Deaf+Hard+of+Hearing+and+Vlogging

Web 2.0 Technique: Vlogging
Bruce became part of our family when he married my cousin in 2001. Bruce is a kind-hearted, smart and loving man. He is also deaf and has been since birth. He is a great addition to our family and has taught us so much about the deaf culture. Whenever I see Bruce at family functions he always has a smile on his face and his ipad in his hand. You see, Bruce, and the many other deaf/hard-of-hearing people in the world, rely heavily on technology as a form of communication. One form of technology that many deaf/hard-of-hearing people prefer to use is "Vlogging," or Video Blogging. Video blogging was created in 2000 and since then it has increased in popularity. In 2005, one of the most popular video blogging websites, YouTube, was created. While many people in the deaf community use YouTube to post their video blogs, some of them have created their own vlog pages with followers on websites such as www.deafvideo.tv and www.DeafRead.com. Vlogging has opened up a whole new world for those who are deaf or hard-of hearing to communicate with others. Not only can a huge population be given a "voice" now, but connections can be made globally. Deaf students can communicate with other deaf students from all over the world. Vlogging gives deaf people a voice that can be shared with others in the deaf and hearing community. Vlogs can educate and spread awareness to the hearing community as well. It is estimated that 22 million Americans are deaf or hard-of-hearing. That is a large part of the population that should not be excluded in the Web 2.0 world due to their disability. While vlogging is becoming more and more popular within the deaf community, there are some barriers that it faces. Some vlogs do not provide subtitles. Subtitles are important in case it is not clear what is being said in the video. The videos could be made with poor quality or the person in the video could sign too fast. This could be a problem for someone who is not fluent in sign language yet. Also, if the person in the video is using a different form of sign language, such as ASL, C-sign or even a different cultural sign language, then some confusion could take place. Subtitles would help to eliminate a lot of the misunderstandings that may come with viewing a sign video. These barriers can be solved by making sure the video can be viewed clearly, the person signing goes at an easy to follow pace and to make sure the vlog has subtitles. Subtitle software can be installed onto a vlogger's computer to ensure clarity. One vlogger stated: "If all vlogs created by hearing people would have subtitles, then I will add them to my vlogs. I guess it is all depends on who you want to target with your vlogs. For me, it's the Deaf community and ASL users. I guess it's a matter of preference here." (Unnamed Deaf V/blog Commenter) Vlogging will continue to increase in its popularity with both the deaf and hearing communities as people learn to communicate with everyone regardless of disability.

__ Reference Articles: __ http://www.DeafReads.com/ http://www.deafvideo.tv/ http://www.djembeslappin.blogspot.com/ http://www.wikipedia.org/