Peter Jakob Craxton, Project Worker, Landshut UAS
Despite the empowerment processes of the last 30 years in the Deaf community in Germany, which started significantly with the recognition of German Sign Language (DGS) as an independent language in 2002, Deaf people are still strongly disadvantaged in the labour market. Various studies have been able to show that there is a direct connection between education, educational qualifications, and advancement on the labour market.
With the help of tools like SignSearch in the Sign4All lexicon in the model of Sign2MINT (STEM lexicon in the German Sign Language), sign language users have the possibility to search for technical terms in their first language. Sign4All lexicon will be launched in the next spring. One tool that has already proven its worth and is constantly being developed further, not least through a project carried out at the University of Applied Sciences in Landshut, is the widely used signwriting. This signwriting is currently in the process of modernisation, and this tool to be easily accepted and understood. Furthermore, in contrastive use, the tools serve to expand and improve written language skills. The results of modernised signwriting, implementation process and SignSearch will be demonstrated.
The purpose of the seminar presentation is to look at the benefits of recent digital developments to compensate for the disadvantageous situation of deaf people in the workplace. The IDLA participants are warmly welcome to discuss those results and this tool against the disadvantages in the labour market.
