How to Design Visual Information for Hearing Impaired Travellers (SUrDyn Project)

Deaf and hard-of-hearing persons are particularly disadvantaged in public transportation because they can not be informed in real time about perturbations (e.g.: a train is cancelled, a train is late…). This kind of information is generally diffused by loud speakers in oral mode. The present research aims at exploring an adaptation of these messages in a visual mode in order to be accessible by the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Five messages have been converted into four graphic formats: from static to dynamic (animated). These messages have been presented to 88 persons divided in three different groups (born deaf, became deaf, elderly) in order to test their comprehension of the messages and to identify the preferred format. The hypothesis is that the animated format is preferred and that it improves the comprehension compared to a static format. First results confirm this hypothesis. Conclusions of this research may provide technical recommendations for a better information accessibility related to the recent law in France (February 2005).