MULTIMEDIA ADAPTATION OF THE GENERALIZABLE INTERPERSONAL VOCATIONAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

A PROTOTYPE INTERACTIVE VIDEODISC-ASSISTED ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED (SELF-HELP INTERPERSONAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT LOEDING & CRITTENDEN, 1991) TO IMPROVE THE EVALUATION OF GENERALIZABLE WORK-RELATED SKILLS (SPECIFICALLY INTERPERSONAL SKILLS) IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO DEPEND ON SIGN LANGUAGE TO COMMUNICATE. VIDEO SEGMENTS SIMULATE JOB SITUATIONS THAT MIGHT BE ENCOUNTERED IN THE WORKING WORLD. THIS CURRICULUM-BASED ASSESSMENT WAS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED AND VALIDATED BY GREENAN AND WINTERS IN WRITTEN FORM (1986). INNOVATIONS SUCH AS PREDICTION AND USE OF OPTIMAL SIGN-LANGUAGE VERSION (AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND SIGNED ENGLISH), ABILITY TO CHANGE BETWEEN SIGN VERSIONS AT ANY TIME, AND USE OF COMPUTER GRAPHIC FINGER SPELLING FOR INPUT SELECTION ARE USED. PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS ARE THAT THIS APPROACH CAN BE ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY FOR ASSESSMENT AND INSTRUCTION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH VARIOUS DISABILITIES. THEREFORE,WE PROPOSE TO ADAPT THE SELF-HELP INTERPERSONAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT BY COLLECTING SALIENT FEEDBACK FROM DISABLED INDIVIDUALS AND EXPERTS ON HOW TO STRENGTHEN AND BROADEN THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE SYSTEM TO INCLUDE BOTH ASSESSMENT AND INSTRUCTION. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE USE OF FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS AND INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK.