Web Resources on Deafness
These resources are found through the National Institute for Literacy - Learning Disabilities listserv, LINCS on deaf literacy, and through our own personal research. They are categorized according to interests and are in alphabetical order.
American Sign Language (ASL) Dictionaries
HandSpeak, http://www.handspeak.com/, is an animated ASL dictionary for anyone who is interested in learning a new sign or several signs. The signs are in alphabetical order and are given English translation for each sign. There is also a short description on the history of ASL and the ASL syntax.
A Basic Dictionary of ASL terms, http://www.masterstech-home.com/ASLDict.html, provides information on ASL terms to any person who wants to know more. Alphabet and numbers 1-10 are included at this Web site.
ASL Browser, http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm, is another well-known and reliable dictionary. Provides similar information as the other two dictionaries.
ASL Fingerspelling, http://asl.ms/, features fingerspelling of the ASL manual alphabet. One can use this as a drill and practice session to review the manual alphabet.
Anatomy of the Ear
Amplifon has an excellent interactive map of the ear, https://www.amplifon.com/uk/interactive-ear/index.html.
Classroom Strategies
An online article about including the deaf and hard of hearing student in the regular classroom is at this Web site: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/15900.
Curricular Resources
This Web site is for deaf education professionals and other professionals to find curricular resources and instructional strategies for their classrooms and other settings. Much information on this site may be useful for the adult classroom as well, http://www.deafed.net.
National Deaf Education Laurent Clerc Center at Gallaudet University also has tons of curricular resources and instructional strategies in addition to Web links for a variety of topics. It's at http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu.
American Sign Language Resource Guide
Deafness
One of the most comprehensive Web sites on deafness with links to other related sites is the about.com Web site, and one can find this at this address: http://deafness.about.com.
The National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD), http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/, has tons of information on deafness and disorders that may cause deafness. Hearing aids, cochlear implants and other devices are also explained well.
A excellent collection of Web links to many deafness-related sites, http://www.sivideo.com/captresb.htm, provides sub-lists under topics such as schools, employment, federal government, associations, and many more.
Deaf Literacy
An excellent source of articles and papers on deaf literacy is at the National Deaf Education Laurent Clerc Center of Gallaudet University, http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu. Just click on Info to Go and type in deaf literacy.
Deaf literacy page has links to articles, literacy guides, resources and papers on this topic and it's at http://www.deafworldweb.org/.
This is a speech given by Roger J. Carver, M.Ed. at the University of Alberta, http://dww.deafworldweb.org/pub/c/rjc/agenda.html, about the historical mis-education and consequent illiteracy of a vast number of deaf individuals.
There is a deaf literacy guide for teachers at this Web site, http://deafness.about.com/cs/accessibility/a/webvideocc.htm. There are several links to related Web sites on a variety of deaf literacy topics, such as reading and writing strategies, literacy activities to be used in classrooms and at home, and managing multi-level English skills classes.
Deaf Organizations
Alexander Graham Bell Association, http://www.agbell.org/, is an organization that advocates oral education for deaf people.
National Association of the Deaf, http://www.nad.org/, is the national organization of the deaf. Their Web site has tons of information about deafness and other related issues.
Hearing Loss Association of America, https://www.hearingloss.org/, is the national organization for the people who are hard of hearing. They have tons of information about hearing loss, devices to help them (hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and alarms), coping issues, and other related topics.
Technology Tools in Literacy
These Web sites were taken from Summer 2000 issue of Odyssey, a national periodical for deaf education professionals.
Microsoft PowerPoint program, http://www.microsoft.com, is a presentation software program that can incorporate graphics, texts, animations, and short movies. Students can use this program to present their information to a variety of audiences, such as classrooms, activity groups, and families.
Focus on Grammar Series, http://www.esl.net/focus_on_grammar.html, is an interactive drill and practice grammar program for adults. There are four different levels and are created for ESOL students. This has been found to be helpful for deaf students.
Web Video Captioning Technologies, http://deafness.about.com/library/weekly/aa083198.htm?iam=savvy&terms=%2Breal+%2Btext%2008/23/2001 Companies, individuals, Federal agencies, and organizations that put video on the web have absolutely no excuse for not making their videos accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing. Both Microsoft and Real Networks have developed captioning technologies for use with digital video. These technologies can be used to comply with Section 508, the Federal law that requires Federal web sites to be accessible.
