Nägemispuudega inimeste meediatarbimine
Date
2006
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Abstract
Description
If a human being gets 75% of information by sight (Vibur 2005), it does not mean that
visually impaired people, who use primarily hearing for getting information, that they
prefer only radio, which is the only audio channel, because nowadays technology gives a
possibility to transfer visual texts into audio form. For example blind people can listen to
the news and books by synthetic speech and screen magnification. They can also read
books and newspapers from audio files, like from cassettes and CD-s. And in the future
there should be only CD-s.
Thesis „The Media Use of Visually Impaired People” shows that visually impaired
people can use every media channel, if it is converted into suitable form. The choice of
channels depends first of all on the people themselves. Next they choose the useful aids,
from magnifying glass and television-spectacles till the computer with Braille’ screen.
The choice of the aids depends on the rate of disability, and also on activity, interest and
the skills of a human being. For example most of the visually impaired people does not
know Braille’ and that is why they do not need the aids, which help them to read and
write in Braille’ system. And so there is no need for printing Braille’ books, which is the
reason why the number of books are decreasing. The ability to read and write in Braille’
system decrease despite of the fact that this system and the inventor of this style Louis
Braille is very famous in the history of blind people and even there had been celebrations
of the Braille’ day in Estonia in last years.
Reading the books is very popular, even though not in Braille’, because sound writing
makes much easier to reach different information. Most of audio books and audio
journalism (which mostly concerns the life of visually impaired people) are made in the
Library of Estonian Blind People. The range of the editions is much smaller compared
with the state library, but it is still very important place for mediating information
between visually impaired people. If most of the visually impaired people are
unemployed, they have plenty of spare time to read books. Most of all they read fiction.
In thesis I divided visually impaired people to partially sighted and blind people. On the
assumption of empirical part of thesis or to say for the media analyse of visually impaired
people I divided them into three groups: partially sighted, people who had lost their sight
in later life and people born blind. For analyse I interviewed the medium group – nine
people who had lost their sight in later life. In addition I interviewed six experts to
explain the media use of visually impaired people. In sampling there were many young
people, that is why it appeared that nowadays internet as a medium plays enormous role
and the messages of it are used very often. But there is a problem with different media
messages of internet, so that getting information is quite complicated for blind people,
because there is a lot of odd information on the websites. Despite of the difficulties in
websites you can get higher education only when you have computer and internet
connection.
In summary if visually impaired people have an opportunity and facilities to use all media
channels, it gives them equal opportunities to take part in social life. This helps them to
integrate in the community, which gives so stronger basis of the development of the
society.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General), bakalaureusetööd