A multifaceted Internet language environment for the hearing impaired

Summary form only given. The paper explores the practical use of a tactile transducer to enhance speech communication for the hearing impaired utilizing a voice mail system. In spite of the recent technological developments in human machine interfaces, the world of the hearing impaired for speech perception and production hasn´t had much improvement because of: 1) the lack of consensus and emphasis in using spoken language as a means of communication among the hearing impaired community and their educational institutions; 2) the lack of proper and easy to use equipment to facilitate speech communication between hearing and hearing impaired persons. The main objective of the research project is to encourage hearing impaired people to use a spoken language which is not of their own mother tongue via the Internet. In order to achieve this, the speech of both hearing and hearing impaired people is enhanced by a tactile transducer. The two selected communities will use the Internet to communicate with each other via voice mail