Risorse per la produzione di forme scritte di Lingua dei Segni tramite un software centrato sull'utilizzatore (SWift)

ISI CITATION INDEX - WOS 00032392773138 - IDS BGR95International audienceThe SignWriting improved fast transcriber (SWift), presented in this paper, is an advanced editor for computer-aided writing and transcribing of any Sign Language (SL) using SignWriting (SW). The application is an editor which allows composing and saving desired signs using the SW elementary components, called “glyphs”. These make up a sort of alphabet, which does not depend on the national Sign Language and which codes the basic components of any sign. The user is guided through a fully-automated procedure, making the composition process fast and intuitive. SWift pursues the goal of helping to break down the "electronic barriers" that keep deaf people away from the web, and at the same time to support linguistic research about Sign Languages features. For this reason it has been designed with a special attention to deaf user needs, and to general usability issues. The editor has been developed in a modular way, so it can be integrated everywhere the use of SW as an alternative to written “verbal” language may be advisable.Le SignWriting improved fast transcriber (SWift), présenté dans cet article, est un éditeur avancé pour l'écriture et la transcription assistées par ordinateur de toute Langue des Signes (SL) en utilisant SignWriting (SW). L'application est un éditeur qui permet de composer et de sauvegarder les signes souhaités en utilisant les unités constitutives de SW, appelés "glyphes". Ils constituent une sorte d'alphabet, qui ne dépend pas de la Langue des Signes nationale et qui codifie les éléments de base de tout Signe. L'utilisateur est guidé par un procédé entièrement automatisé, ce qui rend le processus de composition rapide et intuitif. SWift poursuit l'objectif d'aider à briser les "barrières électroniques" qui empêchent les personnes sourdes d’accéder à la Toile, et en même temps de soutenir la recherche linguistique sur les caractéristiques des Langues des Signes. Pour cette raison, il a été conçu avec une attention particulière aux besoins des utilisateurs sourds, et à des questions générales de convivialité. L'éditeur a été développé de façon modulaire, de sorte qu'il peut être intégré partout où l'utilisation de SW comme alternative à la langue écrite "verbale" peut être souhaitable.Il "SignWriting improved fast transcriber" (SWift), presentato in questo articolo, è un avanzato editor di scrittura e trascrizione "computer-aided" mediante SignWriting (SW) per qualsiasi Lingua dei Segni (SL). L'applicazione è un editor che permette di comporre e salvare i segni desiderati utilizzando le componenti elementari di SW, chiamate "glifi". Queste costituiscono una sorta di alfabeto, che non dipende dalla Lingua dei Segni nazionale, che codifica gli elementi di base di qualsiasi segno. L'utente è guidato attraverso una procedura completamente automatica, rendendo così il processo di composizione veloce ed intuitivo. SWift persegue l'obiettivo di aiutare ad abbattere le "barriere elettroniche" che tengono le persone sorde lontane dal web, e allo stesso tempo di sostenere la ricerca linguistica sulle caratteristiche delle Lingue dei Segni. Per questo motivo è stato progettato con una particolare attenzione alle esigenze degli utenti sordi, ma anche in una ottica di usabilità generale. L'editor è stato sviluppato in modo modulare, quindi può essere integrato ovunque sia consigliabile l'uso di SW in alternativa alla lingua scritta "verbale"

A System to Generate SignWriting for Video Tracks Enhancing Accessibility of Deaf People

Video content has increased much on the Internet during last years. In spite of the efforts of different organizations and governments to increase the accessibility of websites, most multimedia content on the Internet is not accessible. This paper describes a system that contributes to make multimedia content more accessible on the Web, by automatically translating subtitles in oral language to SignWriting, a way of writing Sign Language. This system extends the functionality of a general web platform that can provide accessible web content for different needs. This platform has a core component that automatically converts any web page to a web page compliant with level AA of WAI guidelines. Around this core component, different adapters complete the conversion according to the needs of specific users. One adapter is the Deaf People Accessibility Adapter, which provides accessible web content for the Deaf, based on SignWritting. Functionality of this adapter has been extended with the video subtitle translator system. A first prototype of this system has been tested through different methods including usability and accessibility tests and results show that this tool can enhance the accessibility of video content available on the Web for Deaf people

Informatisation d'une forme graphique des Langues des Signes : application au système d'écriture SignWriting

