Nägemispuudega inimeste meediatarbimine

Date

2006

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

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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

Citation