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Deaf-friendly research - conducting research using an electronic questionnaire

Anna Irasiak, Elżbieta Sroka, Wojciech Górka, Michał Socha, Adam Piasecki

Abstract

A non-exclusive approach in conducting survey-based research which assumes the participation of people with disabilities is one of the important ethical aspects of the research process. The use of the tool, which has been designed in accordance with the universal user-oriented design, makes it possible for people with disabilities to take an active part in surveys. This means that they can present their attitudes and express opinions within the conducted surveys.

The aim of the article is to present the issue of conducting surveys using an electronic questionnaire among deaf people, modelled on the Avatar PJM project. People with a hearing impairment, whose first or primary language used for communication is a sign language, should be given a questionnaire in an appropriate form enabling them to complete it easily. The discussed project presents a proposal to construct a questionnaire using the LimeSurvey software. The questionnaire has been adapted to the needs and expectations of the recipient group. The presented solution for designing a user-friendly research tool can be used in other types of research in this group of respondents (e.g. industrial or educational research) or can become an inspiration for further research in this field.

Keywords: electronic questionnaire, Deaf-friendly research, universal user-oriented design, surveys, Avatar project

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AUTHORS

Anna Irasiak

The author (Ph.D.) is an assistant professor at Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa. She has been involved in scientific and didactic projects related to the education of future teachers, sign language and the university's accessibility to persons with disabilities. She is a proficient translator of the Polish Sign Language.

Elżbieta Sroka

The author (Ph.D.) is an assistant professor at the Institute of Information Sciences of Pedagogical University of Krakow a Senior Specialist at Łukasiewicz-EMAG, and certified UX designer. She specializes in testing information users, designing user-friendly websites and mobile applications, and digitalization and application of new technologies with respect to their accessibility to persons with disabilities. She has taken part in projects focused on fighting social exclusion and developing new technologies in society.

Wojciech Górka

The author (Msc) is a senior specialist at Łukasiewicz-EMAG. He is a systems analyst and software engineer and specializes in computer system design. He is a co-author of solutions related to the application of ICT in fighting social exclusion.

Michał Socha

The author (Msc) is a senior specialist at Łukasiewicz-EMAG. He is a doctoral student at the Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science of the Silesian University of Technology. He specializes in computer system design using artificial intelligence and is a co-author of solutions related to the application of ICT in fighting social exclusion.

Adam Piasecki

The author (Msc) is a leader of the Accessibility and Communication Competence Center at Łukasiewicz-EMAG. He is a graduate of the Silesian University of Technology and doctoral student at the Faculty of Informatics and Communication of the University of Economics in Katowice. For many years he has been manager of projects related to fighting social exclusion and implementing IT solutions in industry and administration.

About the article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15219/em92.1538

The article is in the printed version on pages 4-15.

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How to cite

Irasiak, A., Sroka, E., Górka, W., Socha, M., & Piasecki, A. (2021). Deaf-friendly research - conducting research using an electronic questionnaire. e-mentor, 5(92), 4-15. https://doi.org/10.15219/em92.1538