Les recherches et les logiciels présentés dans cette étude s'adressent à une importante minorité au sein de notre société, à savoir la communauté des sourdes. De nombreuses recherches démontrent que les sourdes se heurtent à de grosses difficultés avec la langue vocale, ce qui explique pourquoi la plu- part d'entre eux préfère communiquer dans la langue des signes. Du point de vue des sciences de l'information, les LS constituent un groupe de minorités linguistiques peu représentées dans l'univers du numérique. Et, de fait, les sourds sont les sujets les plus touchés par la fracture numérique. Cette étude veut donc être une contribution pour tenter de resserrer cette fracture numérique qui pénalise les sourdes. Pour ce faire, nous nous sommes principalement concentrés sur l'informatisation de SignWriting, qui constitue l'un des systèmes les plus prometteurs pour écrire la LS.The studies and the software presented in this work are addressed to a relevant minority of our society, namely deaf people. Many studies demonstrate that, for several reasons, deaf people experience significant difficulties in exploiting a Vocal Language (VL English, Chinese, etc.). In fact, many of them prefer to communicate using Sign Language (SL). As computer scientists, we observed that SLs are currently a set of underrepresented linguistic minorities in the digital world. As a matter of fact, deaf people are among those individuals which are mostly affected by the digital divide. This work is our contribution towards leveling the digital divide affecting deaf people. In particular, we focused on the computer handling of SignWriting, which is one of the most promising systems devised to write SLs

Reconhecimento de símbolos de configuração de mão do SignWriting

Orientador : Prof. Dr. Luiz Eduardo Soares de OliveiraDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Exatas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Informática. Defesa: Curitiba, 26/05/2015Inclui referênciasResumo: Apesar de a surdez ser um fator limitante para a comunicação de um indivíduo, as comunidades surdas têm conseguido manter intra-relações através da utilização das línguas de sinais, no Brasil representadas pela LIBRAS. Apesar de permitirem a troca de informações de forma pessoal, as línguas de sinais apresentam restrições com relação à documentação por meio escrito ou impresso, devido a diferenças estruturais com relação a idiomas baseados em fonética. O SignWriting é uma notação que surgiu com o objetivo de preencher esta lacuna e tem tido aceitação em diversas comunidades surdas, permitindo a representação "textual" de informações produzidas de forma espacial. Atualmente, há elevada carência de estudos e aplicações de informática que visem otimizar a utilização dessa notação por parte de seus conhecedores. Este trabalho objetiva elaborar um método que realize a identificação de símbolos de configuração de mão descritos pelo SignWriting, através de técnicas de reconhecimento de padrões. O método proposto visa identificar símbolos dados como entrada dentre um conjunto de 103 símbolos de configuração de mão válidos, previamente selecionados de acordo com a relevância de suas características estruturais, utilizando diferentes técnicas e estratégias para a classificação, como Máquinas de Vetores de Suporte (SVM), aprendizagem profunda, combinação de classificadores e verificação de resultados de classificação. Experimentos realizados mostraram que a combinação de classificadores via regra do produto obteve os melhores resultados dentre todas as estratégias testadas, atingindo taxas de reconhecimento de 94,65% em top 1 e 98,74% em top 2, e 94,75% em top 1 após realizar a etapa de verificação. Palavras-Chave: SignWriting, reconhecimento de padrões, combinação de classificadores, aprendizagem profunda, verificação de classificadores.Abstract: Although deafness be a limiting factor for communication of an individual, the deaf communities have managed to maintain intra-relationships through the use of sign languages, which, in Brazil, are represented by LIBRAS. However, although they allow the exchange of information personally, sign languages have restrictions regarding the documentation by written or printed ways due to structural differences from phonetic based languages. SignWriting is a notation that was meant to fill this gap, which has been accepted in many deaf communities, allowing the \textual" representation information produced in the spatial form. Currently, there is high lack of studies and computer applications aiming the optimization of the use of such notation. This work aims to develop a method that performs the identification of hand configuration symbols described by SignWriting through pattern recognition techniques. The proposed method aims to identify input symbols as being one among 103 valid hand configuration symbols, which were previously selected according to the relevance of their structural characteristics, by using various techniques and strategies for classification, as Support Vector Machines (SVM), deep learning, combination of classifiers and verification of classification results. Experiments have shown that the combination of classifiers using the product rule achieved the best results among all tested strategies, achieving recognition rates of 94.65% on top 1 and 98.74% on top 2, and 94.75% on top 1 after performing the verification step. Keywords: SignWriting, pattern recognition, combination of classifiers, deep learning, verification of classifiers

A critical investigation of deaf comprehension of signed tv news interpretation

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 LanguagesThesis (D. Litt.et Phil.) (Linguistics

Applied aspirations : design and applied art at the Ballarat Technical Art School during the early twentieth century

