Description
Visiting SGSAH Earth Scholar Leyla Craig presented to PPLS on Communication or Language? Reframing Access for Deaf Signers in Disaster ContextsIn one of the earliest studies addressing the experiences of deaf people in disasters, Wood and Weisman (2003) found that Deaf people feared being underprepared for weather-related emergencies due to the lack of information presented in their country’s sign language. Over two decades later, the same issue persists. Despite growing recognition of the importance of linguistic accessibility, current national and international frameworks from the accessibility lens continue to mislead disaster services recognising communication access the same as language access. This has significant implications for Deaf signers, whose linguistic and cultural identities are often marginalised in disaster planning. This PhD research critically examines the often overlooked distinction between language access and communication access in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The presence of interpreted or translated information in sign language does not always guarantee meaningful access, especially when it fails to meet the diverse communication and language needs of people within Deaf communities. Using qualitative methods and in-depth case studies involving Deaf organisations and emergency services in Australia, alongside comparative insights from seven other countries, this study explores how institutional assumptions about communication and language accessibility shape disaster preparedness and response. Findings reveal systemic barriers that limit Deaf participation in disaster planning and highlight the need to reframe what access truly means. This research advocates for disaster services to move beyond a narrow focus on communication access and instead adopt a language-based lens—one that recognises sign languages as foundational to equitable participation, disaster education, and community resilience.
| Period | 23 May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Seminar |
| Location | United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | Local |