Text Messaging puts Deaf in mainstream

Something readers of this column have known for some time, but here is an official study, confirming text messaging is a wonderful technology for anyone who is Deaf or hearing impaired.

Yahoo India reports that according to Australian researchers, sending SMS via mobile phones is increasingly helping deaf people interact with the hearing community, thus creating opportunities to form new relationships.

"Mobile phones put deaf people on the same level playing field as hearing people when communicating via SMS. It's not a disability to be deaf when you are texting," ABC online quoted Mary Power, Associate Professor, Bond University, Queensland, as saying.

The research, published in the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, says that the deaf are using text to access services such as calling roadside services".

"You can book your tickets for concerts and things, you can vote in reality TV shows. It just puts into the mainstream. You could arrange to meet or have a long texting session. If you are standing at a night-club, where everybody is deaf, everybody is using text," said Power."

emily | 6:15 PM | SMS for Deaf/Disabilities |
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