Applied art and design schools operate at the nexus of art, industry, and education. During the early decades of the twentieth century, the regionally located Ballarat Technical Art School (BTAS) was the leading institution of its kind in Victoria, Australia, amid shifting economic, cultural, and pedagogical conditions. Emerging from a 1907 amalgamation of institutions, and subsequently administrated by the School of Mines Ballarat (SMB), BTAS was equipped with the assets, experience, and historic reputation necessary to surpass its provincial and metropolitan rivals. This micro-historical case-study employs qualitative analysis of primary sources to investigate the aims, outputs, and importance of BTAS, contextualised by the expectations and influences it operated under during the inaugural principalship of artist and educator, Herbert Henry Smith. Smith oversaw the training of designers, craftspeople, artists, and teachers from 1907 until his retirement in early 1940—a period of tumultuous events, fiscal obstacles, and social and cultural debate. The institution was accountable to diverse stakeholders and arbiters of taste, and successive cohorts learned in a contested space between tradition, origination, and modernisation. Pierre Bourdieu’s cultural theory serves to navigate this web of hierarchies, assumptions, and tensions, while secondary sources help contextualise findings. This thesis also discusses the suite of drawing, design and material-based disciplines delivered at BTAS as single subjects, full courses, and supplementary art-trade training. Throughout, featured students provide examples of regionally trained, Australian designer-maker and artist-teacher experiences. BTAS students learned from ambitious and skilled men and women, benefited from strong professional networks, and fostered a notable esprit-de-corps. The school was significant for its contribution to female technical training. The school’s pre-eminent position was modified during the late 1920s, when much art and art-teacher training was re-centred in Melbourne. Yet, the valuable, compelling, and widespread influence of Ballarat Technical Art School graduates resonated for decades.Doctor of Philosoph

C’est tombé dans l’oreille d’une Sourde : la sourditude par la bande dessignée

Cette thèse de doctorat de recherche-création comporte un essai doctoral en français ainsi qu'une bande dessignée: une bande dessinée vidéographiée bilingue en langue des signes québécoises (LSQ) et français, composée de 10 chapitres-vidéos.C’est tombé dans l’oreille d’une Sourde. La sourditude par la bande dessignée est une recherche-création composée d’un essai doctoral et d’une bande dessignée - une bande dessinée bilingue en langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) et en français (BD*) - produite à partir d’extraits de rencontres avec des personnes sourdes et des membres de ma famille entendante réalisées dans le cadre de la thèse. Par une démarche exploratoire, la recherche vise à documenter et à réfléchir à ce que cela fait de vivre comme personne sourde, à la sourditude comme devenir, à l'entendance comme concept pour réfléchir à certains rapports de pouvoirs ainsi qu’aux enjeux communicationnels, technologiques et médiatiques soulevés par les perspectives épistémologiques sourdiennes. C’est en partant du postulat que l’oppression est ce qui est éprouvé à travers des pratiques quotidiennes souvent bien intentionnées (Young, 1990) et avec le désir de composer avec l’exigence du multiple (Deleuze et Guattari, 1980) que s’est développée la question générale de la thèse : En la posant comme un devenir complexe, comment l'expérience singulière de la sourditude, son affectivité et son effectivité se conçoivent, s'actualisent et se communiquent-elles? Cette question se pose dans son articulation avec le lieu où elle prend forme, à savoir la réalisation d’un essai doctoral et d’une BD*, dont le processus sert de milieu exploratoire à diverses questions d’ordre philosophique, théorique, épistémologique, éthique, artistique et politique qui, à leur tour, nourrissent la démarche. Utilisant la vidéo comme forme d’écriture apte à rendre compte de la tridimensionnalité des langues des signes et de leurs composantes linguistiques, la BD* est produite sous forme de chapitres vidéo diffusés sur un site Internet. Produite en noir et blanc, elle comporte des vidéos de protagonistes signant la LSQ, éditées avec un effet de dessin animé, des textes en français disposés dans des phylactères et des arrière-plans édités avec un logiciel de graphisme. Écrit sous forme de dissertation, l’essai comporte cinq chapitres. De façon sommaire, l’introduction présente la recherche-création, la question de recherche et les différentes parties de l’essai; le chapitre 1 intitulé « Les possibles de la sourditude » met en jeu quelques éléments afin d’appréhender la sourditude dans sa complexité, problématise et historicise la sourditude en tant que processus, devenir et appartenance, théorise diverses dimensions de l’oppression, interroge l'expérience subjective comme site de savoirs et propose une analyse critique du concept de sourditude; le chapitre 2 intitulé « Parcours de recherche-création » s’articule autour de la démarche de réalisation de la BD*, documente mon approche de la recherche-création, interroge ma posture épistémologique à travers le paradoxe de vouloir contribuer à « faire entendre des voix sourdes », discute des enjeux soulevés par l’écriture vidéographiée, s’intéresse aux enchevêtrements du cinéma et de la sourditude sous divers angles et discerne certains enjeux relatifs à la situation de la BD* aux confins des codes de la littérature, du cinéma et de la BD; le chapitre 3 intitulé « La production de la bande dessignée » s’attarde de façon plus précise aux diverses étapes de réalisation de la BD*, aborde les rencontres réalisées avec cinq Sourd-es et quatre membres de ma famille entendante, documente le processus de production et postproduction de la BD* en soulevant certains enjeux sur le plan de la traduction et du montage, analyse de façon critique l’Internet comme plateforme de diffusion et présente le site Internet www.BDLSQ.net; la conclusion intitulée « Quelques enjeux posés par la sourditude » propose certaines réflexions issues des rencontres, interroge la question des technologies à travers la notion de sourditude et du handicap, amorce une réflexion sur l’agentivité conférée par les media numériques et se termine en soulevant quelques enjeux politiques et éthiques concernant le développement des études sourdes et des perspectives sourdiennes.Résumé en langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) disponible à l’adresse Internet suivante : V. Leduc. 2016. « C’est tombé dans l’oreille d’une Sourde. La sourditude par la bande dessignée ». Résumé LSQ. En ligne: https://vimeo.com/190658903Abstract in American Sign Language (ASL) available on the following website : V. Leduc. 2016. "It Fell on Deaf Ears. Deafhood by Graphic Signed Novel". PhD thesis, ASL Abstract. Online: https://vimeo.com/190659491It Fell on Deaf Ears. Deafhood by Graphic Signed Novel (C’est tombé dans l’oreille d’une Sourde. La sourditude par la bande dessignée) is a research-creation project consisting of a doctoral essay and a bilingual graphic signed novel in Québec sign language (LSQ) and in French, produced from excerpts of encounters with Deaf people and with members of my hearing family that have been carried out as part of the thesis. Through an exploratory process, the project seeks to document and to reflect upon what it means to live as a Deaf person, about Deafhood as becoming, about hearingness as a concept that can be used to think about certain power relations, as well as about the communicative, technological and media issues that arise from deafian epistemological perspectives. From the assumption that oppression is experienced through often well-intentioned everyday practices (Young, 1990), and from an interest in dealing with the requirement of multiplicity (Deleuze and Guattari, 1980), was developed the broad question of the thesis: while positioning it as a complex becoming, how can the singular experience of Deafhood, its affects and effects, be conceived, actualized and communicated? This question is posed through its articulation with the site where it takes shape, namely the creation of a doctoral essay and a graphic signed novel, the process of which serves as an exploratory site for various philosophical, theoretical, epistemological, ethical, artistic and political questions, which, in turn, feed the process. Using video as a form of writing that is able to account for the three-dimensionality of sign languages and of their linguistic components, the graphic signed novel is produced as video chapters distributed on a website. Produced in black and white, it features videos of protagonists signing in LSQ edited with a cartoon effect, French text inscribed in speech bubbles, and backgrounds that have been edited with graphic design software. The production team and the project are presented in LSQ, ASL, French and English on the website www.BDLSQ.net. Written in the form of a dissertation, the essay includes five chapters. In summary, the introduction presents the research-creation project, the research question and the different parts of the essay. Chapter 1, titled “The Possibilities of Deafhood”, brings together elements that help us understand Deafhood in its complexity, problematizes and historicizes Deafhood as a process, becoming and belonging, theorizes various dimensions of oppression, questions the subjective experience as a site of knowledge, and provides a critical analysis of the concept of Deafhood. Chapter 2, titled “Trajectory of Research-Creation”, revolves around the process of making a bilingual graphic signed novel; documenting my research-creation approach, and questioning my epistemological stance through the paradox of wanting to make “Deaf voices heard”. The chapter further discusses issues raised by videographed writing, is interested in the entanglements of film and Deafhood from various angles, and identifies some questions related to the place of the graphic signed novel in relation to the confines of the codes of literature, film and the graphic novel. Chapter 3, titled “The Creation of the Graphic Signed Novel”, focuses more specifically on the various production stages of the graphic signed novel. It addresses the meetings held with five Deafs and four members of my hearing family, documents the production and postproduction processes of the graphic signed novel while raising some issues related to translation and editing, analyzes, in a critical way, the internet as a distribution platform, and introduces the website www.BDLSQ.net. The conclusion, titled “Some Challenges Posed by Deafhood”, offers some reflections stemming from the meetings, interrogates the question of technologies through the notions of Deafhood and disability, proposes a reflection on agency afforded through digital media, and ends by raising some political and ethical issues related to the development of Deaf studies and perspectives. Keywords : Deafhood, graphic novel, digital art, signed litterature, video, transmedia, Deaf Studies, Critical Disability Studies, intersectionality, audism, Quebec Sign Language