“Media for capability” of children with disabilities: Development of the Japanese augmentative alternative communication app by tablet for persons with hard of hearing

Abstract

Over the past few decades, a considerable number of studies have been conducted on the communication for persons with Hard of hearing and Deaf in Japan. But little attention has been given to the take advantage of Information Technology devices to support the communication for Hard of hearing children. By the way, the present study analyses in greater detail the survey results summarized in the importance of the “Tablet-Media”. We discuss our communication assist software to express texts and images by Android application for children with Hard of hearing. In this paper, this app is analyzed using the “Capability theory” with emphasis on the power of self-expression and the right to self-determination of persons with disabilities. The results of our performance tests showed that our system was very helpful in order to provide their “Capability” for Hard of hearing children. We suggest the potential to combine our App is what we should call “Media for Capability” of communication in children with Hard of hearing.