Multimedia Software Re--HIV/AIDS, Accessible to The Deaf

Multimedia technology offers users the opportunity to make connections between diverse forms of inf(text, pictures, animation, digital video, and sound), to navigate through information in a non-linemanner, as well as to learn by directly interacting with the software. Traditional multimedia softwaextensive use of sound effects, spoken English, and music as well as written text and is thus inacceTypical HIV/AIDS-related information in print and on video is largely inaccessible to the deaf becaureliance on written or spoken English. For this reason, HIV/AIDS issues are widely misunderstood bycommunity. This proposal investigates the extent to which an innovative multimodal approach, which ulanguage video window to provide important information, can increase the accessibility of HIV/AIDS iindividuals with hearing impairment. Phase I will address this objective by testing the technical fesoftware which presents information in sign language using digital video and will test its usabilitythe effectiveness of the software for providing accessibility to information on HIV/AIDS for the deathe development of commercial educational software products.