated that caption authoring is a valuable classroom activity. Children who produce caption files for short video clips tend to write more, and their writing skills improve rapidly. MAGpie is friendly to those who are new to multimedia, educators and even to young users.

MAGpie 2.0 is Java-based. It will run on Windows 95, 98, NT4, 2000 and XP, and on Macintosh OS X. There is currently no support for earlier versions of the Mac OS.Magpie is FREE.

Real Time Reporters - captioning on the Web since 1994 - http://www.RTReporters.com

Caption into chats, real players etc. - http://www.cspeech.com

Dave Hoyman
RealTime Reporters
831-335-7792
dhoyman@RTReporters.com
http://www.rtreporters.com/

Web Transcripts - http://www.speche.com

Animated Sign Language Interpretation

Vcom3D, Inc. - http://www.vcom3d.com
Vcom3D, Inc. has developed an authoring program called SignSmith™ Studio that allows digital content publishers to create animated sign language translations to provide access to text information.

The technologies involved - SignSmith Studio is used to create the sign language animated clips. The Web page publisher creates content on their web page and then links their animated clips or scripts to their Web page.

See an example of how the technology is being used (and currently researched) at: http://signsci.terc.edu

Signed Video Clips

There are a variety of Web pages that have video clips offering sign language. Some sites are now beginning to offer instruction in American Sign Language. ASL Browser - Sign language vocubulary video clips developed and hosted by Michigan State University.

National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) has developed a software program called Idea Tools to provide signed exaplanations, guides, and translations of educational content for coursework.

Gallaudet University's Kendall Elementary School and Model Secondary School has developed video dictionaries, idioms, multiple meanings projects that are hosted on the Clerc Center website. Click here to see the Digital Video Projects.

The technology involved - users must have video players to view the video content. Examples of video players include Quicktime, RealPlayer, and Windows Media Player. Those making videos available can "stream" the content so people can view the movies on their computer.

Remote Interpreting

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