Accessibility’s Impact on the Information Literacy of the Deaf Community

Abstract

This Master’s thesis explores access and accessibility and how they impact information literacy in the (d)eaf community. Information literacy is the ability to locate, evaluate, and effectively use the information the individual needs. Using Narrative Inquiry, participants from the Nova Scotia (d)eaf Community were interviewed about access, accessibility, and information literacy. Participants were asked to reflect on how they typically look for, use, and understand information throughout their daily, professional, and educational lives —as well as what role technology plays in those processes. Contrasts in the epistemological understanding of access and accessibility between the (d)eaf Community and the hearing world are highlighted. The results of this study give us a clearer picture of the current information literacy skills of the Nova Scotia (d)eaf Community, along with presenting overarching themes of mental health, accessibility, education, privacy, and the role of the (d)eaf community in information literacy development and practice.