Investigation

 Guiding Questions

The investigation phase is a crucial step in the challenge-based learning process, as it sets the foundation for the rest of the project. During this phase, our team has been focused on generating questions related to the challenge and gathering information that will help us to better understand it. Some of the questions we might consider include:

• Who are the deaf people at Tunisia?
• How many are there in Tunisia?
• Where can we exactly find them?
• How do deaf individuals access education, healthcare, and other essential services?
• What are the common challenges that deaf individuals face in their daily lives?
• How do deaf individuals communicate with others?
• Does the Tunisian Sign Language differ from others?

To answer these questions, we will need to do some research and gather data from a variety of sources. This included interviews with experts, literature reviews, and discussions with members of the community affected by the challenge.

The Research

As we started our investigation phase and after choosing the problematic we would be working on, which is, as mentioned in the previous page, the communication difficulties that deaf people encounter in Tunisian society, we figured that it is extremely necessary that we find an expert in the domain not just to consult but also to partner up with in order to let the project grow bigger and find its true purpose. As we went through different associations and experts' searches, one managed to stand out as it were specifically the exact domain we were looking for; Tunisian Sign Language Interpreters Association, going by the name of ATILS. By the end of the investigation phase, we should have a clear understanding of the problem and some potential solutions to explore further. We will then be ready to move on to the next phase of the CBL process – ideation – where we will brainstorm and come up with specific ideas for addressing the challenge.

Establishing the First Contact: ATILS

After identifying our potential partner, we immediately contacted ATILS president, Mr. Houssem Aloui, fortunately he replied to our request pretty fast and agreed to set a meet with us. During our online encounter with Mr. Aloui, the president of the ATILS association, we managed to get an in-depth definition of the problematic we are working on. He stated that it is a widely overlooked issue in Tunisia, barely recognized by the government, which makes it even more crucial to tackle. He also gave us various data sources from which we might be able to collect the required data as well as potential contacts that would greatly help us during the investigation phase. Not to mention that we also agreed to set a meet in real life by the start of November with ATILS during which we will have the opportunity to collect data (through recording sign language interpreters) and test different mechanics that would be applied in our solution. 

📁 Resources: Contact Sheet

🔗ATILS Facebook Page: Association tunisienne des interpretes en langue des signes - ATILS | Facebook

Follow-Up : Choosing a Specific Domain

As we continued our research and data studying, we figured that our project should start from a certain specific domain in order for us to create a decent and efficient solution. We had to work on the feasibility of a solution then move on to its scalability and diversity as the same sign in Tunisian Sign Language can differ depending on the context and the domain. The field of healthcare was important at this point as it's very critical to the well-being and good health of the deaf community. That's why we chose to work on this field, and continue our journey in this challenge!

Follow-Up : Interviewing a Doctor

As part of our investigation into the challenge of improving communication between deaf individuals and medical professionals, we had the opportunity to interview Doctor Syrine Ben Othmen. She was able to provide us with valuable insights. One of the key things we learned from Doctor Ben Othmen was the importance of understanding and extracting frequent words from patient-doctor dialogue. By helping us identify the most commonly used words and phrases in these conversations, we can create a more efficient and effective way for deaf patients to communicate with their doctors. Doctor Ben Othmen also shared with us some of the challenges that healthcare professionals face when communicating with deaf patients, such as the lack of qualified interpreters and the limited availability of assistive technologies. We are grateful to Doctor Ben Othmen for sharing her expertise with us and helping us to better understand the needs of both deaf patients and healthcare professionals.

📁 Resources: Doctor-Patient Interaction

Follow-Up : Meeting with AVST 

It was very important to continue to engage with the deaf community in Tunisia and seek out additional resources and information that will help us to better understand their needs and the challenges they face. That's why we had to meet with Mr. Hachmi Rachid, the president of Association Voix du Sourd de Tunisie (A.V.S.T). Mr. Rachid helped us learn more about deaf people in Tunisia and the challenges they face. He also provided us with a Tunisian Sign Language book in the healthcare context that was made in collaboration with the French Institute in Tunisia. This book will be a valuable resource for our project as it will help us to understand how Tunisian Sign Language is used and interpreted in the healthcare field. Here are some pictures from the book : 

👉 Tunisian Sign Language (TSL) is just a dialect based on Tunisian culture and some of FSL words. But it is not an official language!

By working closely with deaf advocates and community organizations, we are able to ensure that our project is going to be relevant, effective, and culturally appropriate.

Follow-Up : Technical Investigation

It was also very important for us to thoroughly research the technical challenges that we may face in order to identify potential solutions and ensure that our project is feasible. Reading research papers can be a valuable way to gather information and gain insights from experts in the field. The following research papers helped us further understand the technical aspects of our project.

👉 Act