Abstract:

DEAFLI is a GRUNDTVIG project (538750-LLP-1-2013-1-ES) thought to help deaf people improve their language skills and their chances to access employment.
DEAFLI is a 10-lesson course designed to enhance the acquisition of key competences in written language by young deaf people and deaf adults. DEAFLI aims to improve their education and to facilitate their access to the labour market in the countries taking part in the project (Spain, Austria, Italy and the UK), therefore, materials and resources will be developed for this purpose. DEAFLI uses multimedia technology for teaching and learning activities, incorporating a learning platform with an open forum and a DVD. Each partner develops their share of the lessons which are then adapted to the different languages of the consortium (Catalan, Italian, English and German), and the four sign languages of the countries belonging to the partnership: LSC (Catalan Sign Language), LIS (Italian Sign Language), BSL (British Sign Language) and ÖGS (Austrian Sign Language).

So far, the first four lessons have been developed (the topics are: “formal and informal Letter”, “CV and cover letter”, “press articles” and “how to read a job advert”). DEAFLI includes videos with grammar explanations in the Sign Languages of each of the countries taking part in the project in order to support the deaf students' comprehension of the contents, as well as interactive exercises (www.deafli.com, currently under construction).
Currently, 80 % of deaf people are functional illiterate, in other words, they complete a basic education, but do not reach suitable language proficiency, neither in its oral form nor in its written one, leading to a handicap in social situations due to the fact that written language proficiency is considered an essential tool in advanced societies, since it guarantees fundamental access to information and knowledge and, therefore, helps to develop a better identity and personal autonomy, while it affects social and work integration.

Nowadays, accessibility to information and communication in the Deaf community is still far from being a fact, but, from this new perspective, explaining in detail the new strategies that optimize the reading and writing skills of Deaf pupils, it is expected to bring their competences near the levels of their listening counterparts favoring their access to employment, equal opportunities and deterring exclusion.

Keywords:

Deaf, Literacy, European Project.