 |
 |
|
introduction
| content |
the solution | final
remarks
Content
A large number of deaf individuals use cell phones as a means of communication through the exchange of SMS e-mails. A group involved in the JavaS Program decided to develop a Java communication system (chat), which provided a communication in both directions, between sender and receiver. As half the deaf population is found to be illiterate and, therefore, would not have access to this chat application, it was decided that the communication language would also include LIBRAS, since this language is used by about 60% of the Brazilian deaf community (AJA, 2003). As the technological support required for this project was beyond the resources the DFJUG had available, the DFJUG made an agreement with the Center of Research and Development in Software Technology - CTS to provide the funds necessary for system development, logistics and technological infrastructure as well as financial support, when required.
Scope
The Rybena project, developed by the CTS and DFJUG represents the effort of a community concerned with the digital inclusion of individuals with special needs, particularly the deaf and blind communities.
The Problem
| The problem |
Enabling access of individuals with special needs to means of mobile communication |
| Affecting |
3.5% of the Brazilian individuals with special needs and their relatives |
| The impact |
Social inclusion: work opportunities, access to means of communication, performing simple bank services, and even the safety of individuals with special needs |
| A successful solution |
The Rybena solution, enabling a
deaf to communicate with a blind |
Users’ and Interested Individuals’ Key Needs
- Communication between hearing and deaf individuals
- Making a reading device from cell-phone screen to voice available so as to reach the blind community
- Offering the means for a deaf to generate SMS messages to be converted into sound using the capabilities built in a Java enabled cell phone
- Making communication via cell phone between deaf and blind individuals feasable
Our Solution
The first stage of the solution intends to provide the basic infrastructure required for enabling communication between hearing and deaf individuals.
This stage has five objectives: (i) adapt a prevalence data model (Prevayler) to cell phones, (ii) implement JMS services, (iii) make a LIBRAS library available, (iv) adapt the Rybena solution to transform the cell phone into a universal translator and (v) deploy a LIBRAS training course on cell phones. This paper presents the results attained in the first stage.
The solution’s additional objectives are making
a reading device from cell-phone screen to voice available
so as to reach the blind community (stage 2); offering
the means for a deaf individual to generate SMS messages
to be converted into sound using the capabilities
built in a cell phone (stage 3); and, finally, making
communication via cell phone between deaf and blind
individuals feasible (stage 4).
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
