Betty Tshepiso Mokonea reflects on her experience in the U.S. compared to systems in South Africa. She aims to compare disability legislation, technology, and education/information access between the two countries. In the U.S., several laws like the ADA and IDEA protect disability rights and access to education. Technology like video relay services and captioning provide greater independence. South Africa also has laws promoting equality but needs improved teacher signing skills and universal education access. Current technologies in both countries include social media, video chat, and news in sign language, but rural wireless access remains limited in South Africa. Overall, sharing experiences can help foster greater inclusion globally.
This is the PowerPoint I used as part of my Stop TAFE Cuts presentation for my advocacy assessment task for the Human Rights subject I'm studying as part the Diploma of Community Services Work and Diploma of Community Development at the Kangan Institute Broadmeadows Campus.
My teacher provided this feedback for my presentation: "Extremely well prepared and presented. You demonstrated well the scope of system cuts and the impact upon individuals. Very engaging use of personal case studies, YouTube, PowerPoint, and passionate speech and handouts. You have addressed all of the assessment criteria to a high standard and hopefully inspired your peers to advocate as passionately and strongly as yourself. TAFE is truly much more than skill development. Great work."
Administration, Rehabilitation, & Postsecondary Education (ARPE)
(in College of Education)Doctorate of Education, Educational Leadership (Community College Leadership)Master of Arts in Educational LeadershipFocus in Community College Teaching & LeadershipSpecialization in Student AffairsMaster of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling
Interwork Institute http://www.interwork.sdsu.edu
*
I serve as the Chair of our Department – ARPE – and we offer the following degrees, plus we coordinate the Leadership Minor in collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs. You can find out more about our programs on the Interwork website.
Interwork Institute:
Created 25+ years ago to join like-minded educators in collaborative efforts that would benefit individuals with disabilities and other non-traditional, underserved, & underrepresented learners
Established as an Institute of SDSU, created by the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, & Postsecondary Education (in the College of Education)
Partners with SDSU Research Foundation for administration of external funding
Interwork is the umbrella/infrastructure for administering grants and contracts (i.e., funding that comes from outside of the University) – we administer about $10 million worth of funding that support a variety of projects, including research, training, and leadership development. Many of our grants enable us to hire students to work with us. Again, you can learn more details on the Interwork site.
*
Specializations/Certificates in Rehabilitation CounselingRehabilitation (Assistive) Technology (with College of Engineering)Psychiatric Rehabilitation/LPCCCognitive DisabilitiesSupported Employment & TransitionRehabilitation Administration
These are areas that students can develop specialized skills in working with individuals with a variety of disabilities. Each of these certificate programs can be embedded in the 60-unit Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.
*
Vocational RehabilitationVR is all about jobs! It’s the state and federal system of agencies that helps individuals with significant disabilities figure out their career paths, find and maintain employment – 80 agencies across US & territories; about $2.5-3 billionCA-DOR (in HHS Agency) serves over 120,000 consumers annually via 13 districts across CA http://www.rehab.cahwnet.gov/
Although VR has been around for a long time, many people don’t know about it, at least until they need it. All state departments of rehabilitation provide support to individuals with disabilities to find and keep employment. For example, if someone gets injured on their job, they may go to VR to help retrain for another job or to get support (like using assistive technology) to keep their same job. VR can help people whether they were born with a disability or if they acquired it through accidents, illnesses, or other trauma. Many students with disabilities can qualify for funding from VR to go to college to prep.
Tawasol is an innovative system of four components that assists Deaf people to communicate and interact with others through a computer. These four components are: The Arabic Sign Language Dictionary, the deaf reader, the touch typing for Deaf and the software for Learning Arabic essentials for Deaf. The dictionary uses 2500 digital video for Arabic signs and 5000 illustrations for 25oo word classified into 53 groups.
The Deaf reader is an Arabic-To-Sign translator that uses advanced AI techniques and Arabic morphological Analyzer to translate Arabic sentences into digital Sign Video. The Touch Typing tutor helps Deaf reaches 50 words per minute in typing with accuracy better than 90%.
To help Deaf enter correct Arabic to the computer, the Arabic essentials software was developed. It help deaf to learn alphabets, how to form words form letters and how to form sentences from words using the proper grammar.
Tawasol is a cloud application that will be applied in 200 deaf schools in Egypt. It will be used to develop curricula for Deaf and will be used to train teachers and parents on Arabic sign Language.
The project will be extended to build a mobile application that will allow tow way communication between a Deaf and noram person
This is the PowerPoint I used as part of my Stop TAFE Cuts presentation for my advocacy assessment task for the Human Rights subject I'm studying as part the Diploma of Community Services Work and Diploma of Community Development at the Kangan Institute Broadmeadows Campus.
My teacher provided this feedback for my presentation: "Extremely well prepared and presented. You demonstrated well the scope of system cuts and the impact upon individuals. Very engaging use of personal case studies, YouTube, PowerPoint, and passionate speech and handouts. You have addressed all of the assessment criteria to a high standard and hopefully inspired your peers to advocate as passionately and strongly as yourself. TAFE is truly much more than skill development. Great work."
Administration, Rehabilitation, & Postsecondary Education (ARPE)
(in College of Education)Doctorate of Education, Educational Leadership (Community College Leadership)Master of Arts in Educational LeadershipFocus in Community College Teaching & LeadershipSpecialization in Student AffairsMaster of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling
Interwork Institute http://www.interwork.sdsu.edu
*
I serve as the Chair of our Department – ARPE – and we offer the following degrees, plus we coordinate the Leadership Minor in collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs. You can find out more about our programs on the Interwork website.
Interwork Institute:
Created 25+ years ago to join like-minded educators in collaborative efforts that would benefit individuals with disabilities and other non-traditional, underserved, & underrepresented learners
Established as an Institute of SDSU, created by the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, & Postsecondary Education (in the College of Education)
Partners with SDSU Research Foundation for administration of external funding
Interwork is the umbrella/infrastructure for administering grants and contracts (i.e., funding that comes from outside of the University) – we administer about $10 million worth of funding that support a variety of projects, including research, training, and leadership development. Many of our grants enable us to hire students to work with us. Again, you can learn more details on the Interwork site.
*
Specializations/Certificates in Rehabilitation CounselingRehabilitation (Assistive) Technology (with College of Engineering)Psychiatric Rehabilitation/LPCCCognitive DisabilitiesSupported Employment & TransitionRehabilitation Administration
These are areas that students can develop specialized skills in working with individuals with a variety of disabilities. Each of these certificate programs can be embedded in the 60-unit Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.
*
Vocational RehabilitationVR is all about jobs! It’s the state and federal system of agencies that helps individuals with significant disabilities figure out their career paths, find and maintain employment – 80 agencies across US & territories; about $2.5-3 billionCA-DOR (in HHS Agency) serves over 120,000 consumers annually via 13 districts across CA http://www.rehab.cahwnet.gov/
Although VR has been around for a long time, many people don’t know about it, at least until they need it. All state departments of rehabilitation provide support to individuals with disabilities to find and keep employment. For example, if someone gets injured on their job, they may go to VR to help retrain for another job or to get support (like using assistive technology) to keep their same job. VR can help people whether they were born with a disability or if they acquired it through accidents, illnesses, or other trauma. Many students with disabilities can qualify for funding from VR to go to college to prep.
Tawasol is an innovative system of four components that assists Deaf people to communicate and interact with others through a computer. These four components are: The Arabic Sign Language Dictionary, the deaf reader, the touch typing for Deaf and the software for Learning Arabic essentials for Deaf. The dictionary uses 2500 digital video for Arabic signs and 5000 illustrations for 25oo word classified into 53 groups.
The Deaf reader is an Arabic-To-Sign translator that uses advanced AI techniques and Arabic morphological Analyzer to translate Arabic sentences into digital Sign Video. The Touch Typing tutor helps Deaf reaches 50 words per minute in typing with accuracy better than 90%.
To help Deaf enter correct Arabic to the computer, the Arabic essentials software was developed. It help deaf to learn alphabets, how to form words form letters and how to form sentences from words using the proper grammar.
Tawasol is a cloud application that will be applied in 200 deaf schools in Egypt. It will be used to develop curricula for Deaf and will be used to train teachers and parents on Arabic sign Language.
The project will be extended to build a mobile application that will allow tow way communication between a Deaf and noram person
1. REFLECTION ON MY EXPERIENCE IN THE U.S ANDREFLECTION ON MY EXPERIENCE IN THE U.S AND
WHAT I HAVE SEEN HERE COMPARED TO THEWHAT I HAVE SEEN HERE COMPARED TO THE
SYSTEMS THAT I KNOW IN SOUTH AFRICASYSTEMS THAT I KNOW IN SOUTH AFRICA
Presenter NamePresenter Name
BETTY TSHEPISO MOKOENABETTY TSHEPISO MOKOENA
SOUTH AFRICASOUTH AFRICA
2. What is access?What is access?
Human RightsHuman Rights
InformationInformation
EducationEducation
EmpowermentEmpowerment
EmploymentEmployment
IndependenceIndependence
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3. What is the Aim?What is the Aim?
Compare systems i.e. DisabilityCompare systems i.e. Disability
Legislation, Technology and EducationLegislation, Technology and Education
and information access in the publicand information access in the public
domaindomain
To foster relations with U.S DisabilityTo foster relations with U.S Disability
structures e.g. American Association ofstructures e.g. American Association of
People with DisabilitiesPeople with Disabilities
Implement systems that are relevant toImplement systems that are relevant to
our environmentour environment
4. Legislation PassedLegislation Passed
American Disability Act ( ADA)American Disability Act ( ADA)
Individuals with Disability Education ActIndividuals with Disability Education Act
(IDEA)(IDEA)
The Rehabilitation Act of 1972The Rehabilitation Act of 1972
Telecommunications for the Deaf ActTelecommunications for the Deaf Act
Pioneered: American Association for PeoplePioneered: American Association for People
with Disabilities (AAPD)with Disabilities (AAPD)
5. Legislation PassedLegislation Passed
Integrated National Disability Strategy (1997)Integrated National Disability Strategy (1997)
Promotion of Equality and Prevention of UnfairPromotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair
Discrimination Act, (Act No. 4 of 2000)Discrimination Act, (Act No. 4 of 2000)
Access to Information Act, 2000 ( Act No. 2Access to Information Act, 2000 ( Act No. 2
2000)2000)
Skills Development Act (Act No. 31 of 2003)Skills Development Act (Act No. 31 of 2003)
Inclusive Education and Training System (2001)Inclusive Education and Training System (2001)
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6. Deaf in United StatesDeaf in United States
Access to quality education?Access to quality education?
Teachers are required to Sign, the ADA and IDEA wereTeachers are required to Sign, the ADA and IDEA were
passedpassed
Teacher signing skills in Deaf SchoolsTeacher signing skills in Deaf Schools
Universal access to education (e.g. Mainstreams schoolUniversal access to education (e.g. Mainstreams school
provision of ASLI )provision of ASLI )
Access to society?Access to society?
TechnologyTechnology
American Sign Language Interpreters(ASLI)American Sign Language Interpreters(ASLI)
EmploymentEmployment
Independence and civic participatioIndependence and civic participationn
7. Deaf in South AfricaDeaf in South Africa
Access to quality education?Access to quality education?
Hearing Teachers in Deaf Schools e.g. Deaf assistantHearing Teachers in Deaf Schools e.g. Deaf assistant
TeachersTeachers
Teachers signing skills in Deaf SchoolsTeachers signing skills in Deaf Schools
Universal access to educationUniversal access to education
Access in the Society?Access in the Society?
TechnologyTechnology
South African Sign Language InterpretersSouth African Sign Language Interpreters
EmploymentEmployment
Independence and Civic participationIndependence and Civic participation
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8. Current StatusCurrent Status
Technology/ Broadcasting AccessTechnology/ Broadcasting Access
SkypeSkype
FacebookFacebook
MxitMxit
Msn Video chatMsn Video chat
News are anchored in Sign LanguageNews are anchored in Sign Language
Deaf television (Dtv)Deaf television (Dtv)
9. Current StatusCurrent Status
Technology/Broadcasting AccessTechnology/Broadcasting Access
Text to voice servicesText to voice services
Hearing Carry overHearing Carry over
Video Relay serviceVideo Relay service
Captioned Telephone Service: radio captionedCaptioned Telephone Service: radio captioned
services will be implemented in 2 years timeservices will be implemented in 2 years time
Wireless service in the rural areasWireless service in the rural areas
Captioned TVCaptioned TV
10. ConclusionConclusion
Where to from here?Where to from here?
South Africa will be hosting theSouth Africa will be hosting the
World Deaf Federation in 2011World Deaf Federation in 2011
Working together we can makeWorking together we can make
a difference in the societya difference in